i am looking into to get diesel benz, which will be recommend, w124 300d? w126? w/ 300 or 350 powerplant? but no w123,( how i drive chicks around in that ugly car)

If you are looking at a 350, get confirmed records of when the motor was replaced

-Jason

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

motor replaced???? dont they last half million? and plus 350 is much quicker, faster than 300? give me details

Search "rod-bender" for more threads than you can ever read on the subject.

The engine used in a 350 car, or in some 1990s cars that say 300 incorrectly on them, likes to bend connecting rods and self-destruct at an early age.

General wisdom here is only to buy a 350 if you get it cheap and are ready to spend the money on a replacement engine WHEN the time comes.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

I agree...only buy a 350 keeping in mind that you probably will need to replace the short block at some point. Many people who have this problem drop in a 3L engine.

Any 86 or 87 MB 6-cyl diesel (603.96 engine) in the US came with the #14 cylinder head which has the tendency to crack when overheated. Search head cracks and you'll be reading for months. If the car has a head with a higher number, it has been replaced at some point and is more favorable over one with a #14.

The 602 engine in the 86-89 190D 2.5, 87 190D 2.5T, and the 90-93 300D 2.5T was relatively trouble free from the start. Some had bad timing chains, but compared to the others this is a relatively minor problem.

If you get a good example with a good engine, they're great cars to own.

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Dale

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...MG_2277sig.jpg

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo -155k
2000 E430 - 103k
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel 4x4 - 11k
2014 VW Passat TDI SE - 7k Bro's Diesel
2006 E320 CDI - 128k Pop's Benz

Pre-glow - A moment of silence in honor of Rudolph Diesel

W-124 300D is an attractive vehicle with a good engine in all years.

W126 is a bit larger and is fine with the 3L powerplant in the years 1986 and 1987. The maintenance and repairs are significant.

According to the FSM the '87 2.5t head had the same gasket/sealing problems as the '87 3.0t (602 and 603). The 602 head was revised at the same time the 603 head was to strengthen it and reduce the possibility of cracks.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I highly recommend the 124 over the 126, but that's purely taste.

The 124 is smaller, more aerodynamic, 450lbs lighter, and tighter than the 126. Also better fuel mileage. The '124 should return MPGs in the low 30s.

The 126 is larger, has more space than the 124. More complexity and maintenance from what I read. If you need the space, have room to park it, it's just a fantastic looking car inside and out. The 140 is IMO even nicer, but x2 on the cost of maintenance kind of like a BMW 750iL.

The SD vs the SDL is just length of the cabin. Some years they only shipped us the SDL.

The 350 / 3.5L engine vs the 300 / 3.0L engine: The 3.0L engine developed more power and had better fuel mileage. It appears that the 3.5L was developed to attempt to maintain similar performance while being de-tuned for emissions reasons. Both engines seem to be German Roulette: heads can crack (as mentioned above) if neglected on the early 3.0L engines, but rods can bend on the 3.5L for reasons yet unknown. I'd much rather be replacing a head than a whole engine, and with the additional 15hp of the 3.0L, easy decision for me.

There's a butt for every seat, your taste on the body, but IMO if you drive a healthy '87 300D you'll never want a '90-'93 or an SDL. Gives me space for a set of shelves in the back of the garage too.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

My tall self and tall passengers appreciate the w126 for how much more room there is on the interior. The rest of my reasons are purely aesthetic, but I'm quite dedicated to them.

The head-cracking 603 is no problem as long as you just keep an eye on your temperature - like any other car, it will serve you very well if you don't do something dumb with it.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Get this man a flame suit!

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I would suggest a 350SD or 350SDL. Much more powerfull. There are a couple of things to look out for. 1:Make shure white steam comes out of the tailpipe, 2:the oil is nice and milky.

backatcha

Now look what you've done.

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2003 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition, "Tiffany," - Black/Black Cloth - 75K miles, Jetta #6; my faithful, turbocharged, BBS-adorned sled

SOLD 3/08 1981 Mercedes Benz 300D, "Elise" - Astral Silver/Black M.B. Tex - 217K miles - I miss her everyday; the best-built car I've owned

And by the way, don't get a 350 ANYTHING unless, like others have said, it's already got a 3.0L OM.603 in it, or you like spending wads of cash. Granted, it's an old Mercedes, so you'll be spending wads of cash anyway, but a multi-thousand dollar expenditure of dinero for a motor failure that is totally avoidable isn't fun.

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2003 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition, "Tiffany," - Black/Black Cloth - 75K miles, Jetta #6; my faithful, turbocharged, BBS-adorned sled

SOLD 3/08 1981 Mercedes Benz 300D, "Elise" - Astral Silver/Black M.B. Tex - 217K miles - I miss her everyday; the best-built car I've owned

Or you can buy the 350, and then buy my spare 3.5L long block in case you ever need it.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

WHAT?? my w123 is a sexy *****, i'd take a ride from a guy in a w123 anyday.

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1985 300D - "Desi"
1981 300D - "Pepi"
1984 240D - "Sticky"
1985 300TD - "Flitstone"
1984 300TD - "Frenchie"
1987 300TD - "4481"