My mechanic called me to let me know that he thought he had found the perfect starter vehicle for my son. He had a customer that had owned this vehicle since new, and he had recently passed away. Since nobody in the guy's family wanted it, and nobody thought it was worth much, it was given to my mechanic. My mechanic has been the only person to have his hands on the vehicle other than the owner. It was brought to him twice a year for check ups, oil changes, and anything else the owner wanted. Once a year, the frame and underbody was sprayed down with used motor oil...an old school method to protect the metal and stave off rust. It's a pretty effective way to do it, apparently, since the frame is rust free under the grime.

My son and I went out the mechanic's house to take a look at what he had...a 1992 Chevy S-10 4X2 with 4.3L and automatic. It's nothing spectacular, but it's very solid and runs like new. 80,002 miles on the odometer with a solid cab, and a bed that only needs one corner replaced, due to rust. The passenger fender was dinged pretty good by the original owner's grandson while pulling it out from under the carport. The paint is badly faded, which seems to be quite typical of these trucks...I used to have a 1990 version and the paint was fading before the last payment was made. The mechanic has a fender in his barn that he's going to swap to the truck. He did the brakes and brake lines a couple of months ago when the old man brought it in for service...the first set of brakes he remembers the truck ever needing.

My son and the mechanic settled in on a price. Since the mechanic didn't pay a dime for the truck, and is only performing minimal labor to adjust and clean a few things (basic pre-winter work) he's selling it to my son for $1500...a great price for a vehicle that's not rotted out around here. I took it out for a test drive first, and it's a good running and handling vehicle...one I'd be pleased to have as a grocery getter/town runner.

My mechanic and I had already discussed pricing, and had an agreed upon price, but I wanted my son to get some time negotiating with him, so I sat back and watched the two of them bicker a bit. I was rather pleased to see my son step back from the truck and threaten to walk away over $50 on the price. My mechanic gave me a wink before he finally folded. At least my he got that practice. He did a pretty good job on his end of it, and even negotiated the first oil change into the deal.

He'll get to pick it up around Thanksgiving, after the passenger fender and headlight is replaced. The dent isn't bad at all, and could be bumped out, but the mechanic wants to make it straight. The sealed beam headlight has some moisture in it, so it needs replaced. It's also going to have the differential drained and filled, as well as the fuel tank cleaned before it's signed over.

The interior is super clean, and only needs the headliner replaced...it's dropping in the corner. Other than that, it's nearly perfect inside. My son will have to have the windshield replaced due to delam in the bottom corner. Overall, not a bad vehicle for $1500.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

That sounds like a perfect son truck! Looks like a solid buy too.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I will be 30 in December and have a bit different perspective.

Was not allowed to start driving until 18, but think for the best. What would have also been better is me purchasing my first vehical. It would have made me appreciate it more and not become a brat (in expecting family help). The first daily driver purchased on my own was the 300TD-T, B.T.W..

Sounds like a great first vehical. R.W.D. is safer than F.W.D. (had a F.W.D. spin out for no reason). Hard to find well cared for vehicals for that inexpensive.

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Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

had one of those as well, great little trucks.

Careful, it will be 4 inches off the pavement the second you look away.

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I've already told him to keep everything as stock as possible while minor things are repaired or updated. I"m trying to steer him away from the mistakes and money pits I went through. I've already had the discussion with him about keeping it all stock until all the mechanicals are working as they should, then do some upgrades as time and money becomes available.

No worries about him dropping it any...he's already said it sits too low for him. He's wanting to lift it about 2 inches for comfort.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I like it. My buddy had one in high school and it was a good truck. I'd say it was a good deal too.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Myself always felt super claustrophobic in one of these, more so in the next body style, the dash half an arms lenght from ones'self.
Partially because a Friend was in a head on with some old lady who had a stroke and came into his lane while he was in his S10 blazer,
We went down to Austin to see him one last time in Brekenridge hospital,
They were literally dissecting him limb after limb trying to save him, his teeth smashed in and could barely communicate,
It was the hardest thing I have ever gone thru, -my dad passed away the following yr and that was not like seeing a 25 yr old guy go like that.

Waiting for the "Son fixed his first "oops" even though I warned him not to do that" posting. You KNOW he's gong to do it. We ALL did it. It's almost worth it to see the look in his eye. You know, the one which says, "Hmmph, maybe the old man's not as stupid as he looks".

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Good first car... for his Xmas present, maybe go on Your Car Wax SuperStore - We Are Car Care, Car Wax, Car Polish, Auto Detailing Supplies, Car Buffers & Car Accessories Store and buy a Porter Cable Polishing machine, with about 5 yellow buffing pads and some Poorboys 3.0 and 2.5 micro compound & a bag of microfiber towels. Some clay bar may also be a good idea.
Use any polishing wax to finish. I'd recommend Zaino AI-10 though...!

I'll bet it would look a lot better after a day spent doing some polishing with a machine.
...and he'll have learnt the art of polishing paint, so he can do your car(s) afterward...

I'm hoping the time he and I have spent under the hood and dash of my wife's truck will have taught him something about the difference between the right way and the wrong way, but I know the stupid things I did.

He's excited about getting this soon, even though I refuse to let him drive it for awhile. Past mistakes he's made meant that he didn't get the chance to start practice driving until a few weeks ago. He had his temporary learner's permit for all of 10 days before I ripped it up and threw it away, due to what I consider a massive mistake he made in his life...one that he's still paying for in the way of completing his Senior year via computer, instead of being allowed back on school property. However, after some major tuning up his actions and attitude, he was given another chance, and has now had the opportunity to drive the Jeep a few times. Since he's going to take the test in the Jeep, I don't want him learning how to drive the truck until he has his regular license in hand, lest he forget what he's doing and make a mistake on the test. As it stands, he won't be behind the wheel of the truck until at least March, maybe April. But...he'll have plenty of time to learn how to work on the truck and get everything the way he wants it, before he is set loose on the road with it.

Until that time happens, the truck will be parked in my drive, in my name, and with me having the only set of keys available.

I remember getting my first car when I was 15...1976 Dodge Charger with 360 and 4bbl carb. I learned to drive in the car that the driver's ed class had...1988 Chevy Celebrity. I wasn't allowed to drive the Charger, even though I had swapped the engine and rebuilt the transmission, and completely redid the interior, until I had passed my driver's test.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Ok...so my son and I went out to give the truck it's tune up today, and can't remove the rotor from the distributor. Anyone have any suggestions on removing said rotor from the dizzy shaft? 4.3L engine, just so you know..

BTW, here's a much better photo of the truck, taken yesterday...when we finally took delivery of it.

image hoster

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Besides the 292 cu in inline 6,the 4.3 is a long running motor.They make a stroker kit for it too.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

Added sandbags over the rear wheels for traction in snow?

Not yet...my son won't be driving this until Spring, after he gets his regular license. Not even once around the block. I don't want him driving anything other than the Jeep at the moment, since that's what he'll take his test in.

When the times comes, I have about 300 lbs of steel bars that we'll lay in the bed. Old I-beam sections about 5 foot long each. I saw them out by someone's garbage one night, and decided to grab them before the scrappers grabbed them.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I read on another site that I should be able to grab the base with vice grips and break the old rotor enough to remove it without damaging the dizzy shaft.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles