New Guy looking around for an 300d.
 

Hi there,been hanging out here lately .My past did have an 86 300se,not anymore.I have 3 Volvos an 1991 240 with 233000,an 245 with 285000,and sad to say an 84 244,that just got hit,Iam parting this one,,just got this one 4 months ago,with no rust.I got the 300d bug now.Iev been looking around,Ebay, craigslist.I try to do all my own work on this cars.What do I need to look for before buying,rust,ex,ex.As an long haul truck driver,diesels are not new to me,but never own one thanks.

Yeah look for a rust free one.

The 300D is probably pretty similar to the Volvo 240 series in a number of ways. Engine and tranny super reliable, but they have their quirks.

A number of past threads have asked the similar question: what to look out for when you're new to these cars and interested in buying.

Since you live in the NE, the first thing to look out for is rust. These cars have a unibody frame, so ALL body rust is structural to some extent. Jack points, under the hood rains, wheel wells and floors are susceptible to rust. If you look around, bring a hammer and tap around everywhere underneath. Any crunching and you might consider walking away.

Check condition of front suspension parts, rear axle boots, cooling system, A/C. All of these are big ticket items. Check cold start conditions. A bad cold start could be as simple as bad glow plugs to low compression. A good 300D will have excellent takeoff power and shift smoothly. Total mileage is not nearly as important as a good service record and mechanical condition.

These cars are very reliable, and since you do your own work, should be economical also. They get expensive when bringing them into the shop. Best of luck, and welcome to the forum- best place on the internet for information on these classics.

There is a guy on here "The Don" who traded up to an sdl and has a 300d very reasonably priced.

My gorgeous 300D is on ebay currently, and priced right.:o It is unlikely you'll be able to find a rust free one in your area.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190296223626&viewitem=

For a really nice 300D you can't beat the one Tyler has for sale. If I needed one right now I would buy his for sure! [of course, since I currently have 4 I think I'll have to pass...] ;)
And if you want something a level or two down, as mentioned TheDon has one for sale also. It is still a worthy car, and priced quite fairly.
In your situation, I would certainly prefer buying one from a forum member here......