I have a '73 220D with four speed stick. I bought the car, a really nice car, with a dead engine for $500. I bought and installed a completely rebuilt 240 engine from Metric Motors for about 5K (2 year un-limited mileage warrantee).

From the time I first cranked that engine over 'til now I have had ZERO trouble with the car. Geez, the thing is SO simple, there really is nothing to go wrong, so long as basic maintenance points are covered.

Well, OK - the central locking system does not work properly, but that should be simple enough to fix when I open up the doors this coming Spring (fix busted vac lines). And I will be replacing either axle boots or the entire axles before long, as the old boots are cracking.

My total expense thus far is about 7K. Now I just drive and change the oil in the thing, and I love it.

For myself, I would never own a car that has a computer in it, or power windows, etc. And I would never trust a shop to do the work for me. I am DIY to the max, and the old MB fits right in with the fleet of old air-cooled VWs, which, BTW, never give me trouble either.

Newer cars suck. You HAVE to rely on the dealer because they are so complex. Not for me.

Buy old, and do the work yourself. Works for me, and has never left me stranded.

Ciao!