'84 300D restore is done! Why did the CAR WIZARD go over budget?

The CAR WIZARD 🧙‍♂️ finishes the restore of the 1984 Mercedes 300D. Find out why the project went over the customer's original budget.
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[@Everton4109]

my dad is on his 8th W123... 5 sedans, 1 wagon and 2 coupes... the only car he's ever driven since 1978... besides keeping a work truck around the house ... all have gone over 500k miles. The best car ever!

[@ammarokla7217]

Simple answer: because this beauty deserves it!

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

$5k seems very reasonable for all you put into that Merc. I also feel it was worth it because it is such a good and solid car. I would have also not had someone restore the interior as I usually do that work myself.

[@Aaronhouston33]

I was thinking maybe the voltage regulator could of fixed the old alternator

[@autonewstv86]

*Simple answer: because this beauty deserves it!* 💗

[@jonss1948]

I've spent AU $7000.00 so far on my 105 series Land Cruiser. As a daily drive its very good even though it's 14 years old. Trouble is; to get it to where I want it I've gotta spend around AU $3000.00 more. Seems the more I spend, the deeper my love for her becomes.

[@pbgd3]

Problem with these w123 is the thing probably was running and driving even with all that busted.

[@928gto]

Absolutely

[@robinsattahip2376]

Back in the 80s, Mercedes really were something special. Now they are nightmares. I worked for an attorney who could afford any car he wanted but 30 years later was still driving the 300d he bought new in 1983.

[@Jhestyb]

Run a 5 man shop in west Tennessee. People really have no clue at the extra we do on people’s vehicles for absolutely nothing. And people self diagnosing and trying to explain it to me for 10 minutes and are almost 95% are wrong. Gotta love the general public. Put air in there tire for free and the next day they come back talking about the AC isn’t working right since I put the air in the tire. 😆. Keep on keeping on wizard. I’ve learned a lot from you my friend. God bless

[@davidtomlin9503]

Sounds like the wizard started filming after someone was trying to haggle on their bill...

[@chuckm5874]

I think you’re right.

[@steveawesome9538]

He sounded pissed after he got out of it. His body language was also telling. You may be on to something. Might have even been the owner of the car, upset about going over budget twice. I was under the impression, the donor car had a set price, and anything in it could be used. I do understand the labor costs and time with pulling the part off of the donor and then checking it out, then replacing it in the customer car. Instead of just pulling a new regulator out of a box and slapping it in.

[@jjmac3561]

Sounds like he grossly underestimated the amount of hours involved in doing the work, even though he showed that he didn't actually do the loom changeover as he had said he was going to do in a previous video. That time should have been the biggest part of the bill, not some wires getting spliced and wrapped with electrical tape.

[@VAngel0147]

He's genuinely pissed off with the owner of this car.

[@secondopinion6654]

No, the owner started reading the comments on here from the W123 cheapskate hacks who maintain their own DIY rattletraps and are whining about the bill. Meanwhile none of them are anywhere close to as roadworthy as this car came out and a dealer would have charged $9k.

[@garysimpson3900]

Credit to the customer for spending that amount of money to save the car. I can imagine there are many happy family memories wrapped up in it.

[@maxcactus7]

The OM617 is one of the most amazing, best sounding engines ever made! So happy this project is done. Great work, Wizard!

[@Slacksfifth]

OM603 is even better

[@johnabbott2151]

Owning an old Mercedes is a labor of love. You’re absolutely correct that having a shop do all the repairs can be VERY expensive. If you can take care of some of it yourself, it’s not too bad. Nice work getting the old 300D back on the road again safely. It should be ready for another 171k. The owner should be very pleased. Those cars are tanks and with routine maintenance will go forever. Thanks for sharing.

[@entlim]

I had a 250 LWB .overhauled the transmission and the head... pulled like a racer, and loved it till I eventually had to let it go.. absolute brilliant car.. far better than what I replaced it with.. dead easy to get original and OEM parts... and oh so reliable

[@Aaronhouston33]

The MB shop near me chargers 140$ and that’s a independent shop

[@garybulwinkle82]

Too bad he's giving it to his daughter! She's going to hate that car and abuse, neglect it! Young girls don't like these types of cars; they like little gas cars like a Celica or Prius.

[@Stevanavich725]

@@garybulwinkle82It might just be a story, but he said in the other video that she was doing it for the sentimental connection to her grandpa.

[@jeremyaustin9103]

Lovely car. Thinking a label on the fuel door saying diesel only would be useful. This will still be going strong in another ten years

[@Durabo]

i think you are underestimating this old boi, it will bury us all with proper care

[@johneldepresso]

Ten years?! Ha! this can easily go for another 25 years

[@MigySaan]

Haha i agree, but hopefully she understands that given that she wants this car in the first place

[@pfsantos007]

There was a label from factory. I believe on the inside.

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

Funny how different things are in america and here in Europe. Over here the gas station attendants always reach for the diesel pump when I come in. A 30 year old car that ISN'T a diesel is practically unheard of here.

[@oikkuoek]

5K is dirt cheap for resurrection budget. Even adding a donor car. For that kind of money, the work is immaculate. It looks like old factory, and thus tripled itself in the value of the car. Good investment.

[@AlexHardtAnimation]

I'd also say that they'd probably added another 20 years to this cool car. So sub 10K on a good commuter car that will last post 10 years sounds pretty good to me.

[@AlessandroGenTLe]

@@AlexHardtAnimation they are justifiable only because they wanted that specific car to be on the road again. A couple of years ago I got an immaculate "showroom ready" Mercedes C 220 CDI Sport Edition from 2006 with 43kkm (less than 30000miles) and all the yearly maintenance done in Mercedes, for 8500$...

[@tw157059]

agree, 5K is a bargain, if you do it yourself, and have to source each part by ebay, which may or may not fit, without donor car, would easily set you back that amount. And sure you can buy a running car for that money, but still that would need lots done. This car now is worth substantially more.

[@AlessandroGenTLe]

@LAFOLLETTER for sure. But also a lot less probability to have something else going wrong on a perfectly manteined 12yo car than on a savaged 40yo one. Not speaking about the quality of the drive :)

[@zeroceiling]

Alex Hardt's Animation ..in 20 years it will not be allowed on the road because it will not have the ability to plug in to the 5G autonomous driving system that will be required on every major highway.

[@tuomasholo]

The ‘84 Merc is a tank. His daughter is in a safe car.

[@getchasome6230]

Its everyone else who's in danger. 🤣🤣🤣

[@davidbusch8912]

$5K well spent

[@MangoVisionn]

I mean crumple zones are technically safer.

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

That's bs. Sorry!

[@vibingwithvinyl]

It's safe for the era but not anywhere near modern cars. It's slowness makes it safer though.

[@janetd5121]

"The reality of the situation". In other words do the work yourself that you can on these old cars and only use shops for things you cannot do, thankfully older cars like this are a lot more simpler then new ones and there are plenty of videos out there on repairing and restoring now.

[@blueridgerennsport]

A lot of people don't have the time, tools, space, patience, ability/skill, or inclination to do the work themselves. The same reasons I didn't build my house or pave my parking lot or do my own dental work. Sometimes it's better to pay someone who knows what they're doing to handle it...

[@mustangtel9265]

Here in the UK, if you're caught using red diesel on the road you will have a very bad day.

[@1963TOMB]

and also the red dye stays in the fuel system for ages so that the relevant authority can determine that it was used in the past and thus back charge you for the unpaid tax!

[@formatique_arschloch]

Same here in Finland. Would be extremely expensive. Thousands at minimum.

[@daviddundas4140]

Whats the difference between the 2?

[@formatique_arschloch]

@@daviddundas4140 At least here in Finland the red diesel has lower tax on it and it's about 30% cheaper than regular diesel. It's meant for agricultural machines, tractors and so on. It's illegal to use it in cars. Color and taxes are the only differences.

[@dodgeplow]

@@daviddundas4140 "Off road" diesel is dyed red for use in construction vehicles, generators, and anything that does not operate on a public road. it is untaxed.

[@randerson4124]

Mr Wizard: The bill just keeps going up Hoovies Bentley in the background : Am I a joke to you?

[@darkiee69]

That's the car that'll pay for the yacht.

[@One_Bar]

darkiee69 the yacht was $6000 so I think that’s already happened 😂

[@Poopsticle_256]

Chris Pofahl Jesus Christ, $6000? I could buy a second gen Prius from a used car lot for that. That’s cheap as hell

[@MigySaan]

Poopsticle_256 i know right ! $6000 for not only the yacht, but the trailer as well! The trailer alone is $3000 so that only makes the deal better! He said onces its ready to be docked, the trailer is being sold so $3000 boat

[@One_Bar]

Poopsticle_256 yep. Of course he’s having to do engine work so that’s gone up, but the initial purchase was $6000 😂

[@geekyzebra91]

This is why I'm glad my father showed me how to work on cars I've saved so much money

[@imnotarob0t1984]

Why do you think he didn't film himself doing a lot of the mechanical work, then someone could just watch the video and not bring the car in to him.

[@simonwelch9092]

Cars cost their owners loads when they gain sentimental attachment status but what can you do....

[@louisrauzi3872]

Exactly, it's the 'if I have to explain it, you won't understand it anyway '. I spent more $$ on my dad's hunting rifle than it's worth. It's emotional. Not what it's worth.

[@christopherconard2831]

Nostalgia is a very common brain disorder. It makes us overemphasize what was good in the past. Like thinking about an ex, while forgetting why they are an ex to begin with. We also forget why we got rid of many of our older cars. Of course, knowing all that, I still regularly scan through Craigslist and other sites to check out the availability of early 90's Celicas.

[@Craig-wp3pz]

'So, I'll carry on leaving it like that' spoken like a true car dealership!😃🤣

[@georgecrothall9411]

Wow, rough crowd here in the comments. I spent a too much on my W123, but I really enjoy it. It does pay to learn how to maintain these yourself, but the lift to get it back on the road can be overwhelming. This is in a great place for a rolling restoration now. My guess is that the swapped alternator will beat the auto part store one any day. Thanks Wizard, this was fun! I really appreciate it!!

[@metaleuman]

Very nice to see these cars being saved. One day we really gonna miss them.

[@gazfish]

I couldn't have left the crap inside the spring, but no one's paying for my time

[@E34Benzin]

@Ariel Falk Yeah, he also said he test drove it, so the crap shouldn't be there if any of that was true.

[@davidharris1530]

that crap is probaly where the mouse lives

[@gautamgoraya]

@@davidharris1530 hahaha funny and probably true as well!

[@bessiebraveheart]

Hello from England, Car Wizard is my favourite garage program. Here in England near to me in Birmingham we have Cottage Garage run by Jim. He is a good honest mechanic, he has been looking after my cars for many years now. He reminds me so much of Car Wizard.

[@C.JG.]

This engine looks enjoyable to work on. Compared to most modern crammed engines...

[@lesstyranny2695]

I've owned a number of cars with this engine and still do... it's an awesome engine to work on because besides basic maintenance you almost never have to do anything to it!

[@styr01]

Driving this beauty behind an upside down MB STAR on the wheel would drive me batty!!!!!!!!

[@z06doc86]

I think 5 grand is a bargain to have all that work performed by an honest man who really knows what he is doing ! 👍👍👍👍

[@Daniel-wx3qn]

Agreed

[@imnotarob0t1984]

It is, you're not going to find a 300d in that condition for 5 grand

[@onlyhereonce7290]

You made a good point. The customer wanted THAT car brought back to life. And you did it.

[@jeffreyrwilliams9345]

$5,000 g might buy an '84 benz, but'd bet it's still need beaucoup buckes to make road worthy. I think owner got a great deal

[@andrewallen9993]

500 Dollars US last year bought the 1964 Mercedes w110 heckflosse 200d I drove 300kms today (max speed 70mph).

[@longdonglarry]

nah for 5k you get a really nice one with better paint and interior at least here in europe. A collectors car in like new shape maybe 6-7k. But it's a car you have to work on yourself and which is actually the big advantage of the W123. Lots of stuff you can do on your own. Not a whole lot of electronic mess you have to worry about. Plus even if you pay 8k for a perfect one. What modern car you can buy for 8k that will outlast a W123?

[@netrioter]

Not at all. You can grab a late 80s 300TD wagon for 3 grand here in Indiana...and it's a daily.

[@BadaBing.UCF30]

@@longdonglarry a 2004 Lexus LS430

[@300DBenz]

I bought my ‘85 for $3500.....since then I’ve spent at least $8,000 on it over the 15 years I’ve owned it.

[@billgomez06]

Look let's be real at $95.00 per hour the least you could have done is pressure clean that engine that would only show that you are a considerate shop it's not always the $$

[@Asphaltaperider]

Magic Johnson once said, “Undersell and over deliver.” Always. I would have at least washed the outside and underside, and sprayed down the engine bay. That’s just me.

[@shawnalonzo5968]

Wish we could have seen a test drive video for the Mercedes.

[@shawnalonzo5968]

Great video!!!!

[@ricardomierz8467]

Like he said that this channel is not about that, its about constantly yapping by a boring weeble.. That's the reason why I left,,

[@jblyon2]

My Aunt had one of these, along with a 300SD, and it stood up incredibly well to her abuse and lack of maintenance. I have a lot of good memories of going places with her as a kid in both cars. Glad to see one made road worthy again. She neglected both cars horribly and both still ran like new close to 400k miles. One mechanic told her the body would rust away completely before the engine ever quit running.

[@AAI30]

“We are not going to do things without being paid” 17:31 Couldn’t you at least center the badge on the steering wheel😂

[@wevel963]

And get rid of the rats nest in the spring - sloppy.

[@moehoward01]

He said that the owner would handle the interior, paint and other cosmetic details.

[@rayrobinson3015]

Make sure the horn works...15 minutes labor at $95 per hour.

[@petrosaguilar8916]

That's the mantra of the American car mechanic. Then they'll rant up and down that the customers are the problem.

[@moehoward01]

@@petrosaguilar8916 They often are.

[@charliecutter3078]

Great video. It sure would have been nice to hear it run and see it drive to show why all that work was worth it. I have an almost identical car except mine is a 1983 with 116,000 miles. The only reason why I keep putting money into it is because the driving experience is so unique and the sound of that engine is beautiful.

[@voncoconut5293]

Wizard spent too much time trying to justify the cost and gives the impression that he's a penny pincher.

[@mfcharron]

I agree. Everything that was spent was totally worth it to get this beauty back on the road. I would have spent even more because of the family issues with this car. It is now a safe car for his daughter. The cosmetics can be tackled on a piece by piece basis over time. It really gets old listening to him trying to justify the cost of everything.

[@artomarkkula674]

Maybe you do not belong to the target group, you know what the name of the game is. On the other hand, those who do not know, they do not look these videos.

[@sunnyta619]

Beautiful car…..

[@mfcharron]

Agree. Of course things need to be paid for. Wizard, you don’t need to justify what you charge. You are very fair. If I was anywhere near you I would use your services.

[@MrKnutriis]

$5K is a steal - especially with that great video included courtesy Mrs. WIzard. Most shops can't fix 300Ds, Rolls Royces, and Ferraris - and film it at the same time. I'm impressed.

[@OS-hx4jk]

Smartest thing. Grandad's car restored by father. For the grandchild. Helps that the W123 is, objectively, the greatest car ever made. So $5,000 of Wizardy = another 200,000 miles. Makes total sense. And feels so good.

[@RBMD2A]

CW, are you allowing the owner to keep the donor car? It seems that there’s lot that can go wrong in the future having the parts available would be a blessing.

[@cypeman8037]

Do you dream of money? I know it’s what we all work for but you do hammer it.

[@E34Benzin]

Half of the video is just: money, money, money. We didn't even hear the engine, that part was skipped. Is this about cars anymore??

[@Ermy1996]

@@E34Benzin is how it works. Is work in a shop.

[@philiplee7604]

It’s about monetising the channel and shop cars to the Max !! While watching the video, I had Pink Floyd’s track “ MONEY” playing in the background.

[@cypeman8037]

I recall one of his comments that sums up David's MO. "If the book says 4 hours and I do it in 1, I'll charge you 4" Couldn't be any clearer.

[@shaneb1313]

He SHOULD! Successful people DO! That’s why they’re successful! (Edited)

[@iCarlyfan4534]

My dad bought a 1988 300ce for my first car for 2500 expecting it to be perfect if he spent 2000 to paint it and 2000 to fix it, he tried doing it the cheap way and ending up spending probably 6000 and it still doesnt run and its not painted, and i dont have a car now. This series really hit home thanks for making it car wizard

[@dealsfromvirginia1773]

Perhaps you should say, "thank goodness for that donor car, it made me a lot of free money!"

[@EmyrDerfel]

Not really, the customer was paying for the labor to remove the part from the donor, on the basis that would be cheaper than getting a part shipped from a breaker's yard or paying premium for a NOS part. If this customer wasn't incurring that labour, he could have charged another customer to work on their car instead. Probably Hoovie.

[@ossitreutler4863]

@@EmyrDerfel and he did pay for the donor car as well.

[@danadamczyk3295]

I know isnt capitalism wild??

[@jdore8]

It's like an infomercial with the list of work needed. "But wait, There's more!"

[@johnanderson2432]

Props to Junior Mint for all the hard work he put into this mechanical restoration!

[@Broadshore]

Wizard.... I'm not going to lie... Car's from OUR era. the 80's... They need that second chance of life. There were some AWESOME cars back in our era. They were so SIMPLE to work on and. Just... Fun cars to fix. She looks good man. I hope the young lady who gets dad's old car is going to be happy.

[@vacone1]

Well said. As commodities go, I was taught at PSU, "77", time is more valuable than money, because money can be replaced. Damn right get paid for every minute.

[@ZorroMS]

Poor effort at 17.40 min. Wizard!!! It really costs nothing to bring the "Star Logo" back into position. This ruins the whole video....Viele Grüße aus Deutschland.

[@johnnypk1963]

The restore wasn’t cosmetic, Wizard said that multiple times. Nothing was ruined SMH

[@ZorroMS]

@@johnnypk1963 sure, but that would have been really NO BIG DEAL -cushion off, logo out, back in position, cushion on wheel, done, labour-time 45 seconds.

[@daszieher]

My shop in Germany swapped out rusted screws holding the headlights without asking and without charging a cent. It's the little details that count, when you lay down thousands to do an engine swap...

[@ZorroMS]

@@daszieher N.I.C.E :-)

[@gabrielhardman9998]

to be fair if the customer specifically said not to worry about the interior or cosmetic then I don’t think it’s a big deal

[@zigzagrz]

i wonder if it would have been cheaper for the owner to just purchase that donor car instead of paying for each individual used part from the donor in order to fix his car. The car may have been $500 and the parts may have added up higher than that as an example.

[@shaneb1313]

Well, you certainly can do that, no one’s stopping you! But don’t for, that’s always a GAMBLE too. You might spend 1500$ on a donor car & only need 3 parts. Then that’s not a good investment. But, you might need 15 parts, & it’s great! YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN EDUCATED GUESS! There’s nothing GUARANTEED!!!

[@midwestfarm757]

He said the car being repaired was the father's old car, so nostalgia. It isn't about buying a newer one or fully restored one.

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

I love how you seem so proud to point out every little thing you charged the customer for, seems a bit off putting.

[@regazzoni6972]

I agree!

[@eziux]

Rather than being proud about ripping someone he's being informative and honest. So when people bring junk cars to the shop they know how much it takes to bring them back on the road again.

[@teenaramsay2469]

It's a PSA. Dreamers, this is your reality check.

[@E34Benzin]

@@eziux Yeah, but focusing so much on the subject seems suspicious. The donor car was a piece of junk, completely shot, yet he points out loud every single piece that he's taken from the donor mentioning that he's gonna charge the customer for it. Of course the labour doesn't come free nor did the donor car, we all know how it works, but pointining it that way doesn't sound very good. How much is going to last a radiator from an old car that was abandoned? Not a very good restoration to be honest.

[@philiplee7604]

I completely agree... no professional would ever instal an old radiator in this car. Any cooling related parts like water pumps, thermostats, radiators shouldn’t be used as they could fail at any time! ( not good shop practice at all ) absolutely ‘ false economy ‘

[@samfungccim]

I helped the owner of an import cars repair shop to sell her business few years ago then understood a lot about an import car repair shop biz then become a friend of the new owner who was one of technicians at the shop! Enjoy watching your videos! still have to find out the best way to have my 79 Alfa Sprint Veloce (I bought new when I was in college having 75k original miles) roadworthy thanks for the idea of a donor car!

[@carisi2k11]

Yes we know you are charging for this car repair. We have also seen what happens when the customer gets that bill courtesy of Hoovie.

[@laurieharper1526]

So pleased to see that old Mercedes will live again. I always find it sad to see perfectly good cars scrapped for the sake of a few dollars (pounds here in the UK). Yes, it may cost a little more to put a car back on the road, but you know exactly what has been done (and what may still need to be done) to it and you have the peace of mind that comes from not being worried about future nasty surprises that might crop up to bite you. I recently bought an older (2003) Camry from its original owner. It was/is in beautiful condition, but needed some expensive items to be sorted out to make it roadworthy. I bought it and spent the same amount again on putting it right. From a purely financial standpoint, I should not have done what I did. However, I now have a car that looks half its age, has only 80,000 miles on it and should last me for many years if I look after it. As far as I'm concerned, I've come out on top, even if I did spend more on it than it is technically worth.

[@maxwood5938]

You can pay the money and have the car, most of us watch your videos and have a good dream, that's fun too, You have to be honest with people when it comes to costs of repairing old cars. I enjoy watching the journey, well done.

[@christopherhamilton5557]

I met a man where I live that spent (“don’t tell my wife if you ever meet her) almost $16,000 restoring one of these. It was his favorite car of all time. He said he’d rather drive that car than any other. I got to see it one time, and it was truly phenomenal.

[@Rekcuf690]

5K to give dads car a second life is so worth it... and it's the wizards handy work... win/win!!

[@jackacuff5851]

Wizard I am sure you did your best on this car, I am driving my 5th MB since 1970 ! I am sure the engine bay of this car would be worth a $.30.00 motor wash. 1st. to see any new leaks right away and second to see a smile on the customers face when picks up his car !!!!

[@alfyer5]

It sounds like the donor car was in better shape than the one you were fixing 😂

[@oveidasinclair982]

Restorations NEVER stay on budget when you're restoring automobiles

[@jjmac3561]

It is hardly a restoration. He was supposed to have worked it out and given out an estimate for swapping over the wiring loom etc. He obviously didn't do that in the end, instead he essentially cobbled together some wiring repairs. A lot of them more obvious than dogs balls. Not impressed, especially with all his bleating about it and even failing to remove a rats/mouse nest from the front spring. Despite working on the shocks. For basic health reasons it should have been removed before any work was started on the car. The exhaust hanger rubber isn't even under any strain, the exhaust should be 'hanging' off it.

[@oveidasinclair982]

@@jjmac3561 Mechanically he did do a lot of restoration, I work with my dad on an 89 Toyota Supra, we fully restored it, but half the job was mechanical. The Wizard did the majority of the mechanical work that NEEDED to be done, automotive restoration is no small operation and you almost never stay on budget.

[@imnotarob0t1984]

They can it's just about how much of the work you're willing to do. You can save alot of money if you're willing to put effort it.

[@neuman356]

Tbh that's actually a bargain for the amount of work that went in. Will be a nice reliable tractor now once again, good job!

[@JohnSmith-lw2bm]

Hoovie must owe you 2-300k then!!!

[@SMDBassheadTV]

I actually own one of these but it’s an 83 that I’m currently kinda resto-modding with factory Mercedes parts. I also have a 71 220D and a 92 300D 2.5 Turbo, I absolutely love these cars.

[@richardgreene3460]

I will NEVER NEVER NEVER complain about my MB mechanic! He does NOT charge for simple things that were charged here because he does not rape the owner! WOW! In fact, my Bentley/ Rolls Royce dealer guy doesn't charge like this! I'm BLESSED! Revealing video for sure! Valuable! Also, sometimes a rough looking car (like the donor car) is in better mechanical shape than one that looks ok! This 300D was never serviced evidently!

[@racerboy2212]

What a great review! I love the old W123’s, they were taxi cabs back in the day when I was stationed in Germany.

[@longdonglarry]

they are still driving as taxis in many parts of Africa. one million kilometers on such a diesel engine is totally doable.

[@munnsie100]

So great to see it alive! Nothing beats sentimental value. I know it's uneconomical financially, but nothing beats having *the* car driving and roadworthy again.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

It's extremely economical, compared to a new car.

[@adam90870]

In the 90’s I used to have a golden1982 230 e, automatic with sunroof and brown leather interior. One of the best cars I have ever owned! This W123 reminds me of it and bring back fond memories.Thanks Wiz!

[@lendlkaiser3622]

The reality of these MB's is they are WORTH putting this kind of money into! Thanks Wizard! I have an 82 300 SD with 300K + miles on it that I Lovel and would love to have made new!

[@gregorywills2231]

$95/hour is a good price compared to what dealerships charge.

[@Asphaltaperider]

Especially Mercedes and bmw. We are talking $125/hr.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Or most independent shops. Most shops also mark up the prices of parts to double or triple what they cost.

[@ChristopheZ]

5 hours for CV joints boots seems a lot to me...I had mine replaced last year on my 1993 W124 400E in 3 hours ( both sides)

[@doublezero7852]

Christophe Zydek If you notice, he said it “pays about five hours”. He didn’t say that it takes five hours.

[@ChristopheZ]

@@doublezero7852 I have a great mechanic..He charges me "book time" even if the job takes more...and actual time when the job takes less than "book time"..LOL :)

[@shaneb1313]

Not all the same! Some take longer than others. Do one yourself sometime, you’ll soon realize!

[@TheXmas100]

I would prefer someone taking more time but doing it right than someone rushing the work

[@mhoskins555]

I was wondering about that too since I've replaced my own CV shafts on one of my cars (not a W124) in my garage. With his lift, all of the tools, and plenty of room down there it seems like it would be easier.

[@roscoe_t]

I had a couple of these old W123s 15-20 years ago. The veggie diesel craze in 2007-2008 killed a lot of them off. Yes, it'll run on french-fry grease, but once the diesel pump gets gummed up,. you might as well drive it straight to the scrapyard.

[@JefeBoss]

I've seen these in Morocco with over a million kilometers and running. These were made back when Mercedes cared about giving you a rock solid product that would last for generations. I'd say it is totally worth it to put in another 5K to fix it aesthetically too, especially considering the sentimental value. Great job as usual!

[@twilson1973]

Nice video. Glad that you were able to make the classic road worthy again.

[@EFPianist]

It's mechanically a great job, undiscutable, congrats!! But, a great wash under the car and the engine, taking out all dust, would result in a better job value, and more pleasant to the daughter. Even before all the service, a good cleaning and lubrication would reveal more about the car.

[@shaneb1313]

HA🤣 you think a girl’s EVER GONNA LOOK UNDER THERE? For god’s sake!

[@pitecusH]

they alteady were a thousand bucks above budget. what do you think a full in and out detail job would have cost on labour and materials? (soap, lube, water).

[@EFPianist]

@@shaneb1313 LOL for she drive this car with this design, she MUST love cars.

[@EFPianist]

@@pitecusH my point is that a good engine and lower washing would cooperate with the job. It's easier to find leaks and to add value. It's a couple bucks that anyone can do.

[@EFPianist]

Who will be the courageous one that will put the hands to clean underneath and the engine of this car now, knowing that it might cause a lot of new problems and defects. In my view, the right time to do this is before the maintenance. It will soon be nest for new rats... they will feel the smell of the old nests.

[@johncollier608]

I agree with you, people just fail to understand that buying a car is just the first step. I always budget for maintenance throughout the year, not just servicing but fixing the unexpected, particularly with older cars. Therefore the total cost of ownership need to be factored in to the price of the purchase. I've learned this lesson from experience. Now I'm much better prepared. Great Video, Mr. & Mrs. Wizard. :-)

[@dsilvermane_]

With a W123, even $20000 won't be too much to get it back to factory condition. I'd spend that in a heartbeat. In fact, I'm currently working on restoring one myself! My dad's old 1978 model 230, absolute tank.

[@Dunstire]

Back from the days when Merc's and all the other prestige cars were classy,not just flash.Lovely looking old classic

[@b4804514]

The 1980 MB corporate moto was quality at any price. I would not own one now. The corporate moto now is suck'a we got you now $$$$$

[@danielsweeney6742]

Sounds like the owner should have brought the donor vehicle.

[@1949coupe]

Owner should at least have understood that even with a donor car, the parts aren't free. First you have to disassemble the donor car to get to the part, test and clean the part before installing it in the other car. That means parts aren't free even if the donor car was.

[@kgisabeast]

At that point it really depends what he’s charging this guy for the used parts which are already worn to some extent, it may have been smarter to just buy new parts, unless he was charging him very low prices for the donor parts

[@hotpuppy1]

@@kgisabeast Some of the parts are not obtainable new or cost a fortune.

[@cedarsland]

Remember It takes time to remove the parts too Mechanics would rather have delivered....

[@blueridgerennsport]

@Mike Me neither, unless they are completely new performance upgrade parts from a *reputable* manufacturer or distributor that I don't have a relationship with. That's my only exception.

[@bmh67wa]

That donor car was a definite life saver. I've always wanted to own one of those. Everyone I know who has or had one said they are reliable and built like a tank as long as you keep up on maintenance. Glad to see that you got that one running nicely again.

[@eddylauterback1312]

He is sounding more and more like a old Carver boat owner. Ker-ching

[@kevinjaggard1116]

Hi from the UK, I have been working on these cars for the past 30 years, and it looks that you have done a very thorough job recommissioning this vehicle, changing steering joints etc and the replacing rear driveshaft gators and possibly the cups (they have usually rusted out at this age in England) having to remove the rear plate from the differential to get them out - which is a time consuming job to strip down and rebuild with new parts as you say , but just wondered at about 12.45 you commented on changing the fluids in the transmission, it also has a filter to change if you remove the pan - which doesn't look as though it has been taken off, I am not familiar with American automatic transmissions which may or may not have changeable filters, so just for the record Mercedes do - which we usually change at 36000 mile intervals. Best Regards from across the pond.

[@floridaman7]

Restoring cars is an endless process. You end up spending more than one that was kept in perfect shape.

[@altergreenhorn]

This car will gain the value not lose it in the future money isn't thrown away

[@ezragonzales687]

Yes, but if you restore it you can take before and after photos.

[@MikaelLevoniemi]

Big thanks to your and hoovies videos, i had the balls to get myself a nice car from an auction and i actually knew roughly what it would cost to fix it up properly. Happy to say that i'm still on budget and spent less than what it would've cost on a used car lot. Also i'm now a nicer customer to my local shop than what i used to be, so i get better service too. It was quite clear that shops around here are apprehensive to new customers and don't order parts without a deposit, clearly nobody has a clue what it costs to get their car fixed. After i OKd all the jobs, the costs and paid without flinching - the shop guys really try to keep me happy and i don't have to bother with any deposits anymore.

[@abit9485]

I'm sure his dad would be proud seeing it running and his granddaughter driving around in it. Well done all 😀😀

[@tl1024]

Junior mint didnt clean the dead rat's home out of the passenger front coil spring..

[@lancairw867]

T L yes and after $5k maybe run it through a $8 car wash 🧼??

[@petrosaguilar8916]

"It will blow out going down the highway." Yeah, because taking the seven seconds to clear it out with an air hose is not an option.

[@auxmike718]

I would have put a new radiator, battery and rotors.

[@2JZDestroyer]

OMG when he said take your budget and times it by four, I just did I thought my trans for the 01 xj8 would have been a simple $650 to replace, well it required a new radiator (750) and fluids (180) then labor (1200) so yeah wizard was right. :D gotta love how easy that was to apply , sad part is its still got more labor to be done (struts all around , wheel bearings all around, and diff fluid)

[@seftonhornby5069]

Ih

[@SuperMcgenius]

I hear you Wizard, my first rebuild 30 years ago was a Triumph spitfire, I bought it thinking I fix it up and sell it make some money. I kept a log of all my hours I would’ve been better off flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Also another note as someone who’s owned many boats good luck. Have you checked to see how much water has been slopping around the haul.old fibreglass with foam I found about a bazillion pounds of water soakedfoam and rotted beams. 60 hours later on a 19 foot power boat. So pay more for a good car or boat that has been taken care of. As someone who grew up in the USA , but now lives in Canada I worry . Wishing you are the best .

[@dealsfromvirginia1773]

Someone gives you a car and you don't pass along the good will. Sounds like a youtuber.

[@poemedufeu]

at the end of the day, he has a business to run.

[@EmyrDerfel]

He didn't charge them for the part, he charged for the labour of removing the part from the donor. That's fair. Still cheaper than a breaker's yard part or hunting down NOS parts.

[@petrosaguilar8916]

@Emyr Dere - My mechanic went to the junkyard once to get a part and did not charge me. Wizard's junkyard was sitting in his shop.

[@blueridgerennsport]

@@petrosaguilar8916 And Wizard has guys working for him that he has to pay, so the customer paid Wizard for his employee's time. That's how businesses work. Even if Wizard pulled the part himself, he has to get paid for his time. My shop is not a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit, and I'm sure neither is the Car Wizard's.

[@eggbirdtherooster]

You could at least wash it wizard... 😜 And take us on a little testdrive man

[@shaneb1313]

Why? That’s NOT HIS JOB!

[@Desertfox92308]

There aren't many used cars this reliable for 5K! It is definitely worth the money if you keep the car long term!

[@jeffmorris739]

Wizard as my momma taught me, you can't get something for nothing. A shop costs a lot of money to run and people don't consider that when they hear $95 an hour rate. If you don't want to pay it either don't buy the car or learn how to do it yourself. If you do it yourself your time is your own but remember parts and tools cost money and you have to have a place to do the work. I think its a great service you and Mrs. Wizard are doing telling the truth and not sugar coating it. God Bless.

[@wesblittle1]

My dad never keeps one long enough to wear out the factory tires. But he has all his window stickers and I cry every time I looks at the 64 impala ss tri power and 69 nova ss .. and he is like ehh they were ok.

[@getchasome6230]

They were "just cars" back then bro

[@velvetjones1856]

If you knew what cars of that era would be worth today, they would have been saved better than they were resulting in those cars not being worth as much because they would not be as rare.

[@fastinradfordable]

What a waste

[@getchasome6230]

@@fastinradfordable yeah, how dare people go buy awesome cars and drive them for a year or two and trade it in so someone else can buy a badass car for 1/3 less than a new one?? The audacity

[@S.carr.c]

BMW M2 and that would be awesome

[@Omar-te6nm]

Can you please please please do test drives after you fix cars? That’s the thing that excites me the most about a video. Maybe show how the car is driving and what it feels like

[@americanrambler4972]

Seeing this car brought back to a daily driver status was enjoyable. Liked this series on this car.

[@jsmith8255]

i had two w123 back in the 80s/90s. a 230d and a 240e. loved them. and to this day have not found a car as comfy or reliable and would have another in a heartbeat. truly beautiful cars 👍👍

[@bazzle592]

Wheezard please stop yelling at us. I get it. But you didn't even show the car driving.

[@dumbwaiter3644]

Would be nice to hear those jobs where the "Book time" gives the shop a bonus and those where it's hard to meet the time.

[@philiplee7604]

He said on a video a while back “ if the book time says 1 hour and I do it in 30 minutes, The customer still gets charged the full hour labor”.

[@antn537]

@@philiplee7604 True, but to be fair he also said in that same video that if the book time says x amount and he's over by 50 - 100% he will still charge book time. So in the end it balances out.

[@dumbwaiter3644]

@@philiplee7604 But if it takes longer ?

[@hotpuppy1]

@@dumbwaiter3644 Shop loses money, if they are honest.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Great project. I've loved these old Mercedes since working at an Audi dealership when these were being traded-in. Great second car.

[@peterriggall8409]

You have done well Wizard. Nice to see this old girl back on the road.

[@carisi2k11]

You didn't clean out the mouse nest in the suspension I see.

[@kirkjohnson9353]

He was trying to keep it under 6K

[@dijo7086]

he is a mechanic not a car groomer. I'm sure he was pissed off and left the mouse nest to the customer to get rid of it.

[@ImranAhmad-hj2xs]

I switched off when the wizard when on and on and on about the hourly labour charge and cost...

[@pasoundman]

The W123 really is a classic classy design. A worthwhile investment.

[@GenXdad75]

Thank you. There is a 300D next door to me that's been sitting since 2014 according to the tag. I kinda wanted to save it but def not in my budget.