So today I went to the bucs(Star type) and on the way out with my soy cinnamon dolce frappachino I notice something hanging off my SD...

Part of the rocker panel has come off the car and is hanging by a bit of undercoat spray I put on there two years ago. So naturally I pull the "part"(mostly a glob of rust) off and toss it aside.

So my SD has actually come to the point where it's officially "falling apart". It has spent it's entire life in the midwest and looks like the rust was fixed years ago. Both doors on the drivers side have large rust holes under the cladding(never had the pass side off). Rockers on both sides are shot, jack points are all but unusable. Large rear wheel well "chunks" missing. Two holes is pass floor and the "frame" rails behind the front wheels are both rusting through. Both original fenders came apart and on the left side I lost the cladding on the highway 2 years ago. I have since put nice rust free fenders on it. The hood is nice, being aluminium, but was painted along with the fenders with a paint brush... I paid a guy off CL to paint the front.. he claimed to be a professional. $100 later and I have Ford Taurus silver brushed on. Bundts are black and pitted, spare is new with a euro metric tire, also new.. maybe it's original?

Seats are shot, covered in sheep skins, dash has a cover on it(never looked underneath), wood is cracked, odometer stopped working at 422,922 miles. Rear springs actually rusted in to peices.. I have pics. I put 100k mile springs in there and solved the sagging. paint is falling off the trunk and its all gone from the roof. The sides actually do shine very well.. except the rust holes. I have not washed it in over a year... never waxed it.

The Good... very very reliable. Runs and drives very good. All electrics work, all new brakes, slight flaring that I have never really tried to fix. Oh and I put euro bumpers on it.

There is no way it can be saved. Can't sell it.. not worth anything. All the good parts are the old worn out engine(a little over 5 degrees of chain stretch), brakes, glass(rear is seperating though), etc etc. None of the "good" stuff is any good.. ie. body parts. It's a great winter car. Always, I mean ALWAYS, starts right up. Heat is nice and warm. I have a set of snow tires for it.

But I have 4 cars! I personally only need one, two at the most. I need to get rid of atleast one car before winter and maybe two. I would like to get actual money for my cars... can't really do that with the SD. I have two cars that sit all the time, 300D and the 300TD. We drive the SD(just drove to Toronto in it) and I drive the hell out of the 400E, such a smooth powerful car.

I would be tickelled to have an '85 SD or SDL. '85 for the nice final drive ratio and the SDL for the obvious. My w124's are nice cars.. I like the w124 a lot.. but w126 is the classic Mercedes style. I don't know if I could stand being without a w126. In October all my registrations will be up for renewal. Indiana charges excise tax everytime you renew a a plate. The tax is figured from the ORIGINAL purchase price of the car. After ten years the tax is capped, thank god, but still it's $50 per car, per year, in addition to the other renewal fees. Antique plates are still charged excise tax , I tried.

Sorry for the long thoughts.

What do you do with a car you love that is falling apart?

PS: The SD was my first Mercedes.

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08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

I had the same problem with my SD, ended up ripping the engine/trans out and putting it in a rust free body.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I would buy a new car. Another used MB diesel - were it me. A new used one, since I will never buy another new Mercedes-Benz, as long as I live.

Trouble is, it's getting harder and harder to repace such a masterfully engineered car. Just my HO. I love those old SDs! I drove my '83 to 305K in 16 years, ALL with NO rust - because of my latitude.

BTW, I've never spent a penny at that Starbucks place - never will either......I have a lot of respect for the $s I've earned to ever throw it away buying any of their overpriced product(s.) Nothing against their company or quality, which I am sure is right up there.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

I have a friend that works there...I don't pay for those things

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08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

Wow! At 33 years old, no less!

I think you'll figure out the car deal since you already own what, four aready.....I wouldn't lose any sleep over it anway.....

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

I just got back from starbucks, good coffee and not that ridiculous compared to all the other crap I spend money on.

Regarding the SD, at some point you have to decide if you are going to keep a car for the long term (and be willing to spend more than its value on repairs) or if you are just going to let it go and move on. I would probably walk away if rust is a significant issue.

I am going to go with - Bronze It!!! right now, have the entire car encased in bronze and have a beautiful lawn fixture for ever!!

You will save yourself the agony of watching a loved one slowly diminish until death.

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

I think we need some visuals on this. Let's see what you mean by "falling apart".

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1984 300D, 228k, Light Ivory, Java MB-Tex

X 2......

Doesn't sound all that bad for a car with over 422K miles, the odometer doesn't work and has spent it's life in the northern U.S. rustbelt.....

I'd drive it and enjoy it. But that's the practical me.

I've never had a rust issue with any car or motorcoach I've owned living in the sunbelt. Well away from the salt-air of the gulf coast.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

I will get some pics tomorrow.

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08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

You know what, I think you lied about where you live.

You have just described EVERY SINGLE Mercedes Benz that plies the streets of Berkeley, California.


Prolly you lied about the coffee you drink too. I bet it's an absurdly over personalised, organically grown, fair-trade, double decaf Sumatra latte, nonfat milk, hold the sugar, and NO FOAM !!!!!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I don't even like coffee lol... The Fraps I do like though. I do get soy cause milk and I don't get along.

Poop I forgot I need to take pics today... maybe a video would be better. That way you can be mesmerized by my charm and personality.

__________________
08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

Is this thread about South Dakota?

__________________
For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

I'd junk or donate it. Running cars usually get a couple hundred bucks at the junk yard.

Once its that rusty its gone.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200