Re: [diesel_mercedes] Question for you

What a great question - because each of us had to come to grips with its answer in the past. I think that you will find that most of us (those who own / operate 25 year old MB's) do a lot of their own repair work, either because they enjoy doing so, or for reasons of economy. MB's from 1980 - 1985 generally have engines that are "bullet proof" and 500,000 miles is not uncommon. Of course, peripheral parts wear out over time and an owner must either be prepared to do the work himself / herself, or pay someone else to do it for them. A lot of us choose to tinker with these fine old cars because we like to do it, and because it is not that difficult compared to the cars of today where you almost have to take the front ends off in order to change the oil. For $2K - $4K you can find MB's in various condition. Watch out for rust (which can be hidden) - although the engines are rock solid, the bodies that have been fighting snow for 10 years are another story. And, just because it is in Florida doesn't mean that it did not come from New Hampshire.  I am taking my 300D out for a 1000 mile trip tomorrow and I am going to enjoy every mile. Conversely, my other 300D just lost a pulley off the crankshaft and now sits at the mechanics. I choose to have him fix it and I will pay him to do it - but if I had the time and inclination, I would fix it myself. Buy your husband some tools for his birthday and let him develop a hobby that will keep him interested post retirement.

brian

lostintheflood2 <lanni.johnson@verizon.net> wrote:

Hello Everyone, I joined this group a couple of days ago because we
need to get a diesel vehicle and I've been looking at Mercedes Benz on
various forums online for about a year.

I've concluded that we need to either buy a 2000 or newer VW TDI, or
an 80's version Benz TD.

I like the idea of buying an '80's version Benz TD, but we've never
had a diesel and my husband is not a mechanic and he has no interest
in working on cars. He is concerned that buying a car that old (over
20 years) will mean a LOT of maintenance. From reading the posts on
here, I can't figure out if you guys are doing what you do because you
have to or because it's fun (maybe both?).

Anyway, my question...if we could find a well-maintained 84 or 85
Benz, would it mean constant maintenance, way more than a newer car?
Would we be in danger of breaking down on a road trip?

I realize these questions are subjective, but I'm just trying to
understand the attraction of the older Benz cars to justify my
interest and I want to know your thoughts.

We've been driving a 2001 Camry since it was new and it's been a great
car, but the days of diesel are here.

So, please let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Lanni

brian from la verne, ca

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