Thanks everyone for the welcome and tips. Thanks Rob for that link to the list of engines/models.
> the turbo is a big alloy snail looking thing under the air cleaner on the right side of the engine
Great; that's what I'll look for.
> Also , look closely under the rear side windows , rocker panels and battery tray for any rust holes ~ by the time you see bubbles or pin holes , it's *VERY* serious .
OK, good to know. I also read the jacking points are problem areas. Is that the same thing you are mentioning for the rocker panels, or in addition?
> In closing : BEWARE the ' cheap ' Mercedes ! it will always be the MO$T EXPEN$IVE CAR YOU EVER OWN ! . (but , you'll polly love it anyway , I do)
Well, I'm definitely thinking that over. I certainly believe that a good Mercedes mechanic will be expensive. For those doing their own work, does the adage still hold true?
I've also been reading up on VW diesels. They have a devoted fan base too, but it sure seems from anecdotes that VW reliability in the last decade or two does not live up to their historic reputation. My wife got a big grin when she saw a New Beetle TDI for sale in the paper because she always thought they looked cute, but I'm leery of how many stories I've heard of people having all kinds of expensive problems. Sounds like TDI engine is good, rest of the car is questionable. Seems like people love the cars so much they put up with all the issues. I guess I've been spoiled by my Hondas which have been simple, reliable and cheap to maintain. If diesel Hondas were common in the US I'd pick that in a heartbeat, but no such animal here.
My main candidates I'm mulling over are a Rabbit, Jetta Wagon, or 300TD. You know the saying: good, fast, cheap-- pick any two.
My impressions at this point:
Rabbit- reliable, easy to work on, low purchase price, no turbo=slow accel, good MPG (40+).
Jetta Wagon- good MPG (40+), turbo=fast, higher purchase, reliability and ease of work unsure???
300TD- low purchase, turbo=decent accel, MPG not as good (20-30), reliability good I think?
I'm going to be hard pressed to find a Jetta Wagon or Golf TDI that I can afford, so it is probably going to come down to the Rabbit versus 300TD. The obvious competition there for me is the high MPG of the Rabbit versus the awesome styling of the Mercedes, which will probably put maintenance/repair as a major deciding factor.
So I'm trying to figure out, is keeping a W123 300TD running in good condition really more EXPEN$IVE than any other 30-year-old car, if I'm doing the wrenching myself?
Thanks for everyone's thoughts and opinions.
- Alan
