I was given a 1984 300 cd with 105k on her now . Engine is fine, decent compression and no leaks. I brought her to local mechanic for some inspection related fixes and she is running well despite turbo not kicking in much at all.

My quandary is to fix her over time with a limited budget. I live on an island so the car rarely goes over 45 mph. Had her on Mass T-Pike for first time last week; Cruise control intermittent, shifting is clunky esp. under load, heater (it was colder than a ***** kitty ) going in and out, door locks work sometimes. I realize this is vacuum related and haven't started to test where the leaks are just yet. The reason I mention is I can see a number of splices from previous owner's dad doing makeshift vacuum repairs, and the rubber seals are cracked with rain getting in passenger side. I'd like to change all the lines at one time, then change the seals, and drive away knowing this aspect of the car is taken care of, at least for the time being.

Questions: what is a realistic price for labor for replacing all the lines and, separately, replacing the window seals? Also, assuming a complete replacement, what is a realistic price for buying the parts necessary? Finally, does anyone know of reputable mechanic on or near cape cod who could do this work?

I'm new to mercedes diesels so any info given is much appreciated. Thanks.

More than you would ever want to pay.In most cases,
taking one of these to a shop is gonna cost you a minimum
of $400 no matter what you do to it. The shops want you
to know it's gonna cost you.

If you do not have mechanical skills and a place to
do things yourself, it will bleed you dry in no time.

If, on the other hand, you can turn a wrench and
have a place to do it, there are many here that
can assist the DIY'er.


Next, there is a saying here.....There is nothing more
expensive than a cheap Mercedes.....You paid How Much?????

Lastly These things are addictive, look at the signature lines of those here.
They consume your mind,wallet,family,dreams and nightmares.


Now, with all that being said.............welcome

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

Yeah, good luck finding someone that knows thee cars there. The hard vac lines should be fine, those connectors are easily replaced, no talent needed, I know, because I've done a few!
If you take the doors locks out of the equation, you may be able to live with it and no other problems.
The heater vac controls the flaps opening, your climate control unit itself may be failing.
The weather stripping is sure to be high, a specialty piece, any body shop can install it. I have heard of someone replacing it, and still have a slight leak.
And welcome.

__________________
83 SD

84 CD

I hope I didn't scare the poor lad off

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

Hey guys; thanks for the responses and the candor, much appreciated. I'm not scared so much as I'm trying to get my head around repairs I would like to make to the car that will help me to use it as a daily driver- and save this fun and enjoyable buggy from rust and rot before her time. And she gets 30+ mpg! Me likey .

JackG, I've thought about what you said about DIY and I get what you're saying. So, considered this, went outside and poked around the car, then I spent some more time looking at seal prices at Fastlane and they don't seem exorbitant. I'm handy with tools, the car is pretty simple and intuitive provided I ask the right questions beforehand to people such as yourself who've had years and years of experience- this won't be too hard for me to do so thanks again for this suggestion. The complicated engine stuff I'll pass along since I haven't a garage and specialized equipment. The cosmetic stuff and the vacuum lines I'll do myself. Might you be able to suggest a link or book (Chilton's?) that gives me a basic primer and diagrams for these lines? I've looked on this forum and the diagrams I've seen give me that queasy feeling that happens just after I've opened a can of worms.

That said, I'm just looking at input dollars versus utility output. My mechanic says drive it as is, don't spend $ on anything. Me, I like a reasonable challenge, know my limits and basically don't like mopping out the footwells before heading out. Thanks again for your help.

You may want to listen to your mechanic, yet if you are leaking that much inside, new weather stripping is the way to go. Try and check to see if the windshield is leaking also.
New connectors are cheap.

__________________
83 SD

84 CD

Wonderful...........now I got cornflakes all over the laptop.

If your mechanic is not a big fan of MB, then he would say that.
Do an honest evaluation of rust since you are in that area
of the country........is the body going to hold up? Set your
sights from there.

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

I'd say take it to a MB only shop, have them do a PPI, and pay them for it. There may be other items in line for repairs before you worry about door locks, heat and cruise control

__________________
95 E300D working out the kinks
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, gone away
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 145k miles, summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k miles
12 VW Jetta- 160k miles

If you want to get a realistic idea of what the parts would cost you, though you'd have to do the calculations, go to www.*************** and punch in your year\make\model, and then go to the body\trim\lighting for the weather seals. They have them for various parts of the car. Then go from that section to the electrical\vacuum to find vacuum hose by the meter and valves, etc. If you need stuff for certain systems, look under there. They have German made parts for decent prices and they show list price/selling price. They're pretty good people to work with, and the shippings free if you order enough stuff. Plus, they've got a good return policy. As far as finding a mechanic? I say the good ones are all on this forum, and will let you know if any repair is worth doing it yourself or if you should bite the bullet and leave it to your local high dollar expert. After two years of owning two different old MB's, I can actually say these are some of the easiest cars to work on. (Except for that block heater plug removal. Don't go there. Pray it's got one in there already.)

__________________
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply.
Willing is not enough, we must do." Goethe

***********************************


1951 Chevy 3100

2003 Indian Chief Roadmaster

1983 GMC 1 ton Dually

1982 Chevy 1 ton Dually, service body (sold)

'90 GMC Suburban 6.2 "SS Veg-Burban"
(single tank WVO\diesel conversion) SOLD

'81 300D ~ Mama's car...my job (now my car)(but still my job) SOLD

'83 300sd ~ rescue car SOLD

2005 Ford Taurus (Mama's new car)(NOT my job!)

Thanks again for the feedback, appreciated. Neighbor came by to remark on what a nice ride....

Wicked rainy today, pulled carpet back and found water dripping at rear of footwell. Most likely the windshield? Checked the gasket, seems really tight, no water could be seen on top of dash over and around the glovebox. Gasket around windshield not cracked or brittle, doesn't seem to need to be replaced so then I went to store looking for black butyl caulk, the stuff that stays sticky and flexible and all they offered was grey and white, will order some from net. Hoping for the moment that this fix will take care of the leak. Is there a drain for the sunroof? Would that possibly drain to this location? She is remarkably free of rust; we have really salty air and rain out here and this car shows no signs of rust; nothing in wheel wells, chassis is clean, under the doors clean. Spent an hour cleaning the window switches with WD-40 and a light scrub to clean out lots of dog hair and any electrical contact pitting. Windows up and down much faster now. Sunroof needs lube job. Any suggestions on what to use and what to clean it with and where?

Nasty wailing noise started up from what I assume is alternator belt. Grrrrrrrr Turned off rear defrost and noise subsided somewhat. Neighbors are loving me......

Make sure the belts are tight, but the last time that happened, I got a rebuilt alt.

__________________
83 SD

84 CD