The TD is not so tricky in the rain. The extra weight holds it to the road. But it will spin if pushed hard enough.

Cheers,

Bill

My 300D will chirp the tires with half throttle acceleration (now that I have the ADLA correct). The 240D will spin the tires on ice (most of the time).

My SD came with some crappy tires that broke free between the 1-2 shift. they had no traction.

I prefer a very sticky set of 225/55 tires. No traction problems, well unless you try snow then your are screwed.

Next time around I want 245/50's in the rear for that stagard look.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I run 225/50-16 Toyo Proxy Tires.(about 10K on them)........these are definately not Pep boy store brand tires....nor are they even close to being worn out. I do consider it a good running car....I can do the same thing with my W116 but its less controlible in the wet....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I'm sorry but when I see a newer "compact car" sitting in the wrecking yard, tagged on the freeway, or smashed up outside on the street I appreciate the fact that yeah...I might get some bruises in my 300SD...but atleast I will live if something bigger than a honda hits me...

Saw a 3 series at the wrecking yard one day...I think there was about enough room for one of my legs in the drivers foot area. Not good.

Remeber that you are listening to the same companies that are taking your money with the assumption that they will rarely ever have to pay back out. Of course they want you to buy a new car...

My 1969 bug was rated the same safety as my 1990 minivan...

The 300SD is rated the same as these two cars but ya know what...I have a feeling the jerk in his pickup will be suprised when I nose my way under his tire and flip his rig...

(I deal with road rage daily as well as people merging into the side of my car...I'll take evasive driving over an airbag if the car is properly built.

I realize I am taking a simplistic view on the topic, but a car designed to operate WITHOUT an air bag probably has a greater deal of thought put into the car itself..not using the airbags as an excuse to make the safety rating.

Just my thoughts...

I've only known two w123 turbo OM617's. Both were fast off the line, around town and cruised through 90mph with room to spare. In my experience, the turdo diesels are rockets.

But I've only experienced two of them, and they were both healthy.

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PagodaLOVER
1967 230SL, manual
1959 180D, manual

I could barely get going this morning on my way to school from a couple stop signs because the road was completely packed with wet-leaves crud. I barely pressed the pedal and it would spin out, I ended up just burning it out all the way across the intersections slowly gaining speed. I have to be careful when its wet, my car will break loose instantly on the 1-2 shift during a hard turn in the rain, even with my Assurance tires (which are WAY better than what I used to have) Driving these cars in the snow is an art form! I am a doughnut master, I can keep a circle going as long as I want if I have enough room

I've never gotten stuck, these things weigh so much you can just grind your way through most anything. I've done 55mph on 1.5 feet of packed snow....amazing, our van would have been in the ditch.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

You are a doughnut master when you don't need lots of room to do one

http://brandon.importtransmissionexchange.com/offroadmathis_files/Picture%20029.jpg

Well, I like to keep it moving in a sideways motion too, if I want to just sit there and spin in a circle I can do that really easily, its boring though. Been there done that......I played around in an empty college parking lot for like 20 mins last march after a concert, that was a riot! I fled when the campus patrol started heading towards the lot (I spotted them)

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Tip: Buy a broadband reciever (ie...scanner). Its saved my hide a fair share of times

THreadjack over...

The w115 and w116 make you feel invincible with the huge DOT mandated bumpers. Those monstrosities coupled with around 4000 lbs of mass I think I could tear through my rice-burners friend's cars and drive away from it.
Seriously there isn't much I'm worried about when I drive the "panzer."


Not terribly surprising, you're taller than me and I'm 6'2. Thats exactly why I hate to drive my moms Nissan sentra: no leg room. The feeling of having one's legs tucked against your chin is not exactly pleasant.

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'84 190d 2.2 - Silver
Converted to 5-Speed
'84 190d 2.2 - Blue
Factory 5-Speed

'76 300D (W115)
Sold, found again in less auspicious circumstances

I bet your 300D feels like a tank...it sure idles smooth! My car sounds like a freaking box of marbles compared to your rig. If I have my fedora on I don't fit so well unless the seat is back far enough to make the wheel uncomfortably far away. The new cars are nice but...I don't know...I don't fit and when I do...I don't feel surrounded by safe stuff.

I am 6'7"...a lanky one for sure.

Oh they'll spin but I have to floor it pretty much. Gravel is a pain in the butt with this car though. This is a California engine (EGR/ARV disabled with toothpicks) that seems pretty peppy to me, and i climbed up a hill from 80-100 mph pretty well on my trip to Oregon this past weekend, going up Shasta. I didn't know these cars could accelerate real well going rather steep inclines... plus the engine braking going down hills was phenomenal, going down Shasta at 80 mph I could just take my foot off and i'd lose speed, in fact when I let my friend drive part of the way (yeah, its a 700+ mile journey) I couldn't tell if he was braking or easing off the go pedal sometimes. I figure thats an indicator of good compression. So given that, and that the engine starts after barely one revolution of the starter I think it's healthy. Maybe it does need a valve adjustment, should I bother with it if the engines runnin the way it is?

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I'd at least check the valve adjustments if its been a long time...mine still fired instantly but I hadn't checked it since I bought the car back in February. found 8 of 10 valves tighter than spec...gained a bit in bottom end torque from that....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

It's not fair to call a 123 an "unsafe deathtrap."

a Ford Pinto is a death trap. A mid-60s Austin Healey is a death trap (very small and low to the ground, one is most likely to get smashed underneath another vehicle during a collision.

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1982 240D.
My name is Michael, and I am an 18 year old binge-drinkin', cigar-smokin', novel-writin', all around unsavory and unnattractive guy. I tell long-winded stories, and I only shave once a week, although I've had to do it every day since I was 16.