Why I've never broken down in a Classic Mercedes (in 15 years)

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I’d still far rather be in my W140 , or even one of my W126s than some cr@ppy Euro econobox if I was going to have a crash . Especially if I was going to be rear ended by a truck on the motorway ; situations where most small cars won’t leave you any survival space . I am absolutely horrified when I see so many tiny hatchbacks where rear seat passengers are only about a foot from the back bumper - their chances of survival must be close to zero if caught in the sandwich that is a rear end shunt .

The clip below sums it up ; notwithstanding airbags , ABS , ESP etc etc , newer cars still aren’t structurally that much stronger than the ones that were completely crushed in the impact , leaving no space for survival.

That is why a big , solid car , with an effective safety cell , and decent sized crumple zones is still the safest place to be - because when all your active safety has been used up , or when a large vehicle runs into you , you rely on the passive safety in your car . Even that W126 , quite an old car now , still has its merits .

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Yet the statistics still favour modern cars for safety.
 
Hello all, just thought I would ask if anyone on this thread has used a W114/115 as their daily drive? Love the way the car looks, trying to convince myself if might be worth a punt!!
 
In essence there are three ways to run a car.

1) Throw money (outright sale or lease deals ) at it and enjoy the warranty and the peace of mind that comes from that and the rescue packages included. Depending on budget, you can have all that you want without the breakdown liability. The only downside might be if your car's repairs are taking so long that you tire of the lesser(?) courtesy car provided. Expect to be replacing the car every three years so an ongoing cost.

2) Most common, run a car that is more than three years old, accept the possibility of repair bills arriving unannounced and consider buying additional warranties to mitigate against that. The older the car, the more extreme does this become until at some point it becomes financially unviable and as there is no demand for such a vehicle it is scrapped.

3) Run something akin to a classic that was probably expensive when bought new, has features and qualities unique to it, and are willing to put in the effort to return it to its former glory and maintain it as such. Pontoneer's W140 would be a good example. A basic machine in terms of maintenance but still sophisticated enough to offer an enjoyable driving experience.

Categories 1 and 3 though are nearly mutually exclusive. To be in category 1 probably denies you the skills for category 3. Category 3 dwellers probably cannot afford category 1 - well not for the type of vehicle they prefer. But have the time and skills to do as outlined re maintenance. That could be done by anyone handing over maintenance to another if they are prepared to pay for it. But what they wont get is the sense of involvement that working on a car and then experiencing the immediate benefits the next time they drive it. It can become very compelling. Every act of work on it yields a result and the driver is the first to know if the result is good or bad and what to do in the case of the latter. Achieving reliability such that warranties and breakdown cover should be avoidable if done diligently. In short, an immensely rewarding and engaging experience that 'car as commodity' owners will never experience. Just as the absolute peace of mind that comes with new will be denied them.
Category 2 - a minefield.
 
In essence there are three ways to run a car...

An interesting perspective which is, as another might note, a bit of a generalisation. No?

I could go out (I was going to say tomorrow, but you know what I mean) and buy or lease any car in the Mercedes catalogue but could not stomach the prospect of being tied into an interminable contract or seeing 20% value disappearing as I drive off the forecourt. (I saw c.20% of something else disappear in 2008, but at least I got it all back again over the next year or so...)

There may be some on the Forum who do not know, or have forgotten, my car-buying "history":

I've only owned nine cars in the last 50 years and the previous one was a 300CE-24 bought in 1997. I px'd it in 2001 for the present E320 coupe. The transaction was by phone with a former MB dealership in Brighton - they took my car unseen and I bought their car unseen. I drove from Edinburgh to Brighton and back in the day and 19 years on is evidence enough that the deal was a success.

Of course, there have been some unannounced repair bills - wiring loom being the most costly as well as a rear suspension rebuild - but, like a Rolls Royce, the car has never failed to proceed. As you infer, costs can be a minefield but they can be offset against notional or actual depreciation. Being somewhat anally-retentive and unable to cast off a previous life in finance, my meticulous records show that, excluding the purchase price, over forty-four thousand of my dodgily-earned pounds have been lavished on the bugger. To be fair, tax, insurance and fuel are unavoidable so it works out at c.50p per mile.

I don't do any DIY but can assure you I do get a very intense feeling of involvement whenever my wallet is is produced from the vault.

"In short, an immensely rewarding and engaging experience that 'car as commodity' owners will never experience."

Agree.
 
In essence there are three ways to run a car.

1) Throw money (outright sale or lease deals ) at it and enjoy the warranty and the peace of mind that comes from that and the rescue packages included. Depending on budget, you can have all that you want without the breakdown liability. The only downside might be if your car's repairs are taking so long that you tire of the lesser(?) courtesy car provided. Expect to be replacing the car every three years so an ongoing cost.

2) Most common, run a car that is more than three years old, accept the possibility of repair bills arriving unannounced and consider buying additional warranties to mitigate against that. The older the car, the more extreme does this become until at some point it becomes financially unviable and as there is no demand for such a vehicle it is scrapped.

3) Run something akin to a classic that was probably expensive when bought new, has features and qualities unique to it, and are willing to put in the effort to return it to its former glory and maintain it as such. Pontoneer's W140 would be a good example. A basic machine in terms of maintenance but still sophisticated enough to offer an enjoyable driving experience.

Categories 1 and 3 though are nearly mutually exclusive. To be in category 1 probably denies you the skills for category 3. Category 3 dwellers probably cannot afford category 1 - well not for the type of vehicle they prefer. But have the time and skills to do as outlined re maintenance. That could be done by anyone handing over maintenance to another if they are prepared to pay for it. But what they wont get is the sense of involvement that working on a car and then experiencing the immediate benefits the next time they drive it. It can become very compelling. Every act of work on it yields a result and the driver is the first to know if the result is good or bad and what to do in the case of the latter. Achieving reliability such that warranties and breakdown cover should be avoidable if done diligently. In short, an immensely rewarding and engaging experience that 'car as commodity' owners will never experience. Just as the absolute peace of mind that comes with new will be denied them.
Category 2 - a minefield.

That’s for the comprehensive response! I think your observations about three categories of car buying are interesting. I totally agree with the sentiment that if you are willing to put in a bit of effort you will get a lot out of classic ownership. My wife decided to sell her much loved Ford Kuga to free up some cash, and we ended up buying her a 10 year old Honda Jazz. Whilst this is by no means a classic, it’s the first time in years that I have had the need to repair any minor failing, e.g bulbs, air filters, worn steering wheel, etc.... and it is so satisfying to know the few quid it is costing to keep in good order are resulting in virtually depreciation proof ownership...
 
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An interesting perspective which is, as another might note, a bit of a generalisation. No?

I could go out (I was going to say tomorrow, but you know what I mean) and buy or lease any car in the Mercedes catalogue but could not stomach the prospect of being tied into an interminable contract or seeing 20% value disappearing as I drive off the forecourt. (I saw c.20% of something else disappear in 2008, but at least I got it all back again over the next year or so...)

There may be some on the Forum who do not know, or have forgotten, my car-buying "history":

I've only owned nine cars in the last 50 years and the previous one was a 300CE-24 bought in 1997. I px'd it in 2001 for the present E320 coupe. The transaction was by phone with a former MB dealership in Brighton - they took my car unseen and I bought their car unseen. I drove from Edinburgh to Brighton and back in the day and 19 years on is evidence enough that the deal was a success.

Of course, there have been some unannounced repair bills - wiring loom being the most costly as well as a rear suspension rebuild - but, like a Rolls Royce, the car has never failed to proceed. As you infer, costs can be a minefield but they can be offset against notional or actual depreciation. Being somewhat anally-retentive and unable to cast off a previous life in finance, my meticulous records show that, excluding the purchase price, over forty-four thousand of my dodgily-earned pounds have been lavished on the bugger. To be fair, tax, insurance and fuel are unavoidable so it works out at c.50p per mile.

I don't do any DIY but can assure you I do get a very intense feeling of involvement whenever my wallet is is produced from the vault.

"In short, an immensely rewarding and engaging experience that 'car as commodity' owners will never experience."

Agree.

Very interesting! I would love to see the breakdown of the £44k! And if you are ever tempted to sell I’m sure someone will be getting a bargain!!
 
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Yet the statistics still favour modern cars for safety.
I would agree that you might well be better off in a W221 or W222 than a W140 ; something comparable ; but I would most certainly feel safer in my W140 if I was going to be rear ended by a truck or a bus than in something like a Nissan Micra or a Toyota Yaris which just has nothing round about you to protect you . My car still surrounds me with airbags , as well as a substantial safety cage and large crumple zones .
 
I would agree that you might well be better off in a W221 or W222 than a W140 ; something comparable ; but I would most certainly feel safer in my W140 if I was going to be rear ended by a truck or a bus than in something like a Nissan Micra or a Toyota Yaris which just has nothing round about you to protect you . My car still surrounds me with airbags , as well as a substantial safety cage and large crumple zones .

Are you on the piss?
 
Hello all, just thought I would ask if anyone on this thread has used a W114/115 as their daily drive? Love the way the car looks, trying to convince myself if might be worth a punt!!
I had both : I inherited my dad's W115 220/8 after passing my driving test when it was seven years old - great car ! I ran it for five years until I was involved in a head on crash when another car came round a bend on my side of the road . After that , I replaced it with my W114 280E ( my dad wasn't ready to give me his W123 which he'd replaced the W115 with ) and I ran that for around 11 years and covered over 200,000 miles in it .

I also had my Ponton (W105) and ran that as a daily for around 15 years , using it equally with the W114 , before retiring it and finally just parting with it around five years ago , after 34 years ownership .

As long as it is properly maintained , I wouldn't hesitate to use an older Merc as a daily driver .
 
I would agree that you might well be better off in a W221 or W222 than a W140 ; something comparable ; but I would most certainly feel safer in my W140 if I was going to be rear ended by a truck or a bus than in something like a Nissan Micra or a Toyota Yaris which just has nothing round about you to protect you . My car still surrounds me with airbags , as well as a substantial safety cage and large crumple zones .
I do not disagree with you Pontoneer generally re- bulk being a good thing in an impact but i seem to remember the crash tests of those tiny Smart cars were rather surprising in their results. Maybe just a very clever design.
 
I do not disagree with you Pontoneer generally re- bulk being a good thing in an impact but i seem to remember the crash tests of those tiny Smart cars were rather surprising in their results. Maybe just a very clever design.
I think the Smart car test showed its somewhat unique construction ( think there is a lot of titanium in the shell ? ) such that is is very rigid and it bounced off the concrete barrier with little deformation . But how would it cope in place of that Fiat Uno on the Fifth Gear test , which was sandwiched between cars in front ? That Uno was compressed to the point that the front and rear wheels were almost touching ; what small car could take that punishment and still leave survival space ? I also don't know that , despite the Smart body shell remaining surprisingly intact , that any occupant could have survived the declaration involved in that test .

I had to attend a fatal RTC involving a Vauxhall Nova which was hit head on by a Mitsubishi Evo coming the other way at circa 140mph ( our friends in the police worked that out from the skid marks ) and the poor girl was squashed by the dashboard which ended up behind the B pillar . Even the guy in the other car died , despite his being fitted with a full rally roll cage : he went sideways and his car ended up about 18" wide after sliding into the Nova . It was a pretty new car at the time .
 
I had both : I inherited my dad's W115 220/8 after passing my driving test when it was seven years old - great car ! I ran it for five years until I was involved in a head on crash when another car came round a bend on my side of the road . After that , I replaced it with my W114 280E ( my dad wasn't ready to give me his W123 which he'd replaced the W115 with ) and I ran that for around 11 years and covered over 200,000 miles in it .

I also had my Ponton (W105) and ran that as a daily for around 15 years , using it equally with the W114 , before retiring it and finally just parting with it around five years ago , after 34 years ownership .

As long as it is properly maintained , I wouldn't hesitate to use an older Merc as a daily driver .
Thanks for the response, good to hear that the legendary Merc reliability (at least the older ones 😂) was something you have enjoyed!
 
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Thanks for the response, good to hear that the legendary Merc reliability (at least the older ones 😂) was something you have enjoyed!
Like one or two others on here , I grew up in a 'Mercedes family' with my dad buying his first new one in 1964 , after a succession of Jaguars , Rovers , Fords and others , some of which I remember . We also had Land Rovers , and after the first Merc going in for its service and being given a VW Beetle as a courtesy car , we always had one in the family right up until they stopped making them . Besides Mercs , we have had countless VWs and Audis in the family as well .

I started with Mercs when I was 17 , have always had at least one , and am now 62 .
 
Super rigid shells aren't good either as the deceleration forces have to be absorbed somewhere and it tends to be inside the human body. Organs get severely traumatised, sometimes exploding due to sudden stops...
 
Like one or two others on here , I grew up in a 'Mercedes family' with my dad buying his first new one in 1964 , after a succession of Jaguars , Rovers , Fords and others , some of which I remember . We also had Land Rovers , and after the first Merc going in for its service and being given a VW Beetle as a courtesy car , we always had one in the family right up until they stopped making them . Besides Mercs , we have had countless VWs and Audis in the family as well .

I started with Mercs when I was 17 , have always had at least one , and am now 62 .

Yea my family had Volvos and MBs from the mid- 60s. No arguing that, in their time they & SAABS, were likely the safest cars on the road. However we have moved on and a shell of steel does not necessarily make it safer. I'm sure that proponents of the older 'tanks of steel' will find ways to "subjectively prove" that their cars are just as safe. However with all the statistics available there is ample empirical proof that modern cars are safer.
 

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