Good morning! For today’s project cars, we’re interpreting the word “project” a little differently. Both of today’s cars run and drive just fine, and look good – but they are both going to need a lot of care and feeding to keep them that way. It will be up to you to decide which one is more worth the effort.
You could drive both of yesterday’s cars too, but you couldn’t have the satisfaction of washing and waxing them on a weekend afternoon without putting in a lot of work first. I honestly wasn’t sure how this one was going to go, either. Old Volvos tend to do well here, but I thought the Ranchero’s novelty and V8 power might win you over. And it looks like I was right.
Count me in on Team Ranchero as well. When I make my pick for the day, I consider each car as an addition to my current fleet, and as much as I like that Volvo, it’s too similar to my MGB GT: pushrod four-cylinder, four-speed stick, two-door fastback. I don’t have anything like the Ranchero, and never have had, actually, so the idea of owning it appeals more to me.
Now then: Dragging home some old non-running carcass and reviving it is a noble undertaking. So is stripping a car down to its bare body, removing every molecule of rust, and laying down a fresh coat of shiny paint. And both of those types of projects will give you a great deal of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. But I don’t think it’s any less noble to buy something that’s already nice, and put in the work to just keep it that way. Entropy is not a force to be trifled with, and there are a thousand things a car is exposed to every day that have the power to make it a little bit worse. Keeping those forces at bay is a difficult, and worthwhile, task. So today we’re going to look at two really nice starting points, both deserving of a tight regimen of care and feeding. Here they are.
1990 Mercedes-Benz 300E – $3,990
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter overhead cam inline 6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Beaverton, OR
Odometer reading: 111,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
It’s hard to define the point at which something becomes a “classic,” but when it happens, it’s pretty much universally accepted. Casablanca is a classic. So is Led Zeppelin IV. And you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree with either of those, even if they’re not fans, even if they’ve heard or seen them dozens of times. A classic is something that simultaneously always feels fresh, and feels like it has always existed. And in the automotive world, the Mercedes-Benz designs of the 1970s and 80s are definitely classics.
And like Humphrey Bogart’s best-known film, or that album with the old man carrying firewood on the cover, the W124-chassis 300E is a classic because it’s really, really good. Craftsmanship and attention to detail is what makes the difference; this car was designed and built by people who really cared about making an excellent car. It’s powered by a straightforward straight-six and a tough four-speed automatic, nothing sexy, but incredibly smooth and with just the right amount of power. This one has only 111,000 miles on it, and it runs great. It just passed an emissions test with flying colors, so all is well. It is, however, a Mercedes-Benz, so keeping it at that standard is going to take some work, and probably some money as well.
The unexciting-but-excellent theme continues inside, with just enough leather and wood to be classy, and a refreshing lack of bullshit gadgets. It has all the comfort and convenience features you would expect, and it all works as it should. It just isn’t loaded with a bunch of techno-crap that will break right after the warranty runs out, like a modern Mercedes has.
Outside, it looks nice and shiny, and that classic Bruno Sacco styling still looks as fresh as ever. Not even Mercedes is immune to the effects of UV light on black plastic, however, and the bumpers could use a little sprucing up. But that’s a nice chore for a Saturday afternoon sometime.
1996 Subaru SVX L – $3,495
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter overhead cam flat 6, four-speed automatic, AWD
Location: Aberdeen, WA
Odometer reading: 200,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Japanese automakers pulled out all the stops in the 80s and 90s when it came to high-tech sporty coupes. All-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering, turbochargers, and all manner of electronic gizmos were the order of the day. We didn’t get all of them here – the legendary Nissan Skylines had to wait for 25 years to pass before entering the US – but we got a few: the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4, the Mazda RX-7 and Toyota Supra in their ultimate forms, and this car: the Subaru Alcyone, known here as the SVX.
There’s no shortage of weirdness in the SVX, from Subaru’s legendary AWD system, fronted by a six-cylinder boxer engine, to the wild styling by Giorgietto Giugiaro. The bizarre window-within-a-window is probably the SVX’s most distinguishing styling feature, and I can’t imagine it made drive-thru windows particularly easy. But that’s the price you pay for fashion, I guess. This car has seen some miles – two hundred thousand of them, actually – but it is in great shape, and the seller says it’s “fast, firm, and tight on the road.”
As wild-looking as it is on the outside, the SVX is almost tame inside, at least compared to its predecessor, the XT, which had an asymmetrical steering wheel and most of its controls on two pods on either side. It’s in nice shape, and the seller says everything works. The driver’s seat looks a little saggy, but that’s just the effects of 200,000 miles. It looks like the carpet could use a shampooing, but that’s about all I see.
It’s nice and shiny outside, and I like the green. It looks like there might be a scuff on the corner of the bumper, but it might be a reflection. But that shows how clean this car really is: The only things I can find to criticize are dirty carpets and a scuffed bumper.
I imagine the “built not bought” crowd would disagree, but I think anyone who became the stewards of these cars should feel proud. It takes hard work and dedication to keep a car in this sort of condition, no matter who had that job before you, or how long you’ve been doing it. The definition of a “project” is a labor of love, and keeping these cars in this condition is going to be just that. Which one is worthy of your attention?
(Image credits: sellers)
The Mercedes is the correct answer, but the subie is my actual choice. I just want it more. though I am sure living with it for a while might shift my perspective.
The Benz is obviously more of a boring selection than the Subie, in just about every way – but I can’t deny that it shows like someone really cared about owning it. Damn…guess I’m boring.
I gotta have the SVX! The Merc is just so bland, boring and dull as dishwater. The SVX is so much more interesting and in a great color…I will convert it to manual
BOTH!
Tough one. I love the build quality of these old Benzes. I also like the SVX and that’s a great color, but it would need a transmission swap—maybe conversion to RWD—and I’m old and lazy now, so I guess the MB.
I’ve never clicked on a Showdown so fast. I loved the SVX, to an extent that I can’t even explain myself. This one is in surprisingly decent nick. Take my vote.
That Benz is immaculate and would likely make for an outstanding daily driver, but you can’t help who you fall in love with.
I voted Mercedes and hated the window within a window on the Subaru, but at the same time I completely understand choosing the Subaru. I half-expected it to be in the lead. xD
Both, please…
that W124 is a NP for $4k very clean
Always thought the SVX cool, but I’m really fond of that vintage MBZ and would probably go that way.
I owned an ’88 300TE 20 years ago, it was lovely. At least in pictures, this one looks quite decent, and the price seems surprisingly cheap. My first car was a Subaru – it was NOT lovely. So the 3-pointed star for me!
Though that said, I think a manual-swapped SVX would be super cool.
I owned an SVX for 7.5 years. Great car. I don’t think it was particularly expensive to maintain; it’s still japanese and I promise you BMW 328 parts are still more expensive. The major problem is there is just no aftermarket… so you’re stuck hunting for NLA things like shocks, strut mounts, etc. It was a great car, I had mine up to 140mph in South Dakota, thing was so stable and relaxed at 80-90mph, it felt like 45mph, leisurely cruising. I think that’s the one downside of the SVX actually… it’s a very competent chassis, the driving excitement is just not there. The engine sounds cool, but it’s not very fast off the line due to tall gearing, it really belongs on the highway. And on the highway, it’s not ‘exciting’ either, it’s just competent. It’s competent in all weather tho! Many times as a ski instructor I was driving on roads that weren’t even plowed yet laughing and waving at all the SUVs stuck in ditches.
I do miss it, if I found a deal I’d scoop up another one in a heart beat. I guess it’s exciting to that godawful benz. I test drove one because I thought about AMG kitting one out, good god what a snoozefest.
I did a manual swap on an SVX when I was a wrench monkey and would like one again, drove a RHD one in Alberta for a while fun with those windows in drive throughs
The logical choice is the nice Mercedes Benz, but I was willing to go for the more exciting Subaru. Then, I noticed the automatic; a manual would’ve put it ahead in this competition. For a lower price, maybe the manual swap would be worth it, but then you’ve got a 200k mileage engine. I’m not sure what’s out there for SVXs, but this one feels less competitive.
All SVX were automatic, but still peppy for the time, competing with other sedans like the Taurus SHO in comparisons.
You’re going to be waiting a very long time for a manual transmissioned SVX, since they never made them.
Yeah, they’re all swapped though, some better than others. My buddy had the 2nd swapped one in the USA, after Huck did it in 2001.
So do you want the biodegradable wiring harness or the exploding transmission? The choice is yours. Honestly, if the wiring harness has been replaced on the benz then I would take it all day long. They also had head gasket issues though so…
Looks like the biodegradable wiring started in ’91(-’96) so this is one is safe.
The transmission is fine, IF:
Yes. Synthetic. Typical ATF is good for 60k miles, before it loses a lot of its lubrication and heat shedding abilities. If you over heat your trans once, and get it over the temp of what the fluid is rated at, that lifespan of the fluid drops to 30k. Do it again, and the fluid will only last 15k, etc etc etc. So use synthetic ATF (higher max operating temp) and drain and fill every other oil change (you’re not getting all of it due to what’s left in the TC) but it’ll stay fresh enough.
At this point, the chances of finding one of this era Mercedes on it’s original wiring harness is about zero. But this one is too old to be affected anyway.
I owned a ’92 SVX in Claret and Black for a while. Did a manual swap to it. I was number 55 on the manual list on the old SVX forum! It was a cool car but they are expensive to keep on the road. Its the only time Subaru used that engine, and they did fancy things with it. Valve cover gaskets alone were over $150 for a set at the time I had mine, and a windshield was over $1100, at a time my other cars were more like $250. So I eventually let mine go.
My windshield failed THREE TIMES! Insurance covered it each time, but jeez. Fun fact, tehy used titanium oxide in the windshields to block UV rays, which also blocks GPS signals AND toll road readers. So you have to relocate GPS antennas and toll stuff to the rear window.
Interesting. I wonder if that is why they were so freaking expensive to replace. My insurance didn’t cover windshields, so I was up a creek if it cracked.
I was on the SVX forums too, the only car i know that had a more expensive windshield was the Buick Reatta, which had an electro-resistive film used for defogging it. It was crazy money, I don’t remember the amount.
This is an excellent opportunity to compare these two cars to different types of romantic partners, but I’ll stay out of that. The Merc is in beautiful shape, with several hundred thousand reliable miles left on it. The only problem with it is the boredom factor. The SVX has more miles on it and more to go wrong, but there’s nothing else like it in my neighborhood, at least. For this particular SBS, I’m going with the one that’s exciting and high maintenance vs. the solid but somewhat boring one. SVX all the way!
The Merc is the logical choice; it’s a good deal on a well engineered car in great condition. So while I wouldn’t argue against buying the Benz, the SVX is just a little more interesting. And in Subie-obsessed Colorado, finding a good shop to keep it in good condition isn’t that difficult of a task.
Beat me to it. This is peak MB built quality . This 300E is still young in the mileage department. Now the SVX is a completely different beast. I first remember seeing one on display at BWI airport and was captivated. I’ve heard that the auto is the weak link and some enterprising people have manual swapped these. Brain says MD, heart says SVX
MB not MD
Agreed! I’ve got a great Subaru shop nearby (I’m also in Colorado) and I’ve always found the SVX alluring. The Mercedes is a great car, too. Just is missing that certain something that pulls at the Subaru fan in me.
SVX for me. I feel like people would be asking me for legal advice every time I got out of the Mercedes.
To the best of my knowledge we didn’t get the SVX on this side of the pond, so I’ve never actually seen one up close. We got plenty of W124s, though, and there are still plenty of them on the roads. I think this one would make a good entry into future classic territory. They were probably built too well to increase in value drastically in the near future, but I still like its ruggedness. So it’s the one I voted for.
I love me some Subarus, but voted Mercedes. I got to compare my XT to a customer’s SVX, and wasn’t all that tempted. The SVX is much more refined—like they were trying for a GT cruiser—but felt like it was carrying much more weight. It didn’t feel like I could throw it around with reckless abandon as I am wont to do
I used to own a ’93 Mercedes 300E 2.8. Purchased as a family car to replace the ’98 Eldorado that had served us well, but was a headache to get a car seat in and out of, this was the car that made me “get” Mercedes, at least the Mercedes of old. Everything about that car felt just the right amount of solid – for example the gear selector had the perfect amount of tension going from the Park to Drive. It was as if everything was adjusted just right before leaving the factory instead of being merely assembled. And being from the era before all the cost-cutting started, this was what one was paying the premium for back then.
The SVX is cool, but I’d rather re-visit that era of precision-guided German engineering once again – easy choice with the overbuilt Benz today.
I cannot fault the Benz here, its gorgeous and in great condition. IIRC that six is pretty bulletproof, and its a year before the whole biodegradable wiring loom. However there are Benzs higher up on my want list than this…including a W123 Turbo Diesel.
STI six-speed swaps in SVXs are a documented upgrade. with some lowering springs and some gold BBS STI wheels would make it look great.
The SVX is more my thing.
$3,900 is almost a steal for a W124 in such condition. The Benz alllll day.
The Subie is just too unique to pass up.
The M-B is by far the most logical choice due to its earned rep for longevity and far greater supply of parts to keep it going.
However, this is a hypothetical choice so no consequences to be had for choosing the more likely money pit.
I am a big fan of Inline 6 engines and this Mercedes looks well cared for!
And it’s a mere $3900.00? Sign me up!!!!
This is it; much as I love the Subie, the Merc is just a good deal as An Car, nevermind as an incipient classic.