OT: Call me crazy : Old Car

[ScottW]

Dad had a 1996 C36 AMG. Nice car and pretty much dead nuts reliable, had >180K miles before it got totaled (drunk driver ran a red light and got T-boned by my stepmom).
I do nearly all my own work on my cars so the upkeep wouldn't necessarily scare me off of MB if I otherwise liked one well enough. I know little about the pre-1990s models though, and many of the newer ones look too much like poorly designed footwear. Main problem for me is that my commute is long-ish and the AMG models that speak to me aesthetically are also somewhat thirsty.

[72gmc]

Old Mercedes cars are cool. Spent part of my childhood in a 450SL. I would volunteer to help Dad take the hard top off for sunny drives. He bought it used so it had a few squeaks and quirks, but the quality was obvious. I learned to appreciate quality and character rather than perfection.

[azrider]

I approve of this post.

Here is my dad's (now mine) '84 300D Turbo Diesel. I rode home shotgun at impressionable age of 8 years old. I will one day hand this down to my son.

[redir]

^ Sweet!

[Gummee]

My Dad was into Caddy Fleetwoods till he decided he was into Benzes.

His 1st was an 88 300SEL. Same basic car as the OP but with the gas engine. Not the fastest thing to get to cruising speed, but once there, it would stay at whatever speed you wanted to hold all day.

2nd was a 95 S320. Bigger. Heavier. Same basic engine. Double pane windows to cut down on road noise...

Of the 2, I preferred the 88 to drive. Better seats. Easier to see out of. etc The car had electrical gremlins tho, so once my Dad passed away, Mom gave it away to some friends.

Long story short: I'd drive another 300SEL or the OP's car any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Plusses: not nearly the # of sensors, electronical gizmos, etc to go wrong. Built better than anything modern. Wonderful cruising car.

Minus: no cupholders, minimal charging points, 'safety' devises, etc It's an older car, so will require older car upkeep. ...and... You're buying a very expensive luxury car with very expensive luxury car upkeep prices. Dad used to say 'anyone can afford to buy an older Benz. Not everyone can afford to maintain em right.'

M

[pasadena]

It's old, slow, stinky, no parts available, and it's not safe relative to modern cars.
Decades of love, or decades of abuse? That's the big unknown on trying to daily an old car.

Sounds like a money pit to me but life is short, if you really wanted one, go for it. Owning it might cure you. LOL

I love the idea of old Mercs...

[Louis]

I wouldn't try to use an old car as a daily driver unless I had a back-up. Regardless of how well maintained they are, they have lots of imaginative ways to fail and it can take a while to get them back on the road. Add to that having to drive them in bad weather, it's a hassle that isn't worth the fun.

Aside: I've decided that I want the extra space in my garage, so I'm going to sell my '73 Alfa GTV this year. I'll be sad to see it go, but I need the room for the motorcycles...

[buddybikes]

Jeez, thought when you said old it would be OLD, like a 1918 Dodge roadster that we regularly get a ride in to the ice cream stand...

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by Louis

I wouldn't try to use an old car as a daily driver unless I had a back-up

That’s why you have to have two old cars

[redir]

My wife is bothered by the safety issues and the idea of getting stranded. I fully intend to use this as a daily driver and something to drive down to Florida and out to Colorado in.

I look at it like this, years ago when I was taking flying lessons the Cessna 152's I was flying were commonly 35-40 years old and flown at 5,000ft with full confidence

[pasadena]

Originally Posted by redir

My wife is bothered by the safety issues and the idea of getting stranded.

Those are legitimate concerns. You have to take that as an expected part of package until you get to know the car.

I would look carefully on what "fully restored" means. A rebuilt diesel with only 130k, non-factory paint color..starts to ring alarm bells.
Then again, 36 yr old car... maybe that is due but get a full inspection on it.

If your E420 is done after 10 yrs... moving to a 36yrs old unknown, you can't really expect reliable. That's a project car no matter how you slice it.

[redir]

Yup, I'll have to think about it for sure. We'll see this Sunday. He calims to have all the service records and receipts too. Wish me luck.

[pasadena]

Originally Posted by redir

Wish me luck.

No, that's what you say every time you start the car with your wife in it.

[texbike]

Before you spend the money on an old 126, go drive a nice, clean LS400 or LS430 and then see what you think.

FYI, we've had both W210 and W211 E55s. The W210 was bullet-proof and only had one real issue (well 2 if you count the softdrink that my wife spilled into the console, shorting out the trans ECU directly below it) in 5 years. The 211 wasn't as trouble free.

Texbike

[Louis]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

That’s why you have to have two old cars

Been there, done that - back in the late 80's I had a '73 Charger and a '70 Impala. I then added an '87 Alfa Spider to the mix, but having three cars was a lot to handle. However, it was possible to put my Trek in the Impala's trunk without having to remove the front wheel, so there were some benefits to those behemoths...