Hey guys looks like I'll be getting my 4th interation of the diesel benz's today. Ive owned a 1980 300CD, 1990 350SDL, 1992 300D, and now it looks like I will be getting a 1997 E300D Silver on black. The car has 142K miles supposedly runs great. New glow plugs, power steering unit, new brakes, new Mercedes battery, fuel filter. I know about the spring perch problems but is that something I can look for? Other than the obvious like leaks, noise, roughness, records, suspension feel is there anything I should look for? Carfax is clean spending most of its time in Florida orginally a lease and apparently this guy is the second owner ohhh and the price is good @ $8500....

What do you guys think??

Zack

I have heard of rust on the body itself, around the trunk key area is common, could be throughout the panels if it was not treated properly at the factory, but I would personally open all the doors and peel the rubber back at the top to the door frames and have a good look at all four, if minor not a deal breaker. I had one with some minor rust that was easy to address early on.

search too, bride calling off to grandma's....

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raMBow

1999 E300DT Obsydian Black Metallic, Heated Full Leather Parchment options, E2, K2, 136,000+, best 36.5 mpg - GP's 12-04 & 11-12 Zero Stuck
2010 Honda Odyssey - The BrideMobile - best 26.5
(2) 2005 Honday Accord- (1 -Corporate 1 - Personal) - 110,000 4-cyl 30mpg
2000 VW Golf GLS TDI, Upsolute Chip (sold to Brother, now 300+k on it) 48.5 mpg like clock work
1987 Honda CRX HF - Sold 87,000 always over 50 mpg Max 67 mpg

If the body is straight, the paint is good and the mileage accurate (which it probably is on this car), that looks like a steal. I wouldn't worry much about the spring perches since even if you pay for replacing both of them, you're still getting a great deal.

Leased cars can possibly have more issues due to the original owner planning to trade the car in after a few years, but that happens with cars that are outright purchased as well.

I'd plan on putting a new pair of flex disks in there, if they're original (and they probably are). It's quite hard to check the evaporator without doing some serious work, but 210 evaporators don't seem to fail as often as 140 evaporators. They're still very expensive to replace unless you do most of the work yourself.

If my garage wasn't already at vehicle capacity and I found this car for this price, I'd be all over it.