82 300D turbo on ebay, wish me luck - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #1 02-07-2008, 11:55 AM

Hey Ginny,
check this out, it may not make you weak in the knees, but with only 75K on it... mmmmmm
since you are going to be down there anyway.....
86 300SDL 75K miles Orlando Estate Sale

imagesinthewind · #2 02-07-2008, 12:07 PM

hmmmmm. . .

vstech · #3 02-07-2008, 12:19 PM

this also gives you an alternative, if the carfax proves your purchase to be a scam... and hey, there are tools at this sale too... who knows? there could be all kinds of diesel goodies it that toolbox...
I sure would like that safe...

rs899 · #4 02-07-2008, 01:22 PM

All VDO speedometers are suspect and must be corroborated by records or, absent that, visual indicators.

I think the leisurely return trip is a better idea for you , the car, and the kid. Try to find some interesting non-interstate alternative routes.

When I retire, I'd be tickled to get a $12/hr job baking pizzas, but it would have to be outdoors after being kept in a corporate cave for 30 years.

Rick

rs899 · #5 02-07-2008, 01:31 PM

Ginny-

One other word of advice when you inspect this car. Be sure to pull back the carpets and examine the floors for dampness. MB tend to rot from the inside out down here. Water gets in through bad windshield/window seals, get sucked into/under the sound deadening and rots the floor. The great undercoating on the underside keeps the floor looking pretty good for awhile.
Give the floors a heavy push where the seam to the rocker panels meets it ( on the inside under the carpets). If you hear a "crunch"- beware. It hasn't rained much around here in months so if it leaks it may be dry by now- but the car still has had 25 years to rot.

Rick

Jordan G · #6 02-07-2008, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs899

All VDO speedometers are suspect and must be corroborated by records or, absent that, visual indicators.

I think the leisurely return trip is a better idea for you , the car, and the kid. Try to find some interesting non-interstate alternative routes.

When I retire, I'd be tickled to get a $12/hr job baking pizzas, but it would have to be outdoors after being kept in a corporate cave for 30 years.

Rick

Amen to that (both the speedo's and being outside). I've looked at maybe 3-4 diesel ads today alone - and the mileage in each one was screwy - I don't believe any of them, unless documented like Rick said.

I've been in the corporate cave for 6 years and I'm already losing my soul.

imagesinthewind · #7 02-10-2008, 01:39 PM

Okay, flying out tomorrow, wish us luck.

I'll got to the auto parts store as soon as I accept the car (I'm going to be optimistic). Then I'll change both filters if they are in stock (most here don't have many of the spin ons) and get at least one extra and some cleaner. I'll fill the washer fluid and check the coolant levels (at time of inspection) and add more if needed at the store. Same with motor oil. I'll get a gallon of Rotella for the trunk.
I'll add 10-12 ounces of diesel additive to help combat any gelling as I'm driving north. Should I get some Iso-Heet in case of water in the tank or no?
I'll get some black tape, duct tape, cresent wrench and philips driver. I'll check wiper blades and replace if necessary.
What else?

kerry · #8 02-10-2008, 02:32 PM

Having done this a number of times, I wouldn't do it without at least a basic set of tools. Set of open/box wrenches, multimeter, screwdrivers, allen wrenches, adjustable pliers, needle nose pliers, vice grips, and a means of jumping starter in the junction box.
I wouldn't change the filters if it required using an old primer pump which might start leaking and introducing air into the system. I'd just keep the filters onboard for use if necessary.

Flounder · #9 02-10-2008, 03:07 PM

As many have mentioned, duct tape is #1. NASA brings it on every shuttle mission and they've used it many times to fix stuff.

I always have a couple of sizes of nylon cable-ties in the trunk also. You can make a temporary fix of lots of problems with them. They have 'em in Home Depot in the electrical section.

Whenever I've picked up a "new" old car the first thing I do is pull off into a parking lot and check over the front end. Try to shake each front wheel in both planes (up-down, side-to-side), watch tie rod ends and center link while your daughter moves the steering wheel back and forth, etc. Inspect ball joints if you have a working jack. It's worth 45 minutes to do this.

Usually nothing in the back end is going to fly apart on you without some bad warning noises, but the front end has a lot of joints and you don't want one to fail while you're driving along.

You'll be fine. With my MB I always feel that once I've started the engine, about 98% of the chance for failure has passed. Most of the time the only thing that will make it quit is fuel starvation.

diesel don · #10 02-10-2008, 03:22 PM

It's a fun thread to read. My two cents following the purchase of 16 MB Diesels since April of 2001 (including many road trips):

1. You bought it right. Don't fret about mileage, broken odometers, side stuff. A car this age is in better shape with more than 200k miles than less. They were meant to drive, not sit

2. Don't rebuild the car. Like Kerry said, don't mess with the filters if the car is running smooth. Top off the fluids and monitor their usage.

3. Have a good cell phone, have a list of people along the way. Period.

4. Have access to this forum via laptop and you'll get the calvary in case of a problem.

5. In our little club here, we've probably done 15 such trips with only one bad experience. I like your odds.

6. If you don't like the car, there are a ton in Florida. Snag another one.

7. The relational aspect of the trip is the big payoff anyway. Cars are just the frosting....and I like my frosting.

diesel don

TylerH860 · #11 02-10-2008, 03:40 PM

I drove my 300d more than 1,000 miles home (up and down the Rocky Mountains twice) and it was a blind ebay purchase. Its a great way to build alot of confidence in your car.

Perhaps you can haggle him a bit on the mileage fraud thing...

imagesinthewind · #12 02-10-2008, 04:05 PM

Oh and the carfax thing.
According to the owner, he didn't title the car until right around Halloween because he didn't have the funds to pay for the tax, title etc.
He also said he had no idea what the real odo reading should be and didn't want to
spend the extra $$ for the carfax.

Sounds plausible for a college student.

vstech · #13 02-10-2008, 08:23 PM

look for advance auto down there... the name is a little different in FL, but it's the same company... advance bargain auto I think... anyway, they stock all kinds of stuff for the MB. I gotta agree, there are a ton of Pristine 123 MB's in FL... home of the old fogey I guess. if you want a better one once you are down there, pick up a paper, and look at the lists of them for sale. blow your mind. I went down there to pick up my euro 85 TD, and on my way back I took odd routes just for the fun of it, passed 2 123's with for sale signs in the window, and a 107 SL... $1K... it must have been a real gem but hey $1K for a convertible? I wished I had room on my trailer...

daw_two · #14 02-10-2008, 10:02 PM

And if Memphis, TN is on your route; I can help if you have issues.

PM sent.

lutzTD · #15 02-10-2008, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

look for advance auto down there... the name is a little different in FL, but it's the same company... advance bargain auto I think... anyway, they stock all kinds of stuff for the MB. I gotta agree, there are a ton of Pristine 123 MB's in FL... home of the old fogey I guess. if you want a better one once you are down there, pick up a paper, and look at the lists of them for sale. blow your mind. I went down there to pick up my euro 85 TD, and on my way back I took odd routes just for the fun of it, passed 2 123's with for sale signs in the window, and a 107 SL... $1K... it must have been a real gem but hey $1K for a convertible? I wished I had room on my trailer...

be careful with advance and Pep boys, they might have things but they are generally slightly different. I bought a spin on fuel filter and it was too big. NAPA seems to be more reliable for fit and little better quality. They are a little farther apart then the advances and pep boys but worth the effort