I don't know, John.....sometimes these 'deals' just aren't..... "Fun fun fun" is my assessment too.

Last August '09, I was down in Corpus Christi, Texas - working a private hospital ground-up construction project - God in heaven was it hot in August in Corpus! 98* to 100*+ every day! Thank God the jobsite was a shaded interior of the hospital complex. At any rate, as I normally do when on-the-road somewhere in the U.S. - I monitor the MB dealers in the locale I happen to be in. Corpus Christi, Texas MBenz' website had an '06 CDI with 20K miles for at the time $30K. A darn fine deal - and correct colors; Brilliant Silver/light gray interior. However, I wasn';t shopping for a new MB diesel at the time. Well, wouldn't you know it that that very weekend I was up in Rockport, TX (a Gulf Coast resort community 35 miles NE of Corpus Christi) and I was staying at an RV resort park in my diesel motorcoach for a loong 4-day weekend, when I saw that very diesel MB that was previously for sale on the Net. Gorgeous car - I visited with the attractive gal and her boyfriend (he talked her into buying it.) Sometimes you miss a good deal simply because you aren't in-the-market at a particular time for one reason or another.

So, for the forseeable future, I plan to only buy used MB diesels that I in fact believe I can turn - if I decide I don't want what I just purchased. Call it a fail safe attitude.....but I just don't want to get stuck underwater on a used MB diesel purchase - if that makes sense to you.

Evaluate your recent '87 300TDT purchase......if things ain't working the way you thought that perhaps they should go on any particular MB diesel purchase - give yourself an out to git yer money back. That's all I'm sayin'.....

Sage advice certainly Joe, the problem comes when one decides to make the car perfect, or in some cases, better than it was new, ... and the costs will soon eclipse the value.

It then becomes a hobby, and the hobby is allowed to cost something, provided one is enjoying the hobby.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Understood.

At 28 yrs. old I took stock in what my car hobby was costing me in dollars versus getting ahead. I decided to curtail the car hobby back to a car needs issue. I've never regretted the change, although I live for my cars/vehicles. I just don't spend all my money on them anymore - although I could. Too many other life-projects that keep me busy. In my case I spent so much time on-the-road making a buck, it helped me keep my vehicles in proper personal perspective. That may change......I'll keep everyone posted.

This is true, but when you are done you are left with your car, which is equipped exactly as you would like. And that's almost priceless

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Here are some definitions of the terms antique and classic
http://automotive-insurance.suite101.com/article.cfm/classic_vs_antique_car

The 300SDL is ALMOST antique, but will never be a classic as defined by the Classic Car Club of America, which has very strict requirements...
Even my 1957 Chevy Nomad would not be a classic under their rules and that was one RARE car, rarer than my 1996 Impala, 1971 Buick GS and my 300SDL...

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

oh no. not an issue. I have been looking for one of these in any condition for years, and to find one this pristine just blows me away. that it was this low a price is astounding to me, and I knew a mercedes specific indie would not have let the price be this low if some repairs that would be costly if done at their shop were not needed.
this will be my car until the day I die!
I figure she brought the car in for a quote on repairs, and it was more than the value of the car in her opinion, so she opted to have them sell it to a mercedes customer/ someone with a love of these cars.
several buyers were wanting this car with cash offers in her face, my talk with her convinced her I was the one to take her car. she knew I would love and care for the car and bring it back to the way the car needs to be.
the motor and head are solid. all else is a simple set of parts swapping.

As my students would say, "Word!" I've had a real eye-opening object lesson lately of how priceless my car is to me. My friends and family think I'm out of my mind.

There's a list of the CCCA's approved classics here.

For MB, it says, "all 230 models and up", K, S, SS, SSK, and SSKL, Grosser and Mannheim. This is only cars between 1925 and 1948, oddly enough. There's quite a few 60s era vehicles I expected to see on the list. Age and rarity seem to be a big focus with them.

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Current car:
1982 300D A New Hope! Three-plus tons of China blue steel, rubber, and magic.

Past cars:
1985 300D, Glorious anthracite on black. Gracie. (R.I.P.)
The rest were crappy--including a 1970 Orange Gremlin.