Originally Posted by rocky raccoon

All the bells and whistles on newer cars often cover up the basic goodness of a Mercedes. Any car these days can have most of the extra features that our newer ones do.

Those of us that drive the old cars face choices when it comes to repairs. Do we want to restore the car to as new condition or maintain it as a reliable Rat? I am not a collector. I would not have a car I could not drive every day. Although we have a 2008 E320 Bluetec that my wife loves, my choice is a W123 300CD. But ...... I am not interested in "restoring" it or even keeping it in repair using OE parts.

Right now, she is fully reliable and in excellent basic mechanical condition.
Also looks pretty good, say a 20 footer. There are still a few repairs that are deferred and there are some I have no intention of ever fixing. My list:
Deferred: Sunroof. I know what it needs, involves minor welding in the trunk; Left rear window, needs finding bad wiring, switches and motor o.k.; minor seepage from front crankshaft seal
Never fix: Power locking; heated rear windshield; minor seepage from oil filter mount.

How about the rest of you? Have you reached the point of diminishing returns in spending on repairs? Are you obsessing on wanting "as new" condition in your 30 year old car? If so I suggest you think about it. The old Benz are superb cars as we all know and don't need much to be a very satisfying ride.