I bought an '82 240d stick last mo. and granted it's not fast but mine is'nt that bad, I'd heard the auto cars were slow. but most 4 cyl.cars hauling 3800 lbs. are.
larrybible hope you don't mind if I pick your brain on occasion. Im new with mercedes. but drive a diesel for a living. and work on my e34 bimmer. so how hard can it be, right?
I will say this, the parts are cheaper.

I just sold my 300CD and kept the 240D 4 speed car. I'm happy unless I'm in a hurry!

__________________
'70 F100 shortbed
'82 Diesel Westy
'83 Euro 300TD
Curtlo Viper
Yeti ARC
Surly long haul trucker

I have a 83 240D auto, and with a little sage advice and assistance of whunter, the car runs like a Swiss watch and has enough pep to do everything except possibly tow another car on a trailer. The only slow period I felt was during a bitterly cold winter, when the 240D was a little slow at - 5 Fahrenheit, until it warmed to full operating temp. Then it was fine.

Just my opinion. Love the car, am also looking for a 240 manual, maybe a dead one from a dry climate. Now I have a building so I can store and repair.

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

I've had about 12 240ds.

If I had to choose one car to own forever it would be an 83 240d stick. The only time it really lacks is on the highway when you really won't want to go much over about 75 because of the engine noise.

My 83 240 with the 300 na euro motor, the 307 diff and the five speed od tranny is the ultimate 240d and will get better mileage than a stock 240 with the four speed while cruising as fast as you can go around here without getting a ticket.

I can cruise at 80 or knock out nearly 40 mpg at 55. Normal highway driving will routinely come aroudn 35, town driving always tops 20 mpg.

A stock 240 stick with four speed though is a perfectly nice driving engaging vehicle to drive.

I particularly enjoyed the deer story!

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I have an '81 240D MT. I drive it to work every day. It shows 265K, but probably has over 300K. I have done a lot of work on it. Basically replacing ruber pieces, hoses, belts etc. Resealing or rebuilding or replacing water pump, vacuum pump, clutch cylinders etc. It replaced a '96 Ford Contour with a 4 cyl.
I am mainly on flat land. It is slightly slower than the Contour. There are a few places I need to watch traffic, when I pull out. Still, its not treably slow. I get 27-28 mpg on country roads. I think when the Contour was running good, I'd get 26 mpg. I think I got 28 mpg on the highway, while trying to keep up with traffic, 70-75 mph. When I slowed down to 60-65, I think I got 32 mpg.
Also, I almost hit some chickens this week. Not as bad as deer though. There were some on the side of the road. I went to the other lane or side. Another chicken darted out from that side. I locked the brakes. Both Chicken and 240D live to see another day.
Also, I wonder on the condition of these old cars and how that affect their speed. I did have trouble with the accelerator linkage, that limited my speed to 55 mph. It has been fixed, and I am happy with it for the type of driving I do.
Tom

As a general rule most MB diesels have reliable power train and very unreliable luxury features, as these 123 and 126 cars get older it pays to stay away from the fancy models.
At one time I owned a 300SD/81 and 24D/77 manual, the SD is long gone due to continuous expensive maintenance, the 240D is still running just fine.

If you live in a relatively flat area and do not need year around AC then 240D is a nice car to own, I would definitely stay away from the automatic 240D and also the older models with York compressors.

I get 31 mpg on highway from my 240D, it has a new motor with 60K on it. On highway I generally stay around 65mph.

Vahe

Having acquired three 240Ds and a Euro 5-speed 300TD in the past four years, I'll chime in -

First try to find one with no, or at least very minimal rust. Could be a tall order if you're on the East Coast or Rustbelt.

My first diesel, 'Miss Diesel', was the PO's teenager's ride for several years. It was a rusty, tired, automatic '82 240D that was ready for the crusher, but I got it cheap and fixed it enough to make it a decent driver. While it's still pretty slow, especialy on hills, it's perfect for local errands. It will get up to speed for occaisional short hops on the freeway, but it's pretty noisy at speed. It does have power windows and a manual 'non-crank' sunroof.

My second diesel, 'Beirut Taxi', was an even more rusty '81 240D 'parts-car'. A basic, manual-shift & windows model that I originally intended as a donor for converting Miss Diesel to a stickshift.
But Beirut Taxi ran & drove so well that I didn't have the heart to gut her. So I fixed her up, patched the floors, and enjoyed her for two years until I sold her to a neighbor.

My third diesel, the 'Wunder-Wagon' is what some may consider the ultimate W123 - a Euro '84 300TD with factory 5-speed, manual windows, manual heat-AC, 60-40 rear seat with three headrests, and third-row cargo seat. It certainly performs better and gets better highway mileage than a 240D, though the ride is much stiffer than the sedans.
Like most old east-coast cars, it has some rust, but not nearly as bad as my first pair of 240Ds.

My last diesel is 'Ol Blue', a stickshift '82 240D with power-windows and Bundt-wheels. Pefect inteior. Good floors, sills and wheel-arches. Only a handful of very minimal, dime & quarter-size rust spots. This car is the most solid, quiet 240D I've ever had. When revved, the engine is quiet too - sounds more like a gasser than a diesel. And it's peppier than my first two 240Ds. Of course, I spent more for purchase, and to fix several mechanical 'deferred maintenance' issues, than my first 240Ds.

All that said, and based on performance, ride and fuel mileage, my 'dream' W123 choice would be a Euro, non-turbo 300D with manual-shift (preferably a five-speed), manual windows and manual heat-AC - also a tall order in the US.
Or, if you're an advanced DIY with alot of free time, you could get a US 300D and convert it to Euro-spec.

For a simple, reliable, gadget-free diesel, best bet is to find a solid, good-running, basic stickshift 240D, perhaps with some minor mechanical & cosmetic flaws to offset a high price. It's usually easier & cheaper for most DIY to deal with mechanical faults, than to properly restore a badly rusted body.


Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW