High price for a used diesel car ? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dkveuro · #1 11-13-2007, 01:52 PM

I've started selling off my 'collection' of vehicles left by customers over the years.
One is a 1981 VW 1.6 Diesel Rabbit 2 Door.

It has reached $3000.00 so far and a few hours yet to go.
Why are people spending so much on these ?...there's a VW pick up going on $4500.00.

I'm not complaining...as long as the winner comes and pays.

Are 123 and 126 doing the same?

Dee8go · #2 11-13-2007, 02:02 PM

My guess is that people are looking for anything that will get better mileage than whatever they're currently driving. That's what prompted my decision to buy my first MB, which is a diesel.

My first choice was a 1988-1991 560SEC. I'm spending a fortune trying to keep my Lincoln on the road. Gas for it cost me $3.40 a gallon this morning. It's been going up at least ince, sometimes twice a day lately.

TX76513 · #3 11-13-2007, 02:10 PM

Look what it would cost to get into a new (put brand here) diesel.

Skid Row Joe · #4 11-13-2007, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkveuro

One is a 1981 VW 1.6 Diesel Rabbit 2 Door.

It has reached $3000.00 so far and a few hours yet to go.
Why are people spending so much on these ?

I'm not complaining...as long as the winner comes and pays.

Good luck on collecting from the winner.....

SwampYankee · #5 11-13-2007, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkveuro

I've started selling off my 'collection' of vehicles left by customers over the years.
One is a 1981 VW 1.6 Diesel Rabbit 2 Door.

It has reached $3000.00 so far and a few hours yet to go.
Why are people spending so much on these ?...there's a VW pick up going on $4500.00.

I'm not complaining...as long as the winner comes and pays.

Are 123 and 126 doing the same?

Old diesel VW's are going for comparatively big money right now. There's every bit the "cult" following that diesel 123/126's have if not more so.

While fuel mileage is a factor, S/WVO and biodiesel are really the root of all this demand.

MattBelliveau · #6 11-13-2007, 02:52 PM

Old VW oil burners are rare, especially the pick-ups. I've been told they turn over 50mpg, but I can't prove that.

Honus · #7 11-13-2007, 03:06 PM

I don't know much about them, but I have always liked the early 80s VW diesels. Today's diesels are much more refined, but don't have the personality of the earlier models.

I also like the Izusu diesels from the early 80s. Those things would rattle your teeth out at idle, but I think they got great mileage and I believe they had good endurance as well. They didn't catch on, so you don't see many of them these days.

Wodnek · #8 11-13-2007, 04:39 PM

Over the summer I followed the auction of a 79 Chevy Luv diesel truck. (really an Isuzu) It was a Wisconsin truck north of Madison and needed floorboards welded in and other rust issues fixed. It went for almost $6,000. WTF, I thought. It would have been a cool $1,000 biodiesel truck.

Honus · #9 11-13-2007, 04:44 PM

Those LUV trucks were nice, but $6,000? Who woulda thunk it?

Jim B. · #10 11-13-2007, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dculkin

Those LUV trucks were nice, but $6,000? Who woulda thunk it?

People whose ONLY focus is the price of fuel. They are foolish, as the people who spend great sums chasing the VW Rabbit diesels.

Their focus ought to be on the COST PER MILE to run.
Cost of acquisition
and frequency of repairs and maintenance, reliability, durability, insurance costs, count for NOTHING with those myopic people that think MPG is all.

I could buy, maintain and run a 1988-1991 Ford Crown Victoria for 50,000 miles from right now and spend less to keep it running and in good shape than some parsiminonious VW Rabbit diesel owner who spent a relative fortune to get his car.

In five years from now, I could come back, having ridden in far more safety and comfort than such people, and would have spent LESS on transportation than the Rabbit person did and had more fun in the meantime, too.

engatwork · #11 11-13-2007, 05:39 PM

Next time you get a chance take a look at what the 80's model diesel Toyota trucks get (especially the ones with no rust). $6000 is NOT out of the ordinary.

eagle-co94 · #12 11-13-2007, 08:27 PM

I don't see you having ONE BIT of trouble getting paid for the car.

I sold my 300SD on ebay and my 300CD via Craigslist in very short order. I was surprised at all the things people were looking past (inop locks, windows, sunroof, etc) to get the diesels. I'm not complaining. I don't think I'll be able to get the $3k for my 280CE that I paid for it though with the way things are going...although the small car image may help.

I'm moving back to a diesel very soon, but finding one in decent shape for a non-asinine amount of cash isn't going to be easy...Looks like I gotta start throwing stuff up on ebay then...

It's like the boneheads that buy a Toyota Prius..."but it gets such great mileage..." Yes, it does, but they're slow, look like a death-trap, have crappy styling, and it'll take how many DECADES to come to a break-even point from the purchase price versus gas savings? Not to mention the insurance cost! I'll stick with my older, cheaper cars thank you. That reminds me...my wife needs new oil for the fryer in the kitchen...so I need to start filtering.