1979 Mercedes 300d - $2850 (Oconto, WI)
 

Scott, I like the way you think. Can I give you my wife's cell number? I'm having trouble persuading her of the value of multiple cars! :D

Whoa! Better put my readin' glasses on. Thanks whunter!


Aaron

For $5500 you could get a nearly spotless W124 diesel that would be superior to the W123 on every count. That price is completely ridiculous. I wouldn't pay more than $3000 for a W123 in near-perfect condition, they're a dime a dozen.

In NEAR-PERFECT condition?

Where might that be, exactly?

I have seen lots of ads that CLAIM that. But I hear very few stories of people actually scoring such finds....

Sorry, that wasn't very clearly worded. I meant I wouldn't pay more than $3k for a W123, because they're a dime a dozen, and realistically I wouldn't pay even that much unless the car were low mileage or otherwise special.

Basically, a 26- to 35-year-old car with likely more than 200,000 miles on it isn't worth much unless it's got potential to be a show car. Even if it will probably run another 200,000. :D

Oh and to be clear, I'm not bashing the W123 in any way, just trying to keep it real. I would love to own one someday, they're just indestructible by modern standards and they have a refined dignity about them that my W124 lacks, much though I love it.

Check out first
 

I have owned a '84 190D, 5-spd . . . . was crashed into . . . no trouble for the entire 6 yrs of ownership, only investment was the weak AC system, plus regular maintenance. I lucked out . . . the original owner had meticulously maintained it.

i picked up a '76 240D (butt-ugly orange) with 4-spd for $500. Took to high altitude in Montana, tightened up the fuel system, replaced return lines, replaced hydraulic hose for PS, plus raided the local pick-a-part for complete interior replacement. Went from bumper to bumper replacing all fluids. Drove the piss outta the car for three years. Was extremely peppy, felt like a gas engine . . . guess the 4-spd was geared right. Got rid of it after arriving in Florida due to no AC, never had it.

Got my '83 300D with 173K on odometer, new tranny. Paint bad, and nothing in instrument cluster was working. The car by the end of readyiing for regular driving cost me about $6500. Been extremely reliable.

My advice? Have a mechanic go over any car you are thinking of buying with a fine-tooth comb. Price the replacement parts for comparison. The mechanic will let you know after a thorough inspection how well the car was maintained (all the rubber bushings will be new for the most meticulous owners . . . LOL).

Give yourself a healthy budget and a healthy amount of time to get the car road-worthy. Change oil and filters regularly, the engine will go well-beyone 500K if you keep the oil clean.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the car as a daily driver after that. And the car should give you warning that something is wearing without leaving you stranded. That is one thing that impressed me about the MBZ. Too many times I would have been using my AAA Card, but the MBZ always got me home, or someplace safe where I could get it repaired.

If the paint is original, it should wet-buff into looking brand new.

Personally, I prefer manual tranny, but I know I'd be suicidal having an auto with the four-cyllinder NA cars.

Once I got my cars to be "road-worthy" I had no trouble with them as a daily driver.and every one of them was ready, on a moments notice to take me across the country to go on Active Duty.

IMHO,

Torie

The only advice I can give is.....
 

At times, it's best to have more than one old Mercedes. I now have none. I guess I should say, I still have one, but it has no engine nor transmission.

My 84 300D is still serving me well. There are occasional issues here and there, but then which car doesn't have issues? I like it because for the most part, mine has been very reliable.

A comfortable, safe car that looks much better than a lot of the plastic cars out there now. What's not to like? BTW, mine is now 577K plus now...and still going strong.

Decided to walk
 

I told the guy with the 79 W123 300D that I wasn't interested mainly because of the ACC not working and he offered to have it repaired before I bought it! I even told him that it could be hundreds of dollars but it didn't seem to phase him. Thought that was nice but I'm still going to pass, it's just not the right one. Let the hunt continue!


Aaron

I started with the same question about three years ago, I researched the old mercedes diesel for more than a year, people in this forum has a lot of knowlege and are very friendly. I agree with some people in these forum that you should be able to work in your car, have a garage, and be willing ot invest on some tools that you might need from time to time. I have three cars, two that used as a hobby (1984 mercedes 300td, and 1961 vw bug) and one that is my daily transportation (vw jetta). If you like working in your car, you will love your car, but make sure have a second car (a beater) for avery day use. If somenthing goes wrong with these cars, it will be expensive very fast.

An alternative is to buy a project car first. Alot $500 for a running beater you can practice on while you have your other daily driver. Get a feel for getting and keeping it running. That'll keep you busy while you wait for the right car to serve as a daily driver.

In my case, my first MB was a $550 450SEL with a bum tranny worn seat pads but fully working ACC. A wrecking yard tranny later it was a daily driver. Then a valve stem seal or valve guide let go and I sold it as a non-smoggable runner. Didn't lose much because there wasn't much in it to lose. Next project was a $600 81 SD with a torn flexplate and inop AC. Tranny was good! A few things didn't work so I learned my way around 126s. It was a reliable daily driver when AC wasn't necessary. It didn't even need glowing to start between March and October.

Sixto
87 300D