After reading up on them and such, I have come quite close to purchasing my first diesel. 1985 300D with turbo, gold with palomino (?) MB-Tex interior. The carpets are quite stained and such, but the MB-Tex appears that it will clean up. Neither the gas gauge nor the front passenger and back driver's windows work. No rust that I could find (I can't say that I am experienced in these things, but I checked the wheel wells and the door sills as was recommended...?). Drove nicely, somewhat loud, but tis a diesel. It has 311,xxx miles and the gold paint is getting rather thin, with several dollar-bill sized spots down to primer. Air conditioner has recently gone out (after apparently a slow leak and rounds of recharges, owner who used to fix air conditioners thinks a hose might have burst), but the heater does work. Sunroof is operational. The brakes were redone recently and as such its stops quite nicely. The radio works, which after driving the Packard (that has a vacuum tube AM radio that sucks power even if it doesn't work) is marvelous. No exhaust grumbles or any smoke seen whilst driving. I would have snapped photographs, but the thought did not cross my mind until later; it is within walking distance of my house, so pictures are easily procurable. For $1500, does this sound like a dependable daily driver? I am quite giddy at the prospect of getting it and am afraid of not thinking this clearly through

Also, may I inquire from any fellow Birminghamians out there where a stuitable mechanic might practice?

Thank you so very much, sorry for the extra-long post.

-I.H.Dexter

price sounds reasonible but i would want to see it first to make a true judgement... as far as a good shop goes PTL auto and tire on huffman road in center point is a wonderful shop... im a little biased though since my brother in law works there and honestly i have no idea if they will work on diesels but they are great with gassers...

Why you getting an MB when you have a PACKARD! Those cars are awesome. Straight Eight is a completely awesome engine design, its just oozes class.

At any rate, at 311K your engine may be in perfect running shape, howerver, in my opinion, an auto tranny from a Turbodiesel Mercedes may be running on borrowed time at 311,000 miles if it's original. I've hear stories of them lasting 500K, and stories of them needing rebuilds at 150K. It depends on maintenance, and if the car was built on a Tuesday or a Friday (but Monday is the worst )

In any case, they are great cars. However, I feel you could probably get a much better deal somewhere else in the south of you looked around on Epray or classifieds. 1500 for a 20 some odd year old car that may have a tranny thats on its last legs seems like a bit much (or maybe I am just cheap)

It'd be a worthwhile investment, IMO, to find one with lower mileage, and possibly spend a bit more money. I should talk though, the prices of the 83 240D and my 76 300D now come out to 100 dollars, and 4 cords of wood.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck in the hunt. Lots of good people here ready to help you with any little problem you need. Don't be afraid to ask questions, I ask stupid ones all the time

__________________
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

Price is OK, but this is an old car. Unless you have big pockets, learn to tinker.
Window issues can be simple switch rehab (cotton swab and new grease) or plastic slider ($8, see posts on rehab) to new (or used) window regulators $ from $125 up if bought with the motor. Front windows are a b... but if you do the rear one first you'll be ok.
BTW: now that your turning to the dark side (diesel) that gauge is a fuel gauge. Do a archive search (or look in the DIY stuff bottom of home page) for gauge rehab.
If you can, do a 0-60mpg test and post the results. This will tell us a bit more about the drivetrain.
With engine warm, pull the oil filler cap and post the amount of fumes at idle and 1/4 throttle. This will give us a hint on the engines quality.
How old is the battery?
Does the PO (previous owner or sometimes refered to That SOB That Did !@#!@@ to a MB) have service records from a real mechanic?
If he is a HVAC guy he should know if something burst in the AC. How long has the AC been down? These things need lubrication and if not run, no lub & you start replacing parts ... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Look at Diesel Gaint and other sites for scary $ AC rehab.
Do all the door, trunk and optional fuel flap lock and unlock?
Does the engine shut off NOW with the key?
1 hour after running the engine, will the above locks still work?
Does the trany shift hard? Is this the origional trany?
Pull the rear floor mats. Is there any sign of water?
Most good, vintage MBs require 1 - 2K$ to make them daily drivers with everything working. IF YOU DO THE WORK! (exception: 240D also called the EverReady Trutle).
Now for the biggest question: Can you survive being owned by a vintage MB?
Taking a luxury, 21 year old car with mid to upper milage and making it into a daily driver will take a bit more putsing, tinkering & wrenching than a 10 year old Toyota.
Do a search on runaway diesels and go buy a CO2 fire ext. You may never need it but if you do, it is a life (of the MB) saver.
Good luck. There is nothing like driving a 2 ton, vintage, luxury speed tank.
Now turn facing Stuttguard and repeat "I Love To Work On Vacuum Systems".
Which Packard? Never had the pleasure (except as a passenger) but for 3 hours I owned an Arrow. One never knows what one had till ................ "I traded that car for paper $" !!!!!!!
BTW: Some young folk are now turning to the old heat box tube radios and amps for the better quality sound!

Looks like all the folks allready posted all the information you could need,I would only add this car sounds like it would be good for somone who had dealt with these cars and enjoys working on them.If you are mechanically inclined all the information and help you would need is available on this board.But if you dont like to get your hands dirty you may want to spend a little more and get something a little more complete.Best of luck. Oh yeah,and welcome

__________________
85 300sd SOLD ,85 745i,95 740i,1972 Suburban,1938 International

"Most good, vintage MBs require 1 - 2K$ to make them daily drivers with everything working. IF YOU DO THE WORK! (exception: 240D also called the EverReady Turtle).
Now for the biggest question: Can you survive being owned by a vintage MB?"

LostYankee is right on. This car will own you if you don't know how or are too afraid to turn a wrench. Unless of course you're a millionaire. I'd whittle the asking price down to 1k. By the way you think there's no rust but I'll bet you if I had a look I could find some. There's always some amount somewhere. There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz.

__________________
'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

Hey, how about putting a picture of the Packard in the OD section. I'd love to see that.

Good luck with your intended aquisition.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

The Packard is in dire need of paint, as its once wedgewood blue exterior has oxidized to a gun-metal gray. The chrome was all redone before I bought it (I bought the car for the amount it cost to have the grille and bumpers rechromed . The owner said that he has records of oil changes every 4k miles and said that I could call his mechanic to ask for a more in-depth analysis of the car. According to the owner, the transmission has always shifted somewhat rough at low rpm (which is quite true, it did do that yesterday), but when one is going a bit faster, there is no notice of the shift. I can tinker around and have found that I love to do so. Apparently the front passenger window will go down but will only veeerry slowly go up. Air conditioner has been down for two or three months (I can't recall exactly). I shall try to get a chance to test drive it again to check the 0-60, I took it on the highway and it performed quite well, but I didn't stay on long enough to test the limits of its ability. I shall remember to check the locks and such and also the oil filler cap. I did think to check under the back mats and carpet and there is no rust or any sign of water there. Neither in the trunk. I have a fire extinguisher for the Packard and will most assuredly get one for this car if I (hopefully) get it. The man did not offer this car for sale in any publication or anything, just one day after I got the Packard going again after it decided to be fussy (I had been out of town for three weeks and it had not been driven), I had a hankering to stop at this house where I had seen an old diesel earlier in the week and ask if they had thought of selling it. The bell for class has just rung, will finish later. btw- the packard is a 1947 super clipper.

Welcome to the forum, IHDexter - you've come to the right place to get input to help you make your decision. You stated that the car "drove nicely" when you took it for a drive. I'd like to share my Mercedes Benz acquisition experience with you ....... even though I obtained a 190D as opposed to a 300D Turbo, what I am about to convey to you is probably best interpreted as a testimonial to older Mercedes Benz automobiles in general as opposed to being model specific. I acquired a 1984 190D 2.2 from my landlord - it had belonged to his father who died. After the gentleman's death, the Mercedes remained parked in the driveway for a little over five years without being started. My landlord asked me if I would help him do a clean-up of the entire house - as we did a walk-through the first day, when we walked by the Mercedes in the driveway, he said, "I guess I'll have to have that thing hauled off." The car appeared to be in quite good shape, which gave rise to me asking him if it ran. He said, "I doubt it - it hasn't been started in over five years." I said, "Let's check out the fluids and put a good battery in it and see if it will start." He said, "Michaela, I'll tell you what - if you can get the thing started and get it out of my hair, you can have it!"
The very next day, I took a good strong battery up to the house and put it in. I checked all the fluids in the engine, and they all looked good. Then, I attemped to fire it off. Do you know that car started right up! I mean, it didn't even hesitate, it just started right up - vrrooomm!! I have been driving the car every day for the past two years, and it runs great. To me, the decision was easy whether or not to keep it - the only financial risk I took was the $250 or so to invest to bring the registration current; which I did. But I'll tell you what - they don't make 'em like they used to; and I'll take an older Mercedes with less electronic stuff in it any day of the week over a new American car. The mileage on mine currently sits at 244,000; the mileage of over 300.000 is high, but I would base my decision more on how the car runs rather than how it looks. Does it start right up; does it drive down the road soundly (is the steering solid, does it not vibrate or shimmy, etc.); you've already said it brakes well; does the tranny shift strongly and does it feel sound when it shifts; check all the fluids (motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, water ... are they up to level, and how do they look?). The state of the fluid level and appearance can be an indication of not only what's going on with the general state of the car but how it's been maintained as well. (Although, this is not always the case.) I go alot by the sounds a car makes - does it just plain sound like it's running good? Look under the hood - if you see evidence of a bunch of wiring problems, pass on it. Nothing is worse than an older vehicle with a plethora of electrical problems, in my opinion. If you can say yes to everything except the wiring problems - if you can say "no evidence of wiring problems" and yes to everything else, you'd probably be well-advised to purchase it. If the fifteen hundred stretches your financial means to the limit, then go back and offer the gentleman a little less. Personally, I do believe that Mercedes Benz is engineered like no other car in the world, and I can tell from driving mine that; even though mine is the bottom line of what Mercedes has to offer, every aspect of it's design is built to last and is far superior to any other car I've ever owned. I have reason to believe my 190D will give me many years of service, and the pleasure I get from driving it is comparable to no other vehicle I've ever driven.

Good luck, and be secure in the knowledge that if you do buy it, this forum is filled with kind and helpful gentlemen who will help you if you do encounter problems with it. A great forum member as well as a superlative source of maintenance pictorials is a gentleman by the name of DieselGiant; located at http://www.dieselgiant.com - the information you'll find there is invaluable.

Regards, Michaela
1984 190D 2.2

The owner wrote me a letter with most all of the details on the car. He says that it shifts hard, but it still is shifting well (no slippage).

Ever since he has owned it (1988), he has had the oil and filter changed every 5k miles (around 60 times, as he says he individually has put around 300k on it).

The air conditioner went kaput two months ago and he thinks that a hose has gone bad but has not explicitly checked so.

There apparently is a water leak in the right side of the car that allows a small amount of rainwater into the right rear floor pan (there is no rust there that I could find- he smartly took up the carpet back there and has sponges to catch the water... ) from where he does not know. Water also leaks into the trunk on each side. Holes were drilled to let the water out .

The odometer does not work during the summer but does when cold weather comes. The instrument panel lights do not work and the headlight dimmer switch "seems to switch to bright all by itself sometimes." All of the maintenance and shop manuals come with the car.

On recommendation from yall, I asked about the vacuum system. He said that it doesn't quite work all the time and he is quite sure there is a leak somewhere. Joy. (I am already beginning to chant "I love working on vacuum systems," thanks lostyankee)

He recently purchased a wvo kit from www.dieselsecret.com and was about to build the filtration system and such when I asked to purchase the car and thus he is including that with the car.

I know I may not sound it in the least, but I am quite excited. Any other caveat's?
Thank you for reading through this mess.

Do a search on vacuum diagrams and take it with you to verify everything is in there. I learned the hard way with posts asking 'What the ... is this part?"
Water in the rear: My 300SD had a small hole in the rear portion of the lower door sill which flooded the floor.
Diesel Secret: Snake oil. The previous owner (PO) sounds iffy. (AC issues vs. knowledge, snake oil scams). LOOK AT EVERYTHING!
If your interested in bio fuel, be prepared to read till your eyeballs are red. Lots of crap out there. Look for sites with a proper $ trail to know exactly the costs. Best advice I can give you on bio or alternative fuel: get the best oil to start with, settle to remove water and only heat oil when needed (processing), size your filtration system around your collection.
Back to the MB: Sounds like you could easily put $2500 in this beast to make her proud again NOT counting paint. Sounds very much like my owner (300SD). I should have waited for a better MB and one that better fits my needs. PO lied like a pollitician just before sentencing.
One way to get the MB lust out of your eyes is to take the car to a used car dealer and ask what they'd give you for the beast.
So goes life. You never truly know till afterwards!

IH Dexter,

Good luck with your new tractor

The water issue is due to infiltration via the rear windshield seal.
It is dried and shrinking and allowing water to enter...I had the glass shop remove and replace mine with a new seal that I had purchased from Performance Parts. Totally fixed the problem. ($75 labor plus the seal)

You could also use a silicone sealant but it is difficult to end up with a good working fix that looks acceptable/decent. Plus, silicone is only temporary for a couple of years and will be hard to clean up when you must do the seal replacement afterall.

Oh! Plug up those drainage holes in the trunk to stop exhaust fumes from suffocating you and your passengers or at least ruining the interior

Welcome and Good, Good luck!!

I just read the posting you submitted yesterday, and I don't know, Dexter; I think I would pass on that car .... here in California, where I reside, I have seen older MBs for sale (early to mid 80's) for a little less than $1500, and this is an expensive area in which to live. I mention this because .. well, maybe now that you're so fired up about buying a Mercedes, maybe you should consider looking through your local classifieds and seeing what they have to offer in the way of an older used Mercedes. Although the WVO kit that'll be included in the purchase is a really great thing, it sounds like there's a lot you're gonna have to fix; and there's no telling what else'll go while you're working on the existing repairs. The water leaks going on seem really odd; I don't think I've heard of a Mercedes with such odd leaks before. Problems with the vacuum system; a dimmer switch that operates itself - yikes! Man, you don't want to spend $1500 to get it and then not even be able to drive it until you fix a bunch of stuff. My 190D is a bottom of the line Mercedes - like I said before, it sat for five years without being started 'till I got it, but everything on it works, and it's a year older; maybe I just got lucky. But what do I know .... I'm just a girl! Hey - what's going on with the registration on this vehicle? Is it current?

Anyway, I thought that statement that d.delano's was very profound:
"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes Benz"
Dig it!
Good Luck!

Regards, Michaela
1984 1909D 2.2

I really have nothing to add but wanted to share my experience in Birmingham:

About three months ago, I bought a 300TD from a very nice gentleman in Birmingham. I flew from Dallas and he picked me up at the airport we then completed the deal at his brother-in-laws jewelry shop and I was off for my 700+ mile trip. It was one of my most memorable road trips ever (in a good way). This is my first Mercedes and my first Diesel.

Since then, My wife begged me to buy her a Jetta Diesel wagon so we found a 2002 a few miles from my property in the country and picked it up for a reasonable price. She really loves it and we will probably always be a diesel family from now on.

I was looking forward to getting a Jeep Gladiator diesel (2005 concept car) but it was reported a few days ago that it will not be built.

__________________
_____________________________________________
84' 300TD 228,000 miles
02' Jetta wagon TDI 198,000 miles
02' New Beetle TDI 172,000 miles

Since you are fortunate enough to live outside of the rust belt you can buy a car that you might keep for years to come. Spend a few extra bucks and buy one with fewer issues. Save your money while you look for the right car. It will be cheaper to buy one in great shape than to restore one. Restored and original are not the same thing at any price.