Another tire to kick

[TylerH860]

This time its a 1980 300td wagon.

This one:


190k everything works except cold air conditioning. One small rust bubble forming on drivers side door, otherwise, he claims no rust. No third row seat, and hole 1-2" long hole in the driver's seat bottom. He called it a great driver, but moved his wife out of the expensive diesel wagon into a minivan.

$1500 obo. The price is what's bringing me out there. I'll bring my camera along and report on my findings tomorrow afternoon.

Words of encouragement? This SLS business has me nervous, but thanks to the search function I think I know what to look for. Can't beat the price, either.

[zeke]

Sweet - it's karma Tyler!

you know I love the color!

Lift the hatch and make sure the strut still holds it up. Then feel for any moisture under the rearmost part of the floor of the back....The rear window washer had leaked in ours and water was just sitting there....

Probably everything else is as you would expect from Ol' Turbo

Good luck!!!! can't wait to see more pics, especially if you buy it!

[pawoSD]

That will also be a Non-Turbo motor in that car, as its a 1980.....so don't expect it to move anywhere like "O'l Turbo" does....

[StaggerLee]

We may need to start a "China Blue" club.

[Chad300tdt]

It could be the angle of the pic, but the rear looks a bit saggy. If it is, don't be afraid. When you check it out, start it up and remove the cap on the SLS reservoir to see if fluid is recirculating. That will tell you if the pump is working. Look for SLS and fuel line leaks near the subframe.

$1500 for a wagon is a good deal. Maybe you could call it "Ol' Normally Aspirated" or "Ol' Norm" for short

[TylerH860]

I'll just have to see when I get there. He claims the SLS has the car sitting well, so it could be the hill he's got it parked on.

The nice thing about it is I have a very nice early model W123 300d sitting in my friends salvage yard with a blue leather interior in excellent shape. I believe the front doors are interchangeable from a sedan to wagon, (correct?) so I can eliminate the rust in a hurry. Having a paint shop connection helps as well.

I like the Ol' Norm idea or perhaps Ol' Blue, but let's not get premature.

[pawoSD]

Originally Posted by TylerH860

I'll just have to see when I get there. He claims the SLS has the car sitting well, so it could be the hill he's got it parked on.

The self leveling should level it no matter what the car is sitting on.....

[Chad300tdt]

I believe the wagon and the sedan are the same from the b-pillar forward. You should have no problems with the front doors.

[TylerH860]

Originally Posted by pawoSD

The self leveling should level it no matter what the car is sitting on.....

The hill has it sitting at an upward angle, which might be playing tricks. Work with me here.....

[TylerH860]

What a trip!
It started with me inputting the wrong address to the GPS. My supposed half mile trip on a dirt road turned into a 10 mile backtrack to the guy's house.


The cows seemed interested.



After all that mess, I finally made it to the place, with the China Blue 300td waiting for me.

As you can tell from the pictures, there was a bit more rust than he described. The door spot was small, yes, but he failed to mention the begginings of rust from the pitting of rocks below the headlights, very small spot on the front fender, and small spot near the drivers side rear wheel well.








I took the car on a 20 minute drive, maintaining a speed on 65-75 the entire time. NO ISSUES. The car turns great, stops normally, and most of the electical gizmos work, with the exception of the passenger window and power antenna. The car had minimal blowby, and a blew lukewarm air. The owner claims the AC worked until last fall, and the system appears to be functioning normally from what I could tell.

Oh, and yes Zeke, the rear hatch holds itself up.

The car was more powerful than I imagined, only seeming wimpy up at higher speeds. It certainly gets off from 0-40 fast enough.



The front seats were worn and collapsed, but REAL LEATHER, meaning the parts car seats would match perfectly. All the original books were in the glove box, with regular maintainance documented for a good chunk of her life.




The owner was a real nice guy, and the van he bought was a late 90's VW euro.

The final negotiated amount..... $900.00

I think I'll pass on this one.

[zeke]

Really??? for $900???

You could flip that car on ebay for $3000.
"Perfect for WVO, AC just needs a charge. LOADED with leather seats!!!"

[Chad300tdt]

Seems like a good deal for $900 ... and it looks like the rear is fine in your pics.

I'm going to kick some tires myself this coming Tuesday evening. I met the original owner of a 1985 300CD yesterday and he asked if I wanted to buy it as it's his 3rd car and it doesn't get out much anymore. I looked it over at the gas station where I introduced myself, but I want to check it more thoroughly and let my wife drive it since it would be her daily driver. From what I saw so far it looks minty.

[winmutt]

I would not recommend an 80 if you plan on using it for any highway travels. Other than that *steal*

[zeke]

Mrs. Zeke agrees with Winmutt....station wagon is too heavy for NA

but she loves the color and body style

Originally Posted by winmutt

I would not recommend an 80 if you plan on using it for any highway travels. Other than that *steal*

[TylerH860]

Well it's in the garage now... Hence forth it will be known as "Ol' Norm".

The 45 minute drive home was uneventful. It was HOT today... 100+ with lots of humidity, so I didn't do much cleaning. Probably Sunday will involve cleaning and a photo shoot.

Mon-Tues I will pick up 2 lightly used front seats and some kick panels. An appointment with the AC shop will quickly follow.