Did the 82 come with a Passenger Side View Mirror?
Can I add one?
Was this an option?
I'm having a hard time finding what options were available when purchasing new.
I just had my mint 1985 MB 300D t-bone after a girl ran a red and I have a chance to purchase a mint 82. Any differences between the two. Both are turbo.
Thanks,
David

Actually there are quite a few differences. The '85 transmission has some additional vacuum based control parts under the hood, the torque converter has a higher stall speed, and the differential has a better "hi speed" ratio. Inside the cabin the two front seats in the '85 have six pleats in the center portion of the cushions vs five on the '82, the '85 seatbelt buckles are different from the '82 and are not interchangeable. Also the '85 seatbelts had the explosive charge tightener device inside the 'B' pillar. The speedometer will be 85 mph max on the '82, while the '85 is 125 or so. Externally the grilles in front of the windshield are often chrome plated on the '82 where the '85 should be black. Probably other differences, but those come to mind.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

huh, weird. i always thought the chrome cowl vent grills were chrome if the buyer bought it with a chrome package, like with the cladding with the chrome strips. i thought the other option was all black with black cowls and black cladding. usually the only black cowl and cladding models are 240d's but i might not of been paying attention.

so, why did the speedometer increase its max value in '85, if the engine didn't change? was it to make w123 owners feel like they could go as fast as a 190e?

Actually the speedometer changed in late '82 or '83 and probably coincided with the end of Federal 55 mph speed limits. Don't remember for sure when the end of double nickle occurred. We have an '82 and it has the chrome grilles, but all of the rest of the trim looks the same as the '83 and '85 cars I have seen.

Also I noted that there was no answer in my comments above to the original poster's question about the right side mirror. Our '82 does not have the mirror, but it should not be too difficult to retrofit the mirror itself. However it might be quite a chore to do the electrical control part, snaking the wires thru the door hinge pipe and down to the center console. If someone has done this, maybe they will chime in.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

that's not too hard to do, but if you don't want to do it, you can just as easily install a manually operated right side view mirror. You just need the corresponding chromed plastic interior trim piece, with the hole in it for the knob

There was no "chrome package"

Chrome cowl vents were there until 81. 82-85 had black vents.

To the threadstarter, the 82 is a "second generation" w123. First generation W123 had the Batman ear headrests (pointed) until 79. Different upholstery texture, different carpet, the "dark gray" on the running board, and inside the trunklid was a different shade than the later models, etc.

The seats are also different. W123s from 80 to 82 had different type upholstery, similar to the later models (83) but not 84/85. 85 models had deep pleats, usually had 6 front seat pleats and probably 11 at the rear whereas the 80 to 82 that you're looking at would have 5 front seat pleats, and 9 at the rear. The rear seat backrest is also different, your 85 would have a flat top edge while the 80-82/3 had the pleats going up the backrest top edge to the rear deck.

Wood grain is slightly different also. 80-81 had chrome window switches. 82 had the illuminated ones, but w/o electric right side mirror and its corresponding switch. 83 and above had these as your 85 did. 82 also had simple sun visors, while 83-85 had illuminated type.

Instrumentation also changed. 80-82 had chrome dots on the dials, while 83-85 had black ones.

Engine wise, 81, 82 and 83 are basically identical for turbo models. 84 had more vacuum items (late 84) and 85 moreso. Rear end of 81-84 was 3.07, 85 had 2.88.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

and the reason for all these additions from 83-85? simply because the greatest chassis of mercedes came out (w201), and MB decided to retrofit some of the items from it onto the w123

My 82 has no passenger side mirror. I've gotten used to not having it, and now when I drive cars that have one, I find it entirely unnecessary.

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1992 300D 2.5T 249k - Parked with a bad transmission
1981 300SD 142k - Daily driver

Actually, my 82 has chrome vents and my 83 has black vents. I don't know If it was a mid-year change.

I added a pass mirror to my 81 240. Got it from a forum member along with the appropriate chrome trim etc.
A straight, switch em out, job.
Non electric but easy and troublefree

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily