Long-time TTAC and RG commenter “Nate” sends this one to us with the caption: “Maybe I should say having fun in spite of covid-19 . This is a fully optioned Euro spec. 300TD I was lucky to stumble across a few years back.” These cars are no longer cheap — driver-quality ones bring $15-20k on BaT, with the really nice ones cracking $30k and up — so the next time Nate chides me about being a conspicuous consumer I’m going to chide him right back. Still, you have to respect the hustle of a fellow who nearly gets killed on a Ural and promptly gets back on the bike while still making time for kids who need help.
Speaking of Benz value… looks like the same thirty grand which puts you in a 300TD will also put you in a nice 2016 E350 wagon. Here’s one down the street from me. Real talk time: which one would you pick? The old soldier or the new sleekster?
I’d take the 300TD all day long, because I don’t have room for a classic/interesting car AND a practical daily driver, and a truly nice 300TD would check both boxes.
As an aside, how do we send you interesting things and/or “Ask Jack” type stuff?
jack
at
baruth
net
That’s a sweet ride. I’m honestly not sure which one I’d pick if forced to choose.
Obviously the new one has some serious performance and other advantages, but those indestructible old diesels…
Either MB works for me. Station wagons never really went out of style here in Fairfield County anyway.
Glad to see Nate is doing well. Stay healthy!
Same with Hingham, Massachusetts, a tony suburb on the the South Shore of Boston, next town over from Marshfield where the Aerosmith boys all have oceanfront estates. I worked at the Apple Store in the Shoppes at Derby Street (no kidding, that was the name of the mall!) from 2010 to 2015 and wagons were considered highly fashionable by the locals in their Sperry Topsiders and Chemise Lacoste. There were Mercedes-Benz wagons and a sprinkling of BMW “Tourings,” of course, but it seemed like every third Audi was an Avant. The reason I took note of the Audi in particular was that at some point during that time Audi announced that it would no longer import any wagons except the jumped-up quasi-SUV version because they didn’t sell. Couldn’t have proved that by the well-heeled denizens of the the South Shore!
I like that Euro style on one side only rear fog lamp. One of these was John Lennon’s last car. Unfortunately he didn’t paint it up flower power style like his Rolls.
As the owner of an upscale modern wagon, I don’t like that Mercedes having lost over half of it’s value after only four years and 50k. It was toward the end of that style so maybe the first owner got it discounted, I was hearing $8,000 off at the end here locally and you got the last of the inline sixes uncomplicated by twin turbos.
Congratulations on what you are doing for those kids Nate, this is America we all deserve at least a chance to pursue the sometimes elusive happiness.
Nate if I could ask, what kind of mileage does it get and how many miles have you got on the 300TD?
There’s a similar vintage 300TD sedan in my neighborhood with a honking, not quite Evo sized, aftermarket intercooler peeking out from under the bumper like so much underboob.
“Like so much underboob…”
Thank you for almost making me snort coffee out my nose. 🙂
Nate, love you buddy, but you should trade in that diesel Merc for a nice 2016 E Wagon. 🙂
I don’t suppose your insurance company would declare both cars to be equal in value, eh? Maybe you can ask a friend at Hagerty to hook a brother up.
I have enjoyed Nate’s posts over several websites and the years. He seems like a good man, trying to do his best for all of those around him. You can’t ask for anything more.
As for the Benz question? I don’t know. The newer one has all of the amenities and such; the old one is an anvil. The utility of the wagon body is about the only common denominator between them, not excluding the brand name. My cousin had the TD version of the sedan back in the 70’s-80’s, once it got rolling, it did just fine on the Autobahn.
I may change my mind in 10 minutes, but I think I’d go for the elder one.
With stuff that was well sorted a while ago, like a gun or an amplifier, I would be inclined to go with older, higher quality. With cars though the safety equipment of a modern vehicle is light years ahead of the older stuff, even if the car itself is disposable.
My wife’s year old [2018] V60 T5 was only $28k, and I’d sure rather have that than even a pristine 300TD. Even the ’87 W124 body.
Because 143HP/267lb-ft in that thing, while not Super Slow, is not fast, nor quiet. And at 33 years old for the newest 300TD, well, everything is worn and old - even if it’s low-mile.
(I owned and drove a W115 diesel for over a decade. I get the love for old diesel Mercs. I drive an XC70 T6 as my daily, so I get the love for wagons [and fast ones!]
But $30k for a 300TD is … nicht so preiswert, na ja?)
(I mean, more power to anyone who really loves one that much?
But … generally speaking, noooo.)
I like wagons, just finished rebuilding a 2005 Dodge Magnum RT that lost a connecting rod. The kids love it, but when I told them about cars that had rear facing seats in the 3rd row, they are insisting that should be the next Dadwagon. The wife has a CLK320, and I must say it has been cheaper to repair, cheaper to insure, and cheaper to run than any other car we’ve ever had, so I would probably go with a E350. Most 300TDs around here are rusted out, been hacked to run homemade biodiesel, or decked out to look like a safari rigs.
Looks like you are raising them right though Nate!
Oh shit ! .
I thought Jack was going to insert one little photo in the other thread…..
Oops .
Anyways, I know no one who has $30,000.00 lying around, I certainly didn’t .
I paid scrap value for this car @ $1,800, the rich folks I bought it from in Montecito (a fabulously wealthy suburb of Santa Barbara, Ca.) were the second owners and the wife had run it into a ditch & bent the right front fender, some guys in my Mercedes Club knew I was looking for a cheap wagon for my Sweet to haul the boys ’round in and hipped me to it ~ I drove up there with tools and fixed it well enough to drive home then set to work .
It only has 134,000 Kilometers on it, it was purchased new by a rich German shop owner when he went to Germany in 1984 on his annual vacation ~ typically Europeans don’t have dealers full of cars, they have a few to look at then order what you want and three months later they call when it arrives, custom ordered .
This one was in the front display window as he passed by and he just *had* to have it, being rich has it’s benefits .
He imported it brandy new so not a spec. of rust anywhere, ever in spite if it’s entire life being spent not far from the ocean .
When he tired of it he more or less gave it to the second owners, they had a really nice little girl who loved to ride in the way back as children in general are wont .
After the crash the second owners left it parked underneath a tree until they heard I was interested, then they dragged it out and used _COMET_ powdered cleaner to scrape the tree spa off, of course they scraped off the original Glassurit paint too…..
SIGH .
So, I hunted up a left over N.O.S. R.F. fender from a guy who was leaving the state and so gave it to me for $100 (list price about $2,000.00) and I had a guy install the fender and re spray the entire car in the correct singe stage beige color for $4,500 ~ that took me about two & 1/2 years to pay off .
The upholstery is still very nice, I spent a long time scrubbing it with Meguiar’s #40 Leather / Plastic cleaner, the original 6 band AM/FM/short wave etc. radio still plays well, I recently bought a new pair up original Becker speakers for the way back, I popped a few $ more for the dual cone ones, I like clear music .
The 3 liter OM617 engine has a KKK brand turbocharger, this one is slightly smaller than the Garrett T3 turbos most U.S.A. cars came with, because it’s smaller it spools up much faster making this big, heavy station wagon a rocket, faster off the line than my Mercedes Diesel Sports Coupe in fact .
It has a four speed automatic tranny and ABS, not too shabby for 1984 .
Sadly no matter how I drive it I only get 24 / 25 MPG city and highway .
It was federalized, I’ve removed the E.G.R. valves & components and hunted up some original non E.G.R. intake & exhaust manifolds, one of these dayze I’ll get a roundtuit and install them .
European headlights too .
I recently replaced the original DELCO R4 AC compressor with a vastly better SANDEN 7 series one (Japanese made) and a larger, parallel flow AC condenser, I think there’s a bad O-Ring in there because it’s not running the compressor right now, I need to look at that .
It’s a fun car, kinda big to my taste and WAY too heavy but it handles pretty well and surprises many in the twisty bits .
I’d not have a newer one as mentioned, not for free ~ IMO, _ALL German cars are money pits and should be avoided .
Yes, I’m a German car Mechanic but if I couldn’t pick them up for scrap value I’d never be able to afford one .
The MOST EXPEN$IVE car you will ever own, is a ‘cheap’ Mercedes .
I don’t actually like this car very much, I’m always worried about scratching / denting / breaking it, I bought and built it for S.W.M.B.O. and the *instant* she no longer wants it, buh~by .
First I found her a really cool 1959 Rambler Cross Country ‘Westerner’ 7 passenger wagon also fully optioned (AC, over drive, roof rack, radio, etc.) in three tone pink & white paint, for some odd reason she demurred .
These two boys are pretty good, the big one came from a horrific background .
I had a lot of help growing up, I left my home at age 8 YO and never looked back , these boys deserve at least as much help as I got .
I hope they’ll never be incarcerated as I was, it’s not much fun unlike the movies .
Don’t be too impressed guys ~ there are millions of citizens in the U.S. of A. so I know many others had far worse than I did growing up .
I don’t make a dime off the Foster boys, my Sweet was doing that when I met & courted her .
I just know what it’s like to be an unhappy, frightened kid .
-Nate
Nate, there used to be a nice one of these in Davenport, nonmetallic navy blue with navy blue leather and the Bundt alloys. I have pics somewhere. Another one I should write up!
It’s not an option, but I had to pick a Mercedes I would get the 2010-2016 E550. Best looking in recent years, reasonably reliable, not a Toyota but also not a BMW, naturally aspirated V8, no shitty turbos, Might go for E350 for extra reliability and less gadgets.