I have just purchased a 1981 300D non turbo car, which will be come, hopefully my final most perfect Benz. My dream has always been a manual sunroof 240D and I currently have a very nice 240 D 4sp but with no sunroof. The 300D has a power sunroof but I can live with that or convert it. It any event, the 300D broke a timing chain, breaking the cam and some towers and putting a hole in the valve cover. I was originally planning on concerting to the 240D manual by transferring everything from my running car but I really want to get this thing on he road and I would like to test the auto tranny, which I would prefer as I have knee problems with a clutch. I can buy a used engine and install that for $1k with shipping and incidentals. I am thinking, however, of just replacing the chain, rails, tensioners, cam and towers, doing the head and seeing how it runs. I can evaluate the pistons for cracks when I pull the head. Thoughts? I am also tempted to use the 240 with the auto...how difficult a swap would that be? Speed is not an issue as it will cruise 70 with either setup.

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Rich Mason
Chapel Hill, NC
1990 300D 285k miles
1993 VW Cabriolet converted to 1.6 TD
1985 VW Westfalia 1.6 TD