I have a question about a 78 MB 300D that was listed for 10K on ebay. My question is will that 78 MB 300D non-aspirated diesel blow away a very latest model 240D from the line all the way up to top end flow? Like at least a 83's model 240D without the horsepower boost modifications done to it.

Yes.

Don't waste $10,000 on a 29 year old car.

What "horsepower boost modifications" ?

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

That would be one very slow and pathetic race.....

If the 300d was non-aspirated I think the 240d would beat it under any conditions since the 300d couldn't run.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

had to re-read the original post to get that one, nice

rebe, it's Naturally Aspirated

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

Early candidate for line of the evening......
I like your work!

Oh, and btw, don't waste your time worrying about the speed difference between two cars that don't have enough to worry about. Not the reason we buy these cars....

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I guess I wasn't too clear on the NA part of the question. In essence I meant NTC'ed. Oh! and on the don't worry about the speed, that is not why you buy them. I would like to know then why you do buy them?? Speed and performance has always been the trigger for any kind of automotive selling criteria.

That is a good question...I think we mainly buy them to work on and look forward to our next small improvement so we can discuss it on these forums...
Lots of reasons to own one... but performance is way down the list for an old Benz dieselhead....I think it is just the whole car that is interesting....kind of like ownership of working antique machines and curiosities....The multi-fuel aspect of the IDI diesels is always fun too....Because they will run on many liquid fuels, do not need computers or OBDII systems....These autos may come in handy in a pinch....

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1978 Yellow 300D (The Mustard Toad)
1980 Blue 240D (The Iron Toad)
1989 Grey Mitsu.4WD Mighty Max Pickup (Needs a Diesel transplant bad)

(Open the pod bay doors HAL)

If you say so.....

I withdraw to pursue other threads...........

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Nobody buys an old diesel with speed and performance in mind.

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

Now that we put away the performance factor away ( i think for that matter than a 1st edition 300D and a late 240D are almost equivalent) we can start talking about the rest of the car...

1976-1980 300D
Horse-hair seats
Chrysler auto-climate
1stgen rust-proofing or no rust-proofing + galvanization only on structural members
pneumatic cruise control
EGR-free
Chrome-tail lights

240D 1982-83 (and 84-85 euro models)
Synthetic fiber seats
MANUAL climate control
2nd gen rust-proofing + Galvalization of bottom coque
electronic cruise control
EGR

Except for the EGR (that can be removed or disabled) in the 240D, pretty much every thing else is superior in the late 240D.

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Aquilae non capunt muscas! (Eagles don't hunt flies!)


1979 300SD Black/Black MBtex239000mi
1983 300TD euro-NA. White/Olive Cloth-MBtex 201000mi. Fleet car of the USA embassy in Morocco
1983 240D Labrador Blue/Blue MBtex 161000mi

300D AT vs 240D AT or MT?

Why is a person for whom speed and performance are the criteria even thinking about 25 year old Diesels? I always thought it was about number of cup holders

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

Was 78 the first year for the 300D. I once owned a 77 240 and love it and now I have 78 300D which I love just the same. I concur with other members of the forum that we don't buy these cars for high speed/performance but for the love and duribility of MB DIESEL.. I will say that my 78 300D NA (161k) has as much get-up and go as my 87 300D Turbo(321k).

There is something wrong with your 87

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon