| FAQ | Member List | Albums | Today's Posts | Search  |
| Welcome Guest. ( logon | register ) | |||||
| ||||||
|
|
| Topic Tools | Message Format |
| Author |
| ||
| Kuzuki Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Baby Hauler Hi guys, would a w123 be a good and safe choice to be used a a baby hauler. Thinking a head a bit as my wife and I are not yet planing on having. Wife likes the w201 better. thanks and regards Mike | ||
| #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| BenzDieselTuner Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler the 123 would be a FINE babyhauler! good style! awesome safety! go for it! | ||
| #58920 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| Kuzuki Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Baby Hauler Thanks Diesel Tuner. will start looking for one. | ||
| #59012 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| BenzDieselTuner Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler glad i could help out with my opinion! | ||
| #59022 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| iNeon Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Baby Hauler A w123 will only make a 'fine baby hauler' if nothing but the best 30 year-old safety equipment is what you are looking for. They are moody, prone to troubles and are not economical in the slightest. For example: a 2000-2003 Ford Taurus wagon is around the same price-- they have a wonderful safety package and will return the same fuel economy numbers on cheap 2 dollar regular-- not 2.50 diesel. They are more comfortable, quicker, safer and you won't need to go to the dealer chasing some miniscule rubber bit for 50 dollars every 2 weeks. The w123 is a wonderful car, but they require as much tinkering as an air-cooled VW-- and it isn't economical tinkering. They can(and will) leave you stranded more than any modern vehicle-- even kia/hyundai. Price major components and soft trim to get an idea of the true cost of mantaining one of these automobiles-- they are all over 20 years-old at this point. Are you ready to send your wife downtown with your precious heir in an automobile that has 150k+ miles on 20 year-old parts? Is a hood ornament more important than her safety in that situation? Are you ready to give up at least one day a week's lounging time to inspect and adjust everything on your wife's car? That isn't including actual repairs, now. These cars DEMAND attention--and they do it often. Oh yeah-- Lastly, I'll mention... No car has more door lock failures than an old diesel Benz. | ||
| #59216 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| Dieselburns Expert  Date registered: May 2006 Location: New York, Long Island Vehicle(s): 78' MB 300D 87 Chief Cherokee Posts: 2251  | RE: Baby Hauler Well the truth hurtz doesnt it!  | ||
| #59218 - in reply to #59216 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| TheDon Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler the W201 does have the spring perch rust issue if it is a car from the north and or areas that put salt on the road. | ||
| #59254 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| Kuzuki Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler Ok...you've got me thinking now... Havn't heard about the door lock issue. Good to know. We'll see once it's time for a baby hauler. Thanks | ||
| #59567 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| iNeon Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Baby Hauler I don't want to make you shy away from a really great automobile, but it isn't the bed of roses that many on these various w123 fora like to pretend it is! They're old European automobiles-- That says enough  Don: the w210 has the spring perch isssues-- the w201 is the 190 series from the early 80s-early 90s. The only bits that are trouble prone on those are the soft trim(it's the first truly cheap Benz) and, from what I understand, the suspension is overtly complex-- the rear suspension, at least. | ||
| #59574 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| 123Guy Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler The 123 cars are outstanding - I drove a '79 300CD from new to around 240K miles, gave it to my son and he drove it out to 425K (same engine never opened up, never needed a valve job, same transmission and rear end, same exhaust system) he donated it in 1991 to the Houston Can Academy who sold it to a guy who bought it, restored it and is driving what looks like a new car. I then bought a new '84 300CD, still driving it with well into the 200K's - it looks and runs like a show car. My wife's showroom condition '82 300SD (126 car) has around 275K and where ever she goes, people try to buy it. Any by the way, diesel here in St Louis is $2.35 at the major stations. Try that with a clapped out Ford Tauras that will be worth $0 if you drive it another 10-years, the 123 will be worth about what you pay for it in 10-years. | ||
| #59585 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| iNeon Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Baby Hauler I'm afraid I disagree. No 20 year-old car is more reliable than any newer model car that is comparably priced. The Mercedes-Benz has NEVER been built, marketed or sold as an affordable alternative. They have ALWAYS been a premium brand, that isn't going to change as the car ages, I'm afraid. While it may be true that those in lower social strata may be able to afford the automobiles more readily than they would have been able to as new, IT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED that these are still premium automobiles-- aimed at an audience with more money to be spent on transportation expenses. Parts cost more. Repairs cost more. Insurance costs more. Breakdowns are more frequent. They are less safe. The cars are wonderful pieces of machinery, but are you ready for valve adjustments every 10k? transmission services every 25k? What about the bits and bobs that just aren't right? Assume that you'll be replacing window rubber and any other rubber bits by now as well. Do you want to put your lovely wife and precious offspring in a 'clapped out' w123, or do you want them in a fine example? There's a $10,000 difference between the two, and that assumes YOU will be doing the work-- Hire that work out, and you'll have her in a pristine w123 for right at the cost of a new economy car. Ought I mention that there were roughly 5 *million* w123's produced between 1975 and 1985? It will never be a collector's car. Don't listen to the diehards that want you to believe it is or will be. | ||
| #59589 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| Dieselburns Expert Date registered: May 2006 Location: New York, Long Island Vehicle(s): 78' MB 300D 87 Chief Cherokee Posts: 2251 | Re: Baby Hauler ^^Hes right^^ | ||
| #59604 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| 123Guy Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler If you like the 123 car, get one. I hear what the doubters say and yes they are high-end cars, but my wife and I have been driving MB diesels for the past 35-years and bought most of them new or low miles ('72 220D, '74 240D, '78 300D, '79 300CD, '82 300SD and '84 300CD) and between all of them them well beyond a million miles (425K miles on the '79 300CD alone) First of all, the oil changes are 3K miles, valves 12K miles and since I do much of the work I can attest that most parts are cheaper than most American and Japanese cars (log on to Performance Products and price 123 and 126 parts) most places will sell you a rebuilt turbo for around $425 - why? because there is no market for them, they seldom go bad. ArmorAll on the rubber and you may never have to replace it. We stopped moving up in model years because after '85 because MB starting slipping in quality - for many years and probably up until today, the dream car of the long time MB mechanics is a solid, rust free 123 car. And above all they will be fathfully running many years and miles beyond the point that same year Fords and Hondas have gone to the auto crusher. How many of you would say, I think I'll go find a nice '82 Ford with 250K miles on it for my daily beater? | ||
| #59691 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| iNeon Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Baby Hauler You're candy-coating this, 123Guy. I own a 1979 240D, have for 2 years. It was a 1-owner, low-mileage southern car(had 128,000, now has 154,500) The car needs a complete front-end overhaul. It needed a complete rear-end overhaul(I did it myself) a complete brake overhaul is right around the corner at this mileage(original rotors are getting thin, calipers weak, lines 30 years-old) and so is a complete vacuum system check/repair. Did I mention that these cars are 20-30 years-old yet? This is not even including the nitpicky things that women WILL notice. This is not including things that children WILL pick at in the back seat. This is not including ANYTHING cosmetic, which a 30-year-old car WILL need to be anything but a beater. As for safety/reliability/pricing-- These cars are the safest 30-year-old cars around, apart from the S-Class, but with the advances in technology we've seen since 1975.... that's of no value here. Crash testing has PROVEN that heft will do more harm to the occupants of any given automobile in the event of a collision. Parts are not cheaper if you use genuine Mercedes-Benz replacements. A decent example will set you back around $5,000.00, assume that you will need to recondition it and that that will cost right at $1,000-2,000. You're at 6-7k now. When it needs repair 2 months later, assume $500. So on, so forth. Do you see where this is going? If you wish to drive one of these cars reliably and with the least amount of downtime-- you can assume that it WILL cost you about the same as a modern economy car that will be safer, more refined and more economical. Decide where your priorities are and how much tinkering your mechanical abilities and free time allow. KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE UNDER THE HOOD ***AT LEAST*** ONCE A WEEK REPAIRING/ADJUSTING/INSPECTING SOMETHING. As for the domestic vehicle commentary-- I'm calling your bullshit out right here and now. My Father drives a 1997 Dodge Ram with 210,000k on it 80 miles a day. Prior to that, it was a Ford Tempo with 240k. Prior to that-- A Ford F150 with 200k. We just traded a 1997 Intrepid with 175k, and my reliable car, you ask? A Dodge neon with 150,000-- it's more trustworthy than a w123. It is more reliable, more refined, more economical, more comfortable and dare i say it... safer than a w123. Get your head out of the mud, 123Guy-- technological advances did not stop at this one automobile. | ||
| #59701 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| 123Guy Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler Owning one 123 car for 2 years and putting 27K on it doesn't give you much of a reference point and it sounds like you bought a one-owner clunker and are judging an entire class on one unfortunate experience - you'd probably be happier with some sort of American car next time. If you had to rebuild the front end on a 148K 123 car it was most likely because your first owner never changed the shocks and steering damper at around 80-90K, that would have cost him $200 for 4 Bilsteins, $49 each on sale from Adsit and about $25 for the steering dampner. Rear end replacement is extremely rare - even when the guy bought our old 425K mile 79 300CD to restore he didn't have to do anything to the transmission or rear end and neither unit had ever been rebuilt. I have never rebuilt either unit or had to tear into the engine itself on any of the MB's we've owned. And brakes, if you change the fluid about every two years, your calipers are going to stay happy for many years. But lastly, for all the hundreds of thounds of miles per vehicle my wife and I (our two grown sons have also always driven MB's) have put on 123's, 126's and their predessors over the years I am not at all impressed with a couple of American vehicles, none of which have hit 250K miles - which is what I consider to be not much beyond broken in for a MB diesel. Did you see the old 220D than an original owner has pictures of on the MBWorld.org site - beautiful car and he say runs like new, it has 850K miles on it and he's now widowed and wants to sell it? The other diesel enthusists are encourging him to keep it and go for one million miles. I don't think the old Dodge Neon will make it quite that far. | ||
| #59716 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| iNeon Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | RE: Baby Hauler In all due respect, in kindness and in brotherly love-- You're full of shit. Can you not read? I have repetedly said that these are fine cars. They are built of impeccable quality in both materials and craftsmanship, but this does not mean they will never fail their owners. It does not mean that they are inexpensive to repair and it does not mean that my Shlomo is a bad car. I have been well served by every car I have owned and I resent the insinuation that I don't know what I am talking about. Let me say that I would only put my car clueless partner and defenseless child in a w123 if it were completely rebuilt and rust free. The risks inherent in motoring in an antique kraut can are not worth the money you'll 'save.' The social stigmas of being seen in a lowly Ford Taurus or Chrysler Sebring are quite acceptable given the increased reliability, safety and economy that come along with such 'inferior' automobiles. This is not our decision to make-- He merely asked for our opinions. | ||
| #59727 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| 123Guy Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler I did not say you had no expeirence with cars and trucks, I said, you have little experience with 123 MB's, and apparently not a good experience with a not meticulously maintained car. I have never changed from one MB diesel to another that had less than 300K miles and most with more - and then only to move up to a newer model (look at the list we've had) that's a track record on numerous MB's - that doesn't even eclude the 123's that my sons have owned and drove for mucho miles as well. Further, the original poster did not ask for an opinion on old American cars. So, if it's only opinion needed here, here's mine: My wife and I can afford to drive whatever we want but we choose to drive a well-cared for 25 year old 300SD and a 23 year old 300CD - Why? Because I can't imagine a car I'd rather drive. | ||
| #59766 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| Author |
| ||
| Kuzuki Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Baby Hauler I want to thank all you guys for sharing your input and opinions. That's what this forum is all about. Of course opinions might differ. I get both your points and concerns. Also am I aware that it's a 20 + year old car we are talking about and that it might need some extra work and money to keep runing. This won't keep me away as I can do most the woek my self or have it done for a very reasonable price. Parts are a little more than for a japanese car but in my opinion they last more. My daily driver is a 86 280GE. Thanks again | ||
| #59787 - in reply to #58818 |
| ||
| « View previous thread :: View next thread » |
|
|
