here's the scoop. i got turned onto biodiesel about a year ago. since doing a lot of research on it, i've been on the search for a diesel the past few months. my 3 choices are 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI, 1987 300TD wagon, and 1995-98.5 Dodge Ram 2500 cummins. I've recently found a 300TD with 123k miles on it, and have a few questions.

I'm not exactly a car guy. I know a few things here and there but I've grown up mostly not doing much work to any of my cars. My family has owned a GM/Chrysler dealership, so I've had the luxury of getting fairly new cars at a very cheap price and having the dealership do the maintenaince at a cheap price. This leads me to believe that a 20 year old vehicle isn't the best choice as my daily driver, however...i'm in love with the Merc!

My question is, how much issues can I expect on a regular basis? Are these issues usually easy enough to remedy on my own? Part of the reason of going to a Merc or VW is to break away from the GM/Chrysler chain i've been fed on for so far. I'd like to become more self-sufficient in my care of my car, so I'm willing to learn. I just don't want to buy a car that I'm going to get bombarded with issues and not be able to keep up on my own. Any advice here is highly welcome..

oo a W124 wagon.. snap it up..sorry... I just think thats a cool thing.

the W124 used the 60x series diesel engine which had the aluminum head so make sure it has never overheated before

the 6 cylinder diesel is a smooth beast and will power you with no issues if you run clean bio/heated veg

If you're not exactly a car guy, I'd go for the TDI. Practically maintenance-free (I own a TDI and a 87 300TD).

Do not get an 87 300D/TD unless you are prepared to do your own maintenance or pay lots of money to a shop to fix it for you. In the first 3 months of owning my 300TD I spent about $3k on major repairs (transmission, radiator, climate control, power seat).

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-justin

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

An 87 TD wagon is considered the cat's meow, partly because it is pretty rare. Any 20 year old car is going to have some issues to work through though, and some of them can be $$$$$.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Heck, even my eight-year-old E300 gives me issues constantly.
It must be a Benz thing....
My TDI will be arriving soon, so we'll see how my first month of ownership goes.....I remember the first month I had the E300 I spent $1k on a job I now realize I could have done myself!
My Excursion, on the other hand...I've never had a single problem with that beast.

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99 E300 TD -- sold
01 540i 6 spd

the problem i've found with the TDI is that they are extremely hard to come by at a reasonable price. people are gouging the price because the market is allowing it. i'd rather pay under 10k for a mercedes than 17k for a TDI. even if i do have to put some money/work into it. however, i don't want to be dropping 1k+ a year keeping it running.

guys, you make it sound like MB's are the worst cars. for some reason, they have a reputation of not just longevity but also low maintenance, the diesels that is. i can't be objective about this anymore. i'm just not happy in any car that does not clatter like a mercedes diesel. (and the tdi's don't sound the same, nor do the new CDI's). and when it clatters like that under the bonnet, especially if it clatters smooth and even and just loud enough, i don't care/ can't think whether this obsession really costs me more or less like an average japanese gasser. being able to drive on free WVO helps me fool myself that they are much cheaper for me.
the thing is: if you buy the 87 300TD, it's going to become your obsession, almost certainly. it's a beast. and you'll want to learn a lot about that car, and you'll be able to do a lot of stuff yourself. it's much easier to work on them then most other cars.

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1974 240D, 125K mi, B100 now, SOLD
1980 300TD, 115K mi, 4-speed stick, roll-up windows, greasecar with two tank conversion (daily driver)
1985 300D, 220K miles, greasecar with two tank conversion, SOLD
1993 300D 2.5turbo, 158K miles, green/tan, B20-B50

My E300 is my obsession. I love its performance, excellent build quality, and yes, that diesel clatter . I love its cold starts on only five cylinders (one bad GP, stuck, long story..), and I love having to coax it to full, smooth life every morning. I agree, I could not live without it: it is that "Mercedes-ness" that keeps me fixing all its issues in an effort to keep it running. Mercedes aren't "the worst cars," they simply require a bit of maintenance. Financially they aren't that great of an investment, but for the "soul"...I could think of none better.

Brothabran, if you are going to buy that 300TD, either invest in some shop manuals or be prepared to invest in a good mechanic. I would recommend Mercedes-WIS for its ease-of-use but I don't think it covers as far back as '87.

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99 E300 TD -- sold
01 540i 6 spd

Since you are very early on in your Mercedes information gathering, you need to know something very important:
Merc = Mercury

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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

It depends. If you don't have access a good mechanic, I would advise against the MB. Any older car no matter how well kept is going to have issues from time to time -- noises, shakes, electrical glitches, etc. A good mechanic will tell you what's happening and whether or not you need to fix it right away. A not-so-good mechanic will happily fix it for you every time you bring it in -- and may even find more stuff you didn't even know about. And of course that adds up quickly.

Doing it yourself is always an option, but after fluid changes and maybe changing glow plugs the work can get pretty technical. Of course, you can get help here, but keep in mind that for bigger jobs you may need to live without your car for a day or two while awaiting parts or further instructions.

So if you know of or think you can find a really good MB mechanic in your area, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, I think you might be happier in the the long run with a newer VW.

good point. like i said, i have a very strong interest in getting into this and learning. i'm certainly not looking to become a well versed MB mechanic or anything, but i just want to know if it's easy enough for a normal driver to be able to maintain this type of vehicle @ 20 years old and not get in over one's head..

IF spending a $1000 a year on repairs is too much you dont want a 20 year old car Any 20 year old car

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commercial fisherman diesel in my blood in my boats trucks and Dear old Dad has had me drivin them since i got my first license in 1968
1986 300 SDL 427654
1999 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 225423
1986 300 SDL 287000 Dad's
1987 190 Turbo 158000 Mom's (my inheritance)

$1000 a year? I've spent more than that on parts alone. Granted I'm a slight perfectionist when it comes to my car and will spend lots of money just to to get it as close to original as possible.

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-justin

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