My Short Affair with a 300TD - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

metriclogic · #1 02-19-2012, 06:31 PM

Well I would prefer that my first post be a more positive introduction, but as they say, s*tuff happens.

I spent about a year searching for the finest example of a 1987 300TD, as I wanted what I considered the perfect vehicle that I could maintain over the long haul into the future. I’ve got diesel experience with my ’93 300D as well as a VW Vanagon Syncro that I converted to TDI power a while back. I knew that the ’87 300TD was what I wanted for a long term car.

In late summer I found one that had been on and off of ebay for several months always at a high reserve. It had just over 100k miles and had been kept garaged during its life which had been spent in Texas. The color combination was unusual, a brown exterior with a brown cloth velour interior. Some would say yuck, but I thought it was beautiful. It had been a European purchase program car, so the options were rather unusual. The bidding fell within my price range and I took the plunge. Made the purchase and had the car shipped to my home in Raleigh NC. Car was just about as nice as I expected, just needed some servicing and steering linkage work. So pulled it right into the garage and put her up on jackstands and went from bumper to bumper and serviced everything and replaced the steering linkage. As the car hadn’t been driven much over the last decade, the tires had date codes from the mid-90’s so I drove over to Discount Tire for a new set of rubber. When the tech brought the car out, he commented on what a nice car it was and said it was beautiful. I left with a smile knowing that he was right.

Two days later, I met up with a friend at a local café to show him the car. The weather was nice that day so we sat outside of the café and the 300TD was parked right out front on the boulevard. As we were sitting there discussing why I was so enamored with that particular model Benz, a Hyundai Sonata came barreling down the boulevard with an inattentive driver at 45 mph and ran right into the line of parked cars.

There was one vehicle behind my car and a few more in front of mine. As we sat there, we watched my car get absolutely squished . Totalled. I didn’t hear any skid or anything, just BAM – the guy slammed square into the row of cars at full speed. Of course, everyone ran to help the driver, who walked away, but I sat there with my jaw dropped. It felt like a slow motion movie as I watched my car get destroyed! I’m glad the young guy didn’t get hurt, but I sure wish he hadn’t been looking down at his phone.

So I’ve had a quick lesson in impermanence. Here today gone tomorrow. How quickly things can happen outside of your control. I’m still struggling with the disappointment, but am glad nobody got physically hurt.

I’m thinking of keeping the drivetrain as it is in such good condition. Such low mileage and not a single oil leak. The engine looks like new. I’d love to transfer the parts over to another car, but with limited garage space and a hard-assed neighborhood association, I may just have to let it go.

So here is a head’s up that a part-out might get posted soon on the classified forum!

Bill Knight
Raleigh NC

connerm · #2 02-19-2012, 06:43 PM

You're right. That's a heck of a first post. VSTECH will be your friend. He'll be along before too long.

kerry · #3 02-19-2012, 06:54 PM

Double dang. That's one big piece of bad luck.

engatwork · #4 02-19-2012, 07:00 PM

Wow Bill, I hate to hear all that for you.

Welcome aboard though.

DeliveryValve · #5 02-19-2012, 07:01 PM

I am so sorry to read that. Hopefully the fella's insurance will compensate you fairly. Best wishes on this whole ordeal.

.

JB3 · #6 02-19-2012, 07:04 PM

do you still have the ebay ad information and what you paid for it? such a nice example you should get top dollar for it in insurance payout and fight to get what you paid for it at least. Its too bad you couldn't sneak a gut punch into the cell phone fool before other people saw you.

Bio300TDTdriver · #7 02-19-2012, 07:21 PM

WOW, what a horrible first post. My wife who is not a huge MB fans says; "That Sucks". As a fellow '87 300TD owner I'm at a loss for words. I'm really sorry about you car!

metriclogic · #8 02-19-2012, 07:43 PM

Thanks for all the support! Definitely really sucks...

Regarding the insurance, that is what I've been dealing with for several weeks now. What a hassle it is to deal with them. I've been learning a bit about insurance too. Turns out, when someone crashes into a parked car, it falls under the property damage category. Here in NC, you are only required to carry a minimum of $25K, and that is what the guy had. He destroyed three cars and did minor damage to two others. One of them was a new Lexus. So $25K isn't enough to cover it all, and this guy is like 22 years old, so he's not got any assets to go after. The pro-rated amount I'll get is pretty close to what I paid, but won't cover the amount I put into servicing, repairs, tires, and other upgrades I did. I am buying the car for salvage value, and hopefully make up the difference parting it out.

Junkman · #9 02-19-2012, 08:55 PM

You need to push a little harder. Read your auto contract to know what's covered. If you are correct (seek written source documentation, not what someone says no matter how authoritative they seen) and this isn't covered under the liability terms of the auto ins, what about your homeowners?

It would be a really strange set of laws that reduce the liability from 100,000 to 25,000 because of the location. One could make the argument that if the car wasn't moving it was parked (ie at a stop sign) & therefore the liability reduces....WTF!!!

You should also be compensated for repairs. You bought the car at fair market value for a vehicle needing repairs. You made the repairs & increased the value as a result. You must be made whole.

Also look up the meaning of "bargaining in good faith". Me thinks the insurance company is not. Be nice & don't threaten but also don't settle for less. Insurance companies always have discretionary funds. Get some.

gsxr · #10 02-19-2012, 09:27 PM

At the risk of pouring salt in the wound.... any chance you could post photos of the damage? Any chance it's repairable?

My condolences, btw.... ouch....

Renntag · #11 02-19-2012, 09:39 PM

Wow. Just wow.
So sorry.

Jerry_W · #12 02-19-2012, 11:47 PM

Check your own insurance to see if you have "uninsured or underinsured coverage", we have that here (NB Can), and it is mandatory. If the at fault party doesn't have enough insurance to cover the damages, your insurance company does, and chases the other guy (who will may wind up in the assigned risk pool, the same as a driver with a DUI on record. Sucks to be them.)

vstech · #13 02-20-2012, 12:09 AM

OH, MY FREAKING LORD!!!!!

wow, just wow...
I can pick up your car, store it for you, and help you transfer the drivetrain, and interior into another for you...
JUST WOW!!!

I saw that car on ebay many times, it's been on here in several threads due to the interior...

MAN!!!

PM me your number, I'll give you a call...
JUST WOW!!!

bustedbenz lives near you I think too...

WOW.

: mad:

I DO hope your insurance, and his get this reimbursed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by metriclogic

Well I would prefer that my first post be a more positive introduction, but as they say, s*tuff happens.

I spent about a year searching for the finest example of a 1987 300TD, as I wanted what I considered the perfect vehicle that I could maintain over the long haul into the future. I’ve got diesel experience with my ’93 300D as well as a VW Vanagon Syncro that I converted to TDI power a while back. I knew that the ’87 300TD was what I wanted for a long term car.

In late summer I found one that had been on and off of ebay for several months always at a high reserve. It had just over 100k miles and had been kept garaged during its life which had been spent in Texas. The color combination was unusual, a brown exterior with a brown cloth velour interior. Some would say yuck, but I thought it was beautiful. It had been a European purchase program car, so the options were rather unusual. The bidding fell within my price range and I took the plunge. Made the purchase and had the car shipped to my home in Raleigh NC. Car was just about as nice as I expected, just needed some servicing and steering linkage work. So pulled it right into the garage and put her up on jackstands and went from bumper to bumper and serviced everything and replaced the steering linkage. As the car hadn’t been driven much over the last decade, the tires had date codes from the mid-90’s so I drove over to Discount Tire for a new set of rubber. When the tech brought the car out, he commented on what a nice car it was and said it was beautiful. I left with a smile knowing that he was right.

Two days later, I met up with a friend at a local café to show him the car. The weather was nice that day so we sat outside of the café and the 300TD was parked right out front on the boulevard. As we were sitting there discussing why I was so enamored with that particular model Benz, a Hyundai Sonata came barreling down the boulevard with an inattentive driver at 45 mph and ran right into the line of parked cars.

There was one vehicle behind my car and a few more in front of mine. As we sat there, we watched my car get absolutely squished . Totalled. I didn’t hear any skid or anything, just BAM – the guy slammed square into the row of cars at full speed. Of course, everyone ran to help the driver, who walked away, but I sat there with my jaw dropped. It felt like a slow motion movie as I watched my car get destroyed! I’m glad the young guy didn’t get hurt, but I sure wish he hadn’t been looking down at his phone.

So I’ve had a quick lesson in impermanence. Here today gone tomorrow. How quickly things can happen outside of your control. I’m still struggling with the disappointment, but am glad nobody got physically hurt.

I’m thinking of keeping the drivetrain as it is in such good condition. Such low mileage and not a single oil leak. The engine looks like new. I’d love to transfer the parts over to another car, but with limited garage space and a hard-assed neighborhood association, I may just have to let it go.

So here is a head’s up that a part-out might get posted soon on the classified forum!

Bill Knight
Raleigh NC