Should I Fix up the SD or Sell It? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Robert W. Roe · #1 04-19-2003, 04:30 AM

I'm trying to figure out what to do with my silver 84 SD.
It needs a bunch of stuff, some little, some expensive.
For example: The blower is intermittent, and the heat is also.

Tranny is showing signs, but still shifts ok once it's warm.

Seats need new springs and pads.

No hood pad. leaky rear window seal.

Bummer is, the highest bid it got on E-bay was $1600 or so. If that's all I could get for the car, I wonder ... should I keep it as a runner or sell the SD and use the money to buy a set of wheels for my TE?

The wife likes to ride in the SD.
It is much roomier in front than my 300TE.
The 300TE holds more and bigger cargo, is (much) faster, and handles better than the SD.
Should I get a 500E or a 300SDL turbo ? or a 560SEL ... just musing, sorry...

rickg · #2 04-19-2003, 07:40 AM

Woohoo!!

You have a real dilema!
Is the body solid, rust free and fairly straight? If it is, in my opinion these things are worth fixing. Forever. Well, almost forever. Kind of like a house. They're built to be around. Just need a new sink and coat of paint once in awhile.
But if your getting water leaks, there's a good chance you're getting rust somewhere. That's a bad thing. Seats are sagging, trannies going. Gonna take some $$$ to get her back.
Guys, we need some help here!!

tjohn · #3 04-19-2003, 08:07 AM

Hrm. Is this a financial decision or an emotional one? I'm biased of course, but my position is fix the critter up and run with it. But, if you're tired of it (sniff) and are going to resent the steady trickle of cash to bring her back, dump her. And definitely dump her if she rusting out.
The sad truth about our cars is that the engine often (usually) outlasts the chassis. I suppose you could buy a 126 w/ a dead engine and swap her out - might be cheaper in the long run.
I've thought about what I'll do when my car hits the same point. In the abstract I'm committed to fixing her up, but when you actually start dropping the money on a 20 year old car...
Good luck.

#4 04-19-2003, 08:51 AM

Well from someone with a formerly EXTREMELY rusty 240D (but mine was free) I know the dilemma. Friends had offered me 1K for the car once it was totally fixed up.
How much do you have into it? Alot? If it is alot, and your already past you financial "no looking back point" a little bit more money can't hurt. Windshield gasket for my car at least will be eighty five bucks installed, and because of this leak my father and I had to totally rebuild the passenger side rear fender. Get the fixed soon. Change the transmission fluid and filter, and see if that makes any difference of shifts. I know my friend's van always gets "morning sickness." Lastly, the seat is no big deal. Go to a junkyard, take out a seat the matches yours and is in fairly good shape, clean it up, and install.

Keep them hummin.
Or give them to kids like me for ridiculously low prices.
Either one

BIGRED · #5 04-19-2003, 09:06 AM

There is no simple answer and it depends on your financial situation. It depends if you have passion for the car or its in your way. Do you enjoy working on it or does a mechanic send you a bill? Do you want / can put the time into it? Has it got so many miles on it that you fear the motor is going to pop and then you will have to deal with that as well?

Is it an investment for the long haul or a year or two? Can you comfortabley afford to get it right?

Many of the issues your listing maynot be that expensive if you look at it as an investment for the next 5 to 10 years and some cheap to fix, if your doing the work.

The blower is intermittent - could be plugged line, switchovervalve or bango fitting, might need a ALDA adjustment Cost zero

Heat is also - Servo's arent too expensive but it might be a vacuume problem. Could get the stuff used at a junkyard.

Tranny is showing signs- can be adjusted to deal with most of it and it could be vacuum related.

Seats need new springs and pads. -Seat Spring at the junkyard $25 bucks, comes with a pad.

No hood pad. $45 and glue $10

Leaky rear window seal. about $100 if you do it yourself.

rwthomas1 · #6 04-19-2003, 09:23 AM

1. ACC-I know almost nothing about fixing these. Search the threads here, scour the junkyards, etc. It may be something simple but you won't know unless you take a crack at it.

2. Seats-Easy fix. I used a piece of carpet remnant and some pool noodle foam to fix mine. Even the frames can be welded or glued with epoxy to keep it cheap. Junkyards have parts too. Unless the covers are horribly ripped you could fix them for well under $100.

3. Transmission-change atf, filter then run some Trans-X in it for a few hundred miles, drain it again, install Mobil1 and adjust the vacuum, bowden and modulator. I am 99% sure that the trans will improve and last much longer.

4. Rear window gasket-I am about to do one myself. Doesn't look to hard just time consuming and delicate. If you find rust fix it with POR15, Marine Tex, epoxy, etc. to keep it cheap if you must. Granted this won't get rid of all the rust if you have it but it will buy you 3-4 times longer before it gets serious again than if you just leave it, the truck will be dry and the car will look good.

Oh yeah, I vote you fix it. This stuff is too easy not to. Don't dump a great driver if it only has these simple issues. RT

ps-I don't view lack of a hood pad in an old car an issue....

84300DT · #7 04-19-2003, 09:26 AM

robert, i've seen your car as you know. my .02 ,fix the stuff that needs fixing, drive another 100k miles and then decide!
it looks pretty good already imho.

wbain5280 · #8 04-19-2003, 09:56 AM

Keep the car and fix it up. Check out Thomaspin's web site for really good directions on how to make repairs. Check out the cars ;ink and go from there.

http://www.pindelski.com/

Regards

rickg · #9 04-20-2003, 01:57 AM

Well, there you have it

Now you have to make the call. I too would vote to keep it, but that's based on never having seen the car. (And I show how much I enjoy self-abuse by owning two old Audis.

)

#10 04-20-2003, 09:18 AM

After my 240D, my other two choices of cars were a Peugeot 505 SW8 wagon (father shot that one down "French never won a war, how can they make reliable cars?") and the AUDI 5000S wagon or sedan, but my father somehow hates AUDIs and Volkswagens lol. The 240D is here just because it's free.

Keep the 300SD. It has that much mileage, put a lot more.

I plan to keep my car for at least 400,000 miles, or until it turns into swiss cheese.

TN-W124 Diesel · #11 04-20-2003, 09:22 PM

I vote to keep it, but if you do decide to get rid of it, think about giving it to your local tax deductable charity and take the write off. A few weeks ago we had a yard sale and spent the whole day in the hot sun fo $22 bucks, the following week we donated all of the yard sale to a tax deductable charity.. sometimes its not worth it..

Robert W. Roe · #12 04-24-2003, 01:05 AM

Have had those $22 yard sale days too

Our first one got us like $300, the second less than half that, and the third one was like in the $22 range.

You guys have me torn. I would really like to see the SD go to a good home, to someone who will detail her and keep her shiny surfaces polished. Someone who's into buying some parts and working on the car. I am more in the category of "here's the credit card", vs. doing much myself. Lack of free time, and expertise make me just drop it at the shop, pick it up in a day or two.

I guess I could put new tranny fluid (Mobil 1 synth is a couple years old) in it, fix the seats, the AC, blower motor, monovalve... a number of things. At least 25 that one could count, if you count loose trim.

My solution is to buy a newer "used" Mercedes every few years or so. Hence the 300TE. The blue wagon. Very fast!

Faster than the W123, and better handling, in my limited experience with W123 wagons...
The SD is a sedan. A very comfortable one, but if you're 300 miles from home and want to buy a huge box of whatever, some things just won't fit in a sedan.

So there's nothing really sinisterly wrong with the SD, it's just kinda in the way and costing cash (about $100 actually) for insurance each month. I can drop comprehensive but it still would be $50 a month. Anyway, I was really shocked at the number of replies and the depth of the advice. I can really say that I agree with all of them

She's a nice ancient steel yacht, with a willing turbo 5 awaiting the order from your right foot. Been getting around 25 mpg highway. TE gets 17 mpg locally, low 20's highway.
I drive very fast whenever I can, which is increasingly seldom.

Anyway, thanks for letting me ask questions, and thanks for the excellent answers. This website is cool.

chez1701 · #13 04-24-2003, 08:18 AM

I've changed & replaced so many parts for my 83 300 CD coupe that now I have trans problem I lost my desire to continue!

I mean a lot of parts! New exhaut system, new rear wind screen rubber, trunk lid rubber , extensive body work ,all the weather stripings, all black int, new front wind sheild,

still need fix:
sunroof leak/open , close {body shop bad install on sunroof seals
no rear defrost, bad lines in wind screen,should of replaced it!
replace both front fenders , which be best to repaint car

I could go on & on buy my real problem is I love the car! I love the ride, I miss it so much ,it would be easier to sell it but I can't see doing that right now. & yes money is an issue!

Im 50/50 with the car, any ways I'll keep ya posted on my future plans!

TX76513 · #14 04-24-2003, 08:44 AM

Keep the right attitude - it's a hobby - hobbies cost money and you should enjoy your hobby. 10 -20 year old cars are not maintenance free. I find it quite enjoyable to work out the quirks with oil burners - Keep the car, it's good for the sole.
You may also learn to have the parts shipped to your work address -- happy wife, happy life.

#15 04-24-2003, 10:37 AM

If your wife likes the SD and rust is not an issue, you are home free! Prioritize the list of things to do, and tackle it at a pace that suits you. CLimate Control sounds like blower motor brushes and a rebuild of the Monovalve - piece of cake. My latest fix for seats if a layer of one inch high density foam beneath the horse hair and then the aerosol expanding insulation (not too much or the seat gets too stiff) in the springs. Great advice already on tranny (fluids, filter, mobil 1...) - include a fluid change of the differential while your at it. Window seal and tranny right away! It also sounds as if you want to check the ALDA tubes running from the intake manifold. Might result in serious power increase.
Wife loves the car... you've already won the battle. Enjoy the spoils...