Ah yes...Mr. Haiges has to come and bring is congenial, jovial responses to this otherwise worth-while and informative thread.

Thanks buddy...about that stick...

__________________
Nick
*****
2002 Sprinter 2500 140" High Roof :

Aint noone gonna say something about that second fuel tank?
Whats up with those things? tell me more....
I spent so much time and money getting mine right-
for Veg Oil!!!
Bingo, you hit the lotto on that one,
major bonus, that second tank, imagine that:
a stock two tank system right from MBZ, perfect for a veg oil machine.
Congrats!
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=frm&s=447609751&f=159605551

__________________
Think Alternative Energy!
300CD '80 (now gone but not forgotten...)

Demon240,

Many have thanked me for the help I gave them in this forum. I can't please all of the people all of the time.



Jimmie Joe,

How much fuel does the OEM auxiliary fuel tank hold?

P E H

I have a similiar car with 260,000 miles and if you think I am going to sell it to you or anyone for $3000, you can KMA. I'm tired of you cheapskates not willing to pay a decent price for a wonderfull car, one that the likes of will never again be made.

uh...okay. anyway....

If the body is rust and damage free and the interior is as good as you say it is, its worth $3000 even if it doesn't run. Remember, mechanical parts can be brought back to new, but bodies never can.

good advice. and the car IS in excellent shape. regarding the guy earlier who mentioned a much more worn model in NY with an asking price of $5000 (yoinks!)

BTW, a 300SD is not a classic MB and never will be. Its a work horse and will give you many miles of lowcost and reliable service. That's why I have mine, in fact I have 3 of them I like them so much.

well, you got me there. but i'm glad that behind the snarky antagonism you're a huge fan of the car. i appreciate the curmudgeonly tone. despite your verbal semi-hazing, i still want to be able to chant (like the rest of you all) "one of us...one of us".

the extra fuel tank holds approx. 15-20 gallons. (the range with two full tanks, according to the owner is 800 miles)

The way I see it, bottom line, how much is the drive train worth? Take that price and add or subtract it to the interior/electrical/suspension/brakes/tires condition of the car.

If it were me looking at your car, I would have offered $2,000 and see what happens. Then if the car checks out with a good vintage MB mechanic, I'll decide if I purchase it for their or my price.

thanks for that advice.

by the by- i'm extremely impressed by the fervor with which the members on this board love their cars. and the quick response to questions asked. you guys rock!

Chet,

I can't believe the range is only 800 miles using the auxiliary tank. I have gone 750 in my 300SD using the standard tank: 30MPG X 25 gallons = 750 milles. I don't care what the owners manual says, mine holds 25 gallons. But it extremly slow to put the last 3 gallons in the tank because the fuel foams in the fuel pipe. Maybe that's why the owners manual says it holds 23 gallons.

Is that aux fuel tank easily removable for more luggage capacity or is it permanently mounted. I've never seen one, what does it look like? How does the fuel get in and out of it? Is there a fuel switch like my PU truck?

I just returned from a ~7000 mile trip to Vegas and back. I got 28.5 MPG but I pulled a trailer for 2000 miles which cut my mileage slightly. BTW, the only repairs needed were lightbulbs and the inline filter had to be replaced ( I had a fuel system fungus which should be gone because I used Biobor treatment) Not bad for a ~25 year old car with ~260,000 on the clock.

This is the kind of reliability and economy I'm talking about. And you want this kind of car for almost nothing. I think you should buy a new car and loose 80% of its value in a few years and still have a POS.

If you had offered me $2000 for my car you would be in serious danger of being assaluted and if you were on my property, you would be quickly escorted to the perimeter (I.E. thrown out). But then, I am not a willing seller.
I expect my good 300SD to outlast me and if it doesn't, I'll use my 300SDL.

Take my advice: Buy that 300SD for the bargain price of $3000 before some one else does. Cars in that condition are hard to find. You are going to kick yourself if its sold to some one else.

Hope we can still be friends.

P E H

P E H--It's my understanding that tanks,any tanks, might be rated for x amount of gallons but may hold more or less than the specified amount.

I know what you mean about the foam-it's a PIA! You can get additives that claim it will reduce the foam.


Cheers,

Bill

Bill,

But wouldn't the anti foam agent have to be added to the inground fuel tank.

It takes me about 6 minutes to add the last 3 gallons of fuel to get a full tank. I think its caused by the design of the fuel filler pipe going into the tank because the tank is mounted so high in the car. Once the foam can't disperse from the top of the fuel in the car fuel tank, the foam builds up in the filler pipe and can't disperse fast enough in that small of an area.

But most of the time a I add fuel thru an electric in car fuel pump, so the problem only happens when filling at a fuel station when I am away from home.

I tried adding GasX but it didn't work. LOL

P E H

Is that aux fuel tank easily removable for more luggage capacity or is it permanently mounted. I've never seen one, what does it look like? How does the fuel get in and out of it? Is there a fuel switch like my PU truck?

it doesn't appear as if it's removeable. but i'm not sure. it's mounted in the back right-hand side of the trunk - a stainless steel, somewhat rectangular box with a fuel cap at the top right. there is a small fuel switch to the right of the tank on the "floor" of the trunk. i've yet to look at it closely (i'm taking the car to my mechanic tomorrow morn - the owner was out of town for a trip and had the car stored in his girlfriend's garage so i won't get the car until this afternoon) but he showed me the switch and the tank.

as for the 800 miles, i'm only going by the owner's claims. and i may need to find out if this was a TOTAL of 800 miles with the fuekl tank OR an additional - which doesn't make any sense. i may have to discover the mileage for myself. YOU GET 700 MILES on your regular tank? that's incredible! although the owner mentioned that he gets about 25 mpg with the car. again, i'll have to discover this on my own.

i'll admit, the tank does take up a good portion of the trunk, (maybe 1/4) but i've never been one to store stuff in my car trunk so as for storage space, i'm not particularly concerned. (famous last words!)

Take my advice: Buy that 300SD for the bargain price of $3000 before some one else does. Cars in that condition are hard to find. You are going to kick yourself if its sold to some one else.

it's been so hard to not seem too eager with this owner - i want to maintain a "perceived coolness" in case i want to negotiate - but i've seen about 6 cars since my search began and this is by far the best. is it wrong that i've actually had dreams about this car?

Hope we can still be friends.

aww P.E.H., are you really a softie under all of that growl? LOL.

i appreciate all of the advice. will let all know more when i get that car in my clutches!

P E H--I think you can get the antifoam stuff to put right into your tank. Don't see what the diff would be-in the ground or in the car.

Also, what model car do you have? My "85 300td fills up right to the top with no problem. Maybe your vent is a little clogged?

I don't know if its my imagination or not but it seems to me some fuels foam more than others. That could be caused by how fast its being pumped in. You think so?

I'm looking into WVO so my foam problems won't be as frequent

Cheers,

Bill

I mistakenly started another thread regarding some monday-morning second-guessing about how i "sort-of" passed this car over.

Quote:
Originally Posted by P.E.Haiges

Chet,

First: Brian is right.

I have a similiar car with 260,000 miles and if you think I am going to sell it to you or anyone for $3000, you can KMA.

I'm tired of you cheapskates not willing to pay a decent price for a wonderfull car, one that the likes of will never again be made.

Why don't you buy a new car for $20,000 and lose what the MB cost in the first day and what the repairs will cost in the next year. That's what I would worry about. Its called depreciation.

If the body is rust and damage free and the interior is as good as you say it is, its worth $3000 even if it doesn't run. Remember, mechanical parts can be brought back to new, but bodies never can.

BTW, a 300SD is not a classic MB and never will be. Its a work horse and will give you many miles of lowcost and reliable service. That's why I have mine, in fact I have 3 of them I like them so much.

P E H



Sorry Chet, I couldn't resist.

But, PEH does have a very good point with regard to these vehicles.

Can you take it to a qualified mechanic for a PPI? This would allay any fears you currently have about all the little things that might not be little things after all.

I additionally should remind you that you should continue an existing thread, since it is the identical topic, rather than start this new one.


my bad. (about the NEW Topic.)

have already called the owner and am taking it Monday morn to a MBZ mechanic (rather than my mechanic who started hating on the MBZ diesel as soon as I drove it up to his bay)

thanks for the gentle chuffing. i deserve it.

I just posted to your other thread.

I would take a look at the climate control servo (mine is new- do a seach here) these can be expensive. And check the condition of the rubber winshield seals and rear window rubber. I passed on several around here that looked good but had rotten floors due to owner neglect in changing these seals. The SoCal car I bought needs seals and started rusting the driver's floor , but I caught it in its early stages and its not a problem. MBZ put soundproofing on the floors that after 25 years wants to hold water like a sponge.

PEH is absolutely right. Its all about the body. Everything else can be replaced if need be. But, I still say, in your area, I would take my time and look around. There are SO many good old MBZs there, and so little time.....

__________________
80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

I AGREE with P E H.
best wishes always,
spo out

PEH is absolutely right. Its all about the body. Everything else can be replaced if need be. But, I still say, in your area, I would take my time and look around. There are SO many good old MBZs there, and so little time.....


i know. i see them around me all the time...tempting me...mocking me. LOL.

so...i've been scouring craigslist and autotrader.com in the l.a. area but every car i've called on has been (and i give the owners props for the honesty) riddled with warning signs (no records, dings in the body, unsure of the transmission history,etc.,...).

for example:

one guy offered a 76 300d on craigslist (honey brown exterior, tan interior) for 2500 (will take no less than $2000). 168,000 mi. but he has no idea of how many owners, no records, some re-painting done on the body, silicon fix on the windshield seal, tears in the seats, cracks on the dash, etc.,...

another guy i spoke with the other day (in torrance, ca) apparently buys 85 300D (s) (specifically, it seems) and sells them back to the european market as taxis. i'm always a little skeeved out by "dealers" because i (inherently) don't trust them. he "offered" me an 84 300d (189,000mi for $2750) but i think i'm gonna pass on even looking at it. (warning bell! he only accepts cash!)

so, that's sort of indicative of what i've been coming up against.
again, when i do the PPI on this and if it comes back okay (i'll expect a couple of things to be wrong) i may offer him $2500-2700 and see what happens from there. he says he has another person looking at it but i don't think so. he's been trying to sell the car since august.

thanks to you guys, i already have a specific check list to give to the mechanic on monday.

Chet,

There is a big difference between $2K cars and $3K cars. You have seen plenty of $2K cars. They are advertised between $2K and $3K, and, trust me, you don't want to own one of them if you got it for free.

A solid $3K vehicle has no issues with the engine or the transmission, has good tires, a fully functional climate control system, and a rust free body with decent paint. Now, if you want to buy this $3K vehicle for $2K, you may be able to do that if you search hard enough and wait long enough. There are deals out there, but, the first knowledgable person who sees such a vehicle will buy it instantly.

BTW, you will NEVER find such a vehicle from a dealer. If they found a true $3K vehicle, they would dress it up and try to get $5K for it.

How long do you want to wait in an attempt to save $1K?

How long do you want to wait in an attempt to save $1K?

i'll spend the $200 or so on the PPI and then go from there.

i get a little confused on these boards because some on here say "$3000 is WAY too much" and others say "snatch it up!"

this will be my first MBZ Diesel so I want to at least feel (in my own obsessive mind) that I did my "due diligence".

(by the by...i'm a firm believer in trusting my instincts and this car feels like it's the one - god, this is a car i'm talking about!)