Old School
Pierre Hedary
Preserve It or Junk It?
The Importance of the Lesser-Loved Examples
A few weeks ago I came to a sad realization. A Mercedes-Benz that is more than, say, 30 years old is more likely to appear in a local salvage yard than in my garage for repairs. When I walk through these graveyards, I usually ignore the masses of Japanese and American cars, which were intended for planned obsolescence, and head straight to the rows of Mercedes-Benz products. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have a vague understanding that these dying beauties were intended to last a lifetime – or several – with proper care.
Who is at fault for this situation? All of these cars will be crushed within weeks rather than picked clean for parts, so any usable bits on them will be destroyed, except the engines, which will go to developing countries as replacement power units. Why did these cars end in this horrible place? I know that some people out there love Mercedes, but some of these models look like good, repairable cars. And yet they are sentenced to death here. Did the owners hate them that much – tired of the expense or the automotive-repair world’s incompetence, or did the owners throw them away without trying?
Once in a while, some serial Mercedes destroyer from an Internet forum will call me with news that he is getting ready to scrap his car because “the fuel tank has algae in it” or they “can’t get the AC to work.” People like this should have their cars taken away. If you are one of these people, it is your fault.
This car is in the last stage before being consigned to the crusher. Did it have to be abandoned?
Whether it is because of bad mechanics, inconsiderate do-it-yourselfers, serial car destroyers or tightfisted, broke owners who should not own a Mercedes in the first place, these cars are going to be crushed and destroyed. There will not be another 280SE made to replace the ill-kept W116 in line to be smashed. The five 300SDs awaiting certain death will never appear anywhere again. In contemplating the root cause of this issue, I shed a tear, if not for what the cars mean to me, then for the human efforts and engineering required to build them. These cars were taken for granted and ruined, and now they have no future. They will never serve another happy owner, help save someone’s life in an accident or provide reliable transportation for an indefinite amount of time, all because some careless, reckless owner ran one out of oil, drove another while he was drinking or failed to get his gearbox serviced.
If anything, this begs the question: As members of the MBCA, what can we do to stop this abuse to our beloved cars? I have always been of the opinion that we should make an effort to adopt older cars. I’m not talking about a dying or rusted-out carcass, of course, but an older Mercedes from the 1980s or ‘70s with a few needs. Part of our job as members of the MBCA is preserving our heritage. Our heritage doesn’t merely consist of 300SLs and 600s – it also was fueled by lowly 220Ds, 300D turbo-diesels and 280 sedans of various sorts. It is these cars that we must make a greater effort to preserve. And unlike the expensive, costly upkeep of some upper-tier models, these less fancy cars provide better service and fewer upkeep costs. If you have the funds and fancy a newer Mercedes, an older one belongs in your garage, too. These older cars will provide decades of reliable service without the hassle of an electronic diagnostic system, and the charm and dependability they possess is beyond measure.
For those willing to undertake this project, the MBCA does its best to provide free information from experts for the repair of these vehicles. There is no serious complexity in maintaining a W115- or R107-series car; a committed individual can do this. You don’t always have to buy your parts from Mercedes; there are a few German manufacturers of many components for these older cars that keep prices affordable. And if you do elect to deal with a shop, make sure that the shop owner also enjoys Mercedes-Benz from the past, like you do.
One other thing: As a participant in many MBCA events, I often see people who display a condescending attitude toward the older cars, unless they are in absolutely pristine, original concours condition. If this is you, then you need to alter your behavior and remember that these older cars are just as significant as the newer ones. Car companies move in a trajectory, and one needs to understand the inexpensive production-line examples as well as the hand-built collector cars to appreciate that trajectory.
I think it would also be unfair if I didn’t offer some kind words to those of you who put such intense efforts in maintaining your older Mercedes. This is often an effort from several owners of one car. If you ever owned one of these in the past and mindfully sold it to an intelligent person who cared for it, then you did the car a favor. Those of you who work hard to keep up your older, lesser-loved models are my heroes. I would not want to be part of this club if people like you were not in it. The things that you do for your older cars do not go unnoticed, and I for one truly appreciate them. Let’s work together to keep our beloved cars from destruction and on the road for our sustainable driving pleasure.
Pierre Hedary owns and operates an independent shop specializing in lesser-loved classics in Titusville, Florida. Reach him at 407-765-2867 or [email protected].