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  #1  
Old 02-15-2004, 07:05 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MA coast
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Question Questions-long, sorry.

Have been looking for a station wagon for some time now. I recently had a buyers-check made on a '95 E-320 wagon from New York State that a local dealer got from his wholesaler. No records, (no owners manual, even) The car has 89,000 miles and except for a bubbling at the lower edge of the side rear window, seems to have a perfect body. No body or paintwork anywhere on the car. Issues in the buyers report from the shop I took it to are as follows (well, just the ones that concern me).......

Head gasket seepage-slight
distributor seal seepage-slight
water leak at rear window (not the one with the rust)

The rest of the stuff is cosmetic, center armrest, inop headrest, etc.

The one that bothers me the most is the one he didn't mention that I found- the paint bubbling up-- about a one inch long spot directly under the lower edge of the rubber at the base of the long window on the left rear of the car. Car is $12.7K no warr.
So, my question.
Am I going to see this all over the car in a year or so?
I have a friend with the same car, bought two years ago in GA
who now has rust beginning to show around the rear wheelwells.
We are located in Coastal Mass. The highway dept uses a ton of road salt. Maybe we should buy a newer car. I understand the newer cars are not as prone to rust as the older ones.

Maybe I need to reconsider the '01 E-320 wagon with 82,000 miles we looked at. No records on that one, either. The dealers are telling me that records are not generally included with the cars they sell to protect the privacy of the previous owner. The (used car) dealer with the '01 Benz, got it from a Benz dealer in the area. Carfax says one-owner, car looks very nice, $25K.
But I keep hearing how trouble-prone the newer models are. I'm not rich, I work two jobs. I can do my own oil change and brake jobs, but I don't want a car that's going to take me for broke, either. I guess unless something requires hookup to some exotic piece of equipment to diagnose, I will fix it myself. The venom posted on some other websites(MB Problems.com, etc.) directed at MB in regards to the newer models is a little disturbing.
Any thoughts?

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Old 02-15-2004, 07:42 AM
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A few thoughts:
1) If you're interested in prior records, my experience would suggest that buying from a private party is more likely to yield some pay dirt. It may possibly also connect you with someone who's more involved with his car than the typical turn-it-in-for-a-new-one seller. Dig around and you may find an indie used dealer who knows the story of most of his vehicles and is willing to ask a PO for records, which some might be willing to supply.

2) As a Michigan resident with the same winter realities you have, I'd suggest to you that expecting no rust issues on a nine-year-old car in our conditions is optimistic at best. It's not impossible to keep a car pretty much rust free, but it does take definite commitment and occasional infusions of cash. I seem to recall some threads on leaks around the rear windows in 124 wagons; might be worth your while to search on that.

3) If you're interested in minimizing your exposure on repair costs and willing to consider spending somewhere in the 20's, you might check into a Starmarked (MB's certification program) car in the more recent vintages. Yes, they're reputed to have lesser quality around the BBs, but then we don't have typical new-MB owners on the board to provide input, and at least you've got coverage for the more major stuff. Then, on the other hand, for the difference you can spend a couple thousand on work and still have a lot more money in your pocket; it's just that the cashflow is much less predictable.
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Old 02-15-2004, 09:58 AM
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I think the story about the lack or records is BS. What would documents showing the service history of the car expose about the previous owner? That they had the service done? What privacy would they expose? I think that's just something dealers with no records say. My car has every single record since it was purchased and I would not have purchased it otherwise.

As far as your car, I would say that given your admission that you already work 2 jobs, it would be insane for you to spend 25K on a car. I think you should look for a nice early/mid 80's 300TD if you're bent on a wagon. You could get a great car for ~5K, and then quit one of your jobs, yielding time to enjoy both it and your life.
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Old 02-15-2004, 10:41 AM
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That price would buy a nice, clean, low milage, RUST free car in Florida.

But, if your area is so bad your friends rust free Georgia car is already rusted, I would have to develope a special strategy.

I might look for high mileage low priced later models, since they won't last long anyway. I might also get a old 300e to drive on snow days. I suppose on the coast the salt left from the snow comes back in every rain. Your screwed.

I don't know how I would handle the vehicles, having never been there, but if you have a little rust showing you have a lot of rust not showing. Sort of like icebergs.
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Old 02-15-2004, 11:55 AM
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Location: MA coast
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All good advice, thanks...........

A little more to the story. We have no garage. So the car leads a tough life even when not being driven. Currently driving an '85
300SD with 220K on the clock. It's in need of exhaust system, engine work (injector and couple glow plugs) and has it's share of rust due to the road (and seacoast?) salt. When we moved here from the D.C. area just 2 and a half years ago, it was pristine. I have an '84 300TD with 250K that I only drive in the winter after rain cleanses the roads of salt. Far as I know, the TD is still pristine. For how long, though? I am told, and can see for myself what happens to 123 cars driven in this climate. When Spring comes around again, I will sell it. I love that car, but can no longer afford the luxury of owning something I can't drive when the weather is not good. With the weather this winter, the car hasn't been driven much at all. My wife and I have become avid sea-kayakers, and with an interest in camping need the utility of a wagon. I actually bought an '89 Volvo 740T, fixed it up with intentions of using it as a "pickup truck"/camp/kayakmobile,
but have been disappointed with it. I may be spoiled by MB
We need to have utter reliability also, as my family lives 12hrs
from here. I would like the reliability of a newer model Benz, but really don't want big payments. No one can guarantee what the future holds when buying used. I am beginning to think the best prediction of how a car will perform in the future is it's past and current performance. So I intend to buy from a private owner (why pay dealer profit?) who has a good car in obvious good condition (garaged, hopefully) and complete records to document just how good that car has been so far. My best bet, methinks.

Thank you for the responses!
Regards,
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Old 02-15-2004, 11:59 AM
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Mike, I'd steer clear of any car showing signs of rust unless you own a body shop and can do the work yourself. Otherwise, properly repairing/repainting the rusted areas could involve considerable $$$$.

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