Looking at buying a 1984 300D Turbo
 

Folks:

I looked at a 1984 300D turbo with 167,000 Km or 104,000 miles on it. Body and interior are in mint shape.It is a single owner car, and has not been driven much for the last six years. To make it road worthy it needs a center muffler or exhaust pipe, there is a small leak in the fuel line, and there is a small leak in the water pump. The rear driver's side window does not go up or down, and is struck in the closed position.

I would like to know if the problems mentioned above are easy fixes, and how reliable is the engine, and what sort of milage can I expect to get with this car?

Would love to hear your advice on whether I should go ahead with the purchase or forget it. It is priced at 4000 Canadian $$.

Why does the fuel line have a hole in it...and where is this hole..

If its under the mid body of the car they you are possibly looking at rust...
What is the rust situation?

I am not sure about it. I plan on taking it to an independant MB mechanic to get it checked out before I decide to buy it.

It depends on how much rust their is.

As with any old car that has been sitting it will need things. I would plan on at least $2k worth of stuff.

I think you'd find plenty of little leaks here and there because of the fact that it has been sitting.

I'd opt for one that has been a daily driver. Some disagree but low miles are not an asset when its been sitting.

On the other hand, if you like tinkering with old cars, then you might land a good one after 3 months of bringing it up to speed.

Don

yeah get it checked out and deduct from there.

post pics if ya get it...eh

300d
 

the window may be a simple fix if you are handy. be sure to get a good repair manual. the door panel if taken off incorrectly will be damaged. if done correctly is easy. the vacuum systems operating the door locks is fixable, but kind of a pain. i usually just let the vacuum locks go. the heater controls are problematic and have both electronic and vacuum systems. the ac will probably need work and that if done in a shop can eat up up to 2500. if it is just the compressor you might get off for 3 to 500. if it is the electronic panel on the dash a rebuilt is around 185 plus labor.
if the motor wont shut off you have a very big vacuum problem. the vacuum pump might be out. this is probably a 200 item at a shop... you can do it yourself if handy.
you need to find out also why it is being driven intermittantly for the last six years. it could have algae in the tank which will cause running problems that are obscure if you dont know to consider the algae. the fix is simple... go to a truck or tractor supply and buy algae killer, follow the directions and you are soon on your way.
the fuel economy will be around mid twenties on hiway if driven 75, high teens around town. if running correctly. as noted above the rust is a big determinant of value. if not rusty $3000us is a good price, maybe, but not if too many things are bad. if the motor is weak or bad or the tranny is bad, the value can go below 1000 pretty quickly. for 3000 it shouldnt have too many issues. see what the checkout reveals. many of the things that hurt another car has less affect on a benz.
good luck, benzes are the best but can get expensive to fix if doing everything in a shop. come back here with a list of problems and we can give you thoughts.

300d
 

the water pump is an easy fix if youre handy. the part is about 50 and it can be done in 2 hours. the muffler is about 150 for ansa and labor at a shop maybe 30.
this car sounds like it has potential. check the maintenance records and try to construc t a history that verifies the low mileage. diesels with this low mileage are rare as hens teeth. if it is true that is a good thing. assume it is false unless records are compelling. trying to evaluate the mileage on a benz without records is extremely difficult even for a very experin=enced mb owner. i have owned about 30 and i would not believe low mileage without compelling paper trail.