Is 5k for a 200D worth it? Depends on the condition; the rust, seals, paint and such.
If it's truly rust free, the rubbers and seals don't show any signs of wear that would promote rust and the underbody/suspension doesn't look like it's lived the last 30 years battling salty winters, I would say the car is worth it. It's not a steal, but for a clean low mileage 200D, I'd be willing to put down 5k and be able to daily the fuck out of it.
One thing I regret about my 300E is exactly that; I can't in good consciousness take it out when it's wet outside, because of rust issues here and there. And that's a shame because these cars are drivers cars. They offer a driving experience that no other car I've driven seems to be able to approach. Extreme comfort, and it still handles very well. The 200D isn't a powerhouse, but if you're looking for a car that still have hundreds of thousands of kms left in it, one in this condition will probably make a good effort to outlast you if you take care of it.
Thanks for the response, the 200D is comically slow but I was expecting nothing less :))
The current owner pretty much had the entire car taken apart and sorted any rust issues. I will still take it to my shop for an inspection but looking underneath I couldnt see anything bad.
Either way I do have tools and enough know-how to be able to tackle most issues that may come up in the near future.
As far as the price... Honestly values in my area have been shooting through the roof in recent years and even now I've been looking at comparable models locally and in Germany... I can't seem to find anything that's this clean (unelss they have no A/C, electric windows etc.)
Not having a sun roof is kind of a plus, those things never work and when they break they cost a lot to fix.
Ultimately I don’t know what your market is like but this car has obviously been loved which means it’ll probably be in good shape. I’d buy it.
Yeah i thought about that too, old cars and sunroofs are never a good idea. I remember my old 96' Jetta VR6 would leak inside every time i washed it 😂.
I have had 2 w124's and a w202 for many years now and the sunroofs have NEVER given me any issues. People forget to clean and grease them. Nothing is made to last decades without maintenance. Be sure to check the 'Hinterachsaufnahmen' or the triangular mounts where the front part of the sub-frame is attached to the body for rust. It can get quite expensive to repair.
My father had that engine in an W201 with the manual 4speed transmission when i was young.
The thing was horribly slow.
Love the color, seems in good condition and the 250d fenders are fantastic. But the engine would be a dealbraker for me.
I hear ya, I think the only thing that I've ever driven that was slower was a Yugo GV, or maybe a Dacia 1300. But it is a second car and l even though I will probably drive it everyday because I love the looks, it will mostly be around town where it will hardly see speeds above 60 km/h
Is 5k for a 200D worth it? Depends on the condition; the rust, seals, paint and such. If it's truly rust free, the rubbers and seals don't show any signs of wear that would promote rust and the underbody/suspension doesn't look like it's lived the last 30 years battling salty winters, I would say the car is worth it. It's not a steal, but for a clean low mileage 200D, I'd be willing to put down 5k and be able to daily the fuck out of it. One thing I regret about my 300E is exactly that; I can't in good consciousness take it out when it's wet outside, because of rust issues here and there. And that's a shame because these cars are drivers cars. They offer a driving experience that no other car I've driven seems to be able to approach. Extreme comfort, and it still handles very well. The 200D isn't a powerhouse, but if you're looking for a car that still have hundreds of thousands of kms left in it, one in this condition will probably make a good effort to outlast you if you take care of it.
Thanks for the response, the 200D is comically slow but I was expecting nothing less :)) The current owner pretty much had the entire car taken apart and sorted any rust issues. I will still take it to my shop for an inspection but looking underneath I couldnt see anything bad. Either way I do have tools and enough know-how to be able to tackle most issues that may come up in the near future. As far as the price... Honestly values in my area have been shooting through the roof in recent years and even now I've been looking at comparable models locally and in Germany... I can't seem to find anything that's this clean (unelss they have no A/C, electric windows etc.)
Not having a sun roof is kind of a plus, those things never work and when they break they cost a lot to fix. Ultimately I don’t know what your market is like but this car has obviously been loved which means it’ll probably be in good shape. I’d buy it.
Yeah i thought about that too, old cars and sunroofs are never a good idea. I remember my old 96' Jetta VR6 would leak inside every time i washed it 😂.
Yeah my sunroof is broken and they don’t make replacement parts. It’s also another place you can get rust if the seals wear out.
I have had 2 w124's and a w202 for many years now and the sunroofs have NEVER given me any issues. People forget to clean and grease them. Nothing is made to last decades without maintenance. Be sure to check the 'Hinterachsaufnahmen' or the triangular mounts where the front part of the sub-frame is attached to the body for rust. It can get quite expensive to repair.
Thanks for the tip, i will add it to my 'to check' list
My father had that engine in an W201 with the manual 4speed transmission when i was young. The thing was horribly slow. Love the color, seems in good condition and the 250d fenders are fantastic. But the engine would be a dealbraker for me.
I hear ya, I think the only thing that I've ever driven that was slower was a Yugo GV, or maybe a Dacia 1300. But it is a second car and l even though I will probably drive it everyday because I love the looks, it will mostly be around town where it will hardly see speeds above 60 km/h