I was afraid to look under the dash cover... LOL.

Yes, only 1 working window. Sunroof works, though.

Good value? What do you think? I can have the a/c compressor rebuilt for a couple hundo's...

If nothing major is wrong with the engine/tranny, and you can do what's needed yourself, I'd probably budget the same amount you're paying for the car to cover repairs.
Maybe less if you can get some decent used parts.

Happy Motoring, Mark

I know i know... I should just make a decision... Saw this today. Any opinions???

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/ctd/1294275306.html

First year of the big W126 S-class in the US. Decent fuel economy for a big luxury boat, but it's a big luxury boat with more gadgets to go wrong. Seller sounds like a dealer. Advertises tilt-wheel and antilock. Were those options availible in '81? Make sure car has them, and he's not just saying it "'cause all those big Mercedes have antilock, tilt, etc..."
"AC listed, but not whether it's blowing cold.
Car described as brown but looks burgundy/maroon in photos. Another dash hidden under a fuzzy dash-cover.

Happy Motoring, Mark

The AC will cost more than twice the price of the car to get it working properly.
The dash is just cracked all to heck, no other issues, I bet.
Check the fuses for the windows, they go diagonally, right front, left rear.
If it runs, that's a good price, but the dark car, hot climate may make things different.
If you can deal with the seats, okay, or get sheep skins.
The 126 seems to be in decent shape, as mentioned, more items to work on, but it's a nice ride.

Just went and looked at the 300d t. Very nice. Small dent in driver door. All windows work. Starts right up. Very clean motor. Small oil leak. Owner of dealership was driving it for 8 months. Problem: no a/c. Compressor bad...

New tires, though.

Is the turbo that much more powerful? How does mileage compare?

Drive it, see if the power is okay for you.
Mileage in the low to mid 20's.

So, the non-turbo motor gets a bit better mileage (based upon what I've read here)?

The turbo-motor can sometimes do better on the highway due to taller rear-end gearing. Otherwise, alot depends on engine/tranny condition and how much of a leadfoot you are. My tired '82 automatic 240D gets 20 - 25 mpg tops, if I don't use the AC, while my Euro '84 non-turbo 5-speed 300TD managed 30 mpg highway on a recent trip, with the AC going!

Happy Motoring, Mark

You may have the car you choose a long time so choose carefully. By looking at quite a few you will tend to notice things that indicate excess total milage. Do not rush into a poor car. Good ones are out there with not bad prices occasionally. You have to find them though.

Unfortunatly it is wise to ignore the odometer readings as too many are for one reason or another not right. A lot of original purchasers brought diesels to drive a lot of miles anually.

When those cars still fairly new hit the resale market. Many dealers or owners tampered with the odometer to drive the resale price up back then. There were really no laws to stop them with any teeth. A badly worn interior is not a good sign in my opinion for example. Especially for a mercedes indicating say 225 K miles.

This is similar to my experience re 616 vs. 617. Though in my case the 616 is connected to a 4-sp and the 617 is auto.

Turbo has waaay more power. But lacks some of the quirky understated charm ;)

Some have claimed well over 30 mpg from their 300SD.
My, recently-sold, very rusty, '81 stick 240D managed almost 30 mpg on my Outer Banks trip last year.
Hoping for similar, if not better, fuel-mileage from it's replacement - a nearly rust-free '82 stick 240D.

As for odometer accuracy, not sure how much odometer tampering went on with older diesels, but that's been very illegal for decades.
The most common problem I've seen on several Mercedes VDO speedometers, is needing to repair the slipping odometer drive gears.
And the PO of my '81 240D installed a new replacement speedometer that read about 10% slow, while my Euro TD was 'federalized' with an incorrect MPH speedometer that reads 8% fast - verified by using the highway mile-markers on several trips.

Happy Motoring, Mark

My '83 240D standard got 32 once. Once being the key word there. If I were you, I'd go with the SD, they're supposed to be quieter, more comfortable, and all the windows work. You can get the ac working if you really want it (I would in Vegas), especially if that's the only problem with the car.

Drove the 300d (the one for $1000, non-turbo) today. Trans slips btw 1st & 2nd. Long delay. Steering has lots of play. Motor is strong, though.

So, only 1 working window & sunroof, no a/c, possibly rebuilt motor, trans work at some point, & steering needs work.

I told the guy it wasn't really worth my time...

Gonna keep shopping...

Well, now the guy w/ the 80 300d has dropped the price to $500 based upon the things I found wrong with it.

Good deal or not?