Luckily, we don't have too many diesel freaks here on THIS forum ...exceptMr. OM60X himselfGSXR....
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190E or W124 driver for my 16 year old son
- Thread starter oaklandw124
- Start date
240Ds, aye. Remember, he started out with VW Dasher Diesels back in the day, so the 240D was a HUGE step up.
Yoink accepted, BTW. Thank you Sir.
Yeah, she's no looker. Great personality, though...
Easy: You call Ron's wife, Joanna, and tell her that you're willing to get rid of that pesky Imperial Red E320 wagon with 500E engine which has been cluttering up their garage. (Details on the conversion are in a forum thread from a few years ago.)
I'm sensing a theme here. Sadly, it will be another 5 years before we can import a proper W210 wagon like this one, or this other one.
Based on Klink and Jono's recommendation, I have acquired a 2001 W210 wagon for the kids.
Looks like it rolled off the showroom floor and out drives any car I have on the highway.
Would never have thought they drove so well.
The M112 and electronic tranny are great.
This car was purchased to keep all driving kids away from the rest of the fleet.
They are very happy!
Looks like it rolled off the showroom floor and out drives any car I have on the highway.
Would never have thought they drove so well.
The M112 and electronic tranny are great.
This car was purchased to keep all driving kids away from the rest of the fleet.
They are very happy!
Did some online car shopping with my son today. Unless I can talk him into a wagon like Trae did to his kids, I am hunting for a 2000 to 2002 e430. Son wants a black on black and begging for cool wheels to get the grandpa mobile vibe out of the thing. He found the attached image as a guide
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I have an E55 AMG that kind of looks like that. I bought it for my brother while he was staying with me last year. He's going back to England so the car is sitting in my storage gathering dust.
It's a little rough cosmetically but runs very well. For some deranged reason, it feels like it has 50hp more than my 02 E55 (possibly because I have a new fan clutch).
He knows nothing about cars so I spent a pile of money addressing maintenance items before I gave to him. It's the one in the middle.
It's a little rough cosmetically but runs very well. For some deranged reason, it feels like it has 50hp more than my 02 E55 (possibly because I have a new fan clutch).
He knows nothing about cars so I spent a pile of money addressing maintenance items before I gave to him. It's the one in the middle.
Well, we live in a demographic that does not have the normal pressures of big city life.
None of my six kids have friends that have been "given" cars to drive, so they are thrilled to have any car I provide.
Their only responsibility is gas and insurance when they get a job.
In contrast, most of their friends have beaters that they had to buy with their hard earned money.
None of my six kids have friends that have been "given" cars to drive, so they are thrilled to have any car I provide.
Their only responsibility is gas and insurance when they get a job.
In contrast, most of their friends have beaters that they had to buy with their hard earned money.
Found a black on black E430 with <100k miles. Arizona car. Found a local shop that could help do a PPI (MB Motors). Owner is willing to help with PPI arrangment. Then I got VIN from owner and Carfax shows this is NOT really an Arizona car. Urgh. The car from 2000 to 2011 was in NY, DE, and PA. Hit Illinois in 2011 and then finally in Arizona in 2013. Based upon noted rust issues on these car I probably need to pass. Owner is sending pictures of underside of car. Higher 140k miles cars with all California history are available as well. Low mileage got me excited about this one.
This W210 buyer's guide is decent:
http://artisanexcite.blogspot.com/2015/07/what-to-look-for-when-buying-1996-2002.html
This W210 buyer's guide is decent:
http://artisanexcite.blogspot.com/2015/07/what-to-look-for-when-buying-1996-2002.html
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Later facelift W210's are not as susceptible as the earlier cars. My first W210, a 97 E420 spent its first 5 years in Chicago before I bought it. I've only lived in Dallas and Atlanta and it had some rust on the fenders and the rocker panel by the time it was 10 years old.
I'd rather have a high-mile car that's been well maintained, than anything that spent many years in the rust belt. There's a faint possibility it was not driven in winter on salted roads, and if so, it could still be a good car. Definitely need a thorough PPI. Given the intended use (new driver) and that you probably don't expect to add 100-150kmi to the odo during your ownership, I'm not sure it would be worth paying a premium for a low-mile car, especially from out of state which may add another ~$1k in open transport cost.
That is a very good writeup - I hadn't seen it before, thanks for sharing! Only part I disagree with is the author saying he prefers working on the 210 over the 124 though.
Phoenix car I would have to fly in, look over car personally after PPI checked out okay ($110), and then drive home (11 hours). I just got more pictures of the car but none of the undercarriage that I asked for. I just don't think its worth to pursue anymore in light of some other cars much closer to me, documented west coast cars, with higher mileage, but look good in pictures. I won't be able to put eyes on these other candidates until later next week.
I was in Chicago for a few days and on a lark typed in Mercedes E430 into the local Craigslist. Up pops this ad for a 37k mile car
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/d/mercedes-benz/6220082057.html
Its usually helpful to include the interior and exterior color, and a photo to help sell the car... Anyway, I emailed the seller and I did get some photos back and carfax screenshot without the VIN, urgh, with verified mileage but sure enough as a midwest car it has body rust (and a color my kid is not interested in). Interesting sellers out there.
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/d/mercedes-benz/6220082057.html
Its usually helpful to include the interior and exterior color, and a photo to help sell the car... Anyway, I emailed the seller and I did get some photos back and carfax screenshot without the VIN, urgh, with verified mileage but sure enough as a midwest car it has body rust (and a color my kid is not interested in). Interesting sellers out there.
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My first post in this thread was a bit over a year ago and now its getting serious. Looking at some 2001 W210 E430 this weekend as my son is happy with the idea of making a car that looks like Captruff's award winning E60 from Legends of the Autobahn. However, there are still some wildcards in the mix.
After practice driving with my son on vacation in Chicago this summer, in an empty office park, I was stunned by the complete lack of skill new drivers have. To be fair this was his very first 1st 1/2 hour of real wheel time. He improved so dramatically every minute of practice but boy did it scare the crap out of me. I have a long road to climb to make him a good driver. My immediate thought in the car with my son is I am going to get him the slowest thing I find.
I present to you the slowest thing I could find. This glorious 4 banger 190E is practically in my backyard. I could drive home this Mercedes mechanic refurbished repainted special in minutes ( Earl Scheib special no doubt). I think this is so ugly its cool and my wife and son are freaked out by my threatening to buy this thing. So I am enjoying extolling the virtues of this Baby Benz Beater-mobile to them. 165k miles, $2850 asking
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/baby-benz-190e-blacked-out/6260346763.html
Number two is this sensible purchase of a 2009 Mercedes C300 with 80k miles with an $11.5k asking price. I know jack sh*t about this kinda of car but its the kind of thing you buy, toss the keys to your kid, and you are done. This is what my wife wants me to do as its modern, safe, and perceived to be issue free. She has visions of her little baby boy on the side of the road, broken down, on anything older than 10 years ago. Mamas gotta protect their babies, I get it.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/d/2009-mercedes-c300-low-mileage/6250343405.html
Behind door number three is a 2nd generation W210, big car, modern safety, not hard on the wallet, and hopefully easy to maintain. However, I want to follow Socal210's Fake55 inspiration and make it a blacked out cruiser that my kid thinks is the coolest thing. I have my eye on a local car with 110k miles and one in Arizona with 77k miles (thank you to fellow board member gmwind - aka Bill - for helping me take a look.). Arizona car is an 11 hour drive home or $900 Intercity relocation tax. Over the next three months, the plan is to have kid mechanically refurbish car with me so he feels like crap if he smashes it up because of the hours of work put into changing brakes, fluids, filters, spark plugs, trans filter, etc. I have to force him into the garage with me to get his car in proper working order and so he can learn about car maintenance basics. He will probably be upset with me for taking away his precious video game playing weekend time so he learns how to bleed brakes but hopefully I will get a thanks from him later in life.
After practice driving with my son on vacation in Chicago this summer, in an empty office park, I was stunned by the complete lack of skill new drivers have. To be fair this was his very first 1st 1/2 hour of real wheel time. He improved so dramatically every minute of practice but boy did it scare the crap out of me. I have a long road to climb to make him a good driver. My immediate thought in the car with my son is I am going to get him the slowest thing I find.
I present to you the slowest thing I could find. This glorious 4 banger 190E is practically in my backyard. I could drive home this Mercedes mechanic refurbished repainted special in minutes ( Earl Scheib special no doubt). I think this is so ugly its cool and my wife and son are freaked out by my threatening to buy this thing. So I am enjoying extolling the virtues of this Baby Benz Beater-mobile to them. 165k miles, $2850 asking
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/baby-benz-190e-blacked-out/6260346763.html
Number two is this sensible purchase of a 2009 Mercedes C300 with 80k miles with an $11.5k asking price. I know jack sh*t about this kinda of car but its the kind of thing you buy, toss the keys to your kid, and you are done. This is what my wife wants me to do as its modern, safe, and perceived to be issue free. She has visions of her little baby boy on the side of the road, broken down, on anything older than 10 years ago. Mamas gotta protect their babies, I get it.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/d/2009-mercedes-c300-low-mileage/6250343405.html
Behind door number three is a 2nd generation W210, big car, modern safety, not hard on the wallet, and hopefully easy to maintain. However, I want to follow Socal210's Fake55 inspiration and make it a blacked out cruiser that my kid thinks is the coolest thing. I have my eye on a local car with 110k miles and one in Arizona with 77k miles (thank you to fellow board member gmwind - aka Bill - for helping me take a look.). Arizona car is an 11 hour drive home or $900 Intercity relocation tax. Over the next three months, the plan is to have kid mechanically refurbish car with me so he feels like crap if he smashes it up because of the hours of work put into changing brakes, fluids, filters, spark plugs, trans filter, etc. I have to force him into the garage with me to get his car in proper working order and so he can learn about car maintenance basics. He will probably be upset with me for taking away his precious video game playing weekend time so he learns how to bleed brakes but hopefully I will get a thanks from him later in life.
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I don't know how slow a 190E is supposed to be but a friend of mine had one when I was 17. It was a Euro car with the 2.0 four cylinder engine that we never got. As we had it to 120mph, I would not call it slow. With the extra gear, the E430 should give your 500E a run.
My $0.02: Get the 190E for now. Tell him if he can drive it for 1 full year with no accidents and tickets, you'll look for a W210 to make look all badass like Jeff's. Don't fall into the trap of thinking the AZ car is one of a kind that won't be found again... a year from now, you'll be able to find another nice W210.
Nice time of year for the drive home, with plenty of opportunity for bonding...
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/pristinekmile-mercedes-190e/6248559806.html
Will he appreciate it? Does he deserve it?
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/pristinekmile-mercedes-190e/6248559806.html
Will he appreciate it? Does he deserve it?
Alright folks my craigslist nightmare is over dealing with clowns. My son and I now have a project car to turn into a fake AMG.
Yesterday a 2000 MB E430 popped up 15 minutes from my work.
gen 2, facelift w210 - check
black on black - check
carfax - check
Car drove great, no vibrations clunks or weird sounds
A/C worked
Neglected interior, filthy inside, only small tear in drivers seat
straight body, some door dings, scratches, and paint stone chips that need attention
cracked windshield - urgh
car has great bones however so I bought it for $3k leaving plenty of budget left over to fix cosmetics
I will start a separate thread on this project car in the Off Topic discussion section. Thanks to everyone for their feedback.
Yesterday a 2000 MB E430 popped up 15 minutes from my work.
gen 2, facelift w210 - check
black on black - check
carfax - check
shows regular MB stealership service throughout its life
verified 117k miles with no damage or accident reports
Sold via local Goodwill from donation customer at already great asking price verified 117k miles with no damage or accident reports
Car drove great, no vibrations clunks or weird sounds
A/C worked
Neglected interior, filthy inside, only small tear in drivers seat
straight body, some door dings, scratches, and paint stone chips that need attention
cracked windshield - urgh
car has great bones however so I bought it for $3k leaving plenty of budget left over to fix cosmetics
I will start a separate thread on this project car in the Off Topic discussion section. Thanks to everyone for their feedback.
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