A buddy of mine spotted a 1984 300TD (wagon), for sale recently and I went to look at it today. I already made a tentative offer, which was accepted immediately, but I have not yet committed to buy it. I was hoping to get some feedback from the experts (and raving fanatics) here to see what you think its worth.

Its a 1984 silver over blue MB-Tex 300TD with 170 K miles on the clock. The car has only had one owner (the seller's father), who bought it in Germany and brought it over here. So, it is mostly Euro specs. Manual window cranks and antenna. Euro bumper. Round US style headlights. Steel wheels with matching wheel covers. Single bench seat in rear (not 60/40 split), no cargo nets on seat backs and no middle arm rest for driver. No third seat. The speedometer/odometer is in miles (not kilometers) and is in english, but all the text on the rest of the dash is in german. Maybe a replacement instrument cluster ? (which brings into question the milage). The car has obviously been sitting for a while as indicated by the leaves collected on it and the ~1000 difference between the odometer and the last oil change sticker (2 years ago). But most of its life its been stored indoors (at least in the winter).

I went over it with a fine tooth comb and have started it, but have not driven it yet.

The overall impression on the outside was that aside from needing a wash and wax its pretty nice. The paint isn't perfect, but no obvious flaws. I didn't notice any sagging in the rear. No cross bars on the roof, but I don't use the ones I have now (keep them in the trunk). The glass is clear and I didn't notice any chips or cracks. No oily smoke residue on the rear gate. All lights are intact and working. Bumpers are straight, but the rubber around the back up lights is gone. Needs 4 new tires. Needs windshield wipers, rear wiper did not turn on. Chrome(?) trim piece around rear window is loose from the gasket.

The interior is not so nice. Its not thrashed, but its not so pretty. No rips in the seats and the fabric isn't faded. But, the dash is cracked, some of the zebrano is broken/missing, the trim around the door windows is warped, the fabric around B-pillar is frayed. And it desperately needs a cleaning. I currently have an '85 300TD that I could get some parts from but they are 1) palomino and 2) US spec (i.e. have more holes for switches). There is no tach (just a big clock). Is this normal for 1984 and can I put my tach in this one? Its does have the original emergency road flag though. Blower motor works, but I have no idea about the state of the climate control. I pulled up the drivers side front carpet and there was alot of water under there. We had torrential down pours here a week ago, so obviously its leaking water somewhere. Hood hinges? sunroof? Drivers door?

The engine looks pretty good, no major fluid leaks and not too buggered around with. The owners family business happens to be maintiaining a fleet of large diesel vehicles, and I spoke with their house mechanic. He told me it was serviced every 3000K and I have no reason to doubt it by mechanical appearances. It will definitly need a new battery. The glow plug light did not come on, but I waited abot 15 sec and it fired right up. No smoking from the tailpipe and it sounded good. I did an impromptu blowby test on the cold engine by blocking the valve cover vent with my thumb and it stalled in ~ 7 seconds.

Like I said, I haven't driven it yet, so I couldn't evaluate the transmission or suspension. All the steering rubber joints looked OK and clean. Brakes were also checked by the house mechanic ~ 1000 miles ago.

RUST: The front valence where it meets the front fenders are rusty on both sides, the rear of the drivers side front wheel well (where your left foot goes while driving) is rusty (no hole yet, but I could make one with my thumb if I pushed any harder). The front driver side jack point is rusty (but the rest of the rocker panel looks clean, the rear floor (medial to the jack point) is rusty and the panel under the spare tire is rotten. And the thin bit just under the drivers tailight is rusted. The frame around the doors shows no rust. NO RUST on doors, tailgate, front and rear fenders, hood (including hinges wells), passenger side jack points and floor, or rear valence. I live in the northeast, and rust is what is killing my current 300TD. This is my biggest concern, and if I buy it I will have to commit to fixing all the rust ASAP, or it will end up just like mine in a few years.

What kind of money am I looking to put into it to fix 1) the rust 2) the stuff I don't know about and 3) the interior?

That's a tough one. Personally, I would not buy a rusty car because it would cost too much to restore correctly and I wouldn't want to just drive it into the ground. I assume you are looking at several $1000 to fix the rust and maybe another $3000 - $5000 for a half decent paint job. I don't know how much it would take to fix the interior on a euro wagon, or if the correct interior parts are readily available. I guess it just depends how badly you want a euro wagon.

I also assume it's a non-turbo (that explains the lack of a tach). I friend of mine just sold a pretty decent 82 U.S. spec 300TD (about 100K miles) for $7500. I'm not sure what the value of a good euro TD would be, but I suspect you could buy a pretty good one for the cost of fixing the rust/paint/interior on this one. It might be worthwhile if you are able/willing to do the body work yourself.

Thanks Craig,

It is actually a turbo. I've been looking around on line and evidently the "no tach" is standard on an '84. (edit: I was wrong, its standard on pre-83)

I don't really care about euro vs US specs, I only mention it because I know that some parts will be harder to get.

I think that I can do the rust repair myself by cutting and replacing inside the wheel well and under the spare tire. Maybe the floor and jack point cold be ground down and coated with POR-15? I''m pretty sure that the rust can be done without requiring body paint (except for the front valence and rocker panel).

I'm not looking to do a full out restoration, just put it into a presentable, drivable condition, and stop the rust from metastasizing.

Yea, I have an 81TD turbo no tach.

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A Euro and with a turbo. A Euro with turbo and no tach. Probably a Euro with a 617 that someone added the turbo. And then with a good dose of salt worked into all the body joints and seams and you think that with your level of experience you are going to fix it all. I don't think so. Pass on it and get a car. I mean start with a decent car. Anything without rust can be repaired. With rust it is headed for the crusher.

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

I'm not sure I understand. Was there ever anything other than a 617 in a 300TD?

Its definitely a euro car, with a turbo badge and a turbo engine. I always thought that meant 617.952, and that the only difference between a euro and US engine was the absence of some emmisions control stuff.

I assume that the instument cluster must have been swapped out when it was imported to the US since its in miles not kilometers. It seems most likely that the whole cluster was replaced with a pre-83 unit without the tach.

I may be wrong about the wagon, but I thought all the 82 and later turbos had tachs (my 82 300D does). I also thought that the most euros originally had non-turbo engines; again, I may be wrong about the wagons. I would attempt to verify that it has the original engine installed, and that someone did not add a turbo to a NA engine.

Honestly, I wouldn't mess with a rusty car unless it ws very cheap.

Can you tell if you have the necessary hardware for a tach? The sensor, from balancer to fender mounted amp to dash. That may help in determining weather or not it had a tach from factory. I understand Euros came without. A friend has a '79 nonturbo Euro CD, same cluster deal. He is wanting to hook up a tach, and has installed a cluster. Front leak could be from windshield rubber, I had an '85 that leaked on my left foot whenever it rained. Rust is usually fatal. Low ball, and see what happens.

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83 SD

84 CD

rust in the jack points and lower body panels are very hard to remedy. rust in the vertical outer body skins are much easier to repair.
be VERY sure it's the car you want before you get it. selling it will not be easy.
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

It is definitely an original euro turbo. Engine number 617.952...

I was able to speak with the owner (I had been dealing with his daughter). He traveled to Stuttgart in 1984 and bought it at the factory. He had them change the speedometer/odometer to a US version (mi. vs km) and ship it directly to New Jersey. It never had a tachometer.

I spent some time yesterday looking at alot of pictures of other blue interiors online. My original assessment of the interior was perhaps too critical, since I was comparing it to my palomino interior. It seems that the blue MB-Tex just doesn't hold up as well, nearly all of them suffer from wrinkles in the door panels, and a cracked dash. A good cleaning would make a world of difference.

I started it from dead cold (radiator hoses and valve cover cool to the touch) without any problem (aside from the aformentioned non-functioning glow plug light). No smoking. Cold engine acceleration was amazing compared to my 85. I don't know if this is an 84 vs 85 difference, a euro vs US difference, or if its an alda adjustment difference (the 84 wax seal has been opened whereas my 85 has not). I drove it around the parking lot, but was not able to take it out for highway speeds (so I still don't know how it shifts, or if the cruise control works). There was no steering slop, or body roll. The rear axle boots are intact and pliable. Brakes feel good, but crunchy sounding (probably from rusty disks). The odometer works fine.

There are a few electronic problems. The battery is dead. The battery light does not come on prior to starting, and the alternator is not charging (11.5 V at battery terminals while running, no change with engine throttled). I don't remember if light not on (vs light always on) is voltage regulator or rectifiers, and I couldn't find the thread that explained it. The highbeam indicator light doesn't work (but all the exterior lights work). Because its a euro, the fog lights only switch positions work. It has a light level wheel on the dash, but I could not find any vacuum pods on the back of the lights. The glowplug light doesn't come on, but the glowplugs (or at least some of them) work well enough to start the car quickly. The fuel gauge jumps around a bit. The clock doesn't work, but it seems like it wants to (I thought the minute hand was pulsing a bit).

The ACC seems to work well, blows hot and adjusts fan speed but is not blowing cold.

As to rust, its no worse than I originally assessed (but its no better either). I figure that if I did nothing you'd start to see it within 2 years and it would look like mine within 5. With couple weekends of cutting, grinding, scraping, welding (yes I have a MIG welder), POR-15 and painting (all non-cosmetic areas), I guess I could extend the life expenctancy by 2-5 years. 7-10 years for a driver, sounds good to me.

I should probably point out that I live in CT, within a few hundred feet of the ocean. So, its salty all year long. Last week during a big nor'easter I had waves literally crash on the breakwall and spray over my roof while driving. No 20+ year old daily driver is going to not rust around here.

Thanks all for the replies.