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DrBoost
DrBoost Dork
4/28/10 9:22 a.m.

Ok, so I'm looking at a mid 80's mercedes diesel wagon (I'm married, I don't need to impress the ladies anymore). he car is 8 hours away so I'm trying to get as many pics as possible. The car is owned by a technical school and they did some rust repair, that alone scares me because I don't know what rust is left. Here's the pics I got from the guy. For $4,000 would you run far?

Per Schroeder
Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
4/28/10 9:26 a.m.

Yes. run away. That's not rust repair, that's rust hiding.

jrw1621
jrw1621 Dork
4/28/10 9:30 a.m.

We likely have someone in the area who can give the car a first hand look.
Where is it?

Cotton
Cotton HalfDork
4/28/10 9:31 a.m.

Pass. I'd think for 4k you could find a more solid example. Around here people would be thowing 80s diesel Benzes at you for that kind of money.

MadScientistMatt
MadScientistMatt Dork
4/28/10 9:34 a.m.

Those pictures would make me want to not only avoid the car, but avoid the entire technical school and everything connected with it. For $4000, you shouldn't have to settle for something in need of a suspension rebuild to replace everything rusted through.

Kia_racer
Kia_racer Reader
4/28/10 9:34 a.m.

I've bought worse but it was for parts. If you are looking to drive it, I wouldn't.

Duke
Duke SuperDork
4/28/10 9:35 a.m.

I wouldn't ride in anything with that much rust on the subframe/control arm, let alone drive 8 hours for the privilege of spending 4 grand buying it.

foxtrapper
foxtrapper SuperDork
4/28/10 9:37 a.m.

Why are you even asking the question? I'd run from that car at $4, let alone $4,000.

Run, run fast, run far.

Jake
Jake HalfDork
4/28/10 9:56 a.m.

Rusted/ing out suspension? One too many zeroes in the price.

davidjs
davidjs Reader
4/28/10 9:57 a.m.

For $4k they could have at least trimmed the fiberglass in the wheel well... ugh!

nutherjrfan
nutherjrfan Reader
4/28/10 9:59 a.m.

Mercedes rust from the inside out I believe someone said here once. Yes, that is scary.

914Driver
914Driver SuperDork
4/28/10 9:59 a.m.

Like the wind!

Besides, eight hours away? Lets say you can average 70 mph, that's 560 miles one way. If you get 20 mpg that's 28 gallons of gas (one way) at $2.97 in my neighborhood = $83.16 just in gas. X2 = $166.32

If you can't do 70 mph driving or towing that fat chick, your price goes up.

Safety First. If that car were free, I couldn't afford to fix it.

Dan

Edit:

Do you need a wagon?

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/1712032100.html

nutherjrfan
nutherjrfan Reader
4/28/10 10:06 a.m.

would be lots of fun with a sawzill

slefain
slefain Dork
4/28/10 10:06 a.m.

Avoid the car, name the tech school for calling that mess a "repair".

DrBoost
DrBoost Dork
4/28/10 10:43 a.m.
jrw1621 wrote: We likely have someone in the area who can give the car a first hand look. Where is it?

Sheyboygan, WI. If you are serious that would be GREAT! There's also 2 of them in PA. I'd be willing to flip you some coin.

DrBoost
DrBoost Dork
4/28/10 10:47 a.m.
914Driver wrote: Like the wind! Besides, eight hours away? Lets say you can average 70 mph, that's 560 miles one way. If you get 20 mpg that's 28 gallons of gas (one way) at $2.97 in my neighborhood = $83.16 just in gas. X2 = $166.32 If you can't do 70 mph driving or towing that fat chick, your price goes up. Safety First. If that car were free, I couldn't afford to fix it. Dan Edit: Yeah, it needs to be a wagon. And the diesels get about 30 on the highway (some as high as 35 but I'm planning on 30). Do you need a wagon? http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/1712032100.html

Yeah, it needs to be a wagon. And the diesels get about 30 on the highway (some as high as 35 but I'm planning on 30).

And thanks everyone, I guess I just wanted some agreement from you folks. I think they are asking $4K because it's already been converted to run on veggie oil but I'd rather do the conversion myself.

ClemSparks
ClemSparks SuperDork
4/28/10 11:11 a.m.

I wouldn't trust someone else's veggie conversion. Do the research there. Lots of folks think this adds value to the car, but in reality, in most cases, it shows that people are completely ignorant about how the fuel systems works and what damage they may have already done to the vehicle.

The photos aren't scary...they're horrific! Scary is an understatement.

I wouldn't give $4K for a minty-fresh rust free TD, frankly. That one DEFINITELY needs to drop a zero.

Clem

RedS13Coupe
RedS13Coupe Reader
4/28/10 11:30 a.m.

Tech school car means it was molested by every idiot who didn't want to have to take algebra in high school. Not that I am against tech school, I went to one... but I saw who some of the people that pass through them are. At the very best the guys who did know what they were doing learned by making their mistakes on that car.

$4k sounds like A LOT of money for an old benz that has been molested by too many students to count.

jrw1621
jrw1621 Dork
4/28/10 12:08 p.m.
DrBoost wrote:
jrw1621 wrote: We likely have someone in the area who can give the car a first hand look. Where is it?
Sheyboygan, WI. If you are serious that would be GREAT! There's also 2 of them in PA. I'd be willing to flip you some coin.

Sheyboygan and PA are not me, but should you find something in Ohio I would be glad to help. Other people may chime in. It may be best to start another thread. "Looking for help in Sheyboygan, WI"

Kendall_Jones
Kendall_Jones Reader
4/28/10 12:13 p.m.

If I was going to drive 8 hours for a TD wagon, I'd drive 8 hours SOUTH ;)

KJ

Jay
Jay Dork
4/28/10 12:34 p.m.
Kendall_Jones wrote: If I was going to drive 8 hours for a TD wagon, I'd drive 8 hours SOUTH ;) KJ

No kidding. 8 hours drive from Michigan should get you well out of the rust belt.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
4/28/10 12:57 p.m.
Jay wrote:
Kendall_Jones wrote: If I was going to drive 8 hours for a TD wagon, I'd drive 8 hours SOUTH ;) KJ
No kidding. 8 hours drive from Michigan should get you well out of the rust belt.

+1.

FYI, you might want to start searching the Indianapolis craigslists. For some reason, its seems like there is a HUGE amount of cool MB's there.

porksboy
porksboy Dork
4/28/10 1:47 p.m.

I would say he needs to drop a 4 from that price.

Toyman01
Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
4/28/11 10:26 p.m.

KERZAPP!! Take that you canoe you.

cwh
cwh SuperDork
4/28/11 10:29 p.m.

Another CANOE!!!!

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