thanks for the link whunter.

bustedbenz, i will def. consider that when the time comes and i am actually ready to buy. I'm sure the more room would be put to use. what do you think of this one (same guy that has the 300d i posted the link to above) http://ditmire.com/sys/display.cgi?detail=4594

thanks RJ

personally, I like the looks of it. The main thing to remember with these cars is that pictures aren't enough, you need to go look at it, check it for rust, check it for just general ratio of things working : things not working and see if it's worth it. That's not particularly high mileage for one of these cars.... but it's not low either, so you'd want to check carefully to see that it was in good shape... and don't overpay.

Ditmire
 

You should definitely call ahead to see if that car is still there. If it is, you should take a good look at it. I live in Philly and when I was looking for a 300D I found that website through the guy's craigslist ad. That was about a year ago, and that car was on there back then. Also, there haven't been any new cars, at least diesels, added to the site since back then.
You can definitely find a 300SD or 300D on craigslist in the NJ/NY/Philly area that will have less miles on it than that one at Ditmire for that much $ or less. Just check for rust. Cars in this area are rusty.

thanks busted benz and jimz...

i appreciate all the advice.. i live right around the corner from Ditmire. i usually just stop by after they are closed if i wanna see if they still have a car.. here is another one that i know is there. w126 body.

http://ditmire.com/sys/display.cgi?detail=4627

couple scratches and dings on the passenger but i will stop by to get a better look at the body soon. I'm not going to stop by and actually ask them to put it on a lift till i know i can buy. i don't want to just be the guy that wastes their time.

If they don't want to waste their time by providing you a look see underneath, look elsewhere.
You are doing them a favor by even considering the car, not the other way around!

now that i think about it, that makes more sense. i did call about the last one i posted, the 87 300sdl. the sales guy said they still have it and its overall in really good condition. they don't have any service records tho. he said there is no rust and the car is clean. they do guarantee NJ state inspection.

is that worth much?

Not surprising about no service records, and it can pas inspection, good. Just remember if they pass the inspection, a lower cost for them, I would think, the owner may give his mechanic a nod and/or a wink.

well... its the mechanic selling the car. so i could take the car elsewhere to get the inspection and if it fails, just bring the car back to them showing what it failed for.

Cool, I can't help with engine, so others may clue you in to any pitfalls.

Look at many different models.
 

Drive examples of the W123, W124 and W126 to see which you think you would like. for the W123, try and drive an NA 300d A 300d TURBO, a 240d Automatic and a 240d manual. Occasionally you can find a 300d (euro) NA manual, too. That is many flavors of the W123 to sample. Which would suit you?


The equivalent gas models are cheaper to buy for what you get, because of the gas price rises and interest in biodiesel.

You could get an equivalent six cylinder '86 -'91 300SE that is identical in many ways to a 300SD and get it cheaper because is it gas powered, and otherwise cheap to run for a big Mercedes.

They are overlooked by many in the frenzy for diesels. You might think about driving one and see what you think

jim b, i have no objections to a gas motor. i will def. look into them. i just thought for longevity purposes and mpg the diesel would be the way to go. also, usable power: from what i read, the gas motors are gear for top end where speed, more suited for Germany.

but i am def. seeing the price premium for the diesel, i am second guessing if its worth it.

what are your suggestions for the gas motors? or models? and would be different to look for when buying a gas over a diesel?

what would be a mileage expectation out of a inline 6 gas? (where the i-5 diesel would be 400,000+)

thanks jim b,
rj

More on the W126 300SE/SEL
 

The '86 - '91 300SE/SEL cars have a very durable and long lived sohc 177hp inline six, which returns 0 - 60 times of 9.3 secs for the SE and 9.4 for the SEL (lwb)

It was designed for simplicity and longevity with as few moving parts as a 6 cylinder motor can have, with a 7 main bearing crankshaft

You'd get all the second generation updates with them, such as drivers airbag, ABS, smooth lower cladding, updated 16 hole wheels, newer upholstery patterns, and other things you don't get with the 1981-1985 diesels.

The rear axle gives them a surprising amount of pep from stoplights, you would be surprised. They are a lot slower for merging onto freeways and high speed passing compared to the 560SEC/SEL which do 0 -60 in 7.0/7.1 seconds, but once up to highway speeds, there are just the same.

I helped write the W126 buying guide for the 560SEC at www.mbcoupes.com which has plenty of tips and suggestions that would apply to the body and chassis of the 300SE/300SEL.

They are kind of the "secret" cheap way to get into a W126 if you like those cars.

Considering the "dollar per mile cost" which takes into account not ONLY the price of fuel, but also, the cost of repairs, insurance, reliability and frequency of repairs, they could compare quite favorably with a W126 diesel.

The crash safety factor IMO is priceless -they could save you in a bad wreck, I like the big ones a lot.

I would imagine they sip more fuel than a diesel, but less than a 560SEL.

I'd really take one for a spin if I were you, and see what I thought. You might be quite pleasantly surprised if you found a nice example of one.

thanks for the info. i will def try everything out before i buy. i also like the 300e, i am assuming its the same in line 6 motor thats in the bigger sedan? any thoughts on those?

thanks jimb

I've had a 300TE 4matic and a 300D Turbo. The 4matic part well, expensive maintenance and since used parts were hard to find, I sold it on its 5th birthday.

Other than the 4matic system, it was a nice car. The 3L engine in those cars is pretty "bulletproof", though I believe that the ignition control module is a good one to keep spares for if you run across a deal on one, never had a problem myself since I only had the car until around 100k miles.

Personally, I prefer the 124 over the other bodies, we each have our preferences. The 123 is a unique and durable car, but its retro-styling doesn't make up for its lack of modern refinement. If you feel that the bus-driver feeling in the seat, steering, and body-roll is from age, ... I'm here to tell you that it felt that way new. I never could bring myself to owning a Mercedes before the 124, just didn't feel like it fit my driving style. To each their own.

The 126 is a fine car, I like most everything about it. The reason I've never owned one is pretty simple: it's larger than I enjoy driving. I've had large vehicles from a Hummer (H1, the real one) to E150 van conversions and don't really need a garage-eater for a daily driver. Great car if you like large cars, for the money it's hard to beat a 126 (or better still a W140) for features, safety, and handling that surprises for its size.

Which leaves me at the 124. Smaller trunk and cabin than the 126, a little more sporty-feel to the ride than the 126's ride, but trades off in excellent handling. Add to that a much safer crash dynamics and better active safety/crash avoidance than the 123 and a couple of great power options and you have a car that is IMO a good fit for a small family and primary use for driver only.

The '87 6-cyl turbodiesel is a pretty fast car, about the same performance as the 260E gas. Later the car got a 5cyl turbodiesel which has its tradeoffs bad and good vs the earlier car, but it's mostly power vs later-model creature-comfort and styling refinements.

The gas 124s are good cars also, much easier to find and easier to find parts for (many in junkyards already) with a pretty low price. You should be able to find a really nice 300E for about what you'd pay for a rough 300D Turbo, I'm looking for one for my daughter now as she probably won't wear it out before it gets hit or trashed at school, not worth the premium for the diesel.

Best of luck, pretty much all good choices, depends on your needs, uses, and taste.

thank you for an excellent breakdown. i think i am just going to have to go drive them and also come to a conclusion on what my price limit is. one i am able to do that then i will be able to make the decision on what class i will go with and if it will be diesel and gas. in the mean time, it cant hurt to learn about both. i am a sucker for a nice strong motor, i miss my GTi like you couldn't believe. only 1.8liter but with 22 psi the little thing was smooth and hauled some a$$.

i have to get my career started somewhere before i can make any moves on a car. any ideas for a finance graduate? haha