Is $1400 reasonable for an 87 W124 wagon project car?
Mercedes newbie could use your advice ....
Mercedes dealer 50 miles from here has an 87 wagon in the yard, they're asking $1400 - and it does need some work. I'm wondering if it's worth buying as a project car. White w. blue interior, 307,000 miles, 3 owners, VIN history is good, regular maintenance for first 6 years (booklet). Still has the "oxidizer trap" on the turbo.
Here are the positives - Cylinder head replaced in 2000 with #22 head. Interior is good, power seats & sunroof works, cruise works, no under-body rust. Does not run hot, shifts OK. Belts run true, starts cold at 70F. Lots of service tickets, parts replaced include - motor mount in 1994, rear wheel bearing in 95, differential bushings and cover in 96, rear rotors 96, injector pump seals 96, starter in 97. A/C compressor, accumulator, complete overhaul & R134 in 98. Head, radiator & 2 lifters in 2000 ("injector pump has wear" note on service ticket). Glow plugs replaced over the years. A/C seems to work (not a major concern for me). Suspension seems OK, not able to test SLS in rear.
Here are the negatives - needs complete re-spray, some rust around weatherstripping. Power steering feels heavy & does not self-center. Driver seat spring sag a bit, power locks do not work, tailgate will not stay up, needs both sunvisors, 3 power windows do not work (no motor movement). Fluid dripping from IP side of motor, smells like fuel.
I got a serious case of sticker shock when I went through the service tickets and saw the (dealer) cost of parts. In 6 years, I'll be retirement age, and am wondering whether I can afford to maintain this car after that. It seems that the 124s have a reputation for reliability, but when something does go bad, from age, will it break the bank? Oh yeah ... the nearest experienced Mercedes mechanic is 50 miles away.
Any thoughts, suggestions or such would be greatly appreciated. They're not advertising the car, so I have a few weeks or so to decide.
Thanks.
check your area on craigslist and see what one goes for. Unless there giving you a warrenty than i would buy it from a private party (ur gonn apay tax at the stealership). They prob gave some one 300 for it on a trade. Maybe 500. Your prob overpaying.
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The car has too many miles, needs too much work, and costs too much money. Pass on it. You will be throwing loads of money into this one... for what? A 300k++ mile car. Not worth it.
Though I'm not recommending for or against the car, I thought I'd share my findings. I've been searching in Germany for a wagon to import, and most if not all the diesel wagons have anywhere from 300k km to 700k km. The one you're looking at, with 300k miles equates to about 480,000km which is right in the middle. It seems most of the cars with the higher mileage are taxis.
My personal opinion is to find something in better shape with lower mileage, though most diesels have 150k+ miles. Think about it in the long term, [repair bills vs maintenance] plus initial costs.
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