Price of W116's

[Des]

Had a look today at a W116 280S, 1974, wind up windows, air con, nothing much else, hubcaps, $1000, apart from needing some touch up paint here and there, it was straight and appeared rust free.

I don't know if it is just me, but even for such an old car they are so much car for so little money. I mean when these cars were new they were the cost of a nice house here in Tassie, take the 6.9, touching on $90k new, my dad bought a house in the 1970's, a nice brick house, in the outer suburbs for $27k, thats like 3 nice houses for the price of a car. Maybe I am old fashioned but it just staggers me what you can get these days for the price of a old commodore or falcon, decent volvo's, old BMWs, Mercedes W124's, 190E's air con, power steer, electric everything for under $3,000.
Dole bludgers could afford to drive a Mercedes!
Funnily enough I was also walking past Center link today, to go to the post office and every single car outside was an old crappy Commodore, what does that say about people who drive them?

 

[Lukas]

I'm with you on that one Des - the amount of metal and plastic and work required is way more than the dollar value of old cars.

While it's not really a sensible comparison, I sometimes think "could I make / assemble it myself for less $" - no way with old cars, whereas things like houses on the other hand.....

Hate to say it, but 3-7 year old Magnas and Veradas are appealing for the same reason, general huge depreciation that 2nd hand cars have, plus bonus Magna depreciation, for what is a very competent car (in an appliance kind of way).

PS - I drive a crappy old Commodore VC, brown, 300,000+km (odo has stopped), 4 spd gutless manual, all the refinement of the tractor from which it is directly derived. I can put it on historic plates soon too Then again, makes w116es all the more special.



Lukas

 

[Des]

PS - I drive a crappy old Commodore

Heretic!



Actually I have more gripes with the people who drive Commodres than the cars themselves, they seem to attract an arrogant and rude type of road user who fails to understand the simple and logical concepts of "keeping a safe distance between cars" the revolutionary concept of indicators, mufflers have been invented about 50 years ago that work. And they fail to understand that car speakers and subwoofers that can be heard 100 meters away are going to make you go deaf.

 

[116Benz]

I guess the romance of the "old Commodore" is that, theyre cheap to fix, parts can be gotten from the likes of REPCO and well...Brocky drove one for years, and if Brocky said it was good, then it must be (bearing mind, Brocky also drove a Sierra and an M3 BMW, and was also seen in company with Daytona's and MX-5's) I can remember when I wanted a manual 5.0 V8 SL/E VB with the 2 tone paint and shag pile carpeting as my 1st car...I ended up with a new Corolla (YUCK) that would pull a r00t in the proverbial. 116's are now in the price range where they are so cheap, the mindset that they are both a Mercedes and old put them in the "too expensive to fix" category. If they only knew that *shock horror* parts are still pretty much available anywhere, some stuff is DIY and well, in the event of an accident, you'd fare better in a Benz than a Commodore, oh, and the boot is bigger if you wanted to fit a fulleh sik subwoofa to the sound system. I cant help but think it should be the worlds best kept secret just how cheap they are, so us purists still get a ready supply of unmollested 116's.

 

[Des]

Dear Steve

I do understand the charm of some Holden cars, we used to be a Holden family, my father had several FJ's, FC's, kingswoods's, lastly we ended with a WB Statesman.





Statesman



Many fond memories of the Kingswood, at the time we had a "Classic not plastic" sticker on the rear window.

Main problem with these cars is they rust away so quickly, the metal used in the cars is so much poorer than what is in 1970's Mercedes, which as any of you will testify is not immune from rusting, far from it.

 

[Mercules]

Burnouts the grass Des really... I suppose it would have been hard enough getting them to spin on the bitumen!!!

 

[Des]

You should see the grass now, there is literally none left!!!!!!!

 

[-bb-]

I like the green colour on that Kingswood...

 

[Michel]

I think everyone who's been driving for 20 years (in Australia-NZ) has had at least a Holden or a Ford in their life...

 

[Des]

Monaro?

they had the blacked out grille didn't they?

 

[WGB]

Some of us still own a low mileage BA Falcon which is used as the family "loan" car and general dogsbody (Including taking the Poodles to the groomers).

Last service at a main dealer cost under $200 and that was with the "extra" $35 for a brake fluid change. You can't even buy the bottle of M-B brake fluid for that.

As well it has done a lifetime average of 11.9 Litres/100Km - all town running.

I gave up on Holden's years ago because I kept breaking them - 5 transmissions in one - M-B's don't break to the same extent.

I wish I could just be happy with a Falcon or a Holden it would be so much simpler and cheaper.

Bill

 

[Michel]

Monaro?

they had the blacked out grille didn't they?

They didn't....
I did....
Painted the grille and the headlight surrounds one saturday..

I guess I wanted it to be different

 

[Michel]

I gave up on Holden's years ago because I kept breaking them - 5 transmissions in one - M-B's don't break to the same extent.

I wish I could just be happy with a Falcon or a Holden it would be so much simpler and cheaper.
Bill

That's why Falcons are used as cabs in Australia.
Mechanically they go on forever ...

 

[SELfor50]

I went for Datsuns instead of holden / ford.. except for the fordedes... :rollseyes:

Got one question though:

Des, have lived in the same house FOREVER???

 

[Des]

Des, have lived in the same house FOREVER???

yep


Cars have come and gone, Bentley, Volvo's, Holdens, Mercedes, VW's, Datsun's, Mazda's,

A few of the cars



W123 250















230 and 230E

 

[SELfor50]

Nice....

 

[BAR]

I guess the romance of the "old Commodore" is that, theyre cheap to fix, parts can be gotten from the likes of REPCO and well...Brocky drove one for years, and if Brocky said it was good, then it must be (bearing mind, Brocky also drove a Sierra and an M3 BMW, and was also seen in company with Daytona's and MX-5's) I can remember when I wanted a manual 5.0 V8 SL/E VB with the 2 tone paint and shag pile carpeting as my 1st car...I ended up with a new Corolla (YUCK) that would pull a r00t in the proverbial. 116's are now in the price range where they are so cheap, the mindset that they are both a Mercedes and old put them in the "too expensive to fix" category. If they only knew that *shock horror* parts are still pretty much available anywhere, some stuff is DIY and well, in the event of an accident, you'd fare better in a Benz than a Commodore, oh, and the boot is bigger if you wanted to fit a fulleh sik subwoofa to the sound system. I cant help but think it should be the worlds best kept secret just how cheap they are, so us purists still get a ready supply of unmollested 116's.

Differerence between Broacky and me - very simple.

He was paid to drive a Holden and I pay to drive my W116.

Given enough money - I'd drive a Trebant!