https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a29446/the-difference-between-a-reliable-and-a-durable-car/

These old cars are just a hobby. We have the Tesla for transportation and acceleration trololololols

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I have a MB and a couple older fords. Anything past a certain date is pretty much the same reliability in that its generally unreliable, but you end up knowing its quirks and how to keep it relatively reliable.

Ive drifted from MB a bit as parts costs and simple parts availabiliy makes my old ford van easier to keep going. Everything with an MB has to be ordered.

With an older domestic you can still find a lot of stuff immediately available as things break. Ive found my ford straight 6 exactly the same durable type of engine as my benz

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

I think your opinion is because you are buying used cars that are too new. If you had purchased MBs of the 1970-1980s, I think your opinion would be 180 degrees different. My reference - my 1981 300SD daily driver (original owner) which has been virtually bullet proof for 37 years. I have replaced the tranny twice and the AC but other than that only very, very minor problems.

If you bring a 123 up to snuff it is very reliable and easy to work on....especially the 240d.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The problem that you guys don’t realize is that I live in the rust belt. A 70’s-80’s Benz will turn in to potting soil in 3 years up here.

It’s not the era of car, but I will concede that my location is pretty prohibitive of daily driving a classic car.

__________________
Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

LIFE PRO TIP: move

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

You certainly have a valid point.

"You should never buy an old car if you can’t deal with something being broken at any given time" .

This is so but the ? can _you_ fix it your self ? question is also as important as do you live in the rust belt .

I find my old Mercedes W123 Diesels *very* reliable, as mentioned the 1982 240D especially so ~ I spent three weeks tooling (slowly) 'round the Navajo Nation in it with a failed engine and bad tranny a year or so ago and had a wonderful time in spite of the AC going kaput the first day out .

"the most expen$ive car you will ever won is a cheap Mercedes " ~ truer words were never spoken .

Me no care, I'm retired now and still do most of the works on it my own damnself plus it makes me happy every time I drive it .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I live in the rust belt too, combined with ocean salt air.

Reason i stopped driving a 123 daily wasnt keeping it going, it was after spending thousands on rust repair i was watching it rust out the same way again within 2 years. Never able to completely eliminate rust, and its an endless problem otherwise

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

RUST NEVER SLEEPS .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I’m definitely able and willing to fix my car. I can usually push through the mechanical repairs but rust and water infiltration just kills me.

My 300te basically always starts and drives. It’s just a matter of what level of suffering I’m willing to deal with. 4matic issues that are one after another, ok, I was prepared for that and I’m able to diagnose the issues accurately. Please tell me though, how the hell can I get my 4matic totally functional again (at great expense) and literally a week later the transfer case starts leaking.

And then a rock in the condenser and it’s 90 degrees outside.

The bottom line is this: I have the means, both talent and finances to maintain this old beast. I never installed a non genuine part on this wagon. I can totally deal with the rear window not working but it drives me crazy when yet another $200 hydraulic hose starts leaking and pees all over my brand new driveway.

It’s starting to rust from the inside out no matter how much PM stuff I do. It rains and I got water coming in from the back windows. That’s AFTER I spent a thousand dollars on genuine gaskets and even paid the dealer to install. (Another $800). It stayed dry for about 2 years.

I may come off as being bitter and it’s because I am. I really love this car, and I know it inside and out. I can only imagine it’s like watching a loved one get old and die slowly from cancer. There’s nothing I can do about it.

__________________
Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

Well, I would recommend you buy a 1981-1985 300TD. Without rust of course.

Everyone's experience is different. A lot of it is luck of the draw. I bought my SDL as a rough "field" car that sat for a decade, neglected. My intent was to get the car, resurrect it, and learn what I could from it. I never expected it to be a daily driver and fully expected it to be hideously unreliable with stuff breaking all the time, especially after sitting so long. After all, that's how my SL is (literally breaks down every time it goes out).

My expectations never came to be. Once I got the car up and running and started fixing things, they've stayed fixed. It's turned into my daily driver, and it's one of the most reliable cars I've driven. Never failed to start, never broke down, never left me stranded, never left me wondering if I was going to make it home or not. A/C blows so cold you can hang meat in the cabin.

I was with a buddy this afternoon that helped me a lot on the car and was with me when we trailered it home. He remarked that it's amazing how much the car turned around, he was fully betting it would become a "parts car" when it first came home.

I will say that I'm extremely fortunate to live in a climate where nothing ever rusts. No salt on the roads either. Just lots of sun that tears up paint and interiors. My car's face is rough, but the bones are solid.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Eugene ;

I grew up in the rust belt and understand your issues .

You need to buy a new , five year old Mercedes every time the repairs pass your comfort level .

I have no answers for your slushbox and hydraulic hose issues, I wish I did .

There is no shortage of cheap 5 year old off lease Mercedes' to choose from .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better