Hey gang! I am out here in Paradise (Honolulu) up to my *** (elbows) in vintage 300's ('82 300D TurboDiesel W-123 150K and '82 300SD W126 170K) Main issue with 300D is drip of P/S fluid and drip of oil, oil leak is really bad if parking on an incline. 300SD issues are it has a "Mini Disk" changer, a bad AC compressor, and the central locking just quit working, also last night car didn't want to crank. I figure the AC compressor is a change-out (probably by someone qualified), I saw some threads about the locking- if this is an electric v pump and all the locks quit at once it is probably the pump? and where the heck do you get minidisks?!?!? Mahalo (thanks) everyone!

Get the 300D if you fit in it and plan to run around town. Change the pan gasket and that may fix the oil leak. Tune it up to specs as new and drive it like you stole it. Good luck Thanks

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83 300D 227,xxx miles, sold
86 300 SDL 130,000 miles, sold

I own both of these beasts, I was going to try and see which one I liked better. The SD runs and shifts better and no leaky sunroof channels. The 300D is noisy and doesn't shift good until really warmed up. The SD is only 10" longer and is 100 lb lighter- seems to do better on mileage. (Still checking) and it is very classy.

You probably have a vacuum leak some where that is causing the lock problem and the change problem. Its a mechanical pump at the front of the motor. there are plenty of threads about vacuum problems. Best you do a search on the site.
I dont understand what you mean by minidisks.
The noise in the 300d may be the valves in need of adjustment.
You need to take a close look & find where the oil & PS fluid are leaking from.

Good Luck !!

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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

Minidisks were briefly "cool" in the late 1990s and early 2000's as an alternative to CDs and MP3 players. They were more generally used in the recording industry until SD cards came along...now they are painfully obsolete and the mere fact that someone had a minidisk changer in their car gives me a bad case of the LOLs!

edit: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minidisk

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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