Welkommen

My father's mother and father came to USA from Germany also, long ago, from towns in Rhineland, and settled in San Francisco.

My father never cared about Mercedes, the Diesels (W115 I think) he rode in sounded to him "like a bucket of bolts" and he like the quiet smooth Cadillacs better, but mostly only purchased Fords.

The 240 D is a great car. Many of the good W123 cars were sold at autojumbles and went to Lebanon and the middle east or gastarbeiters took them back to Turkey and other lands.

More failed the TuV inspection and went to West Africa.

Others got stolen and went to Albania and Eastern Europe.

You are lucky to still have yours and it passed the TuV

They are still good cars to look at and drive even today. The diesels can last about forever, if the rust doesn't kill them

Most of the W123 we have in USA are 240/300 Diesels.
Some were beat on real bad and still run.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lQqymt9HvQM

Good to see you here, it is the best place to learn about the W123 diesels.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)