My 86 300sdl is my main mode of transport. Since purchasing it last 9 months ago I've put around 15,000 miles on it. So far so good.
Dave

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1986 300SDL

Both the SD and the wifes D are daily drivers. We both commute about 35 miles a day and as long as I keep up with the maintenance and service we NEVER have any problems. I have been driving diesels for about 12 years now and the only on the road problem I ever had was when I stupidly took off on a 250 mile trip with the SD the day I bought it. Realized after I got down off the mountain that the thing would not pull a hill or maintain highway speed. The car brought me home without problem even if I was down to about 5mph in the emergency lane of the interstate going back up the mountain. Turned out to be plugged primary fuel filter. My mistake for not checking and servicing a new{old} auto. Great automobiles!

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83 300SD- 223,000 miles {mine}
85 300D- 187,000, {wifes}
82 300D- 374,000, {parts car now, my first diesel}
74 Triumph Spitfire {constant PIA}
72 Jeep Commando {snow ride}

It's the 300D. Bought it 8 years ago with 42000 miles on it and now I have over 180000 miles more. Looking for a second one before the inventory is depleted

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"Schwarzbraun ist die Haselnuss":

1979 300D 234.000 Miles "Brownie"
daily driver,
1979 6.9 Sundays to the Tavern
and car shows "Big Brownie"

I drive my 240D for work every day, so it gets used 5 days out of the week and occasionally on the weekend. Great commuter car, with regular maintenance I should be in it for a long time. I'll most likely b driving it when everyone else's car in the parking lot is in the junkyard.

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1983 240D 4 sp manual 260K

My 300CD is driven usually 6 days a week. About 26 miles each day. If I am not headed to Lowes, the dump, or carrying passengers I drive the CD.

My wifes 300D was driven daily until about a month ago when it started to fall apart. Its been down due to axles, brakes, inginition assembly and now a timing chain. Hopefully a new timing chain will resolve the power problems and get it back on the road. My wifes a little sick of me throwing money into a parked car.

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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.

'84 300D turbo,210k,Daily driver. Great on the highway but engine idle fluctuates after a long,hot run.

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With the help of of another member, I recently bought a 84 300D T, which is being shipped to me. My other MB is a 61 MB Fin, which I am restoring extensively. I plan to drive both, but preserve them by not driving them too much. My daily driver is a 2003 VW diesel wagon.

So its a hobby.

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1961 220SB Hydrak
1966 230S - Too Good for Parts
1981 300SD - now in Oakville

After driveing the wheels off of three GM 5.7 diesels my family bought two 123 Mercedes. I guess you can say that diesel is our only means of transportation. I will never own another gasser.

With the price of fuel what it is, keeping the Expedition on the road was becoming an expensive proposition. My 300sd has become my daily driver and I'm loving it. Took a while to get used to the lack of power until the engine warmed up, but after that, it's got some decent get-up-and-go...

Les

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1980 300sd - Ivory, Tobacco Interior 130,000 miles
2003 Expedition

Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and weigh only 1.5 tons. - Popular Mechanics, 1949

The SDL is my main driver, at 15k mi/year. It also is the choice for any extended travel.

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Chris

'04 ML500 - 53k, Inspiration Edition, Desert Silver
'11 Audi A4 Avant - Brilliant Black
'87 300SDL sold
'99 C280 Sport sold
'85 190E 2.3 sold

Id say its both;

I bought my 3rd w123 300DT about a year and 7 months ago from the original owner, with 143K miles. It was garage kept, and along with it came a maintenance binder a couple inches thick, which contained all reciepts from new, including many gas records! Upon purchase I felt as though i should keep her in the Garage, and refrain from using her everyday to preserve her un-harmed complection. However, the car being so nice just called and called for attention- it wanted to be driven! So needless to say ive racked up about 45K miles in the past 19 months! Oil changed religiously every 2,500 miles, and have kept on top of maintenance like a hawk, in addition to re-newing older parts that have aged beyond reliability.
The maintenace book keeps growing, and the car keeps getting nicer and nicer!

Shes just recieved a hefty rejuvination after all that service- I replced the hood pad, and had our trusty mechanic take the car and fix anything needing attention- brake pads, fan clutch, and all fluids flushed and replaced, and is ready to retire and pick up her crown as the Garage Queen. I just cant bring myself to continue driving her all of the time... I know its what these cars live for ,it would be one thing if the car had less sentimental value to me, but this is the car ive always wanted, and plan on keeping for a long time. I want more mileage award grille badges!! Call me crazy. I do!

Shes been in storage for winter, last big trip was down to LA for a week to visit some friends, including forum member Peyton300TD, whom seems to be carrying on well after losing his 300TD in an accident with his temporary 300E until he finds the next gem of a 300TD hes dreaming of.

So currently, the 300DT is driven on dry sunny days, which are few and far between, and thhe C280 has been the daily driver. I may not be the biiggest DIY'er outside of detailing and light wrench turning, but im everybit of an enthusaist as the next guy on here.

Thank god for the internet and Mercedesshop.com!

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Nate

1995 E420
1992 BMW 525i
1984 300D Turbo sold
1993 Volvo 244 sold
1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P!


"The details are not details. They make the product."
-Charles Eames

www.cbs.nu

To me its not only a hobby, but a pleasure to drive.

My 1983 300SD has been my daily driver for 22 year and 237,000 miles. In that time, down days - two Alt. & Bat. non-starts. Same engine & trans. - yes, I love it.

My '87 SDL is my daily driver, or sometimes my wife's. We trade off on the '97 F350 and the SDL. The MB gets better milage and I drive more often than she so it's usually me that drives the MB.
We've had the MB for about three years now and we both love it. We live in a small town in the California desert, about 2.5 hours away from the nearest bigger town (read MB dealer) so I end up doing all the work on all the cars. I've been doing that since high school though since I could never afford to have someone fix my car. Now I guess I could afford it but I've never been happy with any service I've had done. I always have to end up going in and "re-fixing" it or fixing something that the mechanic broke. I'm still learning on the MB as time goes by. It's very friendly to work on; the swearing to bolt removal ratio is much lower than other cars I've owned (isuzus and chevys) and there seems to be less blood from scraped and smashed fingers and knuckles, although this worries me at times as I've always been a big believer in providing blood sacrifice to the car mechanic gods.
Hopefully this next year I'll have more time to work on some of the other vehicles I've got and the Benz as well. Probably not though, with full time job and 2 kids with another on the way, but we'll see. I don't know what I'd do with the Benz without this forum and the maintenance CDs. Thanks much to you all and keep wrenching and posting.

Matt.

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

I'm sorry that I cannot go along with seemingly all of you...my beautiful (at leatst to me ) '72 is only driven 500 - 600 miles a year. I love the car and will give it to my 5 year old when he's ready to drive. My '95 will go to my daughter, so I'm not being preferential.

Once I get the large boat out of the shed, it'll be time for a complete re-work on the '72; or at least as complete as my skills allow. I love the old car!

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1992 500SEL 25K
1995 E320 40K
1995 SL600 120K
2002 JX8 Sport 43K
2005 Volvo S40 95K
2006 Isuzu NPR 304K (Frankencamper)
2007 Crown Victoria 150K
2014 Smart Electric 20K