Should I buy this W115 Diesel?
 

A friend of mine has a 73 W 115 Diesel, with, he claims, 83K miles. It is a 4 speed, floor shift. I have only seen a couple pics, it appears to have minimal rust and I'm told most everything works. I plan to see it this weekend and get the real scoop.

I have never had a diesel this old, I wanted to ask the experts what I should look for. Know rust spots, mechanical trouble spots etc. I'll report back after I see it, if I don't buy it on the spot!

If it is in good enough shape now to be a daily driver, would it be worth $1800? Assuming the rust is under control. Is there any collector potential with this car?

Thanks in advance.

it really depends on which body it is.
the C is collectible. the D can be a nice car, but I wouldn't think it's collectible just yet. if YOU like it, then it's a good deal. I do love the front end on a 115, very classy.

I don't think "too much rust" is a selling point...
RUST is bad. and the 115's were very prone to it.

remember these cars have 5 digit odometers...virtually none of them have only been around once. Unless you have bulletproof records to support the mileage judge the car on its appearance and the way it runs and not on what they tell you the odometer reading is. They are all "true mileage unknown" by this time.

What is your reason for buying? If you can buy and drive without doing anything, that price may be reasonable. Deferred maintenance means $$ & time consuming project. Paint &/or rust treatment = more $$ &/or more time. I looked at a 79SD for $250 that wasn't worth the time or trouble as parts wouldn't transfer to my 85.

Here's a look.

I'm buying for a daily driver/spare to get me through till spring then primarily a tinker toy.

Good point about the 5 digit odo, it may be 380K for all I know.

I like those, they ride great. I think that you'll like it.

There really isn't any collector value for the car unless it's mint and even then it is not anywhere near as collectible as a sister /8 W113 of the same age range. I would agree with Al, the suspension does very well over rough roads and typical bad city roads.

Lift up the floormats front and rear and push on the floor for rust or weakness. Check the jack points and the trunk floor for rust as those are the weak points. Of course check the rocker panels for rust at the base/underbody where the corrosion typically starts.

Oh and it's a blistering 2.2L 60hp so you'd better get a neck brace and a helmet now :D

60HP!!! That's all? Wow, switching from a 174 hp W210 with a 606 is going to take some getting used to... Guess I better make sure my 4 ways work.

Will it cruise at 70 or better (once it gets there)?

Yes.

If it's the one in Akron, NY, I could look it over. The seller looks to be a flipper, cause there was a similar listing for it for $1400, I think in Syracuse, bout 2-3 hours away that ended a week or 2 before the one in Akron started.

You'd be going from the top tier mechanical fuel injection pump engine to the second weakest engine out there.

The car CAN do 70mph but it would be at the limit thereby making a lot of noise and it will sound like a blender set on "liquefy". You'll find that it's a dependable 55-60mph car that will get you wherever you need to go.