There's probably a big difference between losing the timing chain at 80-mph on the interstate and losing it on startup or at idle. I'm not sure when the maximum force is applied to the timing chain, but I would thing a startup situation would be likely. On the other hand the loss at 80-mph you could speculate might be a bad link crimp.

Hard to say the cause, but the damage at 80-mph is got to be a lot worse, don't you think?

Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles