moneypit thread......

[jasonkec01]

thought it would be fun to have others share their "moneypits"........................you know cheap mercedes of the expensive sort......got this one for $1300 two months ago,,,,,rough final tally so far,,,parts/labor,,$18,362.00 its also interesting that these were just p.m. and or usual stuff that would go within the mileage i got it at {200k}{ as well factoring in these were all still original}. ive replaced,transmission/air mass/entire brake system/ thats just a beginning..........abusive previous owner/setup for about one year................my profile has a bigger pic.

[Brian Carlton]

You actually spent $18K in less than two months.........???

You might be nominated to the diesel money pit hall of fame.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=176211

[300EVIL]

Older Mercs are really good for the shade tree mechanic. I have no clue how or even why you would spend $18K on a 190E. Sounds like somebody's getting screwed. The CIS mass airflow system rarely ever needs replacing. Maybe a new EHA or a position sensor at most. Some mechanics like to just replace everything versus finding the root source of the problem. As for brakes and trans..... That's what comes with buying any older vehicle. I'd like to see a detailed bill. You should have a perfect 190E for that price. If not I'd sue! Now If you said an early 90's S-Class I'd understand...

[Hatterasguy]

Damn your ahead of me, took me four years to spend that!

I figure by the time I get the SDL the way I want it, I'll have about $30k in it.

[jasonkec01]

Originally Posted by 300EVIL

Older Mercs are really good for the shade tree mechanic. I have no clue how or even why you would spend $18K on a 190E. Sounds like somebody's getting screwed. The CIS mass airflow system rarely ever needs replacing. Maybe a new EHA or a position sensor at most. Some mechanics like to just replace everything versus finding the root source of the problem. As for brakes and trans..... That's what comes with buying any older vehicle. I'd like to see a detailed bill. You should have a perfect 190E for that price. If not I'd sue! Now If you said an early 90's S-Class I'd understand...

well,,,,huh,,,,i don' know ya know......i feel the pain no doubt.M.b. of nashville is doing it.{parts priced x"s 3} as well im anxious to see the details too. im just hoping most of all when i drive away ill feel like i spent it for good reason....the $700.00 tires {the ones THEY SAY are for that car}alone i hope will make a diff......ill try to actually scan and post the bill just for fun... the cis-e was bad because the guy who had it before me somehow broke the adjustment screw tower off and J.B. welded it back on and then not even perpendicular,so,it could obviously not be adjusted and that offset various other things.that i actually got lucky on and bought from a 93 lease vehicle with 300k on it,but the cis-e that was on it had been replaced within like 10k of the ???????{insert reason you may think why} going and it died.so, IT is used but after i wiped it off it looked brand new and M.B. said it was in perfect order.so if theres one part that i got lucky with its that..the trans,,thats obvious on all levels,,,but,$5,000???? WHOA !! its become moreso i got into the position id already spent too much and though to spend a little more would make what was already spent more justifiable......i think that was about 8,000 ago my hopes are that ive gotten myself on a level that i have a good car.theres plenty of kia"s i couldve gotten for much less.......hard to admit it but i think im more o.k. with the choice i made if kia or moneypit mercedes were my only options.the part that kills me now is that it very well could use new exhaust,,wheels,,,,windshield,,minor body work and paint,,,plus a thing or two that escapes me at present,,,,theres another 10k,,,,,aint gonna do it though !!! not till it needs it,,the scratches on the passenger side from a mailbox clipping really hurt,,,it looks like a really hot chick who got punched,,it just aint right !! but,for all my crying i still love it !,,,, B.T.W. my service/repair C.D. is on its way !,,,,COULD YOU IMAGINE THE CRAIGSLIST ADD I WOULD POST WERE IT FOR SALE !!! THATS RICH

[BENZ-LGB]

jason, you seem like a nice person, but for God's sake, shop around before you spend your money. A set of tires for a 190E for $700? What is that all about? If you look around (especially at places like Tire Rack) you could get a set of tires for your car for $500 or less. That's just one example.

I admire your dedication to MB and your desire to have your car running in tip top shape. But moeny doesn't grow on trees (at least not for me). A dollar you save is a dollar you earned (thanks Ben Franklin). Be a careful shopper and you will be ahead ont he long run.

I hope that this website will help you to become a choosier consumer. Ask here before you spend your money and I am sure that you will get plenty of good advice.

Good luck my friend.

BTW the 190E is a very nice car. Benz spent a lot of time andmoney inits development. When it came out it was way ahead of other cars. It is a Bruno Sacco design, so you know its style will be timeless.

[jasonkec01]

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

jason, you seem like a nice person, but for God's sake, shop around before you spend your money. A set of tires for a 190E for $700? What is that all about? If you look around (especially at places like Tire Rack) you could get a set of tires for your car for $500 or less. That's just one example.

I admire your dedication to MB and your desire to have your car running in tip top shape. But moeny doesn't grow on trees (at least not for me). A dollar you save is a dollar you earned (thanks Ben Franklin). Be a careful shopper and you will be ahead ont he long run.

I hope that this website will help you to become a choosier consumer. Ask here before you spend your money and I am sure that you will get plenty of good advice.

Good luck my friend.

BTW the 190E is a very nice car. Benz spent a lot of time andmoney inits development. When it came out it was way ahead of other cars. It is a Bruno Sacco design, so you know its style will be timeless.

oh yes,,,believe you me.....700 for tires did not seem to compute very well......but,given the i guess,forced feeling i had{ that is for the fact whilst having the trans gasket replaced the seals elsewher decided to go and then according to the mechanic there were peices of metal floating around inside....shifted good before so far as i could tell though,thus my car immobile without new trans } that was abit overwhelming i figured what the hell ! indeed money for me doesnt grow on trees....it was the fact i have a 30k credit card that had been recently brought back to zero that only made it possible,,,,,but that aint nothin to be proud of either ! fact is whats the overall cost going to be now in the long run after the interest charges.........especially since once i paid them off in full back down from 23k,,,never a late payment even,,,,they raised py rate from 7 to 17%,,,,,wtf ???? yeah. so ive still got to look into that as well.

[Mistress]

18,000, until today I didn't know anyone who could afford to do that. Mine 90' 420 SEl cost 5000.00 and I put 9000.00 restoring her.

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by jasonkec01

oh yes,,,believe you me.....700 for tires did not seem to compute very well......but,given the i guess,forced feeling i had{ that is for the fact whilst having the trans gasket replaced the seals elsewher decided to go and then according to the mechanic there were peices of metal floating around inside....shifted good before so far as i could tell though,thus my car immobile without new trans } that was abit overwhelming i figured what the hell ! indeed money for me doesnt grow on trees....it was the fact i have a 30k credit card that had been recently brought back to zero that only made it possible,,,,,but that aint nothin to be proud of either ! fact is whats the overall cost going to be now in the long run after the interest charges.........especially since once i paid them off in full back down from 23k,,,never a late payment even,,,,they raised py rate from 7 to 17%,,,,,wtf ???? yeah. so ive still got to look into that as well.

Oh dear God! You paid for it with a credit card at a 17% interest rate!!! No offense and I am only saying this because I think you are a good guy, but that wasn't a good idea! By the time you get done paying for this it would have just been cheaper to buy a new C class.

I have a lot of money into my car, but its all cash, and it took me a few years. I budget X amount per year($3k), once its spent I stop fixing stuff.

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by jasonkec01

well,,,,huh,,,,i don' know ya know......i feel the pain no doubt.M.b. of nashville is doing it.{parts priced x"s 3} as well im anxious to see the details too. im just hoping most of all when i drive away ill feel like i spent it for good reason....the $700.00 tires {the ones THEY SAY are for that car}alone i hope will make a diff......ill try to actually scan and post the bill just for fun... the cis-e was bad because the guy who had it before me somehow broke the adjustment screw tower off and J.B. welded it back on and then not even perpendicular,so,it could obviously not be adjusted and that offset various other things.that i actually got lucky on and bought from a 93 lease vehicle with 300k on it,but the cis-e that was on it had been replaced within like 10k of the ???????{insert reason you may think why} going and it died.so, IT is used but after i wiped it off it looked brand new and M.B. said it was in perfect order.so if theres one part that i got lucky with its that..the trans,,thats obvious on all levels,,,but,$5,000???? WHOA !! its become moreso i got into the position id already spent too much and though to spend a little more would make what was already spent more justifiable......i think that was about 8,000 ago my hopes are that ive gotten myself on a level that i have a good car.theres plenty of kia"s i couldve gotten for much less.......hard to admit it but i think im more o.k. with the choice i made if kia or moneypit mercedes were my only options.the part that kills me now is that it very well could use new exhaust,,wheels,,,,windshield,,minor body work and paint,,,plus a thing or two that escapes me at present,,,,theres another 10k,,,,,aint gonna do it though !!! not till it needs it,,the scratches on the passenger side from a mailbox clipping really hurt,,,it looks like a really hot chick who got punched,,it just aint right !! but,for all my crying i still love it !,,,, B.T.W. my service/repair C.D. is on its way !,,,,COULD YOU IMAGINE THE CRAIGSLIST ADD I WOULD POST WERE IT FOR SALE !!! THATS RICH

Sounds like the dealer is rapping you bad. You should have gotten a brand new crate engine and crate trans for less then $18k! Heck you can buy a 3 year old C class for $18K!

[300SD81]

Probably have around $3k in the Benz now... Its funny.. before I had a car, I had money to go out to eat, go to the movies, etc, but no way to go do it, now that I have a way to go do those things, I don't have the money to anymore.. don't even have money to eat lunch/dinner anymore, since whatever my parents give me as food money for when I'm home alone goes into the car too..

[Dubyagee]

Bought it for 600 and I stopped at 4000 for repairs. Its clean and everything works. Xing fingers.


Flow matched the injectors
resealed the IP
Complete suspension rebuild, front and rear.
new radiator, water pump and E clutch.
new engine mounts.
New AC compressor and charge
Miscellaneous interior parts.
New sunroof motor
Paint job (done in garage at home with Sikkens)

I'm sure I am forgetting something (like the new tail light lens) but she is running great and looking good.

[POS]

I estimate $1000 for repairs on newer Benzes and $2000 a year on older ones. If you cannot afford, then don't buy. A moneypit had better be a labor of love.

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by POS

A moneypit had better be a labor of love.

At this point I don't care, I just want to get the SDL the way I want it. Then store it in a garage and only drive it a few thousand miles a year for the next 20-40 years.

[Medmech]

I thought this was a boat thread.