I don't know much about the 240D's, four speed. Are they painfully slow? Anything in particular that you have to look for mechanically? One just came up for sale that I am interested in, asking $1950.

If you're used to a 560SEC, then yes, it will be slow.
Otherwise they are great cars, pretty much bombproof with the 4-cyl non-turbo diesel and manual transmission.
You will have to look ahead on the highway to get your momentum up, because they don't have a lot of passing power or hill-climbing power, what with 68 horsepower...when new.
If the car you're looking at is in good shape, go ahead and get it. Nothing like a classic Mercedes diesel.

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99 E300 TD -- sold
01 540i 6 spd

That is a good buy for a car as well built as the 240D! This of course depends on condition! Also these cars were advertised with 68 or 69 Killowatts of power, horse power is more like 85 to 90, still not a lot and turning on the AC will make it even slower! However mine is getting 40 MPG on Biodiesel so there is a lot to be said about how much power you will really need at $3.00 per gallon and rising! Buy it. If you don't, send me the info, OK?

I'm pretty sure its like 60-70 at the flywheel when new. Subtract a lot at the wheels and some more from age. They are slow but not too bad. Flordia is pretty flat so I think it will move you around OK. Don't expect to be a racer but you will need to be a thoughtful driver who plans their moves ahead of time.

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-Zack K.

http://www.maj.com/gallery/Boardmong...-Drive/si2.jpg


1983 300d Turbo (Daily Drive) -- 243,000 miles
1979 280ce AMG (Beginning extreme restoration) -- 141,410 miles
1979 Yamaha Chappy LB50 (Awating new points) -- 1411.6 miles

1981 300d Euro 4 speed -- 188,421 km -- SOLD
1979 300d Euro 4 speed (Sold to Brother) -- 257,000 miles

A Collection of w123 AMG Cars and Parts

Painfully slow was a 1967 200D 4spd that I had for awhile. I have a 1977 240D AUTOMATIC that starts in second gear(set up that way from the factory)and it is slow but on the highway it is just fine. Mine also has the BIG York A/C compressor. That takes alot of power out of the little 60hp engine but it is fine on the highway.

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My Truck.. 2007 DODGE, 5.9 Cummins, 6spd stick, 4X4. My car..1977 240D, OTHER WHEELS...1955 VW Oval window bug, European Delivery (Holland) with a 1700cc, 2 barrel, Porsche drum brakes. 1939 WILLYS Pick-up. 1967 Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub. 1976 Honda 550F 4cyl Motor Cycle.

0-60 in 22 seconds I believe. I didn't mind driving mine, just had to pretend I was racing the other cars on the road.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Yup, you'll be accelerating from each stop with the pedal to the metal, and you'll barely keep up with the other cars that are accelerating casually. The acceleration isn't too bad and it really depends on your expectations.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I dont know about Killowatts of power, but my 240Ds only have 67HP

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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"

This MB is actually the one that's a "turtle", shape and all!

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

The 240d is a fine car. Perhaps not suited to very congested high speed traffic in the perimeter areas of very large cities though. I have two and live in a sparsly populated area and they are just great.
Some examples are a little noisey at highway cruise speed so before purchasing try the car on the highway. If youi find it acceptable fine. Also try to keep the 240d well tuned as you cannot spare a lot of power by inefficiency. I have nothing against automatics in general but a 240d with one decreases performance further.
A really nice upside is later you can buy up a really rusty but mechanicxally good five cylinder turbo car and transplant the engine,transmission and rear end in. Same chasis.

....more like a Brick.......I had an '84 240D several years ago, and from my experience....one must be careful when accelerating onto an Interstate or Freeway, but once up to speed it's not too bad.....but you may have to shut down the AC on really looooong hills........

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

i love them especially with a stick.

i do think though it is the only car where shutting off the ac during acceleration is a part of the routine!

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Where did you find an 84?

I like them too, but they are very slow. They are not really useful for highway driving, but a great little "around town" car.

[QUOTE=Craig;1531947]Where did you find an 84?

I have an "85".... they didn't send them to the US after "83".

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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"

My little old four-speed 240D will leave even the automatic 300D's in the dust, off the line.

Howsomever, I totally disagree with the opinion about the highway. They are just great for in-town driving, curvey country-lane excursions or road-rally and freeway driving. Granted, they do not have the top-end speed that the heavier, more horsepowered iron offers, but who really actually cruises over 75-85mph anyway? Even with my big old V8 427 hp Ford, I do try to keep it legal.

I have driven mine from Alabama to Maine, all over the South, including Tennessee, Kentucky, North Gawja, both Carolinas and Virginia and the mountain/Highway combinations were not difficult at all. Matter of fact, seems to handle them pretty well particularly since you can use engine braking aspects that you just cannot get from an automatic. And it is exceedingly comfortable on the looong road trips of 300-700 miles or more. And it gets what? 25-30MPG?

The manual transmission is practically bullet-proof. However, I am on my second clutch...I guess those things just wear out after a hundred and seventy thousand miles or so. Looks like I'll be due another one in about 80K Oh, the clutch is a DIY repair that takes all of four hours...

Anyway, If it is solid-bodied and reasonably well cared for, I would jump on it, offer him much less cash (like $1150), negotiate a reasonable price($1400) and not look back. If you don't like it you will likely be able to turn it for close to cost if you don't go overboard with non-essential add-ons. Heck, with some careful detailing and judicious care, you could end up making a few dollars.

Anyway, they can be great fun to work on if you enjoy that sort of thing. I gave a 240D to my son when he was 15 for him to learn on and he pretty much repaired everything on the car short of tearing into the engine. Course the engine only needed occasional valve adjustments and is still chuggin along. That was six years ago and now that diesel fuel is cheaper than gas he opts to use it for a daily driver instead of his '05 pickup. It is still a great value that will get him from one place to the other

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Bama1


2008 SLK 280, Firemist Red - "Hurricane"
2001 F150 Lariat 4x4, Black on Black - "Badboy"
1982 240D 4 speed survivor -"Pearl" - Donated to Vietnam Veterans
1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 -"Gertrude"

1954 model original owner - ~2.5M
Gray softtop/solid exterior/modified chassis