my 1977 300d needs a lot of work and i came accross a 1976 240d with only 70,000 miles on it for $800.00. the interior is perfect, but the exterior has a few body issues. seems to run good, but looks like someone hit a pole at the drive-thru. nothing major. the car is forest green w/ tan interior. what is the difference rather than the body style?

240d only has a 2.4l 4 cylinder engine. This has been noted to make it a bit of a pooch.

Glenn

I'd say $800 for a driveable car is a great deal! Have a look at what japanese or american car you can get for that money.

so it's not the 5cyl diesel like i'm driving. i've only been with my 1977 do six months and 20,000 miles. love the car, but have some costly issues. only paid $400 and looks great. however, it seens like the magic cost is $1000 to get something fixed.

Well a couple of things

#1: 115 car is far superior IMHO . Handles way better not to mention looks a lot cooler than the 123.
#2: Quick lesson 300D-3.0L 240D 2.4L 220D 2.2L you get the idea..So anyway yes the 240D is a bit slower at 60 some odd HP depending on condition but I've seen 240's that run just as good as a 300 hoopty if that is what you have.
#3: They will all cost you money. Something will always go wrong with these cars. They are only affordable if you can do the work yourself. Now that you are here log onto the DIY pages and save yourself a bundle.

Welcome to the forum and pick up the 115. If you are looking for a car to work on though the 115 is a bit tighter there in the engine compartment and parts can be a tad bit more difficult to pick up...but not to bad as the engines are 99% the same. It is still a 616, 617 so you are good to go. Ohh by the way the 240 is a 616 and your 300d is a 617

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76 300D 130K "Stella" (Sold )
74 240D 299K (Donated to Highschool For Senior Project WVO)
83 300TDT 290K (My one and only)
Sanford, NC

my 1977 300d is just as fast as most turbos i tested. i just can not get the car to start. a friend sold it to me as a science project for the wvo system. he was going to take it to the junkyard because the rear window was broken and thaught it would cost a lot of money. a $30 fix from the junkyard

If you want to run WVO and you are just having a starting problem (besides the 115 being a great handleing car and having a bit more class
I would stay with your car. WVO in the 115 is not a freindly situation. When messing around with WVO I use my truck and my 123 Wagon. The main problem is the 115 is cramed in the engine compartment. You can make your system so the only thing in the engine compartment is your splice into your coolant lines but you greatly increase your purge time. I'm sure there is a way to decrease that though. but with a 240 you might be able to find room for your filter in the engine compartment...a 300D forget it. So sounds like you are creative and thrifty so I'm sure you can develop a WVO system for a 115 that would work just fine.

One other thing to consider is I don't know if the suspension is different in the rear of a 123 but you put a couple people and an extra 15 gallons of WVO with a full tank in your car puppy bottoms out. Broke my hubcap the other day going over a manhole cover not properly covered with 45 gallons of WVO in the back...Not a good situation. It even bent the steel rim.

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76 300D 130K "Stella" (Sold )
74 240D 299K (Donated to Highschool For Senior Project WVO)
83 300TDT 290K (My one and only)
Sanford, NC

for road trips, i wanted to get a trailor and keep the extra fuel in there. the extra tank in the 123 might be different. i think the goal would be to keep the wieght over the axil. i forget what law in physics that defines carrying wieght farther from the point of load. would it be possibel to mount the filter in the wheel well on the 1976? seems like there should be an answer.

there might be room in a 240 to put it in the wheel well. You would have to modify to a non standard air filter and if you have AC remove that as well. As for in the wheel well next to the wheel if that is what you are asking no way. As for a trailer you add a good bit of weight with the trialer hitch. I think you have to do some eruo mods or something like that though to get it to work. Don't know much about that though. You must be making some long trips to need a trailer.

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76 300D 130K "Stella" (Sold )
74 240D 299K (Donated to Highschool For Senior Project WVO)
83 300TDT 290K (My one and only)
Sanford, NC

In that case there was something seriously wrong with the turbos.