Get another opinion on the work needed for the steering, there are lesser costing items including steering couplers etc. Now is a great time, before having the work done, to learn everything you can about your car. Do not have work,done that you cannot go into the shop and verify with the mechanic based on your knowledge, so learn Get the mercedes CD with shop documentation on it, see ebay. Get all references for your car that can help you. Before putting major money into the car for the front end, first have the car FULLY checked over by a mechanic. If there is a lot of other work to do on the car, it may not be worth doing any. Or, for work you can do, this may be the beginning of your apprentiship. In my subjective opinion, most people cannot afford to own these old cars over time without a fantastic and honest local mechanic (hard to find) or some decent level of DIY skills. And in the future, you should have the car checked out by a mechanic before you buy it.