Advice on buying used Benz - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Speedwell · #1 01-10-2008, 06:53 PM

I have found an '85 300 TD for what I think is a reasonable amount, but knowing little about a Benz, I am asking for advice, knowledge, insight, etc. Below is a list of questions that come to mind. PLEASE throw any advice that comes to mind. Kelly/NADA do not list the car due to age.

1) What should I look for when test driving besides the usual road manners?

2) Are parts reasonably priced and available? If so, where?

3) Are Benz's high maintenance? This particular car has 198,045 on the odometer - is it entering into any age/mileage issues?

4) Were there any quality/engineering issues associated with this era of Benz's?

I realize that everyone is shooting in the dark as you have no first hand info on this particular Benz. I just need some advice from those of you who own or have owned one. I thank you for your time.

CarreraDan · #2 01-10-2008, 11:55 PM

Speed,
Where to begin? How much is the car and what kind of condition is it in (rust)? You are looking at a 23 year old car that will require your time and money to keep on the road--is that what you want? Last spring I pulled (winched) my girlfriends 82 300D out of their barn b/c they wanted the space for another tractor and I didn't want the car to sit in the field and rot away, plus I was bored and needed another project. Now this 300D is special in that it was a European delivery car (have full documentation), low miles, and she was the second owner, plus the car has been dealer serviced from day one. It was parked approx 5 years ago because it was getting unreliable and didn't run well (dealer said it would cost more than the car is worth to fix) So why did I tell you all this? To make this car a dependable driver I have spent around $3k in parts as my labor is free. I have about $2k to go to make it 100% perfect. The body and interior are perfect, this has been all mechanicals. After all this work stuff still happens and about a month ago the master cylinder crapped out (figured it would happen with all new brake lines and calipers).

To answer your questions the car should drive very smooth and tight. Should idle smooth and the trans should not shift harshly. Most things are vacuum controlled and if it is leaking all sorts of problems will present. The TD's came with the auto leveling system, does it still function? Look for rust, look for signs of hacked repair jobs as it is expensive to have these cars worked on, as they age people take short cuts. Post some pictures for us to look at.

Most all parts are availabe right here at Fastlane, look at the top of the screen under buy parts. Your local MB dealership can order almost everything too, just at a higher price.

High maintenance? Depends on your definition of high. You have to adjust the valves every 15k miles, not hard at all compared to a Porsche. I love to tinker with cars so I enjoy troubleshooting and making things better, do you? Condition is more important than mileage with diesels, a compression test would be a good place to start. You really should look into a Pre Purchase Inspection at a Benz shop if you are uncomfortable with the car.

The early to mid 80's Mercedes are great cars. They are designed to be serviced and are fairly easy to work on. Once you get the vac system sorted they are very reliable and I would not hesitate to drive mine anywhere. I honestly think they are built just as well as my Carrera and are definitely more service friendly. If you are mechanical and like to work on cars I think they are a wonderful vehicle to own. Parts are reasonable and available. Give us more details and pictures would be great too. Good luck,

Daniel

spugeddy · #3 01-11-2008, 09:08 AM

It depends on the car of course and what PO maintenance was like, but the idea behind getting a diesel, is that when maintained properly it will last a long time.

The parts are relatively cheap for a Mercedes, but really only this model line (77-85 123's have a ton of parts still available). They made a lot of 123's and you can find new and used parts fairly easy.

I would focus on transmission, although like carrera said it is vacuumm controlled, and sometimes needs adjusting. Also, AC if that is important to you. The climate systems on these cars are tricky... other than that check for rust, body damage, maybe prior service records. Don't expect this car to be fast either...

What is the asking price??

75Sv1 · #4 01-11-2008, 09:41 AM

I would say ditto on the rust check. I bought a 240D about a year ago. I spent probably $3K on parts, not including the $2K on an A/C upgrade. That might seem a lot, but if I(and I did) had done simular work on a newer car (Ford Contour) the cost would be about the same. Maybe more. I think about $700-$1000 was in brakes. That was 4 new caliphers, pads, hoses, Master cylinder, also master cylinder and slave for the clutch and brake booster plus the 4 rotors, front bearings, sensors and hardware.
The belts and hoses cost less for the 240D than the Contour. I did the front timing belt and water pump on the Contour a few years ago, I think about $300-$400 in parts. So comparable to the MB timing chain etc. if needed. The coolant hoses were a lot less on the MB, than the Contour. Mine on the MB were close to the pictures you see in Chilton Manuals for replacement hose failures.
I think rust is the main decission on if money should be put into one of these cars. There will probably be some rust. There was and is some surface rust on my 240D. Still the frame rails are rust free and just a few patches of surface rust. Most of it hidden and easily fixed.
If the car drives OK etc, then maybe you can fix problems overtime. Or replace parts before they become problems. I think the main problem with these cars is they ran good for a long time and people didn't replace parts over time. then 'we' are face with replacing a lot of part ($$$) all at once.
Tom

vstech · #5 01-11-2008, 09:45 AM

the 85 is the fastest of the 123 cars, and the most fuel efficient. the TD IMHO is the pinnacle of the 123's and IF IF IF IF IF you have found a rust free example that runs and shifts well, verify the odometer is accurate. not just working. they are easy to swap for another one, and they are easy to roll back. the 85 is unique in the rear gear ratio, so if you verify odometer is accurate accross a miles check, odds are pretty good the odo came from that car.
when you look at the car, look at the rear for signs of sagging. look for a crushed muffler. look for scraped bumper on the bottom. the sls system should hold level for weeks shut off, if you sag overnight, you have a leak to go find.
open the back wheelwell compartments and look for rust. look around and under the battery for rust, look in the hood hinge spring pocket for signs of rust, look in the sunroof slide area for signs of rust. if the factory paint is clean and intact in these places you are in good shape. look in the jack holes under the doors for signs of rust, look under the car where the body mounts are for signs of rust.
if all checks out good, post some pictures and an asking price here, and we can critique the car for you as well.
most of all don't rush into buying the car just cause you want an MB wagon. be sure you want THAT car and be sure you are ready to be a mechanic.
enjoy!

bodyart27 · #6 01-11-2008, 10:01 AM

Unless you have a very reasonable MB independent mechanic that does great work for a great price, or unless you've got the $ to spend, be prepared to work on this car.

From an engineering standpoint, they are fairly mechanic friendly and parts are still available (which is impressive).

There is the saying "there is no such thing as a cheap mercedes." You usually end up paying more in repairs on a cheap mercedes than paying more up front with everything working and sorted out.

For me on this vintage - rust is a deal killer. No reason not to buy one out of the south without rust - they are available. Also with this vintage (and being a diesel), higher mileage (200K) is not a deal killer. Higher mileage is fine as long as the previous owner was not moronic in his/her maintenance of the vehicle.

At 200K you'll probably have worn out suspension bits (front end rebuild). Big ticket item that you would rather have fixed by the previous owner or working is the climate control because it can be tedious and expensive to get right.

You'll have to have the car checked out for all the normal wear items: brakes, belts, flex disks (dive shaft item), mounts (trans, diff, motor), lines (trans cooler, oil cooler), and hoses.

Also, expect to change all fluids and filters when you get the car: diff fluid, radiator, power steering (and filter), oil and filter, trans and filter, and wiper fluid (ok, the last one was a joke). Also expect to do a valve adjustment shortly after you get it. I'd also swap the glow plugs not knowing the age.

After all that you still probably will have some other little gremlins to chase down (maybe a window lift, vacuum leak preventing doors locking, sunroof, various oil leaks - maybe turbo oil drain, pan gasket, etc).

Ok... all that probably sounds like a lot. If you like to wrench, 80% if very doable by you with some reasearch on this forum and a decent set of tools, time, and a little skill.

So with the above list (which is not comprehensive), you can see why paying a bit more might be worth while. That being said, with the dollars saved up front, there is great personal reward and satisfaction bringing one of these classics back to mechanically proud condition.