I understand where you're coming from. It's nice having a vehicle that just plain works every time and doesn't need constant attention. I'm doing okay right now with one newer vehicle ('07 model with 20 thousand and change miles) and one older one. The newer vehicle is staying until it starts getting problematic or gets run over by a truck like its predecessor*. The older one I plan on keeping for a long time. I'd like to make it to the next mileage badge (750,000 km), but at the rate I'm putting on miles that will take another 23-28 years.

*Interesting story: I used to have a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Black, nearly perfect mechanically and cosmetically with a little less than 10,000 miles on it. It was a very small bike, and being black, parked on a black parking lot, it might have been a bit difficult to see, especially to someone not looking for it. I parked it outside Trader Joe's one day to go in and buy a backpack full of groceries. When I got out, I found the bike knocked over and leaking a mixture of fuel and oil. The people who hit it (older couple with a Toyota Tacoma) were nice enough to stick around and exchange insurance information. Driver said he didn't see it. I believe him. At first the damage didn't look too bad, but it ended up being a total loss, and I took the payout.

Some day it will happen. :cool:

We drive old German stuff when we actually need to get someplace....

speaking of which...looking for an update on your w201?

Ahh well I do have news - but not really much to say until my I actually get on with it...

If the old fart owner ever purges the gas tank and lines and gets this thing running so I can test drive it, I am going to put it into near daily service.

1967 International Truck

Have to ask - I've never driven a w123 or w126 with "good" steering. All felt a bit loose when going straight ahead, even one that I tested with supposedly under 100k?

Is this just a consequence of recirc. ball steering box vs modern rack-and-pinion, or were they tighter when new?

Wow I'd like that too.

Offer him 2K and tow it home.

If you are accustomed to rack and pinion even a nice tight mb with the old style steering box will feel much less direct. This is because of the geometry of the design. Off center it is not as quick as the rack but makes for a much more relaxed car to drive as it does not follow the road irregularities as readily.

Also, At 100K the steering box most likely will not have been adjusted yet and can benefit from an adjustment.