No 56k: Legacy GT-B or C43 AMG?

Get the Subaru it makes almost the same power and torque as the AMG but in a chassis that is going to be FAR less expensive to maintain and service. I mean what do you think will be easier to find in Japan an independent shop that works on Subaru or Mercedes. Also the wagon is more practical than the sedan.
 
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The AMG is much more interesting so I'd buy it.
 
Make sure the electronics on the w202 are in good shape because w202's have poor wiring harness' that can go bad.
 
zookiemike said:
Subaru.

Reliable,Quick,Cheap to fix, Better Built.

piss on that merc. Any Merc built after 94 sucks.
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FTFY. W201s and W126s lasted until 1993 and 1994/5 was the last good year to buy a Merc, the W124. The W140, W202, W210, etc. should be avoided.

If you really want to get the Merc, look through the log books, see what's been replaced. I looked at a 2003 W211 E500's log book (arguably the worst year) and the blower motor had been replaced twice within 6 months, the rear view mirror had fallen off in the first year the car was on the road. Like Land Rovers, they can be great cars, but they can be awful money pits if anything decides to go wrong. Nice, comfy and fast for sure, but not a good idea, IMO. If you still have a strong desire to get one, find an independent specialist. Do your research right and you'll end be paying half the cost on labor although parts may sometimes be cheaper at the dealer.

The Subaru would be my choice as well. You'll have money to burn on customizing it and it'll have cheaper running costs.
 
The Subaru has much much much more rebuild possibilities than the AMG merc. Yeah its cool to have an AMG merc, but honestly wagon >>> sedan. I may have the sedate, US version of your possible vehicle but I can still attest to the reliability and robustness of the Subie. The twin turbo setup across many legacy forums have shown its a PITA, but a few in the older BG version of the Legacy have successfully swapped it to a single turbo, which in most cases are much more reliable and powerful than the twin setup. Not only that you have access to the Subaru parts bin for suspension, rims and engines and can swap pieces directly across(IE STi suspension and control arms go perfectly with the Legacy, with slight mods). Having a wagon especially if you like to go up to snowboard or other outdoor activities is by far better for the Subaru. The AWD(all wheel drive), is all ways active and when slippage occurs, immediate traction.
 
Der Stig said:
FTFY. W201s and W126s lasted until 1993 and 1994/5 was the last good year to buy a Merc, the W124. The W140, W202, W210, etc. should be avoided.
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I wasn't 100% on which year they started to turn bad. I was under the impression this model was still OK, especially the AMG cars - this one being built completely by AMG.

Bhatman said:
The Subaru has much much much more rebuild possibilities than the AMG merc.
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Apparently you can upgrade from the 4.3 to the 5.5 (same block) and make it a C55. Only thing is you need to change the gearbox and guts of the rear axle and modify the floor pan to fit the larger axle, but how hard could it be? :wink:

But I'd probably keep either car stock.

Just for reference, these 2 cars in Australia (where I'm from) cost about 3 times as much. On Carpoint there are 2 manual '96 models for $12,000AU with 150-180,000k's and an '01 for $17,000AU with 93,000k's (Legacies, not Liberties). The one I showed here would be about $4,500AU. And there are 4 C43's from $26,000-43,000AU, 175,000-44,000k's respectively. The one here $12,000AU at most.
 
hansvonaxion said:
I wasn't 100% on which year they started to turn bad. I was under the impression this model was still OK, especially the AMG cars - this one being built completely by AMG.



Apparently you can upgrade from the 4.3 to the 5.5 (same block) and make it a C55. Only thing is you need to change the gearbox and guts of the rear axle and modify the floor pan to fit the larger axle, but how hard could it be? :wink:

But I'd probably keep either car stock.

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Probably have to find a 5.5 block, the transmission, axle shafts, diff, and most likely the ECU unless its the same...The Subaru swaps for the turbo require some changing of the manifolds and also the downpiping which is relatively simpler than basically replacing everything on the Merc and creating a new car, which is also expensive, and may even end up being more than the value of the vehicle...

Also in the Australian market, the Legacy is the same as the Liberty, just name change for the Australian market.
 
The options you presented are basically a sensible car, and a hobbyist car (well petrolhead car in this case), respectively. Judging by the first post you're buying a car for non-sensible purposes ("don't need a car") so I say there's only one option. Since it'll be just an expensive toy it doesn't matter if the world is full of more sensible options.

Like everyone who pretends to know anything about what they're talking about, I'll remind you that an expensive Merc made out of expensive parts using expensive labour will remain so even when the sale price has depreciated to somewhere around "reasonable". So if you buy one, it'll cost you an arm and a leg to maintain it, there's no softer way of putting it. Mercs are no different from any other car, they will break eventually. What's good in your case is that it sounds like you're not planning on putting a lot of km's on it, so it'll likely last quite a long time (meaning time not distance).

Converting the 43 to a 55 will be a major PITA and very expensive (as in closer to 20 000 than 10 000) if you aren't doing it yourself. And if you would be thinking about doing it yourself, know that most who have started a project like that have quit when they are truly faced with the mountain of work that has to be done. I've done considerable research into this as the C124 was never available with a V8 and I wanted one. Putting one in involves basically the same parts and because of that, only a few have been converted. I know a Finn who bought a C124, a W124 with a V8, disassembled both to find out the differences (they are in dispute in parts, so the only way to be sure is to have a look yourself), and only then went "screw it". After buying the cars.

Also, the expense of swapping an engine doesn't stop when the project is finished. If you ever plan to resell the car, no buyer of a collectible Mercedes wants a car that's been engine swapped (except me). What they do want is originality and as good condition as possible. So expect to sell it for nickels if you do an engine swap, especially when it requires basically rebuilding the car.
 
Bhatman said:
Probably have to find a 5.5 block, the transmission, axle shafts, diff, and most likely the ECU unless its the same...
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I was joking about the 55, like I said I'd keep either stock, but it's the same block as the 5.0L (bored) and 5.5L (bored+stroked) apparently. AMG offered an upgrade to the 55 but it cost about 30,000pounds.

Bhatman said:
Also in the Australian market, the Legacy is the same as the Liberty, just name change for the Australian market.
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I know, I specifically quoted Legacy prices cos they'll be a little lower than Liberty prices (being grey imports) and I don't think we go the gen 3 turbo wagon, just the B4 sedan.
 
Der Stig said:
FTFY. W201s and W126s lasted until 1993 and 1994/5 was the last good year to buy a Merc, the W124. The W140, W202, W210, etc. should be avoided.

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I was close..lol
I miss my 76 240d, THAT WAS A CAR!
 
I'd say get the Legacy. But then again, I've always loved them and never much cared for Mercedes (my Grandparents always had one, therefore Merc = Old Man's Car in my head).

Plus you said you go Snowboarding? That seems to make the decision pretty straightforward. Get the car with AWD and room for your gear.
 
@OP,

Keep in mind that once you have a car you gonna want to drive it EVERYWHERE :) I know this from experience.
 
out of the two i would pick the subaru. thats hard for me to say cause i for the most part only buy RWD V8 cars/trucks. although, i would really love to have a forester STI for a daily driver.
 
Der Stig said:
Albeit very slow :p

Another thing to do if you get the Merc: drive it weekly at least. Letting these cars sit is as bad as abusing them.
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Letting any car sit is a form of abuse really.

Though not as bad as ramping it into a tree.
 
The Legacy GT-B for sure, 2.0L 280hp turbo engine, endless space and utility, bulletproof reliability. I don't understand why you're even making this a choice.
 
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