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hi all! its my dream to own an old school bmw/merc i only have a few hangups.

1)i wish there is a way I could know how much km/miles a certain year/model would go before it needed some serious $$ repairs
2)is there anyway to let me know how much i would be paying over the next 5 years in parts/some labor (i would do most labor myself a.k.a. the easy stuff)
3)does anybody have any suggestions for how i should go about choosing which car would eventually be the best(read:cheapest) on insurance/gas/maintenance and repairs.

basically how do i own and daily drive an old bmw/merc on the cheap? I don't care about power and speed if it matters, only reliability/cost.

Thanks for any advice/suggestions/links to resources in advance.

 
Rep Power: 636

Well there comes a time in every vehicles life where you gotta spend money. My gf's dad is a BMW fanatic. Owns a 85 535I and a 86 M5 35I and both vehicles run amazing but its all about maintainance..Only now hes coming to a point where its time to spend some big bucks on the 85 as most stuff is still original..

But hey, you gotta pay to play. As long as brake lines are ok and motor isnt blown, your set to go..

 
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true i already got lots of resources from maxbimmer.com forums for mechanics etc.

i realize every car is different but i wish it would be possible to even ballpark a certain year/models maintenance requirements (like replacing tranny, rebuild engine, etc.)