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#1
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Thinking of buying an 85 300D Tubro . . . Help
Hey gang,
Wondering what I need to look for when insepting this one. It's an 85 300D tubro. The ad says it has 109,000 miles on it and "runs excellent". The clear coat is peeling all over the place (trunk, hood, roof). I drove by it today and took a very quick look. I could see a little rust bubbling back by the rear wheels. The interior didn't look too shabby. I am planning on going back for a closer look and a test drive. Asking price is $1000, I probably wouldn't pay more than $800 for it. What do I need to watch out for on this one? Ad also says CD player, but nothing about AC. Like to hear from all you owners out there.
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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles '79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold) '83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer) ______________________________________ "Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman |
#2
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Sounds like it's in pretty bad shape, especially at only 109,000 claimed miles. There may be more rust that you can't see. If the seller is asking only $1000 that's another cue that the car should be avoided unless you're specifically looking for a junker.
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"Buster" in the '95 Our all-Diesel family 1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car 2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022) Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762 "Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz." -- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970 |
#3
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Get under the front end and see if the ball joints are intact. See if it stops straight and feel for pulsating in the brake pedal. This will give you an idea about how much brake, rotor and front end work you might be getting into. Feel for play in the steering wheel and check the tires for uneven wear.
Does the engine shake at idle? Nailing? Check whether air is coming out of all of the vents. This will give you a clue about whether any of the vacuum operted vent pods are bad. They are under the dash and hard to get to. At this age some are probably bad. Check all of the electrical devices to see what is working and what is not working. When the car has been sitting and you go to unlock and lock the doors, do they all operate? Do the other doors lag behind and or not open up/lock with the driver's door? This will tell you that there is a vacuum leak somewhere. Look in the bottom corners of the windshield on the inside. Is there evidence of water leaking in? If the paint is peeling, this car has probably been sitting out in the sun and the windshield seal may be shot. Look at the back window as well and look in the trunk for evidence of water. This just scratches the surface but are some of the issues I have dealt with on my cars.
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85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale** 84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds 00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold) 15 Subaru Outback 43K 11 Subaru Outback 67K 98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now. 30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60 |
#4
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Agreed that the exterior condition doesn't seem to match the stated mileage, but hard to say. If it seems like a possible purchase I'll have to run a carfax on it. Cosmetically, I am not too concerned, this would just become a daily driver (to and from work - about 2 miles one way) for me. I enjoy turning some wrenchs now and again, but I also don't want to get sunk on big ticket items.
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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles '79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold) '83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer) ______________________________________ "Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman |
#5
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Quote:
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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles '79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold) '83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer) ______________________________________ "Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman |
#6
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You should get a checklist and go through it. If I am not mistaken, I think I saw one on the car section of EBay, but I don't spend a lot of time there. Here is one that I just found by Googling "used car checklist":
http://autos.msn.com/advice/articles/aischecklist.aspx You will find more if you do the same search. It is not specific to diesels or the W123 300D, but is a good start. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
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85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale** 84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds 00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold) 15 Subaru Outback 43K 11 Subaru Outback 67K 98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now. 30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60 |
#7
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I'd check to see that the transmission shifts smoothly. Take notice if it shifts harshly, slips, or flares between gears. Harsh shifts may be be vacuum related but the others are are more serious. Look underneath the car not only just at the transmission but behind it for signs of leaks. This can tell you how bad its leaking by how much of the undercarriage is stained by transmission fluid.
A transmission with low miles can about be as bad as one with high miles if its been sitting a long time.
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DJ 84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012 |
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