Gasbeard,

Be sure to drain the gas and change out the fuel filters. If its been sitting, your fuel filters can degrade, causing problems after starting after a long time. I made that mistake on a 560sel. Love the diesels as well. Looked at 240d last week and strongly considering it. Love to get a standard one. Also, be sure to check the timing chain if you can. They are the the main problem for the 380sl. Otherwise, they are bullet proof. Also, if you like white, the paint on these old cars is pretty tough. My white 300d has bad paint, but with some work, cleaning and waxing the paint can get it looking pretty sharp.