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!
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.
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
$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.
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 $3000.00 more. Seems the more I spend, the deeper my love for her becomes.
@@pbgd3lol agree couldn't break it Just servicable parts it needed and well worth it Will last another 100k with regular servicing without the same parts if all of them needinf replaced. Proper diesel that
Agree my dad had a newer 124 w 300d non Turbo.. 112hp Went very well.. You can distinguish the sound of the older 2.5. 5cyl . 3.0 6cyl diesels a mile off if you have been around them.
5K is dirt cheap for resurrection budget. Even adding a donor car. For that kind of money, the work is immaculate. It looks like old factory, and thus tripled itself in the value of the car. Good investment.
I'd also say that they'd probably added another 20 years to this cool car. So sub 10K on a good commuter car that will last post 10 years sounds pretty good to me.
@@AlexHardtAnimation they are justifiable only because they wanted that specific car to be on the road again. A couple of years ago I got an immaculate "showroom ready" Mercedes C 220 CDI Sport Edition from 2006 with 43kkm (less than 30000miles) and all the yearly maintenance done in Mercedes, for 8500$...
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.
@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 :)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Agree there didn't even need that much the engine was super dry.. The biggest labour repair was the loom. Eaten because of the mice issue. He got one used and wouldn't be as big a job to replace compared to a modern Mercedes benz as their isn't that many electric gadgets to worry about.
I recently bought a Honda Civic with a lot of work done to it for only $2,000. It already had a JDM engine, transmission, and Integra spindle and brake swap. Most of the work was done around 2013 and the car had just been driven since without repairing the issues that came up. I spent around $4,000 completely upgrading all the suspension, bearings, bushings, new brakes, tune up, engine and body work. This is with me doing all the work myself. I still have to replace the timing belt and rebuild the transmission. This will cost me about another $2k. The car still wont be perfect, it also needs some paint and more body work. For the people saying the Wizzard is being harsh or only cares about money, no he is telling you the cold hard truth. A lot of people think they can go buy a car for $2k that on the surface looks like a good deal but they don't realize how much money it is going to take to fully sort out the car or even just get it roadworthy. When he first showed this car I figured it was going to be in the $5-6k range to repair. They think with the donor car that the parts should be free not realizing the job has double labor for taking the parts off the donor car and putting it on the other one. If you want to do it yourself go ahead but most people don't have the tools, the knowledge, the time, the workspace, the money or the skills to do the job themselves. The Wizzard isn't your financial advisor, he is a mechanic. If you don't have the money to do the job that isn't his problem, he just fixes the cars and charges you for his time and skills. Good luck finding a mechanic who will work on an old Mercedes like this and get the job done for less. I think $5k was fair for the time and work involved.
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!!
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
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!
@@lesstyranny2695lol totally agree with that. My dad a 300d 124 W saloon non Turbo auto. In 97 to 2015 was a daily driver.. I'm a mechanic and basic servicing and brakes etc.. Never missed a beat.. Engine was dry and clean. Plenty of room. I put it down to older mechanical diesel pump and injectors no modern sensors and went very well indeed. Would take on any older Mercedes benz diesel car at a whim PRE 2001. after that went down hill I'm afraid. More technical indeed
@@MP-po6fj well said, times have def changed but this generation of cars and the few after is really what put Mercedes on the map in terms of reliability and longevity. I suspect quite a few of these old diesels will outlast cars made today if they get their basic maintenance and avoid rusty (salted roads) environments.
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!
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!
Donor car way to go or an old classic if you have the room to store or know somewhere save a fortune on used parts. Mind you the old Saabs and Volvos pre 2003. Especially the superb diesel volvo D5 engine needed nothing.. Mate has one.. Bought one for spares.. Has taken nothing off the donor.
"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.
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...
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.
My old landlord has a 63 220sb that didn't run but I got it running. The twin carbs Kits came from Germany and the instructions were written in German which I don't read. It was interesting to say the least.
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.
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?
I've got an w124 300d in pristine condition with 117k km and FIVA certificate that it is roadworthy and still i find lots of things to change because they're old cars and if you want to keep'em running you have to bite the bullet. I just put 1000 usd on regular maintenance, few rubber bushings for the shifter, a relay and serpentine belt and tensioners.
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.
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.
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.
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. :-)
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.
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.
@@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.
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 ‘
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.
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.
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.
Good Video @Car Wizard But Dooode Cheer Up Stop with the Negative waves We get it! Just show the work and Go for a drive and show how lovely the old thing is!! You are so lucky over there at least you can fix wiring But in the North of Ireland We have a ferocious amount of "Tin Worm" when we get old stuff to work on Probably not as Bad as @Fitzee's Fabrications or @Deboss Garage up in Canada But winter salt is a vehicle killer up here
These cars are still worth the restoration costs because even then they cost way less than a more modern MB, while at the same time they are far better cars. They represent something you can drive for the next 10 years at least and amortise the restoration costs over that time. And you have the satisfaction of driving one of the world's best cars - trouble-free.. Unlike the computer-laden buckets of trouble around these days.
Totally agree older gen MBs were the best built same era as Saab bmw and audi pre 2003 cars where the best. My dad had a 91 300d auto non Turbo Mercedes benz in 97 to 2011.. Never missed a beat.. In a indie mechanic so worked on his and others back then seen how durable they were.. Last a lifetime those will.. Rust will wreck the chassis before the engine will give up
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
@@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.
@@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.
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.
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 !!!!
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.
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.
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
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.
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 .
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.
The thing about spending money on old cars which are heading towards classic / collectable status is that you will always recoup most of what you spent. My last 3 cars were a 1985 Porsche 911 carreira, a 2001 e39 m5 and a 1997 landcruiser 80 series. I sold the porsche for a 75% profit (inflation excluded) after 16 years, having put 100 000 miles on it and simply paid for whatever needed fixing (total around $ 1500). The m5 was sold a few months ago, having cost me about the same for similar milage, but I only got about 70% of what I paid for it 15vyears ago.. I am now left with the landcruiser, which I spend minor money on regularly. Things like shocks, tyres, a door lock motor & a widow motor, some seals for the front axle and the most expensive being a $400 radiator. Good thing is that I can sell it now for about what I paid for it 10 years ago.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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
Great work as always Wizard. At 18:05 you start talking about something that I also really relate to and that is: doing a job properly takes time, money and expertise, no way around that.
$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.
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.
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.
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.
I'm a firm believer in restoring an old reliable diesel and this particular model will benefit from the new parts fitted and drive another 100k.bar servicing trouble free. So well worth it.. These engines will do 500k before cyl head rework eaaily
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.
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.
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).
@@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.
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.
‘86 560sl Owned 25 years, 80K on odo and in really good shape. Half it’s life in the Northeast was not kind so most repairs are due to old age, not overuse. Maintaining A/C and all Vac actuated vents working properly is extremely challenging on these cars. Engine bulletproof though. I DIY what I can. Final resting place is So FL. My other car is an Audi ‘01 A6 bi-turbo which I alone maintain and you know how hard that is. Keep the great videos coming Mr & Mrs Wizard!
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)
@@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 :)
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.
I have an 82 240d that I have driven 47,000 miles, mostly on a 70 mile round trip commute for a couple years. It is retired now, like me.I am familiar with most everything you spoke of.on these cars. I appreciate you discussing costs, even where I disagree occasionally, being upfront is all you can ask of a mechanic. No one is perfect, and I feel free to no longer require your services if I feel dissatisfied. That’s it!
You did a great job on this car. I consider $5k a bargain for all that work. I expected it would be more like $10,000. I don't see an underhood pad though, which I would consider a necessity. They only cost around $75 and reduce engine noise considerably.
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.
@@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.
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.
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
@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.
Wizard Totally impressed with your skills. I owned MB this vintage for 20 years and they are beautiful cars made to last forever if you have the right mechanic. I sure loved those cars. They were some of the best cars i ever owned. Great content You reminded me of all the repairs over the years. This car has low miles for all those repairs. I had several with over 300K that did not have all those issues. I think this car has a lot more miles than it shows
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.
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 👍👍
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
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!
Your dad has me beat by a few - I currently drive a 300TDT - and I agree with you - best car ever.
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.
It is a bit more than 30 years since 1983
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
$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.
I was thinking maybe the voltage regulator could of fixed the old alternator
*Simple answer: because this beauty deserves it!* 💗
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.
Problem with these w123 is the thing probably was running and driving even with all that busted.
Absolutely
@@pbgd3lol agree couldn't break it
Just servicable parts it needed and well worth it
Will last another 100k with regular servicing without the same parts if all of them needinf replaced.
Proper diesel that
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.
The OM617 is one of the most amazing, best sounding engines ever made! So happy this project is done. Great work, Wizard!
OM603 is even better
Agree my dad had a newer 124 w 300d non Turbo.. 112hp
Went very well.. You can distinguish the sound of the older 2.5. 5cyl . 3.0 6cyl diesels a mile off if you have been around them.
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.
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.
@@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$...
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.
@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 :)
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.
Simple answer: because this beauty deserves it!
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.
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
i think you are underestimating this old boi, it will bury us all with proper care
Ten years?! Ha! this can easily go for another 25 years
Haha i agree, but hopefully she understands that given that she wants this car in the first place
There was a label from factory. I believe on the inside.
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.
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.
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
The MB shop near me chargers 140$ and that’s a independent shop
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.
@@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.
Agree there didn't even need that much the engine was super dry.. The biggest labour repair was the loom. Eaten because of the mice issue.
He got one used and wouldn't be as big a job to replace compared to a modern Mercedes benz as their isn't that many electric gadgets to worry about.
I recently bought a Honda Civic with a lot of work done to it for only $2,000. It already had a JDM engine, transmission, and Integra spindle and brake swap. Most of the work was done around 2013 and the car had just been driven since without repairing the issues that came up. I spent around $4,000 completely upgrading all the suspension, bearings, bushings, new brakes, tune up, engine and body work. This is with me doing all the work myself. I still have to replace the timing belt and rebuild the transmission. This will cost me about another $2k. The car still wont be perfect, it also needs some paint and more body work. For the people saying the Wizzard is being harsh or only cares about money, no he is telling you the cold hard truth. A lot of people think they can go buy a car for $2k that on the surface looks like a good deal but they don't realize how much money it is going to take to fully sort out the car or even just get it roadworthy. When he first showed this car I figured it was going to be in the $5-6k range to repair. They think with the donor car that the parts should be free not realizing the job has double labor for taking the parts off the donor car and putting it on the other one. If you want to do it yourself go ahead but most people don't have the tools, the knowledge, the time, the workspace, the money or the skills to do the job themselves. The Wizzard isn't your financial advisor, he is a mechanic. If you don't have the money to do the job that isn't his problem, he just fixes the cars and charges you for his time and skills. Good luck finding a mechanic who will work on an old Mercedes like this and get the job done for less. I think $5k was fair for the time and work involved.
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!!
Mr Wizard: The bill just keeps going up
Hoovies Bentley in the background : Am I a joke to you?
That's the car that'll pay for the yacht.
darkiee69 the yacht was $6000 so I think that’s already happened 😂
Chris Pofahl
Jesus Christ, $6000? I could buy a second gen Prius from a used car lot for that. That’s cheap as hell
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
Poopsticle_256 yep. Of course he’s having to do engine work so that’s gone up, but the initial purchase was $6000 😂
You made a good point. The customer wanted THAT car brought back to life. And you did it.
This engine looks enjoyable to work on. Compared to most modern crammed engines...
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!
@@lesstyranny2695lol totally agree with that. My dad a 300d 124 W saloon non Turbo auto.
In 97 to 2015 was a daily driver.. I'm a mechanic and basic servicing and brakes etc.. Never missed a beat.. Engine was dry and clean.
Plenty of room.
I put it down to older mechanical diesel pump and injectors no modern sensors and went very well indeed.
Would take on any older Mercedes benz diesel car at a whim PRE
2001.
after that went down hill I'm afraid.
More technical indeed
@@MP-po6fj well said, times have def changed but this generation of cars and the few after is really what put Mercedes on the map in terms of reliability and longevity. I suspect quite a few of these old diesels will outlast cars made today if they get their basic maintenance and avoid rusty (salted roads) environments.
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!
Props to Junior Mint for all the hard work he put into this mechanical restoration!
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!
Donor car way to go or an old classic if you have the room to store or know somewhere save a fortune on used parts.
Mind you the old Saabs and Volvos pre 2003. Especially the superb diesel volvo D5 engine needed nothing.. Mate has one.. Bought one for spares..
Has taken nothing off the donor.
Very nice to see these cars being saved. One day we really gonna miss them.
"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.
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...
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.
My old landlord has a 63 220sb that didn't run but I got it running. The twin carbs Kits came from Germany and the instructions were written in German which I don't read. It was interesting to say the least.
5K to give dads car a second life is so worth it... and it's the wizards handy work... win/win!!
'So, I'll carry on leaving it like that'
spoken like a true car dealership!😃🤣
This is why I'm glad my father showed me how to work on cars I've saved so much money
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.
@@imnotarob0t1984fare points I wouldn't show them either it's his bread and butter
Smart man
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.
$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
500 Dollars US last year bought the 1964 Mercedes w110 heckflosse 200d I drove 300kms today (max speed 70mph).
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?
Not at all. You can grab a late 80s 300TD wagon for 3 grand here in Indiana...and it's a daily.
@@longdonglarry a 2004 Lexus LS430
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.
I've got an w124 300d in pristine condition with 117k km and FIVA certificate that it is roadworthy and still i find lots of things to change because they're old cars and if you want to keep'em running you have to bite the bullet. I just put 1000 usd on regular maintenance, few rubber bushings for the shifter, a relay and serpentine belt and tensioners.
Sounds like the wizard started filming after someone was trying to haggle on their bill...
I think you’re right.
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.
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.
He's genuinely pissed off with the owner of this car.
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.
Wish we could have seen a test drive video for the Mercedes.
Great video!!!!
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,,
“We are not going to do things without being paid”
17:31 Couldn’t you at least center the badge on the steering wheel😂
And get rid of the rats nest in the spring - sloppy.
He said that the owner would handle the interior, paint and other cosmetic details.
Make sure the horn works...15 minutes labor at $95 per hour.
That's the mantra of the American car mechanic. Then they'll rant up and down that the customers are the problem.
@@petrosaguilar8916 They often are.
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. :-)
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.
I love how you seem so proud to point out every little thing you charged the customer for, seems a bit off putting.
I agree!
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.
It's a PSA. Dreamers, this is your reality check.
@@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.
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 ‘
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.
Lol laughed at that aunty dogged the old car and still clocked 400k.
Well done old MB W123 300d xxxx.
Hence the pun
Un breakable
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.
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.
Good Video @Car Wizard But Dooode Cheer Up Stop with the Negative waves
We get it! Just show the work and Go for a drive and show how lovely the old thing is!! You are so lucky over there at least you can fix wiring But in the North of Ireland We have a ferocious amount of "Tin Worm" when we get old stuff to work on
Probably not as Bad as @Fitzee's Fabrications or @Deboss Garage up in Canada But winter salt is a vehicle killer up here
These cars are still worth the restoration costs because even then they cost way less than a more modern MB, while at the same time they are far better cars. They represent something you can drive for the next 10 years at least and amortise the restoration costs over that time. And you have the satisfaction of driving one of the world's best cars - trouble-free.. Unlike the computer-laden buckets of trouble around these days.
Totally agree older gen MBs were the best built same era as Saab bmw and audi pre 2003 cars where the best.
My dad had a 91 300d auto non Turbo Mercedes benz in 97 to 2011.. Never missed a beat.. In a indie mechanic so worked on his and others back then seen how durable they were..
Last a lifetime those will.. Rust will wreck the chassis before the engine will give up
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.
Cars cost their owners loads when they gain sentimental attachment status but what can you do....
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.
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.
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!
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.
Here in the UK, if you're caught using red diesel on the road you will have a very bad day.
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!
Same here in Finland. Would be extremely expensive. Thousands at minimum.
Whats the difference between the 2?
@@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.
@@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.
Driving this beauty behind an upside down MB STAR on the wheel would drive me batty!!!!!!!!
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.
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 !!!!
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.
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.
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
Perhaps you should say, "thank goodness for that donor car, it made me a lot of free money!"
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.
@@EmyrDerfel and he did pay for the donor car as well.
I know isnt capitalism wild??
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 .
What a great review! I love the old W123’s, they were taxi cabs back in the day when I was stationed in Germany.
they are still driving as taxis in many parts of Africa. one million kilometers on such a diesel engine is totally doable.
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.
I think 5 grand is a bargain to have all that work performed by an honest man who really knows what he is doing ! 👍👍👍👍
Agreed
It is, you're not going to find a 300d in that condition for 5 grand
The thing about spending money on old cars which are heading towards classic / collectable status is that you will always recoup most of what you spent.
My last 3 cars were a 1985 Porsche 911 carreira, a 2001 e39 m5 and a 1997 landcruiser 80 series.
I sold the porsche for a 75% profit (inflation excluded) after 16 years, having put 100 000 miles on it and simply paid for whatever needed fixing (total around $ 1500). The m5 was sold a few months ago, having cost me about the same for similar milage, but I only got about 70% of what I paid for it 15vyears ago..
I am now left with the landcruiser, which I spend minor money on regularly. Things like shocks, tyres, a door lock motor & a widow motor, some seals for the front axle and the most expensive being a $400 radiator.
Good thing is that I can sell it now for about what I paid for it 10 years ago.
The ‘84 Merc is a tank. His daughter is in a safe car.
Its everyone else who's in danger. 🤣🤣🤣
$5K well spent
I mean crumple zones are technically safer.
That's bs. Sorry!
It's safe for the era but not anywhere near modern cars. It's slowness makes it safer though.
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.
Nice video. Glad that you were able to make the classic road worthy again.
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!
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!
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!
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.
It's extremely economical, compared to a new car.
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.
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.
They were "just cars" back then bro
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.
What a waste
@@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
BMW M2 and that would be awesome
Great work as always Wizard. At 18:05 you start talking about something that I also really relate to and that is: doing a job properly takes time, money and expertise, no way around that.
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.
You are missing the cap on the transmission modulator. The little adjustment key is going to fall out, plus you will have a vacuum leak.
It's like an infomercial with the list of work needed. "But wait, There's more!"
$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.
They wouldn't have the knowledge wizard has.. High end garages that do wouldn't let you in the workshop with a camera for sure
Wizard spent too much time trying to justify the cost and gives the impression that he's a penny pincher.
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.
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.
Beautiful car…..
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.
I'm a firm believer in restoring an old reliable diesel and this particular model will benefit from the new parts fitted and drive another 100k.bar servicing trouble free.
So well worth it.. These engines will do 500k before cyl head rework eaaily
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.
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.
HA🤣 you think a girl’s EVER GONNA LOOK UNDER THERE? For god’s sake!
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).
@@shaneb1313 LOL for she drive this car with this design, she MUST love cars.
@@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.
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.
‘86 560sl Owned 25 years, 80K on odo and in really good shape. Half it’s life in the Northeast was not kind so most repairs are due to old age, not overuse. Maintaining A/C and all Vac actuated vents working properly is extremely challenging on these cars. Engine bulletproof though. I DIY what I can. Final resting place is So FL. My other car is an Audi ‘01 A6 bi-turbo which I alone maintain and you know how hard that is. Keep the great videos coming Mr & Mrs Wizard!
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)
Ih
Mister wizard these cars go forever you know this !! 409k on mine running perfect
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)
Christophe Zydek If you notice, he said it “pays about five hours”. He didn’t say that it takes five hours.
@@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 :)
Not all the same! Some take longer than others. Do one yourself sometime, you’ll soon realize!
I would prefer someone taking more time but doing it right than someone rushing the work
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.
I have an 82 240d that I have driven 47,000 miles, mostly on a 70 mile round trip commute for a couple years. It is retired now, like me.I am familiar with most everything you spoke of.on these cars. I appreciate you discussing costs, even where I disagree occasionally, being upfront is all you can ask of a mechanic. No one is perfect, and I feel free to no longer require your services if I feel dissatisfied. That’s it!
You did a great job on this car. I consider $5k a bargain for all that work. I expected it would be more like $10,000. I don't see an underhood pad though, which I would consider a necessity. They only cost around $75 and reduce engine noise considerably.
10k? Now you’re reaching
Beautiful car beautiful work love you’re videos
Restorations NEVER stay on budget when you're restoring automobiles
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.
@@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.
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.
Great project. I've loved these old Mercedes since working at an Audi dealership when these were being traded-in. Great second car.
I'm sure his dad would be proud seeing it running and his granddaughter driving around in it. Well done all 😀😀
Totally worth the money, nice car!
Do you dream of money? I know it’s what we all work for but you do hammer it.
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??
@@E34Benzin is how it works. Is work in a shop.
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.
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.
He SHOULD! Successful people DO! That’s why they’re successful! (Edited)
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.
Sounds like the owner should have brought the donor vehicle.
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.
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
@@kgisabeast Some of the parts are not obtainable new or cost a fortune.
Remember
It takes time to remove the parts too
Mechanics would rather have delivered....
@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.
Probably didn’t need to replace the alternator; there is a small voltage regulator that wears down over time. Easy fix and cheap part.
Now THIS is what makes this channel great !!!! Awesome!!! Too bad the owner didn’t want to redo the interior.
Wizard Totally impressed with your skills. I owned MB this vintage for 20 years and they are beautiful cars made to last forever if you have the right mechanic. I sure loved those cars. They were some of the best cars i ever owned. Great content You reminded me of all the repairs over the years. This car has low miles for all those repairs. I had several with over 300K that did not have all those issues. I think this car has a lot more miles than it shows
There seems to be a rat's nest inside the front suspension spring. Visible at 11:00
Oh shit it needs another resto
Wizard mentioned that it will blow away once the car hits the highway.
Yeah, I would have dragged that out with a screwdriver. That won't blow out
Time to get out the air compressor
It should be picked out with a screwdriver and then blown out.
Let’s not get lazy at the end...
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.
Seeing this car brought back to a daily driver status was enjoyable. Liked this series on this car.
I switched off when the wizard when on and on and on about the hourly labour charge and cost...
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 👍👍
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
You have done well Wizard. Nice to see this old girl back on the road.
I don't know much about Mercedes but is the emblem upside down on the steering wheel?
It is indeed.
@@grandtourerpt He definitely would...