I think I forgot to mention in my earlier post on this matter that when I went looking for cheap transportation for my work travels, I immediately thought of diesel because too many times, I have seen gas jobs (even nearly new models!) die and leave their owner stranded all because of a stupid computer chip giving up... then the vehicle won't move an inch under it's own power! I can say with a fair amount of confidence, even given that my 300D is almost 17 years old now that there is little that can go wrong with it that I cannot deal with on the side of the road. If the transmission goes out, I can't fix and if the radiator or water pump go, I'm out of luck... but if a fuel line breaks, I get water in the fuel, run low on oil, a rear axle shaft gets funky on me, I can fix it roadside or at least limp in to the nearest station for a quick fix and get back under way. The only thing I fear on my engine is the timing chain and the vacuum pump... and they both seem to be in great shape; I'd much rather rely on them than a computer chip!!!