Got a garage but its full of VW and Porsche air cooled parts...plus a 66 912 undergoing resto.

Never had a problem with gelling. Up here we use P50 diesel when it gets cold. P40 or less just won't cut it.

As far as heat...it is a problem in the cold. Looking at getting a second hand Webasto while in Germany this summer. Over there everybody swears by these units.

Looking at the Jetta TDI wagon and the Dodge 4x4 with the Cummins. Main reason for going diesel is the mileage, the lower price of diesel here (.73 cents a litre versus about $1 a litre for gas) and the ease in maintenance (shop rates about $100 and hour in town or you ship it out 1,000 miles then fly down to pick it up).

I will probably stick with the 83 and just put a couple of grand into it. There's no rust....just a bunch of niggling problems. To satisfy the wife I'll look in the 98/99 300's though.

Brian