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  #16  
Old 10-18-2011, 09:56 AM
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With my Scout I try to never get much more than 200 miles from home, and I pack things like wheel bearings, dist caps, plugs, fuel line, a spare electronic ignition box, etc... Highway driving is pretty easygoing on a car, and I figure I can always limp it 200 miles if I have to.

The 240d I don't worry about. It just goes. I drive it everyday as it is and I think that makes a significant difference. I mean, I'll put 1000 miles on it in a month no problem, so driving it 1000 or even 2000 miles from home doesn't scare me. I just took it to Canada and back a month back or so. Never skipped a beat and I even got myself an award from a Minnesota State Trooper for driving so impressively fast in such a slow car. He didn't believe me when I said it only had at best 70hp. If your suspension is tight, if your steering is tight, if your driveline is tight and the fuel filters don't regularly crud up, I wouldn't sweat it. And that reminds me, the first spare part to pack would be a pair of fuel filters, never know if your gonna get a load of dirty diesel.

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  #17  
Old 10-18-2011, 09:57 AM
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What it boils down to is your comfort zone. As already metioned if the car has not had a habit of generally breaking down. Plus you use it at speed on short trips regularily and have had no issues. The longer trip is just an extension of those shorter trips.

As also stated there are no gaurantees with any car as to having a faultless trip. Carry a cellphone. One thing I will always inspect periodically especially before a longer trip on a 123 is the condition of the oil cooler hoses. If seeping or leaking at all or looking really ratty I would change them.

If one ever lets go and they charactaristically usually fail at speed. There is usually extensive damage. This time of the year the average temperature is lower so that helps preserve them as well. The hoses do not get as hot.
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  #18  
Old 10-18-2011, 09:59 AM
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Ive been asking myself the same question. I am considering going to school in colorado, so I will be driving to a from ohio at least 2 times a year for the next few years (1244miles one way.) To be honest I dont see a problem with it at all.
The more my family tells me I cant make it in "that old thing" the more it makes me want to prove them wrong. Any car can have problems on a trip like that, at least with my 300d I feel I know enough to fix things that come up while on the road.
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1987 300D(Erma)- #14 head, 193k
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1987 300D(Ursala)- #14 head, 157k when sold
1987 300D(Wilbur)- #14head, 356,000+miles, sold after 7 days of owning it.
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  #19  
Old 10-18-2011, 10:27 AM
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Highway miles are far easier on any car than short-run stuff. You don't need to worry about engine/transmission. You do need to take a look at the basic stuff like tires, wheel bearings, brakes; those are all you really need to check before a long trip. Top up the fluids, keep an eye on the coolant level and the engine oil level, enjoy your car.

I don't carry anything other than a tool bag, spare fuel filters, and a bottle of Diesel 911 (in case I get a bad tank of fuel)
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'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
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'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC
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  #20  
Old 10-18-2011, 10:28 AM
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Location: West of Ft. Worth. TX
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Having done this several times, and reading your comments, it probably would depend on how comfortable you feel that you could fix, or rig, whatever might give you problems along the way. Be prepared with tools and the basics to get you to the next stop. If you are a good improvisor, there shouldn't be much that would leave you stranded. Sometimes it's a matter of stopping and sorting out your options and having a flexible time schedule. There was one of the forum members that drove across Canada with a failed alternator. With minimal stops and a battery charger connected overnite, he kept on rolling.

You mentioned "leaky" and believe me you will save yourself a lot of grief if you take care of those leaks ahead of time. I've had to stop to refill oil, on one occasion, every 50 miles because the turbo drain grommet had given up. Lots of brake cleaner and a layer of RTV on the outside, left to cure overnite, got me to where I could replace it. But I looked at 3 gal. of oil as much cheaper than a siezed engine.
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  #21  
Old 10-18-2011, 12:34 PM
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I would look at the common failure points for your particular year/model.
You know the cooling system is a known weak point if this is covered then onto the next item, we all know the first thing to stop a Diesel is the lack of fuel, therefore keep spare fuel filters. Finally things like tires and fluids are the last thing to consider. If these are in good shape id say do it.

I have never been left by my diesels , however I have been left in a 1 year old Jaguar I bought off the showroom floor.

I am in the market for a new car and recently have been daily driving my 85 300D. My mother leaves me a phone message the other day saying she is “Concerned that I don’t have a reliable car to drive” .

She has no idea, id get into one of these cars in a heartbeat before I got into a new car and drive cross country. They may not be the fastest or even the most comfortable but you simply cannot beat the experience. Plus heaven forbid you are in an accident or leave the road in one, Id much rather be in a Mercedes than a Jeep.

Good luck
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  #22  
Old 10-18-2011, 12:57 PM
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If your drive train is good, battery and charging system is up to specs, tires are good then go. Stow 2 sets of filters, a decent set of hand tools and a rubber mat in case you have to mud dive. Take a gallon of zerex, a couple of quarts of diesel oil and a quart of trans fluid. (Zerex won't be available and I hate paying high prices for fluids when needed on the road.)

I usually also take my universal engine remover ($1,000 cash) and a credit card. Money can fix anything. Cash can get a better deal - even under duress. I don't worry about anything other than trans & engine because the ancillary parts can be had within a day.
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  #23  
Old 10-18-2011, 01:10 PM
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I have taken my gasser 300e 1500+ miles roundtrip. Upgrade to the gold version of AAA, pack a small tool box, maybe an extra belt, oil, and coolant. Think about what you can fix on the side of the road. Other than that, you will need to have it towed.

Fear of breaking down is half the fun of a road trip! I had a real sense of pride taking my car on long hauls.

I recently took my fiesta from cleveland to maine and back. Driving in a reliable car was terribly boring..
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  #24  
Old 10-18-2011, 01:14 PM
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Thanks everyone for the replies, and inspiration, if you will. The more I read, the more it seems the stuff I'd have to worry about is stuff I've already taken care of. New in the past two years are the rear suspension (mounts, links, diff mounts, wheel carrier bearings), axle boots, all calipers, discs, hoses, rear brakes lines, shocks, front and rear wheel bearings, center link, steering damper, flex discs, center bearing, trans mount, radiator, coolant hoses and tires. When I makes that list I feel pretty confident. I think the thing that concerns me most is that it does leak oil (onto the engine's bottom, very rarely onto the ground), but it also make sense as a few of you have said that if this isn't a problem over the course of 1,000 miles of work commute, it wouldn't be after 1,000 on the highway. I don't hesitate to use it for everyday driving. I don't have to replace any oil between 3k changes, let alone 1k miles.
I do try to remind myself, and my dad (who really worries even more than I do), that a lot of road hazards can happen in any car an in any place, like RML said. Example: I sustained $6,400 of damage to my Jeep last winter when I hit a massive deer a mere 2 miles from my house.
Assuming everything goes well over the next two weeks, I think I'm gonna give it a try. I took an extra vacation day to give myself extra time to get up there. I used to approach road trips like they were the 24 Hours of LeMans but I think I'd rather enjoy the road anyway. My alma mater is on the way, and I'd like to marvel at Niagara Falls a bit too.

dropnosky, I think I like your mantra best: "Personally I prefer to do stupid road trips in untested vehicles" I aspire someday to embrace this lifestyle.
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2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
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  #25  
Old 10-18-2011, 01:35 PM
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I have a history of taking rather junky cars on rather long trips. It's hard to say exactly when I decide a car is okay to go; it's sort of a gut feel thing based on my history with a car. I feel very uncomfortable driving a car I've just bought a long distance, even a relatively new one; I need time to build trust in it and get to know its habits, I guess.

I don't carry all that many tools, because my taste for roadside repairs is not ambitious. I'm willing to patch up wiring, tie up a dangling exhaust, or make other temporary repairs; but I know I'm just not going to stand there and replace an alternator if calling AAA is an option, so I don't carry all that many tools unless I'm really going out into the middle of nowhere. (For that matter, if it's daylight you can easily drive hundreds of miles without a charging system in many of these cars.)

My biggest roadside repair was changing the ignition points in a VW Bus at a rest stop next to I-75. (It continued to misfire; the problem was elsewhere. I made it to my destination anyway.) My longest limp-home incident was having to cut the steering pump belt on a Volvo 240 and drive it 450 miles home with no power steering after I blew a hard line. Not bad, really.
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  #26  
Old 10-18-2011, 01:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987 View Post
I used to approach road trips like they were the 24 Hours of LeMans but I think I'd rather enjoy the road anyway.
I tend to approach them more like they're the 24 Hours of LeMons, I guess.
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  #27  
Old 10-18-2011, 04:35 PM
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If you can assess the condition of your car then its pretty much done. A good machine that is well built and well took care of will run like a champ. I would however double check the radiator hose pipes.

Im thinking of driving to Chicago this upcoming March to attend a wedding in my E300D - the Mrs. thinks Ive lost my mind (she's brought up with the notion that a car is dead once it reaches the age of 5). While I have good faith that my car will do it 50 times without batting an eyelid.

As a general rule - Ive always kept a few things at hand. The items in my benz for a long trip are

serp belt
alt regulator (cheap and cheerful variety)
fuses including 30 and 80A strip ones
small assortment of bulbs I put in a foam lined case.
pair of fuel filters
handy tool kit
rad repair kit (Napa variety)
gallon of premixed coolant
some engine oil

All maintenance items can be stashed in the wheel bucket MB gave us, and the coolant and oil go to the side of the trunk.
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  #28  
Old 10-18-2011, 04:55 PM
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I'm doing 1000 mile trip on thursday in my 85 300D. (500 miles each way) Loaded with wife and 3 kids. Expect no issues what so ever. Of course, I just put in a brand new engine, tires, brakes, etc. Tested the car out over that last few weeks, driving it, and have put almost 1k on the new motor without a hiccup so I feel pretty confident about it.

That said, I bought the 89 F350 for 900 bucks, with unknown miles, maintenance, crappy tires etc. hooked a 300D to it and drove 2k miles with it the next day... no issue.

Of course, by myself. Now, I use the truck all the time without fear of it.

My point, these diesels do pretty much run. unless you have an leak in the fuel system letting in air or something like a clogged filter, or a shot engine with no compression, there really is no reason it wouldn't run. Even if you where to break the belts, the engine does not require an alternator so you could drive without it. (in the daytime)

About the only thing I can even think of that would be a "sudden" engine failure would be a snapping timing chain... and thats very rare.
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  #29  
Old 10-18-2011, 06:31 PM
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I did 2000 miles this summer in my '69 280SL. I have had the car for 6-7 years but hadn't put more than 500 miles on it. I put in new hoses, all fluids, brakes and brake lines, etc. so I thought I would be OK, but you never know with old cars. I had passed 1500 miles with no surprises, but I suddenly heard a loud noise up front. It was the water pump. I was 50 miles from a dealer, so Triple A sent out a wrecker and I got a ride to town. The dealer fortunately had a pump and a local shop fixed the radiator damage and I was on my way within 24 hours. It wasn't cheap, but I don't know another make that I could go to a dealer with a 40 year old broken car and be on my way the next day.
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  #30  
Old 10-18-2011, 06:38 PM
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Best thing for diesel cars is a good LONG run. The car and engine will thank you for it. These cars were meant to go. .

Come on up to Boston. I want to see your 87's stereo, so I can copy it in mine.

You take care of your car, drive it!

I would take my 87 to LA and back tomorrow if I had the time.

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