/cbg/ car buying general

Should i buy this nice chrysler stratus 2000

My '84 300D gets 25-30.

Idk why the fuck this picture's sideways.

>Unwritten rule that dealerships must be as scummy as possible
Must be. I was looking for a four wheel drive, five speed third gen Ford Explorer Sport.

Finally found one four hours downstate. Called ahead and asked if it was still available - it was. Talked to the salesman and asked a few questions. Explained to him I'm several hours away and I'll be down first thing the next morning. The pictures looked mint all around. However the picture of the rear of the vehicle was slightly out of focus and taken far away. I wasn't concerned as non of the pictures looked professional on any of their vehicles listed.

>Drove five hours downstate with a mate of mine
>When we get there I'm immediately attracted to the Sport
>Start walking around and my heart sank
>Body lines didn't line up, tires mismatched
>Rear bumper was resprayed, including the ball
>Body panels have been half assed repaired with a poor attempt at matching the red oem paint
>Underneath the vehicle was flaking rust, as if it's been sitting awhile
>Frame is flaking off 1/4" chunks of rust
>Interior is somewhat clean, but the pictures were deceiving

The guy I talked to on the phone came out and asked me what I thought of the Sport. I immediately started off with a pissy attitude as he lied to me about what I asked about on the phone. He told me older used vehicles have blemishes and he played it off as if we didn't talk about this on the phone.

At that point I didn't even want to test drive it, but the salesman insisted. Mate and I took off and it drove okay, but I was still upset about the condition of the exterior. After getting back from the test drive I offered 1400, which was 3100 less than the asking price. He came back and said 3800, I said 1400. He went down to 2900 but he wouldn't budge from there.

I didn't get the Sport.
>It only had 61k on the clock

shitty. also, why do you want the sport?

Longtime owner of many W123 and W126 models here. Do not buy these cars unless you are willing to take the maintenance AND most repairs, even major ones, on yourself.

Why? Parts are cheap and easy to find, and these cars drive and ride better than most new cars if they're maintained. But...because these are still, even 30-40 years later, high end luxury cars, the labor in a shop to work on them will be, even at an indy in the US, 100-150 USD per hour...and they take LOTS of labor.

You must be willing to dive in, learn about the car, and understand it, inside and out, so you can take care of it. If you're not willing to do that, these cars will cost you a lot of money.

So...learn...or pay..or buy something else. Those are your three choices.

thanks for the advice. do you know any good sources for learning how to work on a w126?

You're talking about a car and engine that is 15-25 years newer than a W123 with an OM616/OM617

A W202 is also a C-class. A better contemporaneous equivalent to a W123 is a W210. The W126 is the S-Class from then.

I'd take an OM616/617 over any OM engine that followed by a mile. But...they're like any machine. They all have to be maintained.

A W123 in good shape, well maintained, and kept healthy is a wonderful car - I drive one every day, and have no intention of ever driving anything else, really.

But I know the cars and can take care of them. Some people aren't into all that.

For whatever reason I like the looks of the third gen explorers.

The Sports of that generation use a solid rear axle instead of the IRS, have manual transmission options instead of the sealed automatics, different rear hatch that doesn't crack, and they're not prone to destruction of wheel bearings. The third gen explorers received worse vehicle on carcomplaints iirc. They're specifically referring to the automatic IRS setups.

I want an SUV for bombing around in trails and going camping. Trucks are nice, but the open bed makes keeping your gear dry difficult if you start throwing road debris upwards.

The S10 Blazer I had was an absolute treat to drive in the trails. For whatever reason I prefer SUVs over trucks.

Had a four door S10 Blazer for camping and I loved it. With the rear seats folded down my GF and I were able to sleep in the back when we went exploring the upper Michigan peninsula.

Factory service manual is a must. The W126 is an S-Class, so it's the most advanced car they made at the time. The M117 engines in them are great, but do have their trouble spots.

Cam oiler tubes can work loose, so that will need to be checked. The valve cover gaskets won't hurt to be replaced, so you can do it all at the same time.

Problem areas are timing chains/timing chain guides - they must be changed every 100k miles or 10-12 years. If you don't see absolute proof it was done on a car you're considering, plan on doing it. 2k plus at a shop, or 200 dollars and a day of work yourself. If the chain or a guide lets go, you've grenaded your engine.

Another problem area is rust on the bottom corners of the rear windscreens, from leaking seals around the window. Reach under from inside the trunk and you can feel it, if it's there.

Rear self-leveling suspension generally requires new accumulators - people neglect this. 500 bucks for parts and about 3 hours of work.

Expect to replace all the rubber bushings in the suspension, and budget for shocks. Again, people neglect this stuff. The difference in ride and handling will be dramatic. Also, drivetrain rubber (center bearing support, flex discs, diffential support) you can have a decent indy do every piece of rubber under the car for 3k or less.

Get the vacuum system working, perfectly. So much depends on it - climate control, transmission shift quality, door locks, etc.

Lastly, always always always buy quality parts and tools. No Uro, limited Meyle. Buy Lemfoerder for suspension, Bosch for electrical, Behr for cooling, and genuine Mercedes-Benz whenever you can.

Good luck!