I've been looking at an '83 300td... description as below (sorry if I'm long-winded):
- drivers door lock tumbler has been removed
- needs new struts for the tailgate
- small crack in the valve cover (near fill cap)... I'll have to replace the valve cover with a used one (leaks quite a bit of oil thought the crack).
- some body damage... hood is a bit crooked
- there is a large crack in front of the front driver shock absorber... I compared this to my '85 300d and the crack is near where the weld on the '85 is (entire distance)... metal is damaged (rusted) near this and it probably can't be re-welded(?)... is this structural and un-safe? Sorry I wasn't able to get a picture.
- driver's door rubs a bit when opened,shut.
- not much rust to speak of otherwise.
- needs the usuals... new motor mounts, work on one window, center vents don't blow, leaks h20, etc. a/c unknown condition (not important to me).
- rear self-leveling system seemed ok though I'm not very familiar with this... I'll do some searching to learn a bit more.
- the car drove very well & shifted hard though 2-3 comes a bit earlier than in my '85 300D. Oh yeah, 245k on the clock.

I'll be using this as a secondary car and more of a work vehicle (hailing some smaller building materials in the wagon). Appearance isn't important and I should be able to take care of the motor mounts, valve cover, & minor stuff with no problems. I'm most concerned about the body (unless anyone has some concerns about why the valve cover was cracked). Any opinions on whether the crack along the inside weld in front of the driver side shock / coil is structural and/or dangerous? Otherwise, the car is worth the $800 asking price to me... I'm just a bit paranoid about the severity of the structural damage.

-John

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1985 MBZ 300DT
1969 MBZ 220d
1984 MBZ 300TDT
1981 VW Vanagon