I am going to look at a 1983 300sd with 278,000 miles on it today. The owner said to take a look and make an offer. Can I get some advise on some quick checks? What would be a reasonable offer on a good sound car if it is good overall shape? Suggestions Please

at that mileage, it could mean 10k in repairs if everything is at the end of its life not counting engine and tranny.

Over the past year I've replaced or repaired almost everything on my 83 300sd. Its a good car in that everything on it is servicable, but plan on constantly chasing something on it. Maybe thats true of all the old mbs but its definitely true of mine.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

Check the rear windshield for de-lamination. And the usual stuff.
So it's going to depend on what works, how does the tranny shift and general condition.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

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83 SD

84 CD

I'd suggest looking for rust more than anything else. If it drives well, I'd warm it up and loosen the oil filler cap and let it idle. If the cap jumps around, that indicates oil blow by. Does it drip a lot of oil? How's the interior? I bought an '83 SD last year that passed all these tests; showed 310K on a nonfunctional odometer; drove well except for a bit of chatter in the front rotors. Power locks don't work, but will fix that someday. I paid $2K and feel that I did OK.

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John Schroader
bio burnin' 83 300D, '83 300 SD, '79 240D
"I've never met a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else" Ben Franklin
"You cannot permanently help a man by doing for him what he could and should do for himself" Abraham Lincoln

The issue is the statement "good sound car". At that mileage level, the statement must be false unless he has a good sound set of receipts for the front end, the transmission, the rear suspension, the climate controls, and the a/c system.

Furthermore, unless the head has been off the engine at some point in it's life, the valves are way past their prime and starting it is going to be a challenge in the cold.

Finally, even if a good bit of work has been done, you've still got an engine with 278K on the clock...........you really cannot expect more than 350K without going into the engine. Sure, others will chime in how they made it to 450K...........but, don't bank on it.

The vehicle will need $5K worth of parts to bring it back to a long term driver............if this work has never been done.

X2 with Brian,
It may look a $million but its still a high mileage car. Unless those miles have been done in a very careful manner the car will be starting to show some mechanical age.
Many cars at that stage in their life become parts cars. If it has a perfect body, no rust or accident repairs, then it may be worth consideration if you want a mechanical restoration project. If you are still planning on making an offer, make sure its only hundreds, no more!!!

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Anywhere from $500 to $3K.

Condition, and how it runs.

Rust is a major price negotiator. Any rust and it is worth much less than $1000 regardless of how the engine and transmission run IMO.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Most of the cars of this vintage that I've seen have blowby as indicated by the oil filler cap dance exercise.

My cap dances, but oil consumption is next to nil.

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This area is typically used to brag about one's current or former automobiles.

Thanks for the input. The car has been sitting under a shelter for 4 years. The man said he cranks the car and lets it run about once a month. I told him that I thought it may be a 6 or 7 hundred dollar car. Engine sounds good with very little blow by. Left motor support bad. Left seat torn in several places. Dash is cracked bad. AC did not work. No visible rust. I did not get to drive car because it got dark. I asked him to tell me bottom dollar and we would go from there. If car drives out good I think I would pay 7 hundred and plan on replacing timing chain. Can I role in a new chain on this car?

^ Check for timing chain stretch first, you may only need an offset woodruff key.

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83 SD

84 CD