I have an 83" D at the moment that I thought I would never part with until it just up and disintegrated. It has 271000 miles & has been a great car. However I was perusing the local Buy&Sell when I spied an ad for a 1984 300SD with 90,000 miles at a price that seems to be half what the car is worth.
Now, I know that this seems too good to be true, but I MUST check it out - who knows...?

So I ask this august body, who have been a valuable resource in the past - what should I be aware to specifically check? (Besides;"is it stolen" or "was it formerly a wreck?" - The owner claims neither )
The only thing broken, by the sounds of it, is some switch. Big Deal...I have replaced oodles of switches on mt 123.

Whatcha think? What are the Achilles Heel's of the big SD compared to my sturdy old friend, the 123?

A musty smell inside means you have a water problem. The trunk can be a leaker also. Check the A/C and heat controls. Service records tell a lot about a MB. I would have a mechanic do a compression and a leakdown test. I would also have him put it on the rack and check for fluid leaks and exhaust system problems. Have him drive it (turbo) and get his 2 cents worth. Good Luck, Great car!

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1983 300SD 343K everyday car
1983 300SD 285K from junk yard-tooks parts from deer car- runs great. Brothers car.
1984 300SD parts car-Hit deer
1979 300D 175K non-turbo "Doctor"
1979 300d parts car

Yep - Heater control problems...
Oh well, you dont get perfection when you buy a 20 year old car.
What are the idiosyncracies of the heater, defroster etc.? It seems that this is a common problem with MB. I have had to replace the heater motor in my 123 twice in 5 years.
Oops. This is digressing into another topic.

I think I will buy this car. 90,000 orig miles on the 5 cyl turbodiesel - thats nothing. Rust free, no rips in the leather...could use a new dash pad. That is available, I believe. Never checked to see if the Blaupunkt works.

Bye Bye Col. Klink (the 123).

Could be a monovalve problem. That is an easy and inexpensive fix.

BTW, interesting handle. Italian?

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

Monovalve...? Uh...I'll search the archives. Thanks. Research tells me the sd will be every bit as sturdy and reliable as the 300. I truly wish I could keep both cars, but parking space is at a premium these days.

Italian? No. Just love eyetie bikes. I have a two of them. A 1971 Ducati Scrambler & a 1993 Ducati 888 awaiting an investigative teardown to try to find the source of a jingling noise that accompanies a scary decrease in oil pressure. ...and a clutch, and not just plates. The entire thing, from basket to shaft to everything. My winter nights will be busy.
Not as reliable as MBz, these bikes.
Anyways, thus explaineth my handle.

Any more words of advice, or notes of caution, relating to the pending 84 SD purchase, anyone?

You will love the SD alot more than the 300D. I used to have a 300D and let it go for my '85 SD. Very reliable car and a bit faster than the D. The mileage sounds kind of low to me. Might want to ask someone here to run a Carfax for you. Take it for a ride and hit the basics. Make sure it starts fine, stops straight, handles nice and has some pick up off the line. Take it for a ride and let us know.

Check the oil galley plug on the 888.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R