Just two weeks ago I bought this 1995 E320 Wagon with almost complete Service records, new high end tires and everything working except the power head rests and it appears it has new wiring harness and had the head gasket done... for $3600

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1983 300D-Turbo - Deep Blue w Palomino MB Tex (total loss in fire 1/5/09 RIP)
1995 E320 W124 Polar White/Grey Mushroom MB Tex
2005 F150 Supercrew - Arizona Beige - Lear topper
1985 Piaggio Vespa T5 - Black and Chrome

www.cphilip.com

the 190E a German tank? What would you call the E- and S-Class cars then? Before A- and B-class it was called Baby Benz .

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1996 E320 since 1/16/08, 171K miles as of Feb 2011

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1989 300CE - R.I.P. Dec 29 2007
Other MBs (sold): 1992 300E-24 - 1979 350SLC - 1984 230E - 1990 300CE

'83 240D 4-speed with 243,000 miles for $1300.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

I paid plenty, about 70K for a new '07 E550. Am alarmed by some who report that their cars are "rusting". Seems to me that MB should have solved this problem along time ago. What gives? Fords and Chevys start rusting in dealer showrooms. But come on, if we can elect a African American can't someone make a rust free car? You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time but you can't fool all the people all the time. Just came up with that.

1985 300TD, 99% rust free.......$100

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

1984 300D Turbo purchased for myself with 190K purchased for $7000 from a friend in about 1995 sold 4 years later with 286K for $4500 (needed evaporator core for $2500). Fantastic car, meticulously maintained before I purchased it and repairs during ownership were relatively minor and typical for the mark (seat pads replaced, restitched a few seams in the seat skins, shocks, oil lines, alternator, AC compressor, etc. but nothing more than $100 at a time. Wish I had kept that one.

1984 380SE purchased for myself from the family @ 90K in around 1998 for $10K, car was absolutely flawless. Typical parts for the vintage, No major expenses, sold car several years later for $6K with 150K. Hated to let it go as still a cream puff, but too many cars back then and this one developed intermittent gremlin stumble that no one could fix.

1987 300E purchased for the wife from a friend in mid 90's with 125K paid $10K, with exception of a few bizzare fuel pump/AC relay arcing episodes, car was very reliable with typical parts consumption. Sold after 4 years for $5K, car reproduced the arc a year later for the new owner (a friend) and never survived.

1992 500E - purchased in about 2000 for $20K with 90K on it, realizing that while a cosmetic cream puff, it needed a few items typical to the 500E to ensure pristine longevity (timing chains, rails, cold start racka-racka fix, pesky oil leak-just had to fix it, water pump, rebuilt the heads while in there, engine wiring harness, power steering pump, etc. putting over $10K into the car). Along with my Orange 1974 911 Carrera Targa Turbo (sold after 23 years together), the 500E will always be the automotive love of my life. While the porsche is often trying to humble you, the 500E always instills confidence, even when you are past the limits of both yourself and the car.

1984 300D Turbo purchased for myself with 190K purchased for $7000 from a friend in about 1995 sold 4 years later with 286K for $4500 (needed evaporator core for $2500). Fantastic car, meticulously maintained before I purchased it and repairs during ownership were relatively minor and typical for the mark (seat pads replaced, restitched a few seams in the seat skins, shocks, oil lines, alternator, AC compressor, etc. but nothing more than $100 at a time. Wish I had kept that one.

1984 380SE purchased for myself from the family @ 90K in around 1998 for $10K, car was absolutely flawless. Typical parts for the vintage, No major expenses, sold car several years later for $6K with 150K. Hated to let it go as still a cream puff, but too many cars back then and this one developed intermittent gremlin stumble that no one could fix.

1987 300E purchased for the wife from a friend in mid 90's with 125K paid $10K, with exception of a few bizzare fuel pump/AC relay arcing episodes, car was very reliable with typical parts consumption. Sold after 4 years for $5K, car reproduced the arc a year later for the new owner (a friend) and never survived.

1992 500E - purchased in about 2000 for $20K with 90K on it, realizing that while a cosmetic cream puff, it needed a few items typical to the 500E to ensure pristine longevity (timing chains, rails, cold start racka-racka fix, pesky oil leak-just had to fix it, water pump, rebuilt the heads while in there, engine wiring harness, power steering pump, etc. putting over $10K into the car). Along with my Orange 1974 911 Carrera Targa Turbo (sold after 23 years together), the 500E will always be the automotive love of my life. While the porsche is often trying to humble you, the 500E always instills confidence.

My first Mercedes was a 59 190SL that I bought in 1974.
Since then, I've had at least one MB in the fleet, currently at six.

I've paid a little, and I've paid a lot. I've bought cheap cars and I've paid a premium.

Consistent patterns:

1. When I didn't have a lot of money to spend, I had to invest many, many hours of labor, and lots of parts to bring a car up to good operating and cosmetic condition.

2. When I spent a premium for a car, I ended up with a very nice car that I didn't have to do much more than wash, wax, and provide routine maintenance.

3. You can never buy a run down cheap car that needs work and make it as nice as a well maintained car without far exceeding the cost of the well maintained car. And your labor was free. I've tried many times, and it was a hard lesson to learn.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

I bought my 1990 300TE in September 2007 with 124,000 miles on it for $3600 US. It now has 132,000 miles on it and I have spent around $200 on maintaining it. I guess I'm pretty happy with it so far, it's gotten me, knock on wood, through 2 brutal Chicago winters, which is/was the point.
As this is my first MB after many BMWs I can run with that. I see many similarities between the 2 brands but I also see differences.
I can roll with either one of my old guys, a 1988 BMW 325iC with 171,000 miles on it (which I have owned for 10 years) or the 1990 MB 300TE with a 132,000 miles on it (which I have owned for 1.5 years). At any rate, they both run like tits, are fun and a pleasure to drive, so I take it all with a grain of salt. After living in New Mexico for many years I can take damn near anything though I reckon. But, I am experienced in the ways of German cars, have the time (retired), and have the ways and means. That possibly may not line up with your situation. I play this little game of driving the finest cars possible for the absolute least amount of money required....sick I know, but, it takes up my time.... keeps me out of real trouble the girl says....

Around here its hard to find a nice example of a MB (and by around here I mean within 300 miles!)......so when I finally came across a 300E 8 miles away in great cosmetic shape but needing a little TLC, I nabbed it. Rust free Nevada car....$3250 is what I paid. I then put about $750 in parts into it...and its been running very good. I got it with 133,700 miles on it last November....it now has 136,300......amazing highway cruiser. All gadgets work on this car also....even the A/C (I think) and the power memory seats...none of that works on my SD.

No records but also no rust.....I'll take my chances.

As a comparison I paid $3700 for my SD in July 2003, and had to drive 800 miles to get it. (Harrisburg,PA).....In the first year it consumed about $2500-3000 in labor/parts for several BIG repairs. However, beyond that I've done all work myself and have driven it over 71,000 miles in 6 years....so it has worked out to be very cost effective....and now that most of it has been replaced, I haven't had to do a repair in over 18 months....just oil/trans fluid changes!

We'll see how the 300E W124 vs the W126 300SD pan out in overall ownership costs....

Of all the MB's in my family....the 300D wins for low cost....paid $1500 for it with the seller thinking "the motor is worn out" since it wouldn't start in the cold without being plugged in. We get it home, replace the ORIGINAL glow plugs, and it will now start effortlessly at -10F! Its had other repairs....a couple starters....alternator....glow relay.....brakes/bearings.....overall thats it. Of course it only drives about 6,000 miles a year.....but its now been in the family for over 2 years and still is by far the cheapest.

My dad's newer (the '82) SD was a by chance occurrence....we got tipped off that a super nice 300SD had blown its motor and was available for $750....two days later it was in my dad's driveway. Over the following 5 months we did a full overhaul....motor/trans pulled, new low miles motor was located, trans was re-sealed at a shop.....tons and tons of new parts....$2500ish later, its a beautiful smooooth running car. It has yet to see a winter. (Its sleeping in his garage right now....since last November)

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Ever since I got my first I have had a $1000 limit.

1979 240D - $3000
1979 240D - $400
1985 300D - $700
1982 300D - $400
1978 300D - $350
1982 300SD - $500

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I just bought a 1987 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth - paid $1200.00. 117,000 miles, but it was neglected and has been sitting for a year. I'm not sure it was such a good deal now that I am getting into it.

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Scott
1987 190E 2.3-16

Recently picked up a 95 E300 (160k miles) in need of a head gasket for $3800. Found it on craigslist.

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Jim

1991-2 600SEL w 43000km
bought at auction in Japan for $4600 CAN
shipped to my door for $5000 CAN

89 560 SEC purchased Jan. 2009, 194K miles, $2500.