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  #1  
Old 11-30-2004, 05:27 PM
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How much do you spend a year?

Just curious, how much does it cost on average, to keep an older diesel on the road? I just bought a new (1983) one and have already committed to a pretty expensive brake job (deal with the missus, I don't mess with brakes). What do you guys spend (not counting own labor)?

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Old 11-30-2004, 06:09 PM
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Do most repairs on your own and you wont be spending much....
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Old 11-30-2004, 06:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deeph8
Just curious, how much does it cost on average, to keep an older diesel on the road? I just bought a new (1983) one and have already committed to a pretty expensive brake job (deal with the missus, I don't mess with brakes). What do you guys spend (not counting own labor)?
Well there is routine and preventive maintenance, and then there is refurbishment. Even after picking a "good" one, typically count on budgeting a perhaps a couple of thousand dollars to make it "right" over the first year or so. That was my case, and I suspect the majority of members here. Once any refurb issues (stuff that would have been ok if the previous owner wasn't lazy) are satisfied, then the cars are cheap to keep up. Regular oil and filter changes, brake pads, yearly wipers, etc...
The "refurb" items on mine were new brake calipers/rotors/hoses, driver seat spring, and a steering box, plus a couple of bushings. The W123 really is a renewable resource. Great cars. Recurring upkeep for me is about $400 a year. That's 20K miles a year of hard daily driving with premiums like synthetic oil. Keep 'em up and they are inexpensive and pyramid-reliable cars. Get lazy on maintenance and they will ambush you.
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Old 11-30-2004, 08:01 PM
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Well for "refurbishing" a tired SDL figure $5k-$7k for the first year. I'll get back to you next year. I am guessing (and hoping) that next year will be in the $3k-$5k range and after that $1,500 a year give or take. More some years.
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Old 11-30-2004, 09:04 PM
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  #6  
Old 12-01-2004, 03:00 AM
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Figure with any car, you will spend $1000-$1500 in the first year of ownership, i always seem to
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Old 12-01-2004, 08:20 AM
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I find that it's either very little or a whole lot. The last two years I didn't spend more than a couple hundred dollars on my car but this year I've spent a couple thousand replacing the radiator, belts, timing chain, some front end components, new rotors and pads, ignition switch, primer pump, shift linkage bushings, fuel return lines, flex disc and center support bushing on the drive shaft. Talk about overwhelming...

Scott
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Old 12-01-2004, 09:12 AM
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The SDL has been a little pricey this year and it looks like I will be going out at $2192 including the en-route parts from Fastlane. Last year was only $497. Through the total 18 years of this SDL (using PO's B & R) it totals $26.7K or $2,200 a year. Contrasting my 86 Isuzu T/D which I am the original owner and has 10K less on the clock I have spent $1675 in repairs or $93 a year cost of ownership. I did not factor tires, lights, oil (expendables) into the cost. We don't even want to talk about the Pontiac or Mazda
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  #9  
Old 12-01-2004, 11:48 AM
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I sure spent a lot less before I started reading this forum!!!! Now I am fixing things that I previously did not even know existed.
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  #10  
Old 12-01-2004, 12:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tangofox007
I sure spent a lot less before I started reading this forum!!!! Now I am fixing things that I previously did not even know existed.

How true! My vac pump was a perfect example of this, I had no idea that it could destroy the engine until I read about it here.
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  #11  
Old 12-01-2004, 10:10 PM
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Priceless

With all the fun i'm having....

Priceless

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  #12  
Old 12-01-2004, 10:22 PM
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Well guess the first year I owned my SDL i spent about $800. I started reading this forum and listening to my indy guy. I've spent about $2800. this year and still counting. It sure runs and rides better though, thanks to repairs and preventative maintenance. Just need that heater to work properly and i'll be getting somewhere...at least warmer..
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  #13  
Old 12-01-2004, 11:00 PM
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In the first year....about 3k on mine....it needed a timing chain, water pump....transmission seals....valve adjustment.....and some other items....this year I had to get tires.....but otherwise only about $600 or so, on non critical things.

On the 83....we've only had it 3.5 months...but, it has only needed an alternator, and the belts. Tomorrow it gets tires too....the old ones are going flat after a couple days....so the time has come total spent as of now $400-500ish, with tires....$800ish....it had a ton done prior to purchase, so it shouldn't need much for quite a while.
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  #14  
Old 12-02-2004, 12:45 PM
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For the '80 300Sd I bought in '90, about $3000 in 15 years and ~150,000 miles for repairs. I don't call oil changes, batterys and tires as repairs.

Gee that's about $200 per year or 1/2 a new car payment for one month.

Who says MB cost more to own? Of course I do all the repairs my self.

The most expensive repair was replacing the transmission. BUT, that was my fault because I connected the tri lead to the vacuum valve wrong.

P E H
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  #15  
Old 12-02-2004, 12:50 PM
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My family has owned our 1983 since new and I've had it for about 6 years and while I don't keep service records (my tech has them on his computer if I ever need them) or monitor the expenses too closely, it feels like we average about $500-$600 a year. I don't do any of my own work on it anymore and those figures include oil changes and tire costs spread out over time. I've also had to pay for misc. repairs like suspension work, new batteries, new water pump, routine brake work, etc. Not too bad I think.

Alex

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