Quote:
Originally Posted by p. rex
No, I knew about the head gasket oil leak; sorry I did not mention it initially. At least there is no coolant in the oil or vice-versa; it is leaking oil to the outside, where it is running down the back end of the engine. In response to Jim's comment, sure, I could buy a cheap, trouble-free car if I wanted to spend $5000, but this car was free, and if I can address the problems for that sum of money, I would much rather be driving the w124 than an old Honda. I knew it would be an expensive car to own. I know I am gambling in a way if I pay to have the head gasket replaced, but if I can get this problem fixed, I am willing to deal with $300 spent here and $500 spent there to keep it running the way it should. If I have the head gasket replaced and also a valve job while I am at it, how many other nasty $3,000 problems are left? All I can think of is the automatic transmission, which seems healthy to me.
Anyway, I will pick the car up on Monday and see what I am dealing with.
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Well, good luck.
I have a daughter in college, and while I'd like to see her in a Benz (and she would would much rather have hers...), the cost/risk of an older Benz was not worth doing. We have a saying in the nuclear field, "Time, Distance, Shielding.". She doesn't have the time, she is too far away, and I'm interested in shielding myself from downtime and high bills.
Instead, I bought a very nice Buick Century with low miles, a car any village blacksmith can fix, and parts generally are ones advertised as "As low as.....". She has to count on the car for work/school and any downtime is costly, so it's a good choice. Running a 180K mile, 15 year old car will require a backup plan and a fair amount of effort from the owner, things that other transportation choices may not demand.
As I said, good luck, I'm sure we all agree these are rewarding cars to drive, and when running well are a joy to own.
Jim