Are low mileage cars really worth the money?

This video is about Are low mileage cars really worth the money?
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[@supercman882]

Great analysis. I was fortunate to find that “special “ car, a w123 diesel from the original owner. It really is a great story because I fell in love with it when I first saw it in 2002. It had 16+ thousand miles. I asked the doctor who owned it to please reach out to me if he ever decided to sell it. Well last year out of the clear blue, he called me and offered to sell it to me for a great price. It now has 21k on the odometer and drives like brand new. Before he sold it to me, he wanted to make sure it was fully serviced at the Mercedes dealership including new brakes, tires, fluids and Mercedes battery etc. Runs like a dream. I have a video of it on my KZbin.

[@gravytrain416]

Gonna watch your video here shortly. Your handle, that wouldn't mean a Farmall Super C by chance would it?

[@tomburke1687]

EXCELLENT REVIEW PIERRE-------I bought my CLK convertible 4 years ago with 38,000 miles and have not had one repair. It was NOT sitting for many years but instead driven weekly by the owner. Wonderful car !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I got lucky.

[@chuckfinley3542]

The person who gave this video a thumbs down deserves to overpay for a long-parked and neglected Benz.

[@dopemanjace]

True

[@yahyamoustafa804]

Very true

[@doe8939]

I have an 87 w201 that sat twenty years. It had a ton of minor issues and took about 1 year to get it to the point where I could daily drive it. But it’s just weekend car at the moment. It cost me a little over 2500 between doing repairs myself and going to a shop for more advanced jobs

[@deancooledge7895]

There’s a makeshift auto repair “shop” in the Lowes parking lot In Millsboro Delaware. I don’t know if they have a license, or even permission, but there’s a line of customers and they’re living the American dream

[@sirnik84]

I have a few Benz, most from the pre 95 era, but about 4 years ago I bought a w203 2005 c230 sport with a 6 speed manual. I bought it from a friend who is also into old Benz. It was his commuter. It had 175k on the clock. Another friend of mine drove it and loved it. He found another 6 speed car on Craigslist, 120k and for half the price I paid. His car being a Craigslist car not enthusiast owned has had more problems then my car. I've got 220k on my car now with next to no issues. I think mileage is irrelevant if its had proper maintenance.

[@hartonosugih9083]

Yep totally agree

[@dieselbenzrevive6820]

when i see a potential new buy, all I care about is Price, Rust,Diesel and is it missing any pieces. everything else can be repaired, Thanks For the epic content.

[@dieselbenzrevive6820]

@Buck The Banjo Player that's what i paid for a rust-free w115 blown engine best money i ever spent!

[@TheCardio7]

Great video . Love your frank comments 😊

[@richardlazarski4553]

Well said. A low mileage car, driven regularly to proper temp on even a monthly basis would only add 600 to 800 miles annually. If maintenance were well documented, then of course there's a car worth looking at. Something that ran when parked in 2007 is going to be a basket case for gas. For a diesel you might get luckier with the fuel system (sorry but oily fuel helps) but all the rest of the systems will still need to be touched. All I can say is to make a THOROUGH inspection and do your research on what to look for. I have a W126 350 SDL that I bought 18 months ago that needed sorting but I knew what i was getting into from the start. Based on the condition of the car overall and the price, I knew the math made sense. The difficulty is that people get burned to a crisp thinking low mileage is the key to perfection, it's not. There are many factors that go into a purchase, mileage is just one.

[@charlesrockwell3923]

Nothing is cheaper than buying a fully sorted car.

[@MrRedcelica]

i got a 190e 2.3 (rare in australia) 1 owner 30yrs with 66000 kms and what youve said ive done so far, flushed the coolant, all oils changed, detailed and it needs some paintwork, from some flop cutting grass near the car and getting rock chips tossed all over one side, plus a new exhaust and some suspension work, but im doing most myself and i love resurecting a car back from the brink of becoming a POS!! interior is good though, the car was sitting under a tree just collecting leaves and making a nice house for all kinds of bugs.

[@renerenteria1]

i got a lucky find, with my w201 60,000 miles with a lot of maintenance, i love my w201 2.3 1986

[@tymwalt]

When I bought my 1977 450SL at 50k’ish a few years back, work was already done to get it driving again prior to my purchase. Picked her up for $5000. I would say all the stuff Pierre mentioned about cooling, brakes, water pump, top (which someone cut my newly installed one) plus other items and I’m into it for about $10k total over the course of say 4 - 5 years?! Thankfully the crew at Star Garage, Margate & Mike in particular are passionate car guys and did their best to keep costs low. I’m saving money for a few things, another top & bodywork. Steering is as good as Mike said he could get without spending crazy $ on rebuilding the steering. Guess my point is Pierre is dead on with this assessment. Case in point, also got a 2000 E55 AMG got it with 150k miles now has 192k & same thing, paid $5000 and put about $6000 into it over the course of a few years. Still needs interior work but otherwise it’s a stellar ride and quite fast!

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

My w126 300 se has 55k miles . It was used sparingly every few days through its life . When I bought my r129 it has 37k miles I now have 81k after 15 years of ownership. I never plan to sell either so it’s all academic.

[@matthewvasquez9278]

Yeah in December 2019 I bought my 84 380sl which had a broken odometer at 154k miles, I first replaced the fuel pump and filter with a new set of hoses to the gas tank, drove it for a while with rich idle, replaced muffler, fixed rich idle by replacing the idle speed control unit, my driver upper chain guide snapped and got logged between the chain which resulted in a loud grinding noise and low power at acceleration, so far I’ve decided to just rebuild the engine, You can’t believe what some people don’t replace on these cars, luckily I got mine for 2000 but, if it was any higher I’d be skeptical on a 5000 gas Mercedes

[@mdough7766]

I wish I had known Pierre before I bought my car. It actually has been fun getting it sorted. (Thank you, Pierre.) But it took longer (working with mechanics who did not know what they were doing) and cost more than it should. That said, I’m glad I’ve got a nice driver that should provide years of enjoyment - and it still cost less than a new Camry!

[@S500L]

Is so peculiar how you always almost make certain to avoid mentioning the W140. Well, I have a 1998 - CL 500 with 22,000 original miles. Bought it with 6,000 miles in 2004 and it is an absolute dream. I have a 1996 - S 500 L as a daily driver with 75,000 miles on it. Also in great shape as the coupe! The W140s to me are great classic Mercedes cars which (certainly in Europe) are appreciating in value considerably if they are well kept and maintained.

[@xmaxbabilo]

i just bought a s320L 98. 55k and full service.I thought it was the "tank". i still love it and will drive it till the day i drop. enjoy your cars in the best of health.

[@rgcwow]

What about my1983 500 SEC (grey mkt.), 56k miles, same owner since 1984, new AC, almost flawless body, rare like new mother of pearl paint, always garaged, perfect cloth interior, many rubber parts replaced, new heat shield, Everything works great. Burns no oil. very slight tranny leak, Needs new wheels & tires. Question is to keep, and add new tires and wheels, or sell. How much?

[@AppleJack1997]

Reminds me of my dirt cheap 58k mile 450SLC. Nothing was touched under the hood. How can I tell? It's a '76 and any plastic or rubber cracks when I touch it. Heck, I don't think the air filter housing had ever been off the engine before I got to it.

[@AppleJack1997]

@Buck The Banjo Player Mine spent its life on Long Island. No rust except for a tiny spot on the hood. Astral silver dealt with the sweltering NY sun quite well.

[@AppleJack1997]

@Buck The Banjo Player I find that lighter colors deal with the sun pretty well, but it is very possible it was garaged for at least some of its life. Although the dashboard would not support this claim.

[@AppleJack1997]

@Buck The Banjo Player I hear Abq is nice from Breaking Bad crew friends. My collection is mostly New England barn/yard finds.

[@pliodos]

i loved this video. i love the older Mercedes. i live in Pittsburgh and i am looking for a classic mercedes. Any suggestions where to look besides the car websites. Pierre do you know of any good mechanic you can suggest? Thank you Peter

[@airkingflyer3515]

Awesome Advice Pierre

[@christopher6161]

Just bought a low mileage 185,000 mile 1998 E300 turbodiesel yesterday lol

[@thisisnightshop2037]

congrats!

[@alexandrebeinotti3359]

I just bouth a W126 300SE 1990 this week. To much work to do in it, but...

[@thisisnightshop2037]

congratulations!

[@peterjanvanbijnen226]

in my humble opinion good maintance is everything if an car is standing for a long time you have to check en do evrithing the diesels are much better engine wise than the gas cars.

[@thisisnightshop2037]

yes they are

[@michaelharrison500]

Great video Pierre My W126 300SE is the other end of the scale big miles but similar problems Had sat with little use so need brakes Also had a bad driveline vibration that ended up being a badly worn tailshaft flange in the transmission allowing the flex disc to move But the one issue that had me shaking my head was the badly leaking low level oil sensor Why they didn’t spend very little money to fix Only cost me around $50 Aussie to get and 10 minutes to fit

[@thisisnightshop2037]

the oil level sender is one of the cheapest repairs you can make too

[@xmaxbabilo]

just bought a 55k 98 ,s320L w140 (full service or so they claim). gona get all fluids changed and new tyres and wheel alingment. hopefully it lasts. love your channel man and kinda bumed that you think the w140 are shite :( . still keep up the amazing work

[@mercedesclassicswithpierre1753]

You’ll find out why I Love the 140 so much

[@xmaxbabilo]

@@mercedesclassicswithpierre1753 cmon man. dont jinx it . you cant help who you love :( . still love your channel and your non B.S approach.

[@trevorross7405]

I have a 1991 300sl r129 with an oil pressure problem with either the wire connection to gauge, a break in wiring or a bad gauge. My gauge reads 0. I disconnected the wire plug from the pressure switch. I jumped out the connection with I amp fuse and gauge remained at 0. How do I check the wire to gauge for continuity? And finally how to check the gauge to see if it is good or bad?

[@armandschattle2951]

Great video. Thank you for all your help. On a side note Texas is the BBQ capital of the nation.

[@thisisnightshop2037]

yeah...i guess it is....

[@cwmoser]

My 1983 380SL that I purchased new in August 1983 now only has 46K miles on her. Always garaged and I bet its only been rained on less than the fingers I have on my left hand. Always maintained and continually in running condition over its entire 37 years. 1983 380SLs get dissed because of the cursed single row timing chain. I had mine converted by an old mechanic at a Mercedes dealership when it had 39K miles - had to pull the Engine and did a major reconstruction on the front of the Engine. So my 380SL now only has 46K miles and has always been in top running condition and everything works. Don't know what its worth but I would suspect its the kind of low mileage car folks should go for. THEN AGAIN, I also purchased another SL 7 years ago - a 1986 560SL with 185K miles on it. It has the "right things wrong". The good was new paint, new interior, new soft top, new tires, and it ran fairly well. Car Fax showed that it was driven continually most of its life. The right things wrong was hood latch broken, trunk latch broken, AC not working, no Master Key, no floor mats for its new carpet, no windshield washer hoses, missing rubber on hood springs, no charcoal canister, radio speakers shot, antenna motor broken, worn steering wheel, headlight burned out, ... in other words a lot of little stuff most any DIYer can handle. The big thing left to address is a "thump" when shifting gears - trans or rear axle work needed. But, its a high mileage car, still otherwise runs great, and I read that its a common issue with high mileage Mercedes. OF THE TWO, I kinda like the 560SL because I like to tinker. Not a whole lot to do with my 380SL. So, soul search your disposition - are you more into driving just your SL, or are you more into tinkering with it?

[@thisisnightshop2037]

good question. I hate tinkering. i like the finished product.

[@goofyinestherville]

What about a pretty clean 1989 w124 120k 260E ?

[@hartonosugih9083]

So agree!

[@mahmoudshojai431]

I am in the market for a W126. This is great info. Thanks.

[@daggermtb]

Where are you located? I've got two SELs that need work, but are not bad cars.

[@mahmoudshojai431]

@@daggermtb Pacific NW

[@daggermtb]

@@mahmoudshojai431 Eastern PA unfortunately.

[@conorneupert5381]

@@mahmoudshojai431 they seem to be everywhere over here. Let me know what you're looking for and I might be able to help you.

[@mahmoudshojai431]

@@conorneupert5381 Thanks. What part of the country are you. Any w126 diesel that you know of?

[@w1zard0f0z]

>500000km S123 240TD with poor maintenance history, but 500€ to acquire, 2000€ for repairs to pass MOT, another 1500€ five years later, more work ahead, but still reasonable for a rolling restoration whilst achieving 20 to 25000km on the road a year... With fairly high mileage 123 series diesels, that the bodywork isn't too crusty is more important if you or one of your friends are not running a car-body workshop...

[@shaunhicks85]

Amen...i agree

[@Johnathan_Waters]

I had a low mileage (57.000 miles) 1973 450SL brought to me to get running again (by the original owner) after it had sat since about 1999 (over 20 years at that point). The car was clean, but needed just about everything including a new fuel tank. After going through the drivetrain, the electrical, replacing just about every hose, belt, gasket, etc...the real stumbling block was the fuel system. As far as I can tell, new fuel tanks for these cars are NOT available anymore....like from anywhere. SO, I tried a used one that was said to be OK, but ended up being just about as bad as the original. After this happened, the owner decided that they were DONE spending money on it, and let it sit with me for over a year. They then turned around and sued me on the grounds that the car "should" have been fully sorted by now. Due to many reasons, including wildly inept and car-stupid court officials, even after physically driving this formerly non-running vehicle back to it's owners home and delivering it to them RUNNING, I am still dealing with this lawsuit, and it is ongoing. Be careful people! There are some REALLY shitty and greedy people out there.

[@thisisnightshop2037]

what a PITA. hope this guy falls in the san andreas fault

[@topfell8277]

Yes then fix them right they sit got to fix them right use good parts

[@pennfootball71]

depends! I would rather have a rebuilt motor that's over 100k then a garage queen that sat there for 20 years with 1 mile on it where it needs 10k to change everything and all the seals

[@homeboy144]

why did you remove the old music :(

[@silverstarrestorations1633]

Great video . But my heart will never flutter for a 123 diesel taxi cab with 100 K . Than again my dad taught me there is a ass born for every seat . . And the only good car is the one with a temp tag pulling out off this parking lot

[@thisisnightshop2037]

Pete, if your heart starts fluttering you may want to call a doctor.

[@skipparker3182]

Pierre, you didn’t mention a constant source of frustration with the classics: “unobtainium” parts!

[@thisisnightshop2037]

there's always a solution skip

[@skipparker3182]

Pierre Hedary, what’s your solution for a CA 123 a/c manifold hose? even the M-B Classics Center despairs!

[@keithfox2995]

truth!!

[@slasher9883]

My rule is that it is always better to buy a car that needs mechanical restoration than one that needs body, paint & trim restoration. Costs much more to do a body/interior restoration on a car than mechanical restoration, both time and money. Now if the car needs all these things, and you can't do the work yourself, heaven help you, that's when it is better to pay extra for a car that has already been restored or sorted and safe yourself the grief.

[@myredute]

Stop considering low mileage Mercs & start looking at overall condition,especially the interior, because interiors cost heaps to fix up. I bought a '94 W124 E280 with 474,000 kays on the clock with fabulous logbooks & 1 owner. I defy anyone to come & tell me it hasn't just rolled off the showroom floor. WTB.......it's not a damn diesel & that's why it's so clean!

[@thisisnightshop2037]

right- overall condition is most important

[@nosoupforyou425]

I win !

[@crusant4739]

Pos 190e 2.3-16 wont get past 2k rpm

[@thisisnightshop2037]

bad eha.

[@philreynolds6018]

The wrong mechanic , body shop and upholstery shop can butcher a car , Too many hands !

[@zaszz]

>american belts are rape ok chill Pierre lol

[@ghgjftythnhcfghdty]

Does he need a pee?