I've been getting 35mpg with my 87 wagon....but that is also keeping it 60-65 range and driven real easy...

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1987 300TDT
1981 VW MKI Caddy 1.6 diesel, waiting on engine swap
1983 D-50 Power Ram 4x4 "Mitsubishi" 2.3 turbo diesel
assorted gas powered crap and motorcycles

RIP: 1984 300TDT, 1982 300TDT, 1984 190D 2.2, 1992 300D 2.5, 1987 300TDT, 1982 Maxima LD28, 1983 Maxima LD28, Isuzu C223 P'ups X3, 1983 Holiday Rambler 6.2 Banks turbo diesel, 1984 Winnebago LeSharo 2.1 TD, 1985 Allegro 6.5

It's the first '85 SD I've seen with the earlier wheels, then.

It's what US market SDs left the factory with through 8/85. (or is it 7/85...whenever the 85 model year ended)

Yeah, but we're not talking about '87 300d's. We're talking about the 300 SD which is a bigger, heavier car.

jeff

Only by 245lbs.

^^^^^ Also the 87 has a 603 in it not the "tractor engine" 617... It is a more efficient engine judging by the fact that my SDL gets better MPG than my SD ever did.

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"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

Or almost one American in the back seat......

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Perhaps where you were. Not here in Texas. Houston, Austin, San Antonio or Dallas. None of 'em had the pre-'85 wheels the pictured one has.

.....gearing and circumference, I suspect.

The dealers were doing it then. They left the factory on 14s and I've got the brochures to prove it. Not to mention being the original owner of a 7/1985 production date non-diesel W126. Not to mention that I've never heard anybody say they changed the wheels before the mid-model-run facelift. The EPC agrees with me. Unless what you're saying is that you can somehow tell that those are 14x6 Bundts and not 14x6.5 Bundts.

Thousands of 'em ('85 SDs) were sold in Texas, with the new alloy wheels on 'em. Why, I don't know. May have only been shipped to Texas, or a Texas dealer spec'ed or installed thing. The defining feature between the '84 & '85 was the wheels.

Very strange. According to the EPC (and everything else I have read), a defining feature between the 84 and 85 cars (there are actually quite a few different parts here and there) was indeed the wheels, in that they went from 14x6 Bundts on the diesels to 14x6.5 Bundts. How the 15 hole wheels were making it onto 85 diesels in TX is a mystery to me, as MB wasn't even offering the wheel yet from what I can tell.

My 84 300CD routinely gets 24-26 in mixed city driving and 30-31 on extended highway drives, but I have got as high as 33 on a trip between Seattle and Spokane - by intentionally keeping it at steady 60 mph the whole way.

Made the trip last about a half hour longer - and really B-O-R-I-N-G!

__________________
1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

Things are just bigger down there in texas

This past summer there was an 85 SD at out PNP with the bunts.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Going downhill more than uphill would help get you closer. I normally get about 26mpg city; 28+ highway............when I drive closer to the speedlimit.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more