My Diesel Is Like New Now!
 

Just put all new glowplugs in, the thing runs sooooo well now. I have New shocks, a new idle sensor, new air filter, can't wait to put all these goodies in, then she'll reaaaaaaaaally be running well. All you boys that didn't make an offer on my PRISTINE 124 Diesel should be upset now, I woulda given it cheap then, NOW I WANT MORE! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

:D :D :D

Good, it should be much easyer to sell now. But since it runs so well... :D

You know you wanna keep her now...

:D :D :D

My W123 300D is better... :D

No mine is better! :D :p

Everyone's is better than mine :rolleyes:, if I wasn't so lazy and cheap, I might actually have a decent 300CD... That reminds me, I better check my glowplugs and install the block heater I have sitting in the trunk...

Haha I almost do want to keep it, but then I think how abysmal this thing is in the NE winters, but when I hit the onramp to 93 at the mall in Salem NH (Long, sloping curve) at about 90 in my RWD MB, oh there's nothin better.

:)

Abysmal as far as traction or cold weather starting, hvac etc. ?? I find that many a rear wheel drive car, that corners fairly flat as in decent sway bars, and has true winter tires, Blizzaks, etc. will drive pretty nice in snow and ice conditions. When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, with it's wet snow and occasional ice-storm/freezing rain, I would keep a second set of OEM rims with winter tires mounted on them, when the worst weather hit, I just tossed them on. Well these rear wheel cars did not handle as well as FWD. they came pretty close in most conditions.

Are those studded tires? Do they allow studded tires out west?

Though I have not driven my '87 300TD in the snow yet (coming soon) I chuckle to myself when I run across any reference to the rear wheel drive versus winter. How many cars and years did we have no choice other than rear wheel drive? 68 Chevy Chevelle, 69 442 Olds, 70 340 Duster, several BMW 2002's . . . finally a Saab 96, Saab 95 (wagon), Saab 93? (memory is fading some but that should have been my 2-cycle mosquito killer), Saab 99 and many front-wheel drives since those. Other than my '77 VW bus I haven't driven a rear-wheeler for years and I'm actually looking forward to it. In most cases, I no longer have to drive when I don't want to so I guess I should have fun this winter. :D

Most of these tires were non-studded winter specific compound such as the Blizzaks that I mentioned. Too many yuppie SUV driving idiots have moved into the Pacific Northwest, they put their snow tires on way too early and run them way to late, so steel studs have been banned. As far as I know (I live in Texas now) alloy studs are still legal, but personally I don't like the way studded tires drive in the wet rainy conditions that exist on the West side of the Cascades. (If I lived in the colder areas East of the cascades prone to snow pack and ice, I might run studded tires.)

As to the RWD versus front drive, I can see both sides. IMHO, as I said a RWD car that rides flat, ie. handles well on dry pavement, can usually be "drifted" with some control on slick surfaces, BUT the typical P.O.S. designed for liability versus handling that has massive amounts of understeer, is the worst kinda of vehicle for the conditions we are discussing. The biggest issue to me is modern high performance tires, and many a "normal" tire sold today, was basically a higher performance tire a short while ago. The tires have gotten much wider over the years, and compounds are way to "hard" in colder temps. Even a AWD Porsche equiped with a speed rated performance tire is very scary on ice and snow, yet the same car equiped with a true cold weather compound is a blast to drive in these conditions.

I am told these "winter" tires have improved much since I used them 8 to 10 years ago. It would be interesting to hear from someone who is running them these days. The only issues I had with them were cost and their fast wearing characteristics, though I solved this issue by mounting them when I needed them, as this was an option with the fickle Pacific Northwest weather, and mountain passes.

I drove a FWD Honda for many years and always missed spinning donuts in parking lots during snow storms. Now with the 87 D, the donuts are back!

DS
Iowa

I love doing this! :D The first time it snows I'm heading to a parking lot. :cool:

You can count me in on the fun :D :D :D
Best part is, that it hardly eats up the tires :cool:

What a bunch of kids these cars make us. Let it snow. :D