Is the Classic MB diesel market at an all time low right now?

[otto huber]

After nearly 7 years and 102,000 miles of driving my 300SD I've been thinking of moving on to something else. I've taken great care of the car not just to enjoy it, but in the hopes that I would be able to sell it for close to what I paid for it($2500). After browsing through Craigslist for the past few months and seeing 300SDs sitting up there for well over 6 or 8 weeks, I get the feeling that nobody is really interested in buying these cars anymore, that goes for W123s as well. The biodiesel fad is long gone, it's hard to find a mechanic who will work on them, and it seems like only DIYers would ever want such a car. This is my observation from Northern California where there are still a fair amount of these old MBs running. What's it like in other parts of the country?

[sloride]

All over the map here, rusted junk for the most part, going for (or should I say asking price) between $1000.00 for real crap to the outlandish $10,000 for a repainted detailed decent model.
I went to look at an 86 SDL with an asking price of 2K, it was junk, rusty, reeked of coolant in the cabin ran decent but wouldn't want to be seen in it.
To not offend the seller I said that is worth around $750.00 tops he said I'll take it without a seconds thought. I declined as I was not looking for a real needy fixer upper as his ad said nice runner good interior good body, all lies except the good runner part.

[ah-kay]

Just go out and ask your friends, relatives, coworkers or a stranger in the street, "Would you like to buy a car with 200K-300+K miles and 25+ years old for cheap?" and post their honest replies here. Then you have your answer.

[torsionbar]

Originally Posted by otto huber

After nearly 7 years and 102,000 miles of driving my 300SD I've been thinking of moving on to something else. I've taken great care of the car not just to enjoy it, but in the hopes that I would be able to sell it for close to what I paid for it($2500). After browsing through Craigslist for the past few months and seeing 300SDs sitting up there for well over 6 or 8 weeks, I get the feeling that nobody is really interested in buying these cars anymore, that goes for W123s as well. The biodiesel fad is long gone, it's hard to find a mechanic who will work on them, and it seems like only DIYers would ever want such a car. This is my observation from Northern California where there are still a fair amount of these old MBs running. What's it like in other parts of the country?

I think your assessment is spot-on. The spike in diesel popularity a decade ago was mainly due to high fuel prices at the time, $4+ per gallon. While diesels enjoyed high resale values, bloated gasoline SUV's took a huge hit, the used car lots had so many they stopped buying them.

I remember those days well, when a non-turbo w210 diesel was $10k and the turbo w210 was $15k+. Now the non-turbo w210 is $2k and the turbo is $5k.

Cheap gas means diesel is out of style, and gas guzzler SUV's are the fad once again. The only way these old Merc diesels will come back, is if there's another fuel shortage or crisis.

Until then, it's up to us nutty DIY tinkerers to keep them on the road.

[jbach36]

A few years ago I went to a MB mechanic. I asked him what he thought I could get for my car which I figured might be worth $3,000. He said $7,500. I said you gotta be kidding! He said no. You've kept the car up. You can easily buy an old Mercedes (diesel or gas) and put $5,000 into fixing it up to get it to where it needs to be.

So even if prices have dropped now, I have a good running Mercedes that is (in theory) safe to drive (not that I want to test that theory). There are some little repair blips on the screen from time to time, but all cars need repairs.

In the meantime, I have nearly new 90,000 mile tires on the car, lifetime alignment with a large auto chain, an engine that should probably run to 700,000 miles with few problems, etc.

Plus another gas shortage will come along soon enough.

In the meantime, I drive a high quality car that I enjoy driving, knowing that if I am in a crash, chances are this diesel car will probably not catch on fire. What's that worth to ya?

[dkr]

I think it's a little looney to be thinking about resale value. If you thought you were going to make a profit, you probably should sell it.

Dkr.

[dieseldan44]

you have to be a DIY nut job to want one of these cars...like all of us...i mean lets call a spade a spade.

if you put up the car and its in good shape, or post it on the forum, you'll find someone who wants it and is willing to pay for an owner who is knowledgeable, honest and took good care of the vehicle.

[torsionbar]

That's a good point, these are all antiques here in 2017, kept alive by hobbyists and tinkerers. Nobody buys an old diesel Merc simply looking for a solid used car, just like nobody buys an air-cooled VW Beetle any more thinking it's an affordable used car. It used to be at one time, but that time is long gone. The only buyers of old diesel Mercs at this point, are nuts like us who are specifically looking to own an old diesel Merc.

[otto huber]

Originally Posted by dkr

I think it's a little looney to be thinking about resale value. If you thought you were going to make a profit, you probably should sell it.

Dkr.

I never bought the car looking to flip it and make a profit. I put over 100K on it in 7 years. I'm just disappointed that after years of taking good care of a one owner, reliable classic car, there's no market for it.

8 years ago I bought a 240D for $300, invested $900 and sold it for $2600 within three weeks of putting the add up. Those were the good old days.

[iladelf]

In the early '90s, I had a '63 Riv. Neat old car, but at 30 years old, parts were getting scarce and the comment I used to get regarding it was "Yeah, I used to know a guy who could fix your car, but he's dead." After hearing that comment enough, and getting tired of wrenching on her myself, I sold it.

Fast forward to recent times. Hemmings had an article about those old Rivs, saying they were a great collector's car, with parts-a-plenty available, now that they are being reproduced in the aftermarket (Year One? Who knows...). Thanks for the sour persimmons, cousin.

So, with the W123 (and earlier) diesels getting to the point where many parts are unavailable (or cheap junk), perhaps if you hang on to one long enough, you'll be able to reap the rewards of having one. That is, if you have a dry place to store it long enough for those parts to come online. Maybe.

I'm getting frustrated as he77 trying to find a)mechanics that will work on my '81 ('84 drivetrain) 300D and b)finding reliable parts. Had the oil cooler and hoses replaced last year; guess what's leaking now? Yep, a crap hose. Lots of fun for myself and a family member to replace on a weekend.

If it ain't one thing, it's another with these older MB cars. At least if I had a '67 Dart with a 225, I could easily find the parts and (pretty easily) repair the thing myself. The only benefit you get driving an older MB is the appreciative looks you get on occasion. Hardly worth it to me.

[tjts1]

Nobody wants a $2000 35 year old heap when you can get $150/mo lease on a car with a warranty.

[iladelf]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Nobody wants a $2000 35 year old heap when you can get $150/mo lease on a car with a warranty.

Amen, brother!

[moon161]

Originally Posted by dieseldan44

you have to be a DIY nut job to want one of these cars...like all of us...i mean lets call a spade a spade.

Yes. I think there's a diversity of exact reasons, but they all have this in common.

[vstech]

who is a nut job?

[kuene]

I think the market is just beginning - if you have a nice rust-free body and decent interior. w123s on Bring A Trailer are regularly going for 6-8k. Wagons (ones in good shape) have recently sold there for $15k to $32,0000 - yes, thirty-two thousand dollars.