Happy Birthday to my 1982 W123 - 22 years old

Twenty Two Years ago this month (February), my W123 was born.

What a wonderful car! People laughed at me 7 years ago when I bought a car with over 150,000 miles on it. I was 17 years old, and paid $4,300. (I think that shows quite a lot of wisdom for a 17 year old, while all his friends are getting little red sports cars, I went a different route) Well, guess what? Most of the people who laughed at me buying such an old old car, their American POS cars have died after they have spent thousands into it. While I have enjoyed pretty much maintenance free car. The only repair I couldn't do myself and I had to do, was replace the upper controller arm bushings. ($300) It has about 250,000 miles on it now. Still runs like a champ. I just think, if I purchased any other car, it would have been dead a long time ago. The price was higher, but the overall cost, is way less than other cars. that equals high value. It kinda ticks me off that Mercedes quality has slipped now. I would love to (if my car ever dies) buy another like 1997 E-Class 300D, and have it last another 25 years, but it doesn't look like it would. It erks me that if Mercedes would start manufacturing W123's again, they could modify it ever so slightly, and have it last longer than the originals. But Oh well. It's not profitable for Mercedes to only have people buy cars every 25 years. They need people to buy them every 7 years like in America, and how America does that, is make crappy cars so they have to. I suppose American influence has spread. When my Mercedes dies, it looks like I will shed a tear, and have to go to Japan to get another car to last 15-20 years. but I will miss my Mercedes.

Darrell

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Reply to
Darrell
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they buy their American cars because they want to be "cool" not necessarily after reliability, because that certainly doesn't even come into the equation. even a Korean car would be better built..

Reply to
Dave T.

Well said Darrell. You are not alone in these sentiments. None of the new cars that Mercedes puts out are designed to give 20 years or more of trouble-free service. Oh sure, they can last that long, but only after having spent an arm and leg replacing all those irrepairable hi-tech components that we never really needed in the first place. Yup, you took the road less traveled 7 years ago but have come out of it wiser and even richer. Happy Birthday to your W123!

Reply to
Rico Led

Well I can see part of your story :)

I'm 17, bought an 82 240D (200,000mi) and it was in generally ok condition when i turned 16 for $800. It was worht the $800 but not worth $1000. I've put atleast $1500 - 2000 into it now, replacing all kinds of stuff and it could use another $1000 put into it. Doing most if it myself with help from my dad. I hope I can be telling this same story in 7 years. Allot of my friends are buying Hyundai's... id like to see these cars in 7 years.

Reply to
mitch knight

Darrell,

What a wonderful car these W123s are. I remember when I was growing up, my landlord had gotten a brand new 300D (I think it was 79 or 80). Ever since then I fell in love with the way they looked.

I ended up buying an 1985 300D Turbo about 2 years ago with 193,000 miles. My wife thought I was crazy and people at work thought I was crazy. It is now my daily driver and it has been trouble free (I put money into it because I wanted to...not because something broke). Since then 2 other co-workers ended up buying MB diesels (W126 300SDs) and my BMW enjoys the comforts of my garage!

You were indeed very wise at 17. The W123 can wear your friend's rice burners or other new econo boxes as a hood ornament in the long run!

I am waiting for 20th B-day of my 300D Turbo next year.

good luck. anil bharucha

1985 300D Turbo 206,000 mi

Reply to
A. Bharucha

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