Which to keep
 

I have to get rid of one of my benzes. It's a rule I have, I can't have more cars than parking spaces. I currently have 3. The truck, 240D, and the '87.

The '87 300D is fast, efficient, and comfortable. It needs body work for a rear fender bender. paint, small interior refresh, and the suspension gone over.engine needs a gasket job just to stop some weeping oil, a good degreasing would probably help. Paid $3k

The 240D is classy, brown, manual everything with a near mint interior and decent body. However, it needs AC work,complete suspension overhaul, brake system refreshed, starter, right front fender, all body gaskets, and an engine refresh at some point. Paid, with transporting it home, $1200.

I'm torn between which to keep and sell. I have half a mind to swap the 603 into the w123 but I'd lose money selling the shell of the 300D but would get best of both worlds. I need the truck, it's just too darn useful to have around since I have no room for a trailer. Mrs.thedon likes her basket case of a w123 too much for me to consider selling it plus that car was also only $1100.

So, what to do?

If mrs thedon has that red 300d still, the choice would be easy for me. Sell the 240, you still have a 123 in the family. Keep the 87

I'm trying to talk her into the 240D. I prefer it over the 300D. However, I'm going to repaint the 300D with the "$50 rustoleum " job this summer since the last owners paint job failed.

Keep the W123 and do the swap - forget about the percieved loss of money. Think of it as saving the bit you like and getting rid of the bit that's about to cause you trouble. Part out the rest of the W124 to crabble back some cash if you must.

(Or alternatively think of the rustoleum idea as a really fast way to de-value the car!)

The only trouble with swapping motors is it'll be a very big job and take two cars out of service til its done and it'll cost more money than you think. Swapping a 300 into a 240 is childs play by comparison.

the w123 300D will never be worth much so the rustoleum job doesnt phase me.

swapping the 603 into the w123 would be an undertaking. I did miss my first 240D 4 speed which is why I bought another.

This may be heretical, but....
 

..given your current situation you are married and live in a mechanic unfriendly environment. I assume you are still employed full time...

Here's a thought.

Sell all the old MBs. Keep the truck.

Your description of the cars tells me that none of them are in good condition. Really, be honest. You may love them like a stray puppy, but these cars all need tons of money and time to bring up to spec. Time which you will have to value at zero $ to make any argument about spending it on the cars, and money you will sink into cars without hope of recovery.

Given your living constraints, sell all three of them and with your accumulated funds, buy ONE really decent MB diesel. You know the kind, one you can actually drive and not have to but a ton of money into repairs and cosmetics immediately.

You free up an unbelievable amount of time, space, and money that you are now spending on three needy cars.

You can buy a very decent W123 or W124 sedan for a lot less than you would spend bring even one car up to speed. Sell your current cars for whatever the market is, and roll that money and some extra into one nice car.

You can still fool around with it, accessorize it, and you now have space for another hobby car, when the opportunity comes around.

You'll be amazed how much weight is lifted off your shoulders when you make the transition.

Jim

This is good advice. I am on the cusp of doing the same with my old benzos and getting something like that late model CDI Jim has.;)

the w124 isnt that bad, it just needs some cosmetic work. The truck needs work too, the front tires are wearing on the outer edge so I need to look into that too.

the wife drives an '83 300D so she needs a car regardless.

Im leaning towards keeping the '87

The answer is clear. Keep them all.

The great Karl Benz frowns upon those that do away with his children! Herr Daimler will seek revenge.

(If it were me the 240D would get the boot. The 124 is just awesome)

:D

I have a vented W124 fender ive been itching to install. I might just repaint the '87 myself this summer too. I've done body work for close up quality props before, can't be much different.

How many cars and trucks in total do you have??

Are they all licensed and insured?

Which to keep
 

Sell the least reliable one, or the one that needs most work, judging from your other posts it sounds like you're already super busy. The last thing needed is probably another project.


I know the feeling, same problem here.

It's so nice to have turn key examples in the garage that can be repaired reasonably as things pop up... not a never-ending journey that makes zero financial sense when you purchase a project. MB diesels aren't worth enough to justify it.

You could sell all three benzes and have enough coin to buy one excellent example to preserve and enjoy. Although it would be tough to preserve if your wife is driving it to work, roasting away in the Florida sun.

The 300D is red... Red is the first to start fading in the sunlight. The rustoleum job will only last a year or two as well. That's just the way it is.

I would not put my wife in a 240D stick, especially with all the nut job Florida drivers. She needs enough power to get out of the way.

M

that would be the 240D, but I suppose I could sell both and upgrade to a '95 E300D or potentially a W210 with its glow plug snapping fun.

But honestly, I do have time, I just seem to have a lot going on. and having a spare vehicle like the truck makes having a car down for a few days due to work being done to it on my end is ok.

We are saving up and will need to recover from a trip to Japan this summer so any car shenanigans are on the back burner, until I win the lottery.

This has got to be the biggest understatement of this thread.

Trying to do this without a proper garage and tools, all the while under the angry eyes of your neighbors.......

It's a big project to swap like for like, do you really have any idea what is involved when you start a bastard swap like this? I do. It's not trivial to just swap out like for like, let alone all the time required to engineer out the interfaces required when doing something the factory never did.

You've also admitted that even the truck needs work. Wow.
Here's some advice:

You are not in a good position to have nothing but needy cars as daily transportation. You need to prioritize your time and money to get yourself in a situation where you can play with cars.

First, if you and your spouse both have jobs, what you need right now is TWO reliable cars. By your own admission, none of your vehicles qualify for this category. Get this priority out of the way first.

Second, you need to own (preferably) or rent a place that has a garage, and enough room to hide any projects from the neighbors. This means that any money you save should not be spent as a sunk cost on needy machinery or expensive vacations. Save for the house.

Once you have achieved these goals, then it is time to play as a reward.
Until then, spend your talent where you can make money, and save as much as you can until you fulfill the above goals.

It took me a while to learn this myself (although I got the house part fairly quickly), and I wish I had learned it much sooner.

Jim

my truck needs an alignment due to abnormal tire wear, big deal.Might need lower ball joints, an hour job at most.But

you're making it seem like I'm some 16 year old working at McDonald that makes $7 an hour with 12 cars in various states of disrepair.

we own a town home with a good sized 2 car garage.....that was purchased on short sale 7 years ago and has already double in value thats sitting in a very very popular area that would make it easy to rent out in the near future and is being paid off, dare I mention our savings and investment portfolio So I think I'm allowed to have a car or two that need attention


and the 603 to w123 swap is pretty simple when compared to a V12 to 107 swap.I should probably do it just to spite the nay sayers.... Its been documented and works well.

Ha. The attention to detail is very obvious. Maybe these cars "need" said work done, but they still go down the road just fine.

Mines that way. It needs a lot of stuff. But it's now at the point that it will get me to work. I consider it just as reliable as the 09 Buick suv with 100k on it. Probably more reliable, because when these old benz's "break" they tend to still get you home. If a coil pack goes out or God knows what else on the Buick I'm calling for a tow.

We sometimes aim for perfection in life, but the reality is the happiest people are just doing their thing, which may not make sense to others.

My landlord is a billionaire. Literally. I'm watching him plant a small vineyard right now, and none of it makes any sense. He won't make any money. The row orientation is wrong. The variety is a poor choice for the climate. Soil prep is non-existent.

But when he gets towards the end of his life, will he be saying "I grew the wine that I prefer and drank it!" Or will he be saying "I grew the correct variety with proper row orientation soil prep etc, but didn't enjoy drinking it?"

I think we all need to pursue our own version of crazy. You only live once. Enjoy the ride.

He may end up selling vinegar instead...


Sent from an abacus

Yeah that's the hard part. I set him up with a buddy that knows what he doing and will keep half the wine.

Joe,

Not trying to offend.

You assume everybody knows your situation. What you say above gives quite a different impression than your OP. Congrats on recognizing the value of owning a home with a garage.

But, what I wrote still holds true.

Years ago, Peter Egan wrote in Road and Track about having one good car.

I've found that over the years this is a very true philosophy. You need one good car in your fleet. Something your wife can drive with reliability, something that doesn't require an explanation of how to make it work, something with no immediate needs either cosmetic or mechanical.

You said you were getting hassled due to the sheer number of cars you own. This really stood out against the laundry list of needs all your cars have. My advice is borne from experience and years of observation. Cutting loose the needy cars and replacing many with one good one is a very sound move. I learned this lesson the hard way, and looking back I wish I had taken the suggested path.
I got lucky in real estate and was in the right place at the right time with the right house a couple of times. This enabled me to set up a nice shop building to work on cars. I didn't learn the one good car theory as quickly. When I look back and consider how much money and time I spent keeping older cars running (and I'm real picky about cosmetics and mechanical condition), I could have bought a newer car and had a lot more time and a bit more money.

Time has low value when you're young, but increases in value as you get older. While I don't regret the path I took, It wasn't the most effective use of my time. What I paid myself for my time was zero, which is about what I get per hour now. The difference is that now I can pick and choose my battles, whereas before my battles came to me. It's not a lot of fun to be working on your car Sunday night so you can get to work or school on Monday. I've also done several custom engine swaps and this path is not for the fainthearted. Especially in a condo environment. My favorite was an 86 Dodge Caravan that I bought from the Chrysler proving grounds as a shell in 1986, and installed a Dodge Shelby Charger 2.2 turbo with a 5 speed manual transmission that came from a rolled new car. This one served to get me the one new car aspect, but still was a lot of fun to drive. It's fun to dream, it's another to get the dream to run well.

Joe, not trying to impune that you work at mickey D's, you've been on this list a long time and those of us who have followed you know that you graduated, got a job, and got married. Old news for me.

Good luck on your decisions, I wish you the best.

Jim

Sell them all and start fresh with a small Japanese truck and a decent MB, maybe a W126 diesel.

I like the dodge.


I wasn't being hassled about the number of cars, with a roommate that has a jeep, motorcycle and had a pickup truck(he just sold) it's difficult for me to have my space. Thankfully they are moving out in two months or so. So I'll have space. :D in the garage.

The 300D isn't terribly, it looks fine from 10'. I'm just not picking.

What about selling the truck, & keeping the 2 cars, for now?
 

Nobody has mentioned this idea but if you only use a truck/trailer now and then, what about renting, and only when needed?

Possible benefits would be easy garaging of your two cars, and less expense of garaging. insuring, repairing a third car, and even depreciation and maintenance..just wondering.....

Also, many people bought a gas guzzling big SUV or full size pickup truck on the logic they need it to tow a boat or trailer sometimes. But the extra expense in fuel, repairs might, on simply just a cost per mile basis alone, make it quite a bit more expensive to own, in the long run.

Might not make it that sensible to keep a truck/SUV if you are budget-minded and could use the money saved for something else more important, too..

What do you think?

Nah, the truck is very useful. But if I quit teaching I might just sell it since I used it a lot for class. But in the past I've needed to use a pickup for many tasks around the house and didn't have one. I sold my MINI and bought the truck with the money from that so it was a wash really, no money lost or spent on it. Renting a truck is a hassle...


Another reason for keeping the 124... I've owned and driven w123's and an SDL, WHICH I MISS TERRIBLY! But the w124 is a great compromise between the two chassis. When I got in it the other day and the doors made a nice thud instead of a clunk like my w123, with new door strikers, it was nice. New thought, 5 speed swap for the w124!

If I'm going to save for something else it's going to be an early Viper.......

Wasn't there a truck with a Viper engine it?

Yes, and it had a mini version of the superbird rear wing on back as well. Huge aluminum wheels, big brakes, and on and on. To me it was the answer to a question that no sane person would ask but they sold some. It was a full sized dodge ram.

Cool - gotta have wings - just like panty pads

Here's a picture of it

http://www.shadetreemechanic.com/ima...Quad%20Cab.jpg

I'm sure it is fat 'n' furious and fast 'n' loud and yet when you look at it perhaps not. It's a four door!

There's this kid in my town that won the lottery. Had to split it with other people.

He bought a viper. Still works at the grocery store. Still lives with his parents.

It makes no sense. But he seems happy. So good for him.

How are those E320 CDI's doing these days?

I could sell all 3, put a hitch on the CDI for when I need to get something like a sheet of plywood or what not.

Which part(s) of your story doesn't make sense to you, and why?

I think the newer ones have a better reputation than the older - but from my perspective there's a lot of electrickery in new cars that would need a bit of a sideways step to get used to from a mechanic's point of view

Having owned my CDI for a year and a half, and 18K miles, I say if you can sell all three and come up with the cash difference for a "NICE" CDI, you will NEVER look back and say "Wow, I wish I'd kept all those old cars...."

I've noticed that the great majority of negative comments about the CDIs on this board come from people who have never owned, let alone driven, a CDI. I can also remember, 23 years ago when I bought my wife her 87 300TD, I heard the same remarks about the W124 with the OM603 engine.

Sure they are more complex cars than a W123, but compared to a Model T, a W123 is complex, but owners of W123s are OK with that......

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing W123s and W124s, I still own 2 W124s, but neither have any immediate needs, and are driven sparingly, so little time or money is required to keep them. My wife refuses to consider any replacement for her W124 wagon, it sits in the garage ready for her to accumulate the 3K miles per year she drives. The cabriolet gets about 1K per year, it's purely a toy and one I feel confident will be a winner in the appreciation sweepstakes as time goes on.

<edit> Err, 3 W124s. Keep forgetting about the 91 300D. It's a transient car, just using it this winter to keep the salt off the CDI. Have already agreed to sell it to a friend when the snow stops. But the other two are longterm keepers.

Here's a thought: Keep the truck, get a CDI, and maybe keep the nicest diesel you now own as your fun car.

Jim

I'd sell the two diesels and possibly the truck. I don't need all 3 really. The truck really helped out around school. Or I'd sell the truck and the '87 and keep the '78 bcayse I only paid $1k for that and clean w123's are getting hard to find.

I'd probat have to finance the remainder of the CDI. But If I do get this new job this week teaching will pay out my summer paycheck account and I can put that towards a CDI as well and just make up the difference somehow.

The W126 diesel will trailer just fine. I had a hitch installed on mine to transport goods in an enclosed UHaul trailer a thousand miles. No truck needed.

Nothing against trucks other than their extra cost draining factor.

I like it. That's the best plan here I've read, whether you realize it or not.

If a W126 will trailer #2,000 or so, which they will - the CDI will have zero problems doing it too.

True.

didn't read all the posts.....
 

So, hopefully no one suggested this. Keep all the vehicles and add another parking space. :eek:

The Mrs.TheDon suggested keeping the truck. It will be the last one left after I sell off the other two since it's insured as my daily driver.

I did see that the w211 has a large trunk. I was expecting something like the w126 with the fuel tank in the way. I saw one on CL that's hunter green or whatever it's called (I want a green one or brown if they exists) with the split rear seat but no parktronic.

It's wise to decide things together, whenever possible.

If you can find a CDI with the pass-through, fold down right rear seatback cushion, you can haul your snow skis, fence posts, and other loong articles without them hanging out the open trunk lid, side windows, or having to strap them to the roof. Unfortunately, the CDI I bought for my personal car wasn't equipped this optional feature. Not sure, but I believe all the W211s have pre-threaded 4-point roof connections for the MB luggage-racks.

Tyler got one of the Freeh cousins the Green you reference. I may be wrong, but that green exterior may have only been available in the 05?

Truck is getting the axe too, won't have to pay like $400 for another plate and registration is easy to transfer.

If I need another truck I'll just go buy an 80's C10 for $1200 like my room mate did.


I'm not sure on the color availability but it's a dark hunter green.

I kept my 84 wagon but I have a garage and I couldn't let it go. I bought a 05 CDI. It's a super dark metallic green (melanite black pearl metallic) which looks black at first glance. I'm quite happy. There was a 06 CDI here on CL with 89K miles for $12.8K and it was fully optioned. That's the way to go. To the Don: quit working on the cars all the time and give your time to something else. Transportation is transportation.

http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/ctd/4899731094.html
http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/ctd/4877002861.html
http://sarasota.craigslist.org/cto/4898305853.html
http://keys.craigslist.org/cto/4833866913.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...1&d=1424619637

Pretty sure we will see an explosion in CDI ownership soon.

I'm on board with this decision.

05 and 06 are the better years due to the om648 straight 6. The 07 went to the V6 which was (prior to release) rumored to be more powerful and have better economy. Those rumors were false, and later years had DPF and Adblue which are power and economy killers. Until the current 4 cylinder diesel of 2014 the OM648 is still considered to be the best choice in most owners views. The SBC repair can be pricey, but what MB repair is not? The benzworld w211 forum is actually a worthwhile place (wow did I just say that?!?)