Skid Row Joe:
I really should have said I *think* I found your car on Autotrader – my bad. (There’s one listed that seemed like a match to your description.) I would think that I should have learned to *never* make assumptions by now. (!) And your car sounds like a really nice one - - - one that I would have liked to find if I went the w210 route. (I wish that I could have read your descriptive CL ad – perhaps you could PM it to me?) (And that’s a great family history with the diesels, BTW.)

The allure of a newer car is very seductive. I first started thinking about a really good w210 (inexpensive, but a psychological slush fund for repairs should be added to the initial cost) - then I find myself thinking about an ’05-06 CDI (mid-teens in $$$), then a ’07-08 Blutec (low 20’s) and now I’m up to 30K+ for a 2011 off-lease car. A slippery slope indeed.

And then there’s the pragmatic evaluation laid out by Barry12345, who absolutely hit the subject straight on the nail head.

Skid Row Joe said:

Quote:

The biggest problem on these newer post '95 MB diesels, is that they all seem to have weak points or computer/lighting/brake system glitches that can rear their ugly heads, costing the owner up to thousands of dollars a year to fix - to keep them on-the-road.

Quote:

To me, spending $20K to $40K on a used MB diesel, is not something I want to do anytime soon. Color me undecided and tight-fisted wanting to hold back at this point.

I think you may be preaching to the choir - I'm feeling the same way & questioning the rationality of my motivation.

I did read about the 2014 4-banger diesel E coming soon. THAT car sounds like it could be real winner, if not a game changer in the Class. But I wouldn’t be buying one until they start coming off-lease in 2-3 years. That puts it at 2017. So maybe my interim car would only need to last 3-4 years, instead of worrying about one lasting to 300,000+ miles. Perhaps the plan is starting to gel…

__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

Just for you whunter:

I found this one local to me - let me know if you want me to check it out for you.

How often do you ever see a factory installed six speed manual transmission? And it was garage kept - all for less than $30,000!!!!

Link: 1972 Mercedes-Benz Unimog

__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

And here's one for the truly cantankerous Luddite dieselistas: 1959 Mercedes 190d

__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

Too progressive for a Luddite!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LCW2qRO0_w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvifXd8glA4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sKJ_z4FVOU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNOxoatjAJM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz92ARW2BmY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9148z_Nltc


.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
https://whunter.carrd.co/

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

A single cylinder 6.3 liter horizontal “hot bulb” semi-diesel engine? Sounds good, but only if I can retrofit Porsche’s “active engine mounts”. I realize that I would lose the secondary function of it being a highly effective paint can shaker… but I could live with that.

Conversely, I don’t know if I can live without “power operated storage bin lids” or “variable focus halogen headlamps”, “infrared rain sensing wipers”, and “power assisted trunk closing ”…

__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

You want more widgets.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Liebherr+T+282B+truck&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a


.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
https://whunter.carrd.co/

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

No cup holders... Pass.

__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser


.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
https://whunter.carrd.co/

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

I would think that the Snow Cruiser has seat warmers, no?

I found this today: 2007 mercedes e320 diesel

Nice price, records, & from a good ($$$) neighborhood. I'll use the excuse that I don't want a (true) black car to resist this temptress...

__________________
Current rolling stock:
2001 E55 183,000+ Newest member of the fleet.
2002 E320 83,000 - The "cream-puff"!
1992 500E 217,000+
1995 E300D 412,000+
1998 E300D 155,000+
2001 E320 227,000+
2001 E320 Wagon, 177,000+

Prior MBZ’s:
1952 220 Cab A
1966 300SE
1971 280SE
1973 350SLC (euro)
1980 450SLC
1980 450SLC (#2)
1978 450SLC 5.0
1984 300D ~243,000 & fondly remembered
1993 500E - sorely missed.
1975 VW Scirocco w/ slightly de-tuned Super-Vee engine - Sold after 30+ years.

Luddites.

Hey, I just called the local MBz shop and those nasty curled lip ready to rust W210 front fenders are only $300 a pop.