New Member with 1983 300d
 

Hello Everyone,

I just wandered into the forums and thought this might be a place to get some good advice on my newest purchase. Between my wife and I we have 10 cars and there seems to be no end to the collection. I came across this 1983 300d by sheer luck. I work for a classic car dealership and the shop next door had this w123 sitting behind there shop for about a year. One day they had their flatbed behind my shop with a wrecked van on the back and a sad looking Diesel Mercedes ready to be wheellifted and hauled to the scrapper.

At the last moment, the shop guy came into my place and asked if I was interested in buying the car before they brought it to the Junkyard. Be it for me to let a German car go to waste. What I didn't realize was this was a rust free car with only 87,000 miles on the clock. Yup, thats right under 100,000 miles on a diesel Benz with no rust about to go to the junkyard. Well, I could just hear the car whispering "Save Me" - We we made a deal and the car was mine.

I pushed the car to the back on my shop, gave it a bath, vaccumed it, and put a charge on it. Wouldn't you know it, she fired up with no hesitation. The deal just got better.

So now the car is at Exclucive in Lakewood, NJ getting checked out since I don't know the first thing about Mercedes Diesels and I figured it would be a good thing to have the car checked by a specialist.

It will need a new windshield and paint. The bumper strips are in the trunk. Once it gets back from Exclucive, the car will then go to my paint guy and get a fresh coat of the factory teal color. Here are a couple pictures. The last one was right after I made the deal, they decided to remove the vine from the grill and had to retighten the wheels as they were going to remove them.

Side note - The tan 1977 BMW 320i in the background is also mine.

http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...es300d_psr.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_pside.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...es300d_psf.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...es300d_odo.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_dside.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_dash2.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...des300d_bs.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...terior2_sm.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...terior1_sm.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...s300d_crop.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...es300d2_sm.jpg

Wow..nice car. If it were mine the tint would be the first to go. Does everything work on it?

Nice find, congrats.

Oh trust me, that tint turned purple will be removed soon enough. I always make sure my cars are mechanically sound before doing cosmetics.

I will post updates and pictures as I go.

Welcome to the forum!!!
There are many on here that would be drooling over your car!! You are very lucky, it looks great!!
Time to start reading previous threads on here, its unlikely that you will have a problem that some one hasnt had previously.

Good Luck!!!!!

them seats are pretty ratty for an 87K vehicle.
be sure it's rust free before you start serious restoration, pull the battery and battery tray and check in the hood spring pockets too.
what'd ya pay for her? find a set of pristine seats, and get her cleaned up well, and it'll pull high $$ on ebay for sure! mind blowing find! congrats.
you also found the best site for information and assistance!

Check the Rear Trailing arms of the suspension for rust holes. The Steel that they are made of is thicker than you would expect.

Check the Oil Cooler Lines for leaks.

Check the Flex Discs that take the place of U-joints.

Check the CV Boots for cracks or leaks.

The Hoses and Flex Discs going bad can cause damage

Thanks for the well wishes and advice. The only spot of rust I found was under the battery tray - all surface rust. When I get the car back from Exclusive, I am going to pull the battery again, treat the rust then POR 15 it so it doesn't get worse. The underside of the car is still in amazing shape and still has some of the factory paint on the suspension components. It is not all rusted under there. I have a feeling this was garage kept up until the last few years.

As for the seats being ratty, its still a 27 year old car. If no one ever treated the leather, they will get cracks. I am going to condition them when I get the car back and see how much they come back. I don't think they are that bad in comparison to most of the cars I've seen out there. No rips or tears and they are only showing some wear on the edges. Eventually I will recover them but for now they will do.

vstech - I paid more then scrap price for it but still a good price where there is still some up side when I decide to sell it. I sent it to a specialist to get it reliable and will be spending good money on a quality paint job so my initial price paid will be nothing in comparison to the total invested. For me its all about taking a car on the verge of certain death and breathing new life into it. The satisfaction of knowing this car was going to be junked just because they just had too many cars sitting behind their shop and I had rescued it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside. This w123 deserves a new lease on life and I am the person to give it.

I am glad you saved it from a certain untimely death!:D The car is in great shape and it sounds like it will be a beauty when you get done with it! Look forward to seeing the pictures as the work progresses.

Justin

oh, those seats are not leather are they? it's hard to tell with a 123, but they appear to be mbtex (vinyl) and it's REALLY hard to crack tex, also the seats all have the faded pink hue that we all affectionately call "pinkamino" because they were originally the light brown color Palomino from MB. my guess is that one cracked seat was parked in direct sunlight for at least a year and it shows it. So you are going to add it to your impressive list of cars you routinely drive? great! nobody needs to see these cars flipped. still, the thought of spending 1K on a car and selling it for 10K is tempting!
glad you are going to give the full deal to the details on the car. also glad there wasn't serious rust under the battery tray.
I have that exact same car in my stable but the battery tray was neglected, and it's eaten through to the cabin, and it's a SERIOUS tough repair job to fix!
Congrats!

Getting to know these cars takes a little. If the upholstery is vinyl the seat bolster being worn through is higher milage. The worn windlace around the entry is another givaway. At 87 K the factory oil change manual with oil changes dated should still be in the dash. The booklet is valid to over one hundred K.

I am not trying to depreciate your find really. Just get to know the car well before pouring money in. Also ask any mercedes dealer to pull any records on the car in their computor. I think all you need is the serial number. This company is far better than most in this regard. Another good indication might be in pulling one of the reporting services records on cars. Not always the information you seek is given. Sometimes enough though to give a solid indication.

Now if the upohlstery is leather forget my comments. Mercedes vinyl is far more durable than the best leather in long term service. Possibly the strongest vinyl seating material in the auto industry. Yet there is still that ratty windlace.

Also this series of cars has the most unreliable odometer readings to depend on of any car on the road. It is so bad a general situation that I discount 95 percent of the cars of this model I see unless there are really positive indicators otherwise. Even then the suspicions remain and I am not paranoid.

Nice rust free examples in the New Jersey area much like were I live are a real upside at the same time. These cars love to rust especially in the rust belt. Mercedes did not invent rusting but it is one area for such an expensive car new they fell way short in that era.

My best guess would be if no past history was given at time of purchase. This car came from the south not that long ago. Or the owners for years wintered in a better climate with that car.

I really hope that I am totally wrong with the milage indications. Welcome to the site.

taking a second look, I think the seats are indeed leather! Fantastic find! rare in a 123! does it have ABS? it should if they popped for leather! hard to miss the brake octopus on the fenderwell. that wood looks excellent, ya need to take the glove box door apart and reattach the trim there. how does the dash look? glare in the pics keep me from seeing it well.

I really don't think this car was maintained at the dealership in a long time. As for previous history, I have none. It might be a good idea to Carfax it just to get somewhat of an idea of the previous history. What info I got was the car was giving to the shop owners father a year ago. It was driven there. It was parked and sat and not started until I played with it when I got it in April. I cleaned the car and put a battery in it. At that point the car sat until last week when I dropped it off to the independent Mercedes tech. I had a few other projects that I had to tend to first.

I buy and sell a lot of cars and work full time for a classic car dealership. Just by the general condition of the car, I truly think the miles are correct. I've seen a bunch of these rot to death and interiors in much worse shape. You are probably correct that the interior is MBTex. Inside the trunk and under the carpet is looks practically brand new and it is a solid car.

I understand the warnings you give but I have a pretty good gut feeling this car is true. Time will tell.

Thanks again to everyone for your comments. I value your opinions as this is new ground for me as I mostly know BMW's and this is the first Mercedes I own, but most likely not my last.

Anyone know of a Gullwing sitting around in a field that I can rescue? LOL

I don't think so. looking at your seats, I think they are leather. mbtex doesn't fail like that seat is cracking. it looks like leather.
as to the gullwing sitting in a field... my father actually found one like that...
in the desert in saudi arabia I think. this was in the late 60's and I think he sold the car for somethin like 20K back then...

When I get the car back, I will double check the seats to see if they are leather or MBTex. You are most likely correct. I was posting at the same time you did and didn't see your post before I posted mine.

When I get the car back, I will check on the octopus on the fenderwell.

It's leather. Wouldn't look like that down here in Hell, though.

That is an incredible find! The guys who sold it to you obviously have no interest in MB diesels nor understand their value. It is amazing that the wood looks to be in such great shape and also the dash.

So why a new windshield? Is it just leaking? You may just need to seal it if it is not cracked.

That is one of my favorite colors.

Welcome to the forum.

Richard

Richard,

If you had see the pile of cars behind their place, you'd know why they didn't care about it. A mishmash of brands and models just laying there waiting for certain death. The windshield has a huge crack top to bottom in the middle. I already ordered a new seal from PeachParts (show some support for the forum host). When I repaint the car, we are pulling the window, doing the paint, then installing the new window and seal so its crisp.

I really like the color as well. It's not brown, tan, yellow or white. Those are the usual colors I see these 300d's in. I had a 1970 Chevelle in Mist Turquoise and a 1978 Chevy tow truck that was similar in color. Plus my website and logo graphics are teal. You can say I like it.

UPDATE!!

I got the car back from the shop right before I went on vacation to Vegas for 11 days and just returned. Exclusive was very thorough but the final bill was a bit shocking. I wish they called me as they were proceeding on the repairs because a few items I could have done myself if it would have saved me a few hundred bucks. The only complaint is that Bob never called to let me know where they were at and never had a running tab of what the repair work was going to cost as they were going.

But with that said... he had told me this car should be the poster child for how a Diesel Mercedes should run. There were a few items needed attention that were taken care of as well as valve adjustment and such. It runs incredibly well and the first time the turbo kicked it I was surprised how much power these things have. WOW!

I do have to say it drives much different then my BMW's and I am not sure if I will be keeping it for long. The seats are not as supportive (perhaps if they were sport seats of some type?) and the actual ride quality is a bit plush, not what I was expecting. Then again, the shocks might be due as well. I have my Historic plates transferred over so its legal to drive. I guess what I should do now is to just drive it some more before I make my final decisions of keep it or sell it.

Most importantly, I saved it from certain death so it will live on, whether its with me or another enthusiast.

the seat springs are renowned to snap. if they are soft or lilting one way or the other, pull them apart and see if you can firm them up with "pool noodles" or replace the seat base.

Great find. The ride may grow on you over time. It is not a sporting car per se but I would never put it in the same floaty category as a "in period" american luxury car. I don't know how to describe the ride when it is properly suspended, maybe supple or pliant. It is a quality that can really impart a sense of security and control to the driver, when combined with the heavy feel of the car and the relatively low power output makes it near impossible to get away from you.

I enjoy it on two lane rural routes and so on. I also run over a series of manhole covers on my street every day just because I like how it rides over them, same with RR tracks. The brakes are fantastic as well. The way the car feels on the road in general sometimes reminds me of a plane on a runway on the way to take off.

Congrats on the rescue, the fact that it was almost junked makes me hate people.

I haven't abandoned the thought of keeping the car yet. I was just a little disappointed on the whole driving experience of the car. I also only driven it once for 10 miles going from the shop back to my house since I was then going on vacation. I am going to give it another bath today and take it out with my wife for a drive. It may grow on me.

I always liked the way these 300d's looked and remember back when I was in high school my friends parents had one of these. Also my wife's parents had two 300's when they were new so they are excited to see the car once I am done with it.

I have two issues with the car still. One the A/C doesn't work and the shop said there was some vacuum leaks. He blocked off the vacuum to the climate controls for now so the engine doesn't run on after shut down due to a vacuum leak. I don't know if its a hose or what the issue was. I think I should be able to trace this down myself. Second is the sunroof opens easy but closing it would move about 3 inches then you can hear a clicking noise and the sunroof will not move any further. I have to pull on it to get it to close all the way. Is it a cable or what would you recommend I check?

Usually the sunroof needs lubrication, either the rails or the tube the flex cable rides in.

"Between my wife and I we have 10 cars"

Translation: I own 10 cars, and I let my wife drive them once in a while, that way I justify owning them to her

You're wrong on that. She is actually into cars herself. Sandy owns an Acura TL thats hers, her purchase. She also has a 1990 Mustang GT she's owned since new and still has it 20 years later. The 96 740il is also one that I got because she wanted one, so I bought it for her. The XJ6 is also one she wanted. So actually 4 out of the 10 are hers. The one BMW (77 320i black) was something she found and said we should buy. That one we consider ours together. I guess all are ours but that one was what started me off into the world of BMWs over muscle cars.

Want more proof that she's a keeper? Our boat was also her doing. We took it in on trade at my dealership and she said to me "Oh... we need that" - So it went into the water instead of on the market.

17 years I've been with her. There are not a lot of women who will encourage car/motorcycle/boat purchase. Yup, my woman is a keeper.

i've heard that when women want things, like jewelry, cars, and other big-ticket items, they usually do so because they're not being satisfied in...ahem...other areas of their life...

and others get rewarded for "good deeds".

Extra cars and motorcycles are one of the keys to a long lasting marriage. A garage is the other. :D She'd rather me have another car than have another woman.

usually when a man has more than 5 cars, it's because he's trying to compensate for lack of...ahem...size, in other departments

Failed at the first attempt to make a funny with an inappropriate off topic comment and trying again? By the list of cars you have listed in your sig, it seems you are speaking from experience? :eek:

Just remember, its not a collection if you only have one.

dude i'm just bustin' your balls as you know. any man with 10 vehicles and a wife has major skillz in my book. it's enough to juggle a wife, adding 10 vintage cars to that and you've got yourself a circus right there

:D and busting them back. I've learned a long time ago that you need thick skin to play in web forums. Yes, it is a circus here. But because we have so many toys, we can only afford 2 rings... the third one was sold to buy another car. :cool:

Update 9/8/10

After cutting the lawn (first time in over 2 months due to the lack of real rain) I was looking at the 300d's pealing clearcoat faded paint. I buffed out my boat at the beginning of the season and had some good 3M finishing compound left over and a good wool bonnet. I only got the hood area done today but in comparison to the trunk lid, I think its a great improvement. Eventually I plan on painting the car since the clear coat is shot.

I figured I would buff it out just so it looks better to drive around with right now before the paint is done. What do you think?

The hood looks pretty good...

Another interesting issue just occured. The Tachometer was not working when I picked the car up from the shop. Yesterday in the morning still nothing. I came home for lunch in the afternoon and when I left to go back to work, the tach started to work. When I left to go home, it wasn't working again.

Where can I find the tach lead? Maybe cleaning the terminal or what it connects to might solve this issue?

Also the odometer stopped working on me. I reset the trip odometer and went .1 mile and everything stopped. I see there is some tips on removing the cluster and glueing or roughing up some shaft for the odometer that will help this?

The tach is a common failure item. There is an amp located on the drivers side inner fender. It looks like an upside down trash can. It screws into a female socket.

Replace it.

Search for Techguy512, he makes a solid state unit.

Whooie! I must be TOTALLY "not there"...
my sig is a VERY small sample of the vehicular manhood in my yard...

Found another anoying issue. The turn signals stopped working. Is the flasher part of the hazards? I know BMW's use this type of system and I can't find a flasher to replace on the car.

Thanks for everyones input.

The flasher relay is under the wood in the center console, forward of the shift leaver. Do the 4-way flashers work? If so you will be able to hear it. Also, check the connections on the 4-way switch, it's all part of the same circuit.

Yes, the 4-way flasher works fine. How do I access the flasher? I removed the ashtry and then I noticed the wood shifter plate slides back but I can't get it go lift past the ashtray bracket. Could someone shed some light on how to pop this plate out so I can get to the flasher? I don't want to ruin the fragile wood.

Thanks

If you are talking about a large multipin round connector into a flat looking relay type thing with a flat multipin connector that comes off then towards the engine, I think I found it. I unplugged it, checked the connection, cleaned the pins on both plugs and plugged it back in. Now I have a working tach.

Also interestingly enough, I tried the hazards again on my way home from work and since I did that, now I have turn signals again. I guess since my car sat for a couple years off the road its going to have a few quirks as I start to drive it.

I also have to figure out how to get those bumper strips back on. It looks like I might have to take the bumpers off so I can slide the plastic locks over. I can't figure how to do it with the bumpers on.

I appreate everyones help so far on the project. I am sure these are simple noob questions but with your help, this almost lost car will be returned to its former glory.

Also on a side note, the more I drive it, the more I am liking the car. Its different than what I expected but now I am getting used to the car. New tires are going on this week then updated pictures.

You'll probably start finding a few intermittent electrical issues. Many of the switches can be disassembled and cleaned. The console switches are a trap for crud and gunk.

Its those little things that annoy you the most when doing restorations. Its something I expect for a car that has sat for a little bit in the elements and not garaged. Last night one of my brake lights went out, came back on and then went out again. Today I am going to clean out the taillight sockets and install all new bulbs with some dielectric grease to thwart corrosion.

I recently did the bumper strip on the back of the CD. See this: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/206084-w123-rear-bumper-rubber-trim.html
Remove the strip from the "joint covers". The pics here are of the epc diagram (item #9) and the inside of the rear bumper. Those two joint covers have hooks on them, start at one corner and push the hooks through. Then slide it toward the center. Do the same on the other side. They'll stay there by themselves, yet as you can see, I used a piece of kite string to tie the two joint covers together, this will hold them in place while installing the strip. Slide one end of the strip into the side cover piece. Using plenty of lubricant, I used WD-40, spray the joint cover and/or inside channel of the strip. Using a large faced hammer, I simply pounded the strip on as you see.
Yes, I was referring to that round pin and socket item you got the tach to work again. The top part is the amp.

ok. you have a car that's been sitting a while.
open the hood, remove the battery, then take out the battery tray. clean the crap out of the fender. ANY rust, treat it NOW! there are 3 drains from the spring pocket to the battery tray. all gotta be free of gunk! other side too.
also clean out the sunroof drains, and make sure your radio antenna works properly, and the fuel filler grommet is not torn or cracked. keep the car dry!
ok, electrical issues. pull ALL THE FUSES and clean the contacts they sit in. then put in new GERMAN ceramic fuses. not the crap from the hardware/auto parts store. order a set from our fine sponsers here.

Toomany MBZ - Thanks for the tip on the bumper strips. By the sounds of it, I will have to remove the clip strip from the outer rubber strip to install? Also do I have to remove the bumpers themselves?

VStech - That was the first thing I did since the battery was dead in the car. When I removed the battery, I cleaned up the area, cleaned out the drains with small engine cleaning brushes. The battery tray was rusty so I replaced it and POR 15 was used to prevent the little surface rust that started to develop under it to go any further.

I actually have to get a few parts which I was going to order from the parent company that hosts this forum. I'll add quality fuses to that list as I can use them for my BMWs as well.

Update 9-24-10

New tires and alignment and I did a little photoshot with the car today. Its coming alone nicely.

http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_frnt2.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_frnt.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_dsfg.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...00d_dsfrtg.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_dsf.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_dsfrt.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_dside.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_dsr.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_dsr.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_psfg.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...00d_psfrtg.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_psf.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_psfrt.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_pside.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_psr.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_int.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_dash.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...300d_dash1.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_int2.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_dpps.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_dppr.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...nz300d_bs2.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...enz300d_bs.jpg
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...z300d_dpdr.jpg
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Looks good, coming along real nice. Takes time.

Dont see many with the door plastic trim as nice as yours. most are all wrinkley and shrunk. Might now get as hot in New Jersey as some places, or it was garaged most of it`s life.

The dented wheel tub shown with the L/R door open, is caused from people shutting the door on the seat belt buckle.

Good you saved it from the Grim Reaper :grim:

Charlie

I am glad too. The more I drive the car, the more I am enjoying it. The seat is still a little flat feeling but I am getting used it. I also repaired the seats as you can see in the before and after shots. Its really coming along nicely.

Of course just after I posted these pictures, I had to run out for an errand and on my way back I drove over a bump in the road and the exhaust dropped down. Apparently the 4 rubber donuts just dry rotted and the last one left gave way. I hit the bump heard a clunk and looked in the rear view mirror and saw part of the o-ring bouncing behind the car... then sparks. I pulled over and lucky for me I had two rubber bungee's to hold up the exhaust. I guess I know what this weekends project is.