Hi,

I am thinking of buying a 220D as a daily driver for my wife. Am I nuts?

I am driving a '83 240D (WVO of course). How would the 220D compare? I am especially interested in reliability, servicability, parts cost and availability and general operating cost. I don't want to be "tinkering" with it every weekend

The particular one that I am looking at seems to have a bad brake booster, no body rot, less than 200K on the body and a newer replaced engine. It has an auto tranny.

Thanks,

__________________
Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

I drive a 28 year old car as a daily driver...once all the issues have been settled I only have to tinker once every 3 weeks or so.


How tinker friendly is your wife?
My wife would be nervious every time she drove it.

__________________
82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods

She loves the 240D but doesn't want another "project".

(suprizingly, I did a two tank conversion to the 240D while it was our ONLY vehicle)

I have decided that the car that we will get will be another diesel. I am also looking at a '85 190D with a 5 speed. I would prefer a W123 but so far all the local ones are junk.

I "think" that I should stay with an all iron MB engine so I am not to sure about yhe 190.

__________________
Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

WD,

Most important thing : Does your wife know how to drive an underpowered car? Things like getting a running start when hill is ahead, running it wide open thru the gears when pulling out in traffic and keeping out of the way of impatient drivers.

These are things I learned in driving 190D, 220D and 240D MB for hundreds of thousands of miles. Finally I got a turbo SD and all the above went away. I'm spoiled by my turbos and I really don't want to drive a NA powered Diesel anymore.

So I suggest U get a Turbo powered Diesel for your wife. More power at not much mileage reduction.

U want to buy a 30 year old car and don't expect to tinker with it? Dream on. The best U can hope for is no major breakdown.

P E H

Well I got my 76 300D up to snuff, and it's been pretty much bullet proof since. Leaky return line here, frayed line to the primer pump there...

but other than that have been driving it all season through all weather for two years, hasn't skipped a beat.

Keep it well maintained, with cars these simple sometimes its hard for random major stuff to come up.

__________________
http://www.betten.mercedescenter.com...n_banner_1.jpg
1976 300D
190,000 Miles
Colorado Beige

1975 300D
Parts Car
78,000 Miles
Rustbucket
Also Colorado Beige

1984 190D 2.2 (Dad's)
156,000 miles
Champagne Metallic Clearcoat

We had a 73 220d with auto for close to 10 years..When I bought it , it had a bad motor and then I replaced it with a MB rebuild engine we put 350 k miles on that rebuilt motor..the trans was original,so the car I figure had a total of 550k miles on it..what caused the end of it was the mounting area for the steering gear box was totally fatiged ..the sheet metal holding it was just worn out..I welded it a couple of times but after that there was no way to fix it..the engine and trans were running great when I let it go..There is only two positions for the fuel pedal..Idle or floored..zero to 60 in about 26 seconds

My wife does know how to drive an under powered car. She drives the 240D when I am not. We also have a military troop carrier with only 90 HP that she sometimes drives to Starbucks to freak people out.

Unfortunatly the 220D was not "as advertized" The "impecable cosmetic and mechanical condition" was a rusted out trunk, the pedels were rusted off of the floorbord/firewall, the just installed "brand new engine" wasn't even close to new.etc. etc. etc.

I guess I have to look at the 190D or keep holding out for a W123.

__________________
Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

WD,

Don't U just love that: Advertised as pristine condition and it has big rust holes and a poorly running engine.

I was lucky, my '80 300SD was advertised as immaculate and it was. Go thing as I went 600 miles to look at it.

P E H

Does the wife even like these cars? I find car people especialy women are not happy with putting up with these cars diesel traits. Heck me mom doesn't like my SDL, feels its to slow and heavy, and the whole glow plug light ehh to much hassle for her. Its the same with the girlfriend ect, women either like these cars or hate them.


I vote for keeping peace, what car does the wife want?

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200