I found a car on CL that has peaked my interest. When I spoke to the owner, he said that he has owned the car for two years and that he got it from a friend who was a Mercedes mechanic. I've always assumed that it's better to buy cars that were maintained by owners who threw money at mechanics without question as opposed to mechanics doing as little as possible just to keep it on the road. But then again, maybe since the mechanic/owner knows the car very well they get the job done right.

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'81 300SD

Depends if the mechanic was worth a crap. I would ignore the mechanic part and look at it.

There are enough variables including two recent years of non-mechanic ownership that I wouldn't treat it any differently than another used car.

Sixto
87 300D

I think it depends on the Mechanic.
My Car is a rust bucket and I only repair what is needed to keep it on the Road.
I have never fine tuned my Transnsmission and I live without AC and now that my Vacuum System has not been troubleshot the Heater.
For a couple of years I bought used Tires when I saw a good one at the Junk Yard and so on.
So if someone bought My Car there would still be a heap of work to do unless you want a beater.

Other Mechanics would want a highly detailed Car like a restoration.

More to the Point is there actually Mechanics that drive an old Mercedes as a daily Driver. If so I don't see them parked in the Parking lots of Shops out here where I live.

Mechanics will often Drive a Car that A Customer sold them cheap. The Mechanic will fix it up some and for Months or a Year or so and sell it off later after He gets some other Car from a Customer cheap.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

If it were Me you were buying the car from, (a mechanic...) you would know EVERYTHING that has gone wrong, what would be going wrong next, what's been headed off prior to going wrong, and what's gone wrong and fixed...
and you'd still be getting a used car that needs a mechanic.

if it was a car you bought from someone I sold a car to two years earlier... unless they bought it from me, stored it in a sealed container out of sunlight or oxygen contact... yeah, it's a used car you have no information about.

judge the car on it's merits, have a mechanic look over the service history...

possibly, since the car was purchased from a mercedes mechanic, NOTHING has been done to the car in those two years, and it's been driven 150 thousand miles... and the thing is ready to kick the bucket, and the symptoms of the impending doom have gotten the current owners to list it for sale...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I don't know about used cars but Mercedes mechanics are a good source of used factory tools

Sixto
87 300D

Every car on CL was "owned by Mercedes mechanic" ask for the name of the shop. Typically what they mean is their friend was handy, worked on their own cars, and happens to have had more than one Mercedes over the past 30 years. Treat it like a used car look it over and use your best judgement.

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68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

I am a painter and I rarely work on my own house. I spend more time on the benz!

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I could not own any MB without the help from you...fellow forum members.


83 300td 207,XXX

There was an old joke about a plumber who's house always had a leaking tap or a mechanic who's car always made a strange noise.

For me personally, a car with a full service history from a dealers has little credit.

I've purchased cars in the past with a full service history from dealers. Whilst there were regular service jobs completed such as oil changes, maintenance jobs were a different story. Brake fluid changes, cooling system changes were nothing short of terrible. At 230k Km's/143k miles or 17 years they hadn't even replaced the transmission filter or fluid. Needless to say, it required a full rebuild.

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1995 E300 Diesel

I am a mechanic and hate working on the benz after work. but it is 30 years old, so I usually am.

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1982 300sd, new project car to restore

It doesn't matter if you know what you're doing, as long as you look like you know what you're doing.

It looks like the mechanic who used to own this car was a certified Jiffy Lube oil changer. The car was a POS. I had my doubts when I saw the really bad paint and severely cracked windshield, but when I discovered the topless, empty steering fluid reservoir I started walking.

It was a shame to see a 190D get all of the life beaten out of her, but obviously the last two owners were just a couple of college kids who didn't appreciate what they were driving.

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'81 300SD

Well now you know.

I think the same goes for Nuns, Vicars, Doctors, old ladies, "my Grandmother", "my Dad", "always been in the family", "only used on Sunday", "never driven in the wet", "never driven in the snow", "never driven", "has never seen road salt", "museum car", "previously owned by a celebrity", "Elvis once walked past it"...

...all of this is totally irrelevant information about the condition of the car.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I have more than once gone to look at a used mb and found the oil so low the dipstick could not touch it

yikes!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

HAHAHA I think you're implying that on CL "owned by Mercedes mechanic" probably means something more like "owned by a guy who sometimes hangs out on the peachparts/mbworld/benzworld forums" At least that's what I'll think the next time I see it on CL.

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Remember, Safety Third!
'99 E300 Turbodiesel, '82 300TD, 1996 12V Cummins Turbo, '94 Neoplan - Detroit 6V92TA

I have bought one car, a 2000 Jetta TDI, of all the vehicles that I have owned (50-60) from a professional mechanic. It was a trade in at the dealership where he worked. He fixed it up for himself in anticipation of needing it for a long commute to a new job at a different dealership. That job fell through and he was stuck with an extra car. He did a decent job of rebuilding the engine , replaced the tires, battery, clutch and several other things which have worked out to my benefit. His motivation for doing the work was entirely selfish which is the reason he did such a thorough job. I never expect to be so fortunate again. Most "mechanics" know the best ways to hide defects. You are better off to buy from someone who knows nothing about the vehicle and use your own judgment and skill to asses the vehicle. I love seeing ads for Mercedes diesels that "won't start" since I have a pretty good chance to get a great deal. I arrive with big jumper cables , fuel filters, test leads, starter fluid and a volt meter. It is pretty rare that I can't get them started & if not I walk. Cheers

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It's always something simple
91 300D 603.960 (from japan) 194K
92 Toyota Diesel Landcruiser HDJ81-t 116K
02 Golf TDI new head courtesy of PO
87 300D
97 BMW 525 TDS Wagon 5spd
bunch of Onan and other diesel generators