[W126 Coupe] Japanese cars

[Iain Gunn]

FYI, I have 2 MB's, sold the Koenig, 190 W201 2.6 and my 86 560 SEL, My wife 
drives the 190 2 km to and from work, I drive 240 kms a day for work, and 
when in the field, sometimes more. I buy 2-3 year old Honda Civics, plain 
jane style and drive them to death. Easily and inexpensive to repair, front 
brake rotors, $12, pads $25, I have never had the top off the throttle body 
injection and the one I currenly have, 91, 1.5, 5 speed, has 460,000 kms on 
it. My starter gave out the other day, took it off and took it apart, like 
brand new inside, NO wear at all, the brushs had just worn out, got a used 
one on ebay for $20. There lots of parts around for these, so my cost of 
driving is very good, 35 mpg, and I drive the living crap out of them, 6 
grand shifts all the time. I change the timming belts every 130,000kms, 
cause if they break, it's like Russion roulette with the engine, which is a 
1.5 ltr 16 valve ohc crossflow engine. I very rarely wash it, once in a 
while clean the debris from the inside, but they are like the everready 
bunny, they just keep going and going.
I'm on the process of rebuilding the 560 sel as I think the W126's are the 
best MB's ever built. If ever Mercedes could capture the style and quality 
of those days, it would be wonderful, but alas, the world is getting 
smaller, and I doubt that will ever happen. I don't think that there are too 
many people keeping  20 year old Hondas, for that fact any Japenese car. I 
also think that in 20 years no one will be keeping any of the absolute crap 
Mercedes, that have been produced lately.
    Sorry guys, they make a great reliable product, but use it for what they 
are.