Mercedes-Benz 300TE (TE for ME?)

This is another "save me from myself" car. This was the first winter in as many years as I can remember, that I didn't have some sort of 4WD car. I was lucky. By New England standards 2009 / 2010 was a fairly mild winter. I might not be so lucky next year. (Plus, we've been known to get snow in late April, so this winter may not be over yet.) I also need something with some cargo room. If I could find both in one car, that would be great.

With what I just wrote above in mind, I've been looking for a new beater. I'm having a lot of fun doing it, too. The problem is that I'm having so much fun, I'm not buying anything. I know that as soon as I hand over some money and have a title transferred to me, I'll no longer have an excuse to drive other people's cars.

This one is next on the list. I've exchanged a few e-mails with the owner and, if it is what he says it is, it's a bargain. According to him, the only thing that's wrong with it is that the windshield wiper doesn't work. (I've priced wiper motors; there's a used one on eBay for $50.00 and new ones can be found for $150.00. The job - and I found a step by step instructional post on a Mercedes Benz forum - would probably take 2 hours to complete, with minimal loss of skin and blood.)

I wrote a post about a Mercedes 300TE back in February. (You can find it here.) Since then I've done a bit of research on them and driven a couple of 2WD versions. It seems like a car I'd like to own.

The earliest I can look at this is Wednesday. If someone who reads this beats me to it, well, then I guess I'll have an excuse to drive a few more cars...

Located i Providence, RI, click here to see the Craigslist ad.