I have been contemplating getting out if the diesel/wvo game. I bought my 1990 350SDL in August for $6K from a Indy Benz mechanic. Since buying it I've had to buy: cylinder head ($2500 for a brand new #22 head), shocks, guide rods, idler bushing, glow plugs, cd player, new MB mats, water pump, thermostat, a bunch of tid bits, and a Frybrid WVO kit ($1700). I have probably $11-12K+ into it and I cant believe it. I am so tempted to sell and get out from under it but I cant imagine getting close to what I have into it. The car has 238K miles, an 86 300SDL engine with 110Kmiles & new MB head. It has some minor rust on the drivers fender and could use a good detail. The WVO kit works well and is fully functional. Anyone have any idea what I could possibly get for it if I did try to sell it?

Vehicles are the worst investment. If the vehicle runs well finally, why not keep driving it until it falls apart (well that won't happen, but you get my meaning).

It's the 350 most people would like, 3.0L shortblock, updated head, PM done, etc.

It sounds to me like you've invested all of your startup money and its time to sit back and let the wvo kit prove its worth. Unless something else major gives out, like the tranny, I'd say you've got a great car and you should sit back and enjoy the free ride. Things like detailing are nice but are definately not a necessity.

I'm sure it's a nice car, but you aren't going to come close to your investment if you try and sell it. You should be able to drive it for many years without major $ investment, so just think of it as saving the $ you would be making payments with for something else.
And you don't have the rod-bender engine in there anymore, which is a plus for you.
Drive it, enjoy it.

i bought my 300D with the intent on running my biodiesel in it.. now im starting to lean more towards restoring the car and driving it an giving up on the whole bio thing.. but thats because ive been busy lately . i do want my car to look nice though i love my benz

I thought you were sold on biodiesel?

What happened? Save the rest of us from folly.

I think at this point I have to stick with it... Not only do I have it all setup for WVO, but I have several hundred gallons of the stuff and a biodiesel processor built and ready to go once the weather warms up. It just seems as I fix one thing something else goes but there has to be a point that things stop breaking... Looks like Im in it for the long haul:rolleyes:

I have been contemplating getting out if the diesel/wvo game. I bought my 1990 350SDL in August for $6K from a Indy Benz mechanic. Since buying it I've had to buy: cylinder head ($2500 for a brand new #22 head), shocks, guide rods, idler bushing, glow plugs, cd player, new MB mats, water pump, thermostat, a bunch of tid bits, and a Frybrid WVO kit ($1700). I have probably $11-12K+ into it and I cant believe it. I am so tempted to sell and get out from under it but I cant imagine getting close to what I have into it. The car has 238K miles, an 86 300SDL engine with 110Kmiles & new MB head. It has some minor rust on the drivers fender and could use a good detail. The WVO kit works well and is fully functional. Anyone have any idea what I could possibly get for it if I did try to sell it?

Typically, owning a car is an expense. If you have a nice older car that you like, hopefully you can get some enjoyment from it. As I see it, if you buy a car with the intent spiffing it up, owning for only a short period and then getting all your money back (or more) however you can, then you are a used car salesman.

But, if your heart isn't into owning an old dieselbeast, maybe you'd have your best luck selling the car on a site of WVO enthusiasts-before the fad wanes.:(

I think at this point I have to stick with it... Not only do I have it all setup for WVO, but I have several hundred gallons of the stuff and a biodiesel processor built and ready to go once the weather warms up. It just seems as I fix one thing something else goes but there has to be a point that things stop breaking... Looks like I'm in it for the long haul:rolleyes:
The honeymoon is over, reality has opened your eyes.
The question is, will you keep the car, now that the major issues are fixed.
It is a car, things wear out, break and fail.
You could have an auto accident tomorrow = total it, would you get enough to break even, or loose everything???
Review your insurance, do a search, and get advice from other members that have experience with insurance claims.
Be prepared.
Have a great day.

As Roy said, these are old cars their will always be something that is broken. You might as well keep it but if you really want out cut your loses and run.

However you will not get your money back, I see real nice 350SDL's go for over $10k all the time. But with a non original engine and WVO kit don't expect that.

Unless you sell the car to someone who not only needs one exactly like yours (with that engine, the brand new cylinder head, the WVO kit, etc) but is also willing to be fair by paying something good for it, you'll lose out big time. I'd say the most you can get for that car will be $6,000 - $7,000. Basically, just the original cost of the car to you can be obtained back. Add-ons are for your personal pleasure and potential buyers, in an attempt to get a good deal, can make you really feel like they don't care for the add-ons even if they do.

Generally speaking, when it comes to cars, you never get back what you put into them. Like someone said earlier, they are a very bad investment. Just keep the car or if you really want out, be prepared to lose thousands.

We need another viewpoint here guys...

I'm looking at it like this -

DUDE ! you have 350SDL ! you have one of the few good-running W140 diesels out there - The W140 is (arguably) the top of the diesel-s-class food chain in the US. Enjoy the car for what it is - a modern full-size luxury sedan with a (now) kickin' diesel engine in it. I'd love to have one for myself, but the cost of entry is too high for me.

-John

It's a 126, not a 140.

I'd still rock it...

Could I ever recover what I've spent?
Of course not, join the club. I suspect that very few people here could sell their cars and recover their investments. I know I couldn't. I think you're asking the wrong question, the better question is how your $12K investment compares with other $12K vehicles you could buy. At this point I think you either have to use the car long enough to "recover your investment" or sell it at a loss. As an alternative, you could sell your WVO equipment and just run petro diesel or BD.

I will gladly volunteer to buy it from you and profit from your investment.

Why are you selling it?
Why not keep it?

I agree with all who said that you cannot get back the investment on your car. I always thought money spent on a classic car, restoring it can be a good investment, but look at the link below. This seller spent $33,000 (that's what he said) on a 1965 300SE, and that's not including his labor. He is now selling it for $22K+. This is pretty bad investment to me!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-300-Series-300SE-1965-Mercedes-Benz-300SE-W112_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6330QQitemZ4598364375QQrdZ1

Trick is never spend more that whan you feel its worth to make YOU happy a while longer with it.

Never expect to get more than you have into it unless you got it free to begin with....when you get tired of it or its upkeep sell it to someone else for what the market will bear....do that and you won't be terribly unhappy. Odds are it will have been cheaper than a decent new car anyway....per mile.

The economics of a used automobile are as follows:

You purchase it with the understanding that almost everything works. You might get a small discount on the price if the a/c is broken or the heat does not work or the wipers are non-functional. But basically, you are paying for a fully functioning vehicle.

The exceptions are when you purchase a known problem with an engine or a transmission, rolling the dice to see if you can get to "fully functional" for less than the typical retail price. Sometimes you can............sometimes you can't.

Once you own the vehicle, any and all repairs to that vehicle simply return it to "fully functional". It's worth not a penny more than you paid for a fully functional vehicle, and, might be worth less, because you have more mileage on the clock.

Nobody ever gets back the cost of repairs to return the vehicle to a fully functional condition. It's part of the ownership cost. Hopefully, the repairs are a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle. But, you have to be careful. If you spend $2K per year on repairs and the vehicle depreciates another $750 per year (a typical SDL amortized over 8 years), you are spending about $225 per month on repairs and depreciation. It's only another $100.00 per month for a "decent" new vehicle. Hopefully, over time, you can limit your costs to $1K per year, on average. I'm not anywhere near that number yet for the SD and the SDL, but, I remain ever hopeful.

The exceptions are when you purchase a known problem with an engine or a transmission, rolling the dice to see if you can get to "fully functional" for less than the typical retail price. Sometimes you can............sometimes you can't.

Well said and worth reading again. I'll never recover the $ I've put into my 500SEL AMG. Just ask the wife if it was a good investment...:rolleyes: And the SL's got to go... it's a chick magnet, and with a Panamanian wife I'll be talking with the hands of stone if it's not sold soon:smhair2: :freak: :furious3: :whip: :shocked2:

Well said and worth reading again. I'll never recover the $ I've put into my 500SEL AMG. Just ask the wife if it was a good investment...:rolleyes: And the SL's got to go... it's a chick magnet, and with a Panamanian wife I'll be talking with the hands of stone if it's not sold soon:smhair2: :freak: :furious3: :whip: :shocked2:
Just to help you.:D
I will generously take the SL off your hands for $500.00 so I can install an OM617...:D :D
When can I pick it up??? LOL :D

I bid $1000

It sure sounds as though it is hard to make a profit on a car.

I think that a key, might be to find a great deal on a great looking and running car.
You'll pay a good bit more than some of the bargains that are available, of course...
but you might be able to invest another $1000 or so
and still make a profit, since some people are willing to pay a premium
for great running cars with nice interiors and shiny paint.

Any success stories out there?
(maybe I should start a thread for that?)

The word investment and cars should not be put in the same sentence.

Investments put money in your pocket, money you can buy a car with or other investments. They create positive cash flow.

Cars with very few exceptions are not investments. Some classic cars go up in value and are great ways to store money and have fun with it. Some new cars you can make money on, mostly Ferrari's and others of the ilk. For example you probably could have made a quick $500k-$700k if you could flip an Enzo. But how many people can play in that league? However this is not investing it is speculating, very different things.

So buy cars to drive and waste money on. Thats it, sometimes you get lucky and they only cost you a few cents per mile to drive but overall you lose.

This is very true of old high end cars like MB's. Parts cost more and they tend to be more expensive to get right. These cars are very good at eating up money. If you want a cheap ride either drive a MB into the ground or buy a late model Toyota.

I agree with all who said that you cannot get back the investment on your car. I always thought money spent on a classic car, restoring it can be a good investment, but look at the link below. This seller spent $33,000 (that's what he said) on a 1965 300SE, and that's not including his labor. He is now selling it for $22K+. This is pretty bad investment to me!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-300-Series-300SE-1965-Mercedes-Benz-300SE-W112_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6330QQitemZ4598364375QQrdZ1

The initial purchase price for that car was probably $7500-9000 in 1965 dollars. That would be a divine car to have. The sound of the 300 engine is a very unique roar.

Hopefully, over time, you can limit your costs to $1K per year, on average. I'm not anywhere near that number yet for the SD and the SDL, but, I remain ever hopeful.
Good Luck. :D

Well put everyone, especially Brian's detailed post. What can I say? You guys have all said what I had in my mind. Bottom line: always expect to lose money when you buy an old luxury car and bring it up to great shape and then try to sell it right away without using it for a while to "recover" what you put into it.

As for me, I don't know what my 300SD has been costing me per year, but I know that a few months ago I paid for a new 300SD by repairing mine after the accident. The amount of money I spent would have easily bought one like it.

Just to help you.:D
I will generously take the SL off your hands for $500.00 so I can install an OM617...:D :D
When can I pick it up??? LOL :D

Come on man... he already promised to sell the car to me. So BACK OFF!! ;)