I am running three turbo diesels. Of these, my 1981 300SD, with 328,000 miles runs stronger than the 84 or 85 TDs I also own. Its a heavier car and gets better fuel mileage.

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Stage Wizards Lighting and sound designer
1981 SD 328,000
1985 300TD, 266,000
1984 300 TD, 267,000

The lighted sun visor mirrors, the delayed courtesy light, etc upgrades starting in 83 are all nice, but to me the most valuable upgrade is the electric right hand mirror. MB should have done that from the beginning. There is something else MB could have done. The turbo could produce even more power if it didn't heat the rammed air. As Emeril would say,"Ben Ridge kicked it up a notch". I wnt for a ride in his INTER COOLED 300 a few weeks ago. As Jackie Gleason would say" how sweet it is". That puppy scoots.

On another note if we follow the example of Craig Reece and others like him, we may not have to go to Iraq this spring. Craig drove his 87 300TDT to my hobby shop this Saturday on BIO DIESEL. We worked all day until 9:30 at night, but just before he drove off back to Berkeley where he lives, we dumped 9 gallons of peanut oil into his empty fuel tank. A friend of his commercially cooks turkeys in peanut oil. We installed an Elsbett conversion which requires the installation of a heated fuel filter and different glow plugs and injectors. The documentation sucks. It is another example of someone knowing 2 languages but nothing about the subject. We figured it out, and the car runs great. He phoned me next morning and said he hit 90 on Interstate 80. I guess I'll have to convert my 83 wagon.

Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

IMHO, the best 123 300D's were the ones that were missing one of the cyliinders, had a manual transmission, no automatic climate control, manual windows, manual sunroof, etc.

Actually these were called 240D's. Easy to work on, and no automatic transmission or automatic gadgets to break.

Have a great day,

yes and slower than sh#% also...turn the AC on and try to start up a hill or dart into traffic


Warren
1992 300SD 159K
Columbus Ohio

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Larry,

You're talking basic transportation, and who wants basic transporation? I will agree with you on the 240D aspect. It was the work horse of the fleet. I have owned dozens and happen to have an 83 now. They are very good and dependable cars in places like where you live. I was in Dallas for a square dance convention a few years ago. We drove west out of Dallas to a nudist resort since I am a card carrying nudist, and I looked back when we were about 20 miles out of town. Dallas looked about two miles away. Talk about flat country. I don't take my 240 to places like Tahoe or Yosemite or Carson Pass where you have to climb to 10,000 feet. By the way I'll take mine with power roof, power windows, power mirror, and auto.

See ya larry,
Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

It all depends on what you want and what you like. I have driven MB diesels for many years and each engine had some uniquness that made them special. My first diesel was a 1963 190D with a 1999cc engine. Very simple with minimal gadgets. Did not have a vacuum pump and was very easy to work on when you had to work on it. Very little power and you had to drive it hard. I never liked the 3 main bearings on the crank. IT made the car vibrate more IMHO. The following year MBZ came out with the 5 bolt main. The next car was a 615 1969 220D. Bullet proof engine with slightly more power and a great suspension. First time I experienced a 4 wheel drift. Next car was a 123 1979 300TD. Beautiful ride, great styling and nice chrome. Manual sunroof that was hard to open. Not sufficient power when fully loaded and heading to Tahoe. The next was a 123 300 Turbo. Great car, felt very light and handled fantastic. Great breaks. First time I drove over 110mph. Next came a 87 300SDL. Big car, handles like a big car, but plenty of leg room. The car always feels to big for me. Then came the 124 87 300TD. This by far is my favorite. Great power and comfortable to drive. Also very easy to work on. Seems like the engineers took more consideration into the mechanic. On the 603 engine and the 124 chassis. Any 124 car without a glove box is not for me.

Couple things I dislike about the 124’s:
1. Upholstery coming off the door pockets
2. Complicated climate control, but better than older cars
3. Battery location, when they leak the get on electrical stuff
4. Not enough leg room in the back
5. Eats brakes and tires no matter what brand
6. Front ends loves to go out of adjustment
7. Sounds system
8. Speaks covers in the back door, kids seems to pull them off
9. Electric antennae
10. Roof rack, you put anything on it and the paint chips
11. No cup holder
12. No cup holder
13. No cup holder

Anyway just my two or 10 cents worth.

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63 190d (sold)
69 220D (sold)
69 280SL (sold)
76 BMW 2002 (sold)
86 190E-16v (Demised at Laguna Seca Turn 9)
87 300SDL (sold)
87 300SDL 135k
87 300TD 280k (sold)
95 E320W 211k
95 E320w 111k
05 C320 4matic
06 E320 CDI 90k (Totaled by a texting 19 year old girl in a nissan)
2013 GLK 250 Bluetek 4MATIC

Yes, the Dallas area is flat. When I was driving my 240D, I spent more time in the hills of Arkansas than I did in Texas. There was one road between Fort Smith and Fayetteville on which there was a series of huge caution signs that read; "CAUTION, HILLY AND STEEP.......NEXT 10 MILES........14 DEATHS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS...........DON'T YOU BE NEXT."

I drove that steep and winding road A LOT! Using gears it worked great.

If you are talking a turbo 123, yes it has a little more power than a manual transmission 240D. If you are talking a normally aspirated 300D, there is virtually no power gain over a manual transmission 240D. You have a theoretical 25% power increase, but you're forced to give that increased torque back to the automatic transmission.

If you think a 240D is slower than whatever you were referring to, I expect you have not driven a MANUAL TRANSMISSION 240D. They are not that bad.

The 300D's with all their automatic doodads to break, along with the crowded engine compartment are a total PITA to work on. If I lived in high altitude mountainous country, I don't know what I'd drive, but it wouldn't be enough to make me drive a five cylinder 123 car.

The only thing that would make me drive a five cylinder 123 car would be if it were the only thing between me and walking. I regret the day I bought the 300D for my daughter. Luckily, since that time, she has become a very competent stick shift driver.

If you don't have to be the one busting knuckles under the hood, and have all the work done by someone else, then I suppose it would be okay. I'm the one busting knuckles, so it's just not worth it to me.

Each to his own,

I have a few questions from the 13 items you have listed..but to start...no glovebox=dual airbag in a 124(or 126 for that matter)

but added storage between the fron t seats...

brakes,tires...I used to get about 50-55K on my tires when owned a 124 and about 25 K on the brakes...not bad in my opinion

battery leaking?....sounds like you needed a new battery

sound system...I don't any of the MB sound systems were any more than average until the 90's

cupholders?....I assume you now have a post 1995 car?
antenna...sold my 92 300D 2.5 with 208K on the clock..never replaced the antenna


Warren
1992 300SD 158K
Columbus Ohio

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I have a 87 300TD and a 95 E320 Wagon. THe stroage compartment between the seats is to small to put the service booklet and the owners manual. It gets relugated to either the back seat pocket or the side pockets in front. Maps don't fit well. The glove box is truly missed. I have always felt that Mercedes did the easy and cheap fix and just did away with the glove box. Poor planning on their part.

I do a significant amount of driving in the mountains on steep roads and logging trails. No place for a 2 wheel drive Benz, but it works. Eats up tires do to alignment issues. Even rotated tires every 5k miles with no impact. I consistently get 35 40K on the tires and no more.

I also live in SF area and that coupled with mountain driving eats up brakes. My front rims always look dirty. THe brakes are easy to replace and I can do brakes and rotors in less than 1 hour. No need to remove hub assembly to get to the rotors as you do on the older Benzs.

Battery leaking=needs new battery.

This is a fairly obvious correlation. Still, when it happens, it only takes once and it starts deterioting the wire insulation and vacuum lines. THis happened on the E320 after 3 years and the acid was sucked in the vacuum lines. Not a well thought out design.

For whatever reason, the antennaes on my stations wagons don't work well if at all. Maybe it has to do with the location. Adjacent to the body where they may experiance more wind deposited debris from the aerodynamics of the car. Purely speculation.

Anyway, drive what you like. If it is a diesel benz in good shape and well taken care of, it won't let you down.

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63 190d (sold)
69 220D (sold)
69 280SL (sold)
76 BMW 2002 (sold)
86 190E-16v (Demised at Laguna Seca Turn 9)
87 300SDL (sold)
87 300SDL 135k
87 300TD 280k (sold)
95 E320W 211k
95 E320w 111k
05 C320 4matic
06 E320 CDI 90k (Totaled by a texting 19 year old girl in a nissan)
2013 GLK 250 Bluetek 4MATIC

"We drove west out of Dallas to a nudist resort since I am a card carrying nudist"
hehehehehehe!
Man, I can respect any MB owner but that is just a little too much information..... Doesn't the MB Tex stick to your butt when you're driving sans pants? RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

Rwthomas,

I was a passenger in a non MB. Also you don't leave a resort in the nude. When you enter the textile world, the rules change. Anyone who is not a nudist can't imagine how open and comfortable people can be when you bare it all. All trapments of social status disappear, and we are all the same.

Peter

__________________
Auto Zentral Ltd.

Just poking fun at you dude. To each his own, thats what makes this country great. Lets just enjoy our Benz's. RT

__________________
When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

RT,

I wasn't offended. I'm thick skinned. You have to be when you don't have any clothes to protect you.


Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.