I would put up a 60's American car that is driven on a regular basis against a m116/m117 any day. In my experience, many failures on older cars come from letting them sit, ie gaskets, hoses, fuel pump diaphram, etc. And the American engine will be much less expensive for parts and service, and easier to work on yourself.

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Mike
1983 Mercedes-Benz 300SD 270K
1960 Ford F250 62K
1990 Mazda Miata 156k

The thing is Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.