True cost of ownership, daily driver - Page 6 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Diseasel300 · #76 05-16-2018, 11:11 AM

A tiny bit of humility goes a LONG way. Bragging about how much cash you dropped in labor paid to someone else to work on your car isn't going to win you brownie points on a DIY forum. Your TCO isn't really relevant either since you're basically paying someone else to do a restoration on your ride. Restorations are vastly different from just "maintenance".

jake12tech · #77 05-16-2018, 11:27 AM

Never paid a mechanic a day in my life other than for inspections. Have never added up the thousands I've saved. Makes me appreciative of my mechanical inclination and experience as a Mercedes technician.

I really don't understand why you're boasting about paying someone to fix your car and drop the thousands you have laying around at your disposal on a DIY forum like diseasel said.

Renting a storage unit isn't very expensive and there's ones out there 20x20 that can fit two cars. That's way more room than I've utilized before to work on a car. You don't have to tell them at all what you're doing there either since you pay rent. With the proper directions just about anyone can work on a w123. There's absolutely nothing to them. Especially with the guidance of peachparts and youtube. The most difficult job on a w123 is the ball joints. They're a royal pain

marco5 · #78 05-16-2018, 01:01 PM

I'm not bragging by any means, I'm just saying that I live in a Condo in Toronto and don't have the availability, freedom or time that some of you do here as I travel a bunch. I wish that I had a farm, garage, house and lots of free time because would do a lot of the work myself in that case!

When I do bring the car do my parents house, I'll gladly do things myself like brake jobs, air filters, fuel filters, repacking front wheel bearings, valve adjustments, headlight/headlamp replacement, brake flex lines, oil changes, any cosmetic stuff etc. However, when it comes to a bigger messy type job where lots of tools and time is required, I pay someone to have it done. I know what's involved and I have the skill to do it, just saying that I don't have the time or tools/space to do it and it's a daily driver/project.

Not sure why this is upsetting some people. That's great some of you do ALL your own DIY work and that some of you have spent under $2000 on your entire car. I'm not judging you for that. I ENVY you! haha.

All and all - the labor I've paid is very little to the overall costs of the restoration. Like I mentioned, the number is higher because I choose OEM/Mercedes VIN specific parts only, if available.

koooop · #79 05-16-2018, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

If you've been daily driving it for 38 years, I'd like to see all your numbers too, including the total miles driven. Especially the hours you've spent working on it yourself.

I haven’t daily driven the car in a long time, the odo didn’t work for about 20 years when it was driven most. The car shows 390,000 miles + the miles from the missing two decades. I used to work on it myself, lots of hours back then but I don’t have the DIY time anymore. Kids and a wife get all of my spare time now.

4 transmissions, 5 motors... The math is ugly! LOL

vwnate1 · #80 05-17-2018, 02:27 AM

I too don't get why some seem upset that he chooses to have a Mechanic do the job .

I've been in the auto trade since I was wearing short pants and I trust very few to ever do anything correctly .

The $ I've saved (?) by doing my own works, I too spend on factory parts whenever I can get them from the M-B Classic Center.....

My cars (except the wagon) are still just old high mileage beaters tho' .

_YOU'RE_ paying the bill so _YOU_ get to choose how the $ are spent .

marco5 · #81 05-17-2018, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

I too don't get why some seem upset that he chooses to have a Mechanic do the job .

I've been in the auto trade since I was wearing short pants and I trust very few to ever do anything correctly .

The $ I've saved (?) by doing my own works, I too spend on factory parts whenever I can get them from the M-B Classic Center.....

My cars (except the wagon) are still just old high mileage beaters tho' .

_YOU'RE_ paying the bill so _YOU_ get to choose how the $ are spent .

Thanks Nate! I know a few millennial's (people burn in 1981+) who are also in my age range that own W123's as well. They do work themselves when they can (brakes, valve adjustments, oil changes, water pumps etc) but when it comes to bigger stuff, they bring it to their trust worthy specialist.

There's nothing wrong with paying money here and there for someone to do the work for you, especially if they are a German specialist, know these cars, have a proper tools/lift/shop and etc. So what if it costs a little bit more money? I have mechanics that offer me significantly low labor rates and I plan to use them for large/messy jobs in the future!

vwnate1 · #82 05-17-2018, 12:44 PM

? Is my 39 & 3/4 years old Son a millennial ? .

He's ever so impatient and has wrecked more vehicles because of it, he didn't like my W123's until I bought the graymarket wagon, then he asked me to give it to him when I'm done with it, he thinks it's great .

When he was younger, _every_ shift, regardless of traffic or the vehicle, just _had_ to be a power shift, he ruined the trannies in most vehicles he owned or borrowed .

Diseasel300 · #83 05-17-2018, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

? Is my 39 & 3/4 years old Son a millennial ? .

He's ever so impatient and has wrecked more vehicles because of it, he didn't like my W123's until I bought the graymarket wagon, then he asked me to give it to him when I'm done with it, he thinks it's great .

When he was younger, _every_ shift, regardless of traffic or the vehicle, just _had_ to be a power shift, he ruined the trannies in most vehicles he owned or borrowed .

The phrase "Millenial" should be used cautiously. The older generation lumps all of us 30-somethings into that group and in my area, that's likely to get you punched by the targeted individual (it is NOT a compliment).

The "Millenial" moniker typically applies to people who reached adulthood in the early 2000s, usually born 1981-1994ish. Unfortunately the generation has become known as lacking ambition and work ethic, so applying that name to someone who's a hard worker is essentially calling them "lazy" and "shiftless".

On the other hand, you have people who take the "Millenial" moniker as a compliment to mean that they're "enlightened" and "creative". Typically these people come from middle-upper class families and had a pretty easy life growing up and often have advanced college education.

You pretty well have one or the other, there's not much in between. Most people who identify as "millenials" can't even change a tire, much less do a valve adjustment. In fact, most self-identifying "Millenials" don't even own a car, they use a car service like Uber or public transit.

vwnate1 · #84 05-17-2018, 01:53 PM

Thanx .

My Son is 1,000 % independent and works his butt off for his middle class life, he's a very good Mechanic, typically the best at what ever shop he's in .

It's his choice to be incredibly impatient that gives me cause to wonder .

His Mother, who left us when he was 12 and he doesn't like much, was the same way .

Life goes on......

marco5 · #85 05-17-2018, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

The phrase "Millenial" should be used cautiously. The older generation lumps all of us 30-somethings into that group and in my area, that's likely to get you punched by the targeted individual (it is NOT a compliment).

The "Millenial" moniker typically applies to people who reached adulthood in the early 2000s, usually born 1981-1994ish. Unfortunately the generation has become known as lacking ambition and work ethic, so applying that name to someone who's a hard worker is essentially calling them "lazy" and "shiftless".

On the other hand, you have people who take the "Millenial" moniker as a compliment to mean that they're "enlightened" and "creative". Typically these people come from middle-upper class families and had a pretty easy life growing up and often have advanced college education.

You pretty well have one or the other, there's not much in between. Most people who identify as "millenials" can't even change a tire, much less do a valve adjustment. In fact, most self-identifying "Millenials" don't even own a car, they use a car service like Uber or public transit.

lol, Millennial just means born after 1981, it's a common misconception that millennial's have no car, are over entitled, over educated, rich, order uber, buy expensive coffee and are elitist. You're a millennial and so am I due to the years we were born, it does not mean we fall under that misconception of it.

"Millennials are the generational demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as ... WikipediaStart date: 1981"

I6dzl · #86 05-17-2018, 02:53 PM

$500 rusty 4spd 240D 17k miles and about a year ago. Swapped in a 2.88 diff and drive it in left lane highway traffic 70-80 miles a day on my commute. Averaging 30.2mpg.

I have put about $1800 into deferred maintenance over the last year on it so I can confidently turn the key and go and make it feel stable cruising on the highway. A lot of that was just tires, brakes, battery and fluids. All affordable aftermarket parts. Working needing done seems to be falling off now, which only leads me to find things to tinker with on it because of who I am.

I do all the work myself. And IMO, I spend too much time and money on it. However, I am a tinkerer and would be bored to death driving a Honda to work everyday.

I justify some of my spending telling myself when enough of this one returns to the earth that I will roll it out back and let it give to the next, southern, rust free example. We'll see if that happens or not.

I have an 06 Cummins I use to tow my trailer that at 17mpg is capable of stepping in to get me to work if needed. And it is not needed often, but is needed sometimes.

These are great cars. W123s are dirt simple to work on and OM616/7s are dead nuts reliable with basic maintenance.

I think about it a lot because I am clearly part of a fringe group who enjoy these cars and DDing one to the extent I do would not be reasonable without:

A second reliable vehicle
A garage full of tools
Patience to tinker
Willingness to have to unexpectedly lay on the ground under it

And even then... I'm still not sure it's reasonable. But I do it anyway

ah-kay · #87 05-17-2018, 03:14 PM

The notion of true costs of ownership in this forum is to keep these old well engineered cars on the road with reasonable costs, improvise if possible, to turn them into a reliable daily driver. Farming it out to shop with big bills are exception than the rule on diy forum. However, do whatever you like with your car and your money. It is a free world. I don't think anyone get upset or envy.

koooop · #88 05-17-2018, 03:44 PM

I don't wanna work on my own car anymore.

So there.

vwnate1 · #89 05-17-2018, 06:12 PM

Thanx all ! .

My Son is a Gen. X then it seems .

So far so good : no drugs, bastards, smoking, only got arrested that one time in Mexico for beating up a cop when he (my Son) was drunk, I'm confident he learned a good lesson that time .

He grew up riding in my various old vehicles, I prefer smaller cars and drove vintage VW's long before they were called that, his first car was a '63 # 117 VW Beetle, of course as soon as he blew the engine he built a *very* fast replacement one that handily beat out V8's .

I think back to my youth when I did all manner of foolish things, I don't know if to day's youths are better, worse or about the same .

Now, GET THE HELL OFFA MY LAWN DAMMIT !

.

Grand child # 2 is on the way

.

dkr · #90 05-17-2018, 06:22 PM

My 1984 300D is a daily driver. I've put 80K miles on it over the last 4 years. The only time it broke down on me is after I put a rebuilt starter motor on it. The rebuilt starter motor was at fault.

My budget is $1000 - 2000 per year and for some tasks I do take it to a mechanic.

These were daily drivers many years ago and if you have one that has been cared for, it will be a reliable car.

Most of the things I have dealt with are auxiliary to driving the car. I just did upper control arms and replaced my cracked rear-view mirror. It has been a bunch of little stuff. My other cars have all cost more money to own. I would be very concerned to daily drive and put big bucks into it due to insurance. My car looks very nice, but it is not perfect and if it got totaled, it has been a very cheap car.

Dkr.