Expect a full report next week but, uh, yeah, we bought a 1999 Mercedes E320 wagon and we’re going to turn it into a winter-cross wagon (I’m excited to reveal the name of the project next week). There are a lot of reasons why we (mostly moi) thought this was a good idea and I will detail later my theory behind this then (hint: the W210/S210 is the new Volvo 240). It’s one of those ideas I could not shake and the only reason we can really do it is because rally/builder/driver/human legend Bill Caswell is going to help us out. Is this the greatest thing that’s ever happened? Quite possibly.
BTW, here’s a great video with Bill:
We started actively pitching this project in November and found a few co-conspirators, who will be named next week, but this project really came together in the last few weeks and all of a sudden we had to buy a freakin’ wagon. It had to be an S210 (the wagon variant of the late ’90s/early ’00s E-Class), it had to be RWD, and, with winter fading away, it had to be nice enough that we wouldn’t spend all our time trying to get it running and miss the opportunity to use it… but not so nice that we feel weird about it.
I got pretty close. We found one in New Jersey with a little over 150,000 miles, RWD, with a salvage title. Even better, the owner, Mark, was a fan and was able to come down on price to help us fit the car in the budget. The weird downside is, well, the guy kinda fixed it up and took care of it and it actually looks great:
Anyway, I wanted to give you a heads up.
Merch Update!
Velour and Rich Corinthian Leather Members! Good news! Our badges arrived and are starting to ship. If you signed up before January 17th, approximately, you should get an email very soon with your shipping details. If you signed up after January 17th you should get an email in a couple of weeks.
Is this going to be part of the cross-country “race” that someone mentioned before, to drive beaters all the way to LA? And leave them at David new place? lol
You’re going to rally a wagon?….impressive. I would have thought something with a shorter wheelbase might be better?
Also, not sure where to put this comment, but Kevin Williams has an excellent article in the Washington Post today on the C R Patterson Automobile Company. Not sure how heavy the Post’s paywall currently is, but worth a little effort to try to read.
!!!! go Kev GOOOOO
That rules.
Ah, Kevin just clarified that it was written by a *different* Kevin Williams. Still a cool story that’s worth the read. TIL of a new automaker.
I had a friend who would buy old Mercedes wagons because they were “cheap” but they were spending $5k ish on each wagon and the first big repair had the car going to the scrap yard. So they were spending $5k+ per year driving shitbox wagons – the same amount would have gotten them a a new 3-Series lease every three years…
chefkiss
Ahh. The “Boss Wagon” lives. Hat tip to Car and Driver.
If you do plan to cage it, please, please weigh it before and after! Maybe an as-bought weight, then in-running-trim weight
I really want to know and yet really don’t want to know what a “gasoline weasel” is.
It’s the official mascot animal of The Autopian. Otto breeds them somewhere. We don’t ask questions.
“Death Shit of the Gasoline Weasel” is the nature documentary I’ve been waiting for.
I had a 1996 E300 diesel for a few years and loved it. Drove it through several Colorado winters (I live in the mountains) and only spun it once when I made the mistake of downshifting while coming down an icy hill at 50 mph. No damage done, but it was scary. Needed chains a few times, but that trusty oil-burner got me where I needed to go and looked damn good doing it. I’m looking forward to seeing how the E320 project turns out!
Why a 1900 E 320 WAGON?
1999
We really do need an edit button, chaps.
ceci n’est pas une trap
Thank you, Admiral Magritte. 🙂
Baguette Wars? Wine Wars?
Is it wrong that I find the most Autopian part of all this to actually be Gossin’s Richard Hammond-esq “Good news! I bought another terrible Sebring!” interjection?
I would make a joke that every time Matt buys a car, Gossin has to buy one too, but I don’t think he needs that big of a reason. Anything will do: got a tax refund, sold another car, it’s Tuesday, etc.
What kind of maniac would use Tuesday as an excuse to buy a car? “Day ending in Y” is right there.
As a former Sebring owner, I can attest to the fact that the adjective “terrible” is redundant.
As someone who had to do warranty repairs on them, neither of you is going anywhere near far enough.