Great looking catch for $550. You will like the way the non-turbo 300D handles/runs and drives - especially if you are on two lane blacktop versus interstate. It is not much for interstate travel although it will deal with it all day long without any issues.

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Jim

Nice looking car especially for the price. What happened to the front seat carpet? The oil gauge line leak while the cluster was out?

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

Would you believe he started the car with cluster out, lucky most of the oil went on him.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

I love my non-turbo on I-95- much better mpg at high speed- and everyone here drives above 75- I do too. I don't like it on the two lanes however- at higher speed it's hard to pass anyone. That's were the turbo shines- 60-80 in a heartbeat compared to the n/a. I do not however prefer one over the other- I may be the only person who likes both equally...
William :

oh yeah.... very nice purchase indeed!

Well crap! You always gotta out do everyone don't you. It's all about you isn't it?

Thought I'd have a story for today with buying a nice 240, but I can't touch that $550 300D !

Here's what I bought today, guy was just turning away a teenager and his yuppie dad as I walked up. Dad had the right idea, to buy a heavy/safe car for sons first, but there's no way either of them'd work on it and the guy wanted someone who loves these cars to buy it.

'81 240D, 157k, nice shape in and out, everything works but the A/C compressor. New tires and batt here too, also new alt and bracket, new MB window regulators (manual windows, manual heat/AC) some other parts in the trunk.











Drivers seat ripped, two small (2" rust spots), some wear inside, but pretty nice for most I've seen.

Cost us $1,200 (now if Id've got it for $500, THEN I'd have a story to tell!)

Nice catch Oldnavy, I'll beat you next time for sure ;-)

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1984 300D Turbo - 4-speed manual conversion, mid-level resto

1983 300D - parts car

1979 300TD Auto - Parts car.

1985 300D Auto - Wrecked/Parts.


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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

Just sold it tonight for $600 to someone here on the forum who wants to save the car. The real reason I guess I bought the thing was a guy was trying to buy it for demolition derby ($1500 prize money involved). I have no doubt the car would have won.

Sorry about taking the wind out of your sails. :p

Passed up an offer for a 97 300D N/A for $15,000 with 87,000 miles on the clock. Just don't like the body style.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

Yeah, kind of bought this one to re-sell (unless I REALLY like it) to a Boulder Biodiesel member or use for a loaner car when I'm working someone's Merc.

Don't like ANY of the newer body styles myself.

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1984 300D Turbo - 4-speed manual conversion, mid-level resto

1983 300D - parts car

1979 300TD Auto - Parts car.

1985 300D Auto - Wrecked/Parts.


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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

THere are two places in Columbus, Oh that have great old 123's and some 300cd plus two SDL's. Then there is also Brimms in kenton Ohio that has at the least 12 cars ready to be parted out and plenty of parts already to ship. 300sd 81' rear window last year replaced cost me 128.00 tax incl. They have a 1-800 number. I'll post as soon as I find the record book.

Cool dude.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

Scrap iron is up pretty high... It's mostly all going to China, keep buying crap at WalMart and it will go higher... Right now scrap is at about $5.00 per 100#, so an old junk w123 will bring about $130. Harvest the metals like Al and Cu and you'll get about $200 for it.

Here is my "migration theory" The MB's back in the day were bought in the "wealthy" parts of the US, the Northeast, Calif., Fla., and large metropolitan areas. As time goes by these cars become "inferior" goods, Econ. speak for 3rd hand cars. These cars become affordable to "aspirational" buyers, those who wanted one but couldn't afford it as new.
These buyers live outside of the primary markets, the cars then migrate to rural areas and marginal areas, like the 'hood.
Once off the road these cars start to vanish, they've rusted away in the North, so the salvage operators don't keep the cars in inventory due to the lack of intrest and junk condition of the cars.. Here in the South Bubba's Junkyards will always have a token MB cauz Bubba thinks that someone will pay him $50 for a hood star.. But most of the MB's get crunched because scrap is up and it ain't a Ford pick-up....

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Over 21 years I owned several:
w108
w110
w111
w115
w116
w123
w124
w126
w212

Hmmmm....Guess I got lucky. I was able to find a w123 in a local junkyard. It was untouched/complete when I first saw it. I grabbed what i needed and left the yard.

Yesterday I needed a w123 power steering pump[mine could not be re-built] so back to the yard. Someone had been there taking the dash cluster and the steering wheel/column.

I pulled a bunch of stuff this time!! Being out in the country and never seeing one locally, I didn't think anyone else in the area had one and I had a parts car to myself.

The car is terribly rusty and thats why they junked it.

Cheers,

Bill

Ditto that. There are several for sale in my area right now, and it's all I can do to resist buying them. Problem is, I really don't need more than one!

On the last visit to my favorite pull-a-part, there were two 300TDs and a 240D in the yard -- all rust-free. I scored a complete set of nice Bundt cakes with new tires for $80, plus a bunch of other stuff, including some 3rd seat parts for another list member. I don't mind trying to fill requests for people if I have time. I'll take just about any excuse to spend a few hours at the junkyard!

The great thing about these cars is that when you do find one in the junkyard, there's usually lots of good parts on them, because they're so well built.

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'81 300TD turbo <<sold 12/05 to another diesel nut

My problem is that the yard with the w123s.. he's got perhaps 20 of them. Seems to think he can charge new part prices for his parts.

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'84 300CD Turbo 132k (Anthracite Grey) - WVO - My daily driver - Recently named coo-coo-coupe by my daughter.
'84 300D Turbo 240k (Anthracite Grey) - Garage Queen
'83 300D Turbo 220k (Orient Red) - WVO - Wifes daily driver

I'm not a certified mechanic, but I did stay at a HolidayInn Express last night.

Engatwork, I checked the Norcross Pull-a-Part for the Prelude and the ZX. No luck. Only one 300D and I have taken the grill (perfect for $16), cruise control amp (works $3), rear deck, and air cleaner mounting bracket. Several gas W116s and a 240D. There is a W115 with a near perfect grill. I wanted the grill for the 300D because I liked the faux radiator cap but it is about two inches too wide. Anyway, I have the same question as you. Where are all the 123s?

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Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)

This is happening alot.... these cars are getting corralled, whorded and stashed away.

One guy at Louisville (amateur hobbyist) has more than 1/2 dozen 240D's. In an area of the country with zero stigma attached to driving older cars, where many people never spend more than $1,000 for what they drive, everybody keeps track of 123 "parts" cars and all mechanics on the circuit know exactly what each other has.

Yes 123's are vanishing from newspaper classifieds and from the common market at large in this area, but this is probably a good thing that will protect the species in the longrun as sellers become sellective on who takes over their vehicle.

Basically, if you want to own one then you've got to ask around or sight one somewhere and then negotiate with the owner. Dunno if its the same in other parts of the country, but I get lots of people asking if my '79 is for sale.

Its hard to believe these cars are first in line for the crusher with plenty of MB parts recyclers and specialty yards across the nation.