Ill be 47 this year. As I age I've realized that increasingly all I really want in life is simplicity. Especially motoring wise. I'd so much rather just have an older, simpler benz. Only real luxury I'd like would be A/C. Any and everything else is meaningless to me. Sunroof, electric windows, power seats, cruise control, all nice but unnecessary. I just want simple and reliable.

This extends to other areas of life too. Simplify... simplify... simplify

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Peter, older Mercedes don't have great AC systems, so that could be a slight chink in your plan to simplify. Also, most of the older Mercedes came "fully loaded" as spec'd by MBUSA to maintain their luxury branding.

I'm aware of that. I'm from SA, where most Mercedes didn't even have A/C systems let alone all the gizmos' that the US market ones had. I'm aware of the upmarket branding reqirements and that's what I've come to lament. Give me the simplicity of other markets cars and I'd be happy.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Good point.

I'm sympathetic to the whole-life rant, too. Mrs B and I started down that path in our fifties. Congrats for your precociousness!

Get a 123 240d. The A/C is decent, parts are cheap and everything is easy to work on in that you normally just replace things that break.

Had one and got rid of it a while back. Still trying to recover from that mistake. And yes. I've long thought that getting a decent example of a simple 123 and gutting/replacing the a/c with all new and perhaps upgraded parts would be the best option.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

I'll second that criticism of the Mercedes, at least as it applies to my 3 w124's. I love/loved the cars but the A/C is going to go and it ain't pretty. Changing to a different coolant is a bad idea (yes, I'm a veteran of that foolishness) unless you (or your tech) is scrupulous about seals. The controller will self-destruct eventually.

Larry Bible wrote a lot about Mercedes AC that I found really useful after I screwed-up everything. Wish I had known about Mercedesshop.com BEFORE I bought my first Benz.

Having turned 46 this March, I know exactly where you are coming from.
I suppose (simplifying) is one reason why I love my older vehicles so much.
The trick is getting your hands on one that has been respected and properly maintained.

__________________
Alain
independant MBZ tech since 1981
http://www.motorsportlegendsks.com/

Simplicity is a leased Corolla with a full maintenance package, throw the keys at the dealer every 10k miles and forget how to pop the hood.

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

Gotta have more money than I do to play that game.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

About $160 a month, but my dads friend leases a Camry for $200 even so their are deals to be had.

VS spending $3k on an old Mercedes, and throwing another $3k worth of parts and about $10k worth of your time into it over a year of Sundays.

I hate working on old stuff, unless its a toy.

My idea of vehicle maintenance these days is popping the hood on my truck every couple thousand miles to check the oil, than I go sailing or boating, or fishing, or skiing, or on a date, or anything other than cold chisel rusted suspension parts off a 30 year old car! None of that electrical stuff breaks, the headlight sensor on my truck is fine, all the electrical stuff on my buddies old Mercedes works fine as well.

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

Ain't that the truth!

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

We need a graphic of a complicated woman to make this thing gel

I don't think I've ever spent $3k/yr on W123 parts. And I'd rather support my local mechanic than support the national economy.

Pick any one of them.

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)