First off: bubbles ALWAYS mean deeper rust. Think iceberg.

It would be helpful to know where you are, up here (eh). If you are west of Winnipeg, then rust may not be a killer on this car. If you're in Ontario or east, you need to examine the car for rust before all else. Period.

The exam has to be from both inside the car and under the car. I have seen many MBs here in the national capital area that were 8.5 lookers, body-wise, and were completely gone underneath (not necessarily through in holes everywhere, but the floor so soft and rotten it would need complete replacement soon). W123s rot from the bottom up, but leaky ones rot from the inside out as well. I can show you my coupe from California as an illustration....

Let me put it this way: If you can find an '83 that is a worthwhile proposition, here in eastern Canada, that is a pretty damn good find.

I don't even try, having listened to acres of b*ll***** from private vendors and dealers for years. Now I just pick 'em from the dry states. But I know of other guys in the area who patrol Kijiji and Craigs like a religion and they find decent older Mercedes from time to time, among the general junk.

Good luck with it....

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

good luck!

i had a hard time choosing myself. ... ::rolling eyes::



'83 240D, '84 300TD

If you do get that TD, perhaps hang on to the 240D awhile until you're certain the wagon lives up to expectations.
Or, why not keep both?
Which is what I finally decided, having found my '84 Euro TD, with manual heat-AC and factory 5-speed, on the local Craigslist four years ago, and then two years later, a solid '82 stick 240D with a factory replacement engine, to replace a seriously rusted example.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Had a look at the car. Paid particular attention to rust, and didn't see much. A couple of bubble spots on the rear hatch (in a lower corner of the window, and under the "turbo diesel" label). It's been painted before, because of window seal problem. Wheel wells, arches, undercarriage, door bottoms, pillars, well in trunk under first aid kit and jack, jacking points, all looked pretty solid. Obviously undercoating has been applied underneath in the past. No terminal rust evident anywhere. I pulled up the driver carpet but there was a color-coded padding so I couldn't see the actual floor pans. Looked ok going up the firewall under the pedals though.

So I would say from a cursory inspection (couldn't see behind battery tray on firewall and other known bad spots) that the car doesn't have structural rust. Body panels have varying shades of body color because in 28 years the car has had some touch ups here and there and panels painted, to handle minor dents and other issues.

Engine was rebuilt (at least pistons, rings, not sure what else, but it was costly!) 7-8 years ago, because the compression was getting lower in 2 cylinders. Transmission was rebuilt 2 years ago by licenced MB mechanic down South because it had started to slip. Same mechanic rebuilt the front end, it's very tight and drives very well. Same mechanic apparently rebuilt the rear leveling hydraulics (car had been overloaded for the winter trip South).

Car has either been driven south for the winter (in the last few years), or stored in the garage up here. Has apparenlty only seen 1-2 winters here in the last 20 years, and before that didn't really see salt. It's the second if not third car in the family, and sounds like it's no longer needed.

Interior has considerably more wear than my 240D (driver seat split, headliner hanging down a bit under the sun-roof, carpeting getting a little ratty, "woodgrain" cracked). Then again, I bought my 240D from a single man, whereas this wagon was very much a family car, used for trips etc.

Car started well and shook a bit more than my 240D at idle. Oil pressure a bit lower than mine (between 1 and 2 at idle), but pegs out at 3 immediately when you press on the gas. Car has good pep on the highway when the turbo kicks in, a bit sluggish in the city streets with turbo off. It felt solid and stable. Tach doesn't work. AC apparently needs recharging but otherwise climate control apparently works. Front and rear engine seals apparently have leaks (some indication of oil on front end parts). Good looking Bilstein shocks. Car didn't overheat on highway or idling after.

Things I forgot or didn't have time to check this time (it got dark): blow-by, magnet to bottom of body.

That's about it. Left me with a positive impression. Question remains: which one would be best for me down the road (this TD, or my 240D). As Mark suggests: why not keep both?? Well, it would be tempting, I must admit (especially since I probably wouldn't get much for my rust-free 240D. Maybe my son or daughter would want it one day, a university graduation gift!). But unless I drive my 3/4 ton Cummins Dodge this winter (I wasn't planning on it because wanted to leave the slide-in camper on it and use it just for camping and 3 season road trips), I'd have to drive the 240D or the TD in the snow and salt. Or sell the 240D and buy a jap winter beater. Either way, I'd be back to 3 cars with insurance and need to maintain... Yeah, I'm retired now but all of a sudden have a sore back (been overdoing it on my accumulated to-do-when-I'm-retired list) and don't know if I want to keep wrenching forever...

Will mull this over. As I said, it's tempting... I've owned several wagons (Volvo, Toyota) and they are so practical. What would you think this TD is worth, with the description I've given you?

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1983 300TD 240K - 1982 240D 215K - 1996 Dodge Cummins 70K

Thanks. What's the best way to check floor boards and unibody for bad rust? They all seem to have pretty thick undercoating underneath, and there is sound-proofing material stuck to the floor on the inside? Do you hit the floors with a hammer from underneath, or poke with screwdriver?

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1983 300TD 240K - 1982 240D 215K - 1996 Dodge Cummins 70K

Sounds better than your average 300TD to me but... not like a 4K car. Time to do a little bargaining.

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Codifex
1981 240D ChinaBlue (Got her running with a donor engine.)
1983 300DTurbo w/sunroof.
1984 300TD manual sunroof. (Electrical Gremlins)

Screwdriver. Try to be diplomatic, owners don't appreciate it when you pull it out and start poking like a madman... LOL.

That undercoating was a killer. Anywhere it has chipped, it has allowed moisture to enter and incubate rot.

Check the rear passenger footwells on both sides, at the back where there's a vertical rise up to the seat. Don't just look, prod. If it's a leaky car, water will have collected there and rotted the floor. My TD came from Texas but the floors had to be patched there from about halfway across, over to the transmission hump, due to a leaky windshield seal.

Are the jack points solid?

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Don't know if the seller will allow you to poke or hammer on the car, so maybe bring a magnet. Do look for ares under the car where the undercoat has cracked & swollen. Severe rust hiding in these ares may allow you to press and flex the undercoat in certain places, as though you're bending heavy rubber without metal behind it. The flexing undercoat may be accompanied by a crunchy feeling as the rust gives way.
Common areas to look for deteriorated undercoat are the front wheel-wells, below the hood-hinge pockets and battery tray. There's also a transverse hollow box-section under the front seats, where the forward mounting-bolts attach. Check the undercating below there too.
Also the floors along the inner sills, especially the rear floors beginning around the rear anchors for the front seats, where any water leaks will accumulate at these low points. From inside the car, under the carpets, see if you can lift bits of the tar layer, as serious rust in these floor areas will break the tar's bond.
However, you may find areas where the tar has loosened or cracked with age, but the metal beneath is solid. That's OK.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Indeed, the price would have to be bargained down (I'd be more comfortable at 2-2.5K but not sure there's anywhere close to that flexibility). This is not a "mint" TD and although a lot of mechanical repairs have been done to maintain it road-worthy, it's well worn in some areas. Plus the possible/probable hidden rust issues remains, as has been pointed out (thanks for the tips of places to look for and how to go about it!!)

The jack points were solid by the way, one had surface rust on it and that's about it. I forgot to mention it's missing the rear wiper motor (local shop apparently broke it while trying to replace the wiper!).

After sleeping on it, I'm not sure this car would be a very sensible acquisition for me. I already own a very nice W123 (not a wagon mind you, but a nicer 123 than this wagon in many ways), which I would have difficulties parting with. Owning two would not be practical, from simple driveway space logistics. Even though I'm retired and don't need to commute to work, I still need a car to get me through winters, and I'm not sure I'd want to use either the 240 or the wagon for this (though if I could get it for cheap, the wagon may do the job, as long as it starts and runs in the cold weather). Unless I use the older Dodge cummins truck for winter, but I was hoping to keep it setup for camping with the slide-in camper on it.

For a bit more money (than the $4K+ asking price) I could get a nice '04 Volvo V70 wagon, or an older but reliable Honda CRV. Would provide arguably more reliable transportation than the MB wagon, while providing some carrying capacity. On the flip side, there's still something very appealing about owning and driving a fine old MB diesel wagon... The heart versus the brain I suppose... I'll keep mulling it over...

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1983 300TD 240K - 1982 240D 215K - 1996 Dodge Cummins 70K

When I first read the OP, I was wondering the same thing!!! Why a rebuilt motor and tranny at 200K miles? The tranny I can understand, but what abuse has been heaped on the motor that required a rebuild, in which case, even if they learned from that expensive mistake, it makes one wonder if the rest of the car is a deferred maintenance nightmare!!! I'd require them to meet me at a mechanic of my choice' shop, put up on a rack, and go over it with a fine-tooth comb, as well as go over and have your mechanic go over the maintenance records.

And unless it's cherry interior and it gets 4 stars from the inspecting mechanic (yours, not theirs), you would be able to do better for cheaper, albeit you may have to wait for the right one to come along. Remember, there is a sub-club here called the "cheap wagon club" and it exists for a reason . . . LOL.

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1983 300D, the "Avocado"
1976 240D, 4-spd the "Pumpkin", SOLD to Pierre
1984 190D, 2.2L, 5-spd, my intro to MBZ diesels, crashed into in 2002

I love the TD's and don't find the maintenance any worse than other cars.
$4K should buy you a damn nice wagon in this economy. I'd keep looking...particularly in parts of your fine country where rust is not so common. Also, be willing to travel a ways to check them out. $2-2.5 is reasonable for what you described.

One other option would be to put a manual trans in your 240D.

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1981 300TD "The Green Lantern"
1980 300TD
1983 300D Euro "China Cat"

Engine rebuild is a mystery to me. He told me it had low compression in two cylinders (head gasket?). Took it to a shop who did the "rebuild" which cost many thousands. I haven't seen the receipt so don't know if it was just top end or whole thing. Given the oil pressure appears lower than my untouched 240D, I'd say they probably didn't do the bottom end (that, and the indication that both front and rear seals are leaking, which wouldn't be the case if they had done the crank etc.).

No I don't thinks it's a "deferred maintenance nightmare". The guy's son is a licenced mechanic and keeps it in pretty good running shape. And he also got a licenced MB mechanic down south to do some recent work (tranny rebuild, front-end, hydraulic leveling system). But no doubt there are issues lurking underneath, and in time those gremlins will come out to bite, as they do in all old cars let's face it, MB or otherwise.

As you say, in an area where these are more plentiful (they only come up once in a blue moon here, the last one I recall was 2-3 years ago and it was a basket-case, body-wise), a specimen like this one possibly wouldn't fetch a lot of dollars. Supply and demand I suppose.

Yeah, I heard of the Cheap Wagon club and have seen some of them, which on the surface probably looked better than this one! (mind you, those <$1K wagons probably need TONS of mechanical work).

Well, at least I saw one of these wagons "in the flesh". It was kind of nice for my 240D to have a cousin parked beside it for an hour... Made my 240D look damn nice, I had a smile on my face driving it home, confident in its various sub-systems (whereas the wagon is an unknown element, which is always part of the gamble in these old cars...)

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1983 300TD 240K - 1982 240D 215K - 1996 Dodge Cummins 70K

As I mentioned in other post, these 123 diesel wagons don't pop up in my neck of the woods very often. And those that have spent their lives here (rust belt) - unlike this one which was spared winters - are terminally afflicted with the dreaded metal rot. Rust never sleeps, indeed... As you say, there are others parts of Canada that are drier and where something like this might be found in better shape. I'm retired now, so nothing stopping me from buying long distance and driving one back (even from the States I suppose - anybody know of a nice one down there? )

Yeah, I've often thought of converting my fine 240D to manual trans. Problem has been finding (1) the gumption to go through this, tamper with something that works well, and (2) suitable donor for a good price. Ex: someone is selling locally a same year 240D with manual, reasonable mileage, rusty and takes in water, and they still want $1500 for it!! They won't get it, but still... If I could pick up a runner for $500-600, I'd be very tempted to go for it. Park both side by side in the driveway and do it... I've got time, but not so sure about the gumption (and back-health, it seems). Maybe one day...

Cheers.

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1983 300TD 240K - 1982 240D 215K - 1996 Dodge Cummins 70K

I have a few questions, as well as comments:

if you get another 240D manual tranny, with a blown engine, for $600, who cares? It'll have all the pieces you need to convert yours. Might even have a better/cleaner interior and/or pieces needed to finish off your restoration.

1. Are there any problems bringing cars across the border, or cross-border sales? I haven't a clue what's entailed if you wanna buy and register a car from Minnesota, for instance.

I agree with a previous comment about bringing the price down to $2.5K max (btw, is that Canadian $$, or USD? and What is the exchange rate these days . . .that might have a bearing on how much you're actually paying for the car), especially with all the detailing that will be required in the interior.

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1983 300D, the "Avocado"
1976 240D, 4-spd the "Pumpkin", SOLD to Pierre
1984 190D, 2.2L, 5-spd, my intro to MBZ diesels, crashed into in 2002

It's pretty much parity - I bet CAD is slightly higher by now - probably way higher after Aug. 3

My Canadian wife always got annoyed when she was still living in Canada and I would mention that. Her point was always - if I am living and working in Canada, it doesn't really matter - $2k is $2k.

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Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT