1985 td wagon value

[tenmaz]

It has 200k miles/looks ok. Some door rust and oozing a little oil,but interior clean. No 3rd rear seat. Anyone have an opinion of value??

[thatguy]

Depends on where you live. Here in Seattle, assuming the rust isn't too bad, I wouldn't be surprised if you could fetch $7500 for it (no joke). Regarding the rest of the country, others will have to chime in.

[rrorison]

It kind of depends on what part of the US you are in. They seem to demand a premium on the West coast.

There are several factors that determine the value of the car. Does the A/C work? How about the vehicle leveling system? Jack points rust free? Some of these items can be very expensive to repair. Has there been any major repairs already?

I think the 1985 wagon is the first year of the wagon that they installed a catalytic converter that has been problematic on the 617 engine.

There was a 85 wagon at a local dealership in Southern Oregon on consignment for $3900 with 320k and not very good maintenance. The dealer even advised against purchasing it.

On the West Coast I would say its worth between $3k - 5K all things considered.

[tenmaz]

The car is on the east coast. Unfortunately, I saw it breifly. The door rust is surface. I did not see any rust underneath, but I will inspect it. You mentioned cat problem, are there any other weaknesses for this model to be on the lookout for. I appreciate your comments!!

[rrorison]

The catalytic converter and exhaust system are the only differences I know between the 85 and earlier models. I was told my a MB mechanic to get a 84 or earlier if I wanted a w123. I am not sure how hard it is to get the CC removed but he indicated it was something to avoid. Maybe you can just buy an exhaust system off an earlier model.

Other than that, there remains the common issues like vacuum system and leveling system that can be a pain in both the arse and wallet to fix.

[tenmaz]

Thanks for the responce. I will look it over in the sunlite and take it for a high way run

[Jeremy5848]

As far as I know, the trap cat thing was a California-version only problem -- my sedan has one. That can be worked around, it's not a killer. Rust is probably the big issue for any 22-year-old car that has been out in the weather.

As has previously been mentioned, the rear leveling system is unique to the wagons and also mean that the engine has a unique head-mounted hydraulic pump for the leveling system. All this stuff is fixable, of course. You need to find as many problems as possible and negotiate the price accordingly.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

[winmutt]

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

As has previously been mentioned, the rear leveling system is unique to the wagons and also mean that the engine has a unique head-mounted hydraulic pump for the leveling system. All this stuff is fixable, of course. You need to find as many problems as possible and negotiate the price accordingly.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

"More or less unique" is a better way to put it. The SLS system is def something to watch out for. It should rise up and level out on start up. Parts for the SLS system are ASTRONOMICAL new from the dealership. Other than that fantastic cars. 85 models have some added enviro stuff, nothing crazy. They also have the 2.88 rear diff (atleast in the sedans) which makes for a very nice ride on the hiway.

[Douglas.Sherida]

Originally Posted by winmutt

It should rise up and level out on start up.

It should only rise up if you've loaded the car with enough weight to compress the rear suspension (I'm guessing at least a couple hundred pounds), before you started the car.

If it raises the rear of the (unloaded) car shortly after startup, then it was sagging to begin with.

Sagging followed by pumping up suggests a leaking SLS valve (look for a wet valve just behind the rear differential), and either bad springs and/or a misadjustment or broken piece in the swaybar links to valve lever system.

The SLS system is repairable. The things to watch out for are 1) sagging (make sure the car has not been run for at least overnight), 2) leaks around the struts ($$$$$$), and 3) an unusaully harsh or soft ride (accumulators).

When the SLS system is working properly, you shouldn't even really know its there.

[pizzachef]

I paid 3500 for one in January. Probably too much, but its given me no real problems, and my mechanic says it performs extremely well for the miles on it. It had 300k, decent interior, 3rd row seats, but needs a paint job. I'm near the east coast.