This posting is especially aimed at new members.

With these old cars it's essential you get under your car regularly to give it a thorough inspection. Do this safely - there are postings here on how to do support your car safely - do NOT get underneath when the car is supported only with a jack.

Courtesy of a friendly indie we put my 300SD up on a hoist a week ago and spent an hour going over the underside. What you may find may be bad news, but at least you will know the true state of your ride.

What we found was

- rust in the rear wheel wells. Not too bad but some minor welding needed,
- front crank seal starting to leak, replacement sometime down the road
- centre exhaust rubber mounts starting to go, all cracked
- front fender liners giving up the ghost and letting road crud into the rockers
- weeping diesel line, which we replaced on the spot by cutting out the weak spot and replacing it with some flexible hose

Depending on your pocket book you may not want to do everything yourself. But if you know the true state of your car it will put you in a much better position to deal intelligently with your mechanic or to plan what work you need to do yourself.