Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #31  
Old 10-13-2008, 03:13 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 32
Maintenance is easy as hell on these cars, the only thing easier is probably an air cooled VW or a Harley.

I bought my '78 240D with 312,000 miles for 750.00. Right now it has 367,400. I put new rear shocks and muffler. it runs great.

On the other hand: My girlfriend bought a 1988 honda accord with 120,000 on it, she's put nothing into it and hes put more than 40,000 miles on it. She paid 500 for it.

I think we both got lucky. but both cars were maintained well and had records to prove it.

It seems to all be relative, but id rather be in an accident in my car than in hers any day, at any speed

Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 10-13-2008, 03:28 AM
chetwesley's Avatar
Incompetent Loser
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 745
Quote:
Originally Posted by leonard-929 View Post
Maintenance is easy as hell on these cars, the only thing easier is probably an air cooled VW or a Harley.
Agreed. Although a used one will probably have some little issues, there is no better car to have some little issues with.

I am a total noob and I bought a non running car for cheap, which after one $15 part is now on it's way to daily driver status thanks to the simplicity of the car and the help of this forum.
__________________
1979 240D w/4 Speed Manual, Light Blue Estimated 225-275K Miles - "Lil' Chugs"
Sold but fondly remembered: 1981 300TD Turbo Tan 235K miles, 1983 300SD Astral Silver 224K miles

Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 10-13-2008, 06:03 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,613
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulawesi View Post
I have driven two 240Ds since starting this thread...

I like these cars. My son loves them. He cites great steering, tight turns (easy to park) and visibility around the sides and rear. He love the character of the car..

I have found a very clean pricey one (w/ an automatic), and a less expensive horror (loose steering, oil leaks, vaccum leaks, etc, etc).

What is the top end price for a clean original 240D with low mileage?

I still haven't driven my manual 4-speed yet...busy life.

Thanks again, so far!
How much are they asking? Whatever you do, do get it inspected by someone with mercedes diesel experience.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 10-13-2008, 11:16 AM
...much to learn...
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central VA
Posts: 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by t walgamuth View Post
How much are they asking? Whatever you do, do get it inspected by someone with mercedes diesel experience.
OK, for the horror I've rejected was 230K miles, $3.5K. The creampuff has 150K miles for $4.8K. The manual trans I have yet to drive has 250K miles, asking $2.8K.
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 10-13-2008, 11:53 AM
cphilip's Avatar
cphilip.com
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Clemson SC
Posts: 650
You might be surprised to learn that the "Cream Puff" low mileage highest price car turns out to be the cheapest car in the long run. Typically you will have 6 grand into fixing up a 3 grand car to the point you are really wanting it to be. Depends on how Cream Puff it really was.
__________________
1983 300D-Turbo - Deep Blue w Palomino MB Tex (total loss in fire 1/5/09 RIP)
1995 E320 W124 Polar White/Grey Mushroom MB Tex
2005 F150 Supercrew - Arizona Beige - Lear topper
1985 Piaggio Vespa T5 - Black and Chrome

www.cphilip.com
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 10-13-2008, 05:20 PM
chetwesley's Avatar
Incompetent Loser
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 745
Quote:
Originally Posted by cphilip View Post
You might be surprised to learn that the "Cream Puff" low mileage highest price car turns out to be the cheapest car in the long run. Typically you will have 6 grand into fixing up a 3 grand car to the point you are really wanting it to be. Depends on how Cream Puff it really was.
I hear this kind of stuff all the time, but I have never spent more than the cost of the car in repairs. Maybe half - and my cars have not been creampuffs by any stretch and were purchased cheap. I guess it depends on how nitpicky you are - and if you are going for a fully restored car, or just a daily driver that will "do the job."
__________________
1979 240D w/4 Speed Manual, Light Blue Estimated 225-275K Miles - "Lil' Chugs"
Sold but fondly remembered: 1981 300TD Turbo Tan 235K miles, 1983 300SD Astral Silver 224K miles

Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 10-13-2008, 08:55 PM
...much to learn...
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central VA
Posts: 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by chetwesley View Post
I hear this kind of stuff all the time, but I have never spent more than the cost of the car in repairs. Maybe half - and my cars have not been creampuffs by any stretch and were purchased cheap. I guess it depends on how nitpicky you are - and if you are going for a fully restored car, or just a daily driver that will "do the job."
I am not too picky, but want to be able to count on the car. To be honest, the manual trans is pretty attractive to me...I suspect the acceleration and the mileage are better and there are fewer things to break. The 4 speed also has manual windows, doesn't this mean I avoid all the vacuum system business. I mean, it has 100K more miles, but that is more my style.
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 10-13-2008, 09:24 PM
UriahT's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: NYC
Posts: 387
Windows aren't vacuum, but door locks are.
A manual 240D is faster than an auto 240D, but nowhere near as fast as a 300D.
Mileage is about the same as a turbo 300D on the highway, if not lower, due to differential gearing. You might see a little better mileage in town.

Of course, manual windows and transmission are nice, and both inexpensive to replace compared to their automatic counterparts.

I will echo sentiments here: a repair history is golden. Nothing is as expensive as a Benz that has been rode hard and put away wet. It is important to know you will not be catching up on years of differed maintenance.
__________________
I-------------------------------------1981 300TD, Thistle Green, 140K------------------------------------I
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 10-14-2008, 12:38 AM
chetwesley's Avatar
Incompetent Loser
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 745
I like the manual transmission just for the fact that your shifting does not get weird due to a vacuum leak somewhere. That can be a pain to track down.
__________________
1979 240D w/4 Speed Manual, Light Blue Estimated 225-275K Miles - "Lil' Chugs"
Sold but fondly remembered: 1981 300TD Turbo Tan 235K miles, 1983 300SD Astral Silver 224K miles

Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 10-14-2008, 10:15 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Posts: 5,480
I bought a couple of cheap 240Ds. The $225 '82 automatic needed a left rear suspension arm, upper control arms, motor mounts, and a bunch of other smaller repairs. Doing all the work myself, I've got about $1100 into it, but it did come with 4 new Michelns. With power widows and automatic it's a lazy man's car - great for local errands but very noisy at highway speeds.
My $600 manual 240D is a much better highway car than the automatic. I did have to replace the driveshaft center bearing, flexjoint and motor mounts. I have about $1000 in this one.
As for safety, both 240Ds were very rusty, with extensive cancer in the floor/sills under the front seats. On the stickshift car, the rust had eaten away a rear leg of the passenger seat and so much of the inner sill that the lower seatbelt anchor was attached only to the carpeting! I had to fabricate reinforced repair sections for both cars.

If you want something that's DIY-friendly, and you can live with the low power, go for a good spartan stickshift 240D. There's much less to go wrong on one of these. Unfortunately, the US-market 300D/TD were all saddled with automatic tranny, power windows and automatic climate control. But if you're looking to pay $4K for a 240D, it better not have any rust

If you can find one, perhaps the nicest of the W123 diesels is a grey-market stick-shift non-turbo 300D or TD. These combine the simplicity of a 240D with the power of a 5-cylinder diesel. But they're rare, so you'll pay top dollar for a decent one.
I paid $2900 for an '84 5-speed Euro 300TD wagon with some rust, but the floors had only a few holes, with the sills/seat mounts still intact. This car came with a complete new exhaust system, new brakes, calipers & rotors and a rebuilt driveshaft. I added a new radiator and a few other minor bits, so I've got $3300 in the car now. The ride is stiffer, but it's a hotrod compared to the 240Ds, and the overdrive gear makes for much more relaxed highway cruising, while returning better fuel mileage than my automatic 240D.

Happy Motoring, Mark
__________________
DrDKW

Last edited by Mark DiSilvestro; 10-14-2008 at 10:20 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #41  
Old 10-14-2008, 10:26 AM
...much to learn...
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central VA
Posts: 44
Thanks for the nice post Mark...

I noticed the 240 auto is racing pretty high at 70mph. At some point, it is unsafe to go 65 or less on today's highways. Are the manuals better in terms of gear ratios anyone?
Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 10-14-2008, 11:13 AM
LarryBible
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Both of my kids started out in 123 diesels and it worked very well. I do NOT recommend someone doing this unless they are pretty serious with wrenches and have their brain engaged before reaching for the wrench.

I would recommend a four cylinder car for this purpose EVERY time. They are easier to work on and have less power. For a teenager that's two good things.

My $0.02,
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 10-14-2008, 04:12 PM
...much to learn...
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Central VA
Posts: 44
As i read this forum more broadly...

As I read more and more threads about vacuum problems, I become convinced that the 240d with a manual trans is the way to go if you are looking for fewer problems. Even the most lovely car I have driven has the "lock the driver's door to make it shut off" issue.

Does anyone want to disabuse me of this notion that the manual all around is for the minimalists amongst us?
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 10-14-2008, 04:31 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Posts: 5,480
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulawesi View Post
I noticed the 240 auto is racing pretty high at 70mph. At some point, it is unsafe to go 65 or less on today's highways. Are the manuals better in terms of gear ratios anyone?
Both my 240Ds have been reliable, with no catastrophic side-of-the-road breakdowns, but they're not my sole transportation. The stickshift 240D is definitely more pleasant on the highway.
The rear end gearing is supposed to be the same for both manual and automatic 240Ds - 3.69, but my auto 240D seems to rev higher at 70 mph than my stickshift version.
I suspect slippage inherent in the automatic (there's no lock-up converter) and the lack of a hood insulating pad (PO replaced the hood after his teenager had a fender-bender).

The auto 240D seems happy enough to cruise at 70 so long as I can stand the noise, but since it was former transport for the PO's teenagers, it doesn't owe me anything, so the car is mainly my local errand vehicle, with but occasional runs on local freeways. For longer trips, I have the Euro TD wagon, or my '98 Nissan Altima.
As for the vacuum locks, they're nice when they work, but you can disconnect & plug the lock's underhood vacuum source, if you get tired of playing games.

Happy Motoring, Mark
__________________
DrDKW

Last edited by Mark DiSilvestro; 10-14-2008 at 04:40 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #45  
Old 10-15-2008, 07:45 AM
Admiral-Third World Fleet
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Central FL
Posts: 3,069
Quote:
Does anyone want to disabuse me of this notion that the manual all around is for the minimalists amongst us?
Nope- it's the Model T of the MB diesel lineup. Find it- fix it (once)- forget it.

Rick

__________________
80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page