An introduction to my 240D, "The Pook"
 

You've seen me post here a bit recently, but I don't think I've properly introduced myself. I'm Amanda (though I will answer to my SN), and I have an ivory '83 Mercedes 240D, same year as me.

I bought her in August 2006 from a couple who had won her at a DIA auction. Asking price was $400, but due to the condition of the car, my hubby and I negotiated it down to $300. The poor girl was in a very sad state. She had been abandoned by her previous owner, and at the DIA auction, the cars are on display with their hoods up. A gust of wind came up and smacked the hood into the windshield, totally shattering it. So the car entered my custody with a very very veeery cracked windshield, bald tires, deteriorated wood trim on the interior...though relatively rust-free (she has, since then, started to rust a little in places) and with only a few cracks in the dash top. Though, things have of course not been perfect. I've put at least several grand worth of repairs into her over the years, and while she's not perfect, she's a LOT better than she was when I got her.

A list of repairs she's undergone over the years (may be incomplete, I may have tossed a few receipts; also may be duplicates as parts have worn out):

2006:
Four new tires
Rubber valve stem
Windshield
Engine mount
Transmission mount
Dash light rheostat
AT filter
AT pan gasket
Trans conditioner
ATF
Brake pad set/discs

2007:
Alternator adjustor bolt
Fuel filter
Injector hoses
Two new tires

2008:
Two new tires
Glow plugs
Brake caliper
Brake pads
Brake hose
Steering damper
Tie rod assembly
Front lower ball joints

2010:
Refurbished starter

2012:
Washer grommet
Lower radiator hose heater (finally got one!!)
Hazard warning switch
"Repaired" the glovebox latch

At some point we swapped out the alternator for one we found in the junkyard, don't remember when. Also my hubby put Euro bumpers and Euro headlights on the car.

Things I still need to work on that I know of (some were this way when I got the car):
Fixing the odometer (it started going on the fritz last year)
Replacing the passenger-side hood hinge
Cleaning and/or repairing the sunroof
Replacing the chipped wood trim
Replacing the vacuum shut-off valve
Replacing light bulbs in instrument cluster (I think one is burnt out)
Restoring the needles in the instrument cluster to orange (OK, more of a want than a need)
Repairing the clock
Lube or replace the speedometer cable
Clean or replace the fuel sender unit
Replacing the front two seats (broken/tore-up/sunburned)
Replacing the stereo (I'd gotten a modern one but it was stolen in '10)
Replacing the antenna motor
Replacing the windshield (got cracked again in '08 but not as epically as when I got her)
Rust work, which may involve replacing the rear right lower fender
Replacing the rear bumper (backed into a pole in '07, which pushed it into the body as well)
Replacing the bearing in the auxiliary fan
Replacing two sunvisor clips
Repairing the A/C (hahahaha)
Adjusting the valves
Get her aligned

Yeah, always something to do on her, but I love her anyway :D

Nice to see someone keeping this old cars on the road!

Where did you get the name Yumeko chan?

I'm an anime fan, and Yumeko is a character in a series of fanfics of mine :)

Welcome, Amanda!

Why so many tires (four in 06 and then two each in 07 and 08?)

And someone will ask so it may as well be me: pics??

When I first got the car the tires were bald, so I had to get them all replaced. Also, in '07 and '08 I had to replace them due to uneven wear on the tires as well as one of them going flat after getting a screw in it.

Pics to come shortly ;)

How many miles was the car driven in that time? That seems pretty quick for new tires and new brake pads. I see you put new tie rods and ball joints in. Hopefully that helped. I see alignment on your list to do. If you didn't get that done at the time the last tires and tie rods and ball joints were put on you may be buying new tires again shortly. Get that alignment done!


Waiting for the pics... ;)

Glad to have you on the forum! And glad to see another 123 saved from the crusher. It's good to see a lady on the forum as well, we don't have too many.

Yes the alignment was done when I got those parts replaced, but it's definitely overdue to get done again. May need to have the husband adjust the steering as well. The car had 254k miles on it when I got it. It's at (roughly) 273k now.

Pics! Forgive the car being dirty, it's been cold recently so I haven't been able to wash it =P

Might be time for new coolant, brake fluid (even if new in 2008), power steering fluid, differential fluid... The valves are probably lonely for some attention, too.

Sixto
87 300D

Actually, it JUST got new coolant in it (had to do a flush when my husband and I were installing the lower radiator hose heater on Monday). Power steering fluid, I know it probably needs some more of that as well as a new filter. My husband was weary of the valves when I brought those up the other day, I may need to convince him somehow to take a look at those ;) How do I check the brake fluid and differential fluid?

I didn't mean check, I meant replace :) You can check the brake fluid by looking at the reservoir. Brake fluid should be clear or translucent. If it looks like coffee, it's been in there too long. If it's been in there a couple of years, it's been in there too long. The easy way to flush the brake system is with a pressurized bleeder like this -

http://www.jscspeed.com/images/catal...thumb_full.jpg

- which you can buy or make. Help the process by sucking old fluid out of the reservoir with a turkey baster so there's less yucky stuff to flush.

For the diff, remove the fill plug, remove the drain plug, pinch your nose while the diff drains, fit the fill plug, pour in new gear oil, fit the fill plug.

Sixto
87 300D

Remember that brake fluid is quick to remove paint. Don't spill it!

Welcome from a fellow PP neophyte!

Welcome!

I noticed, too, that you bought new tires and the very next year bought two more, then you got the front end fixed. Now we don't see any more new tires being bought.

I did pretty much the same thing except that I cleaned out all the Used Tire Dealers on my side of town before I had the front end restored.

That fuel shutoff... unhook the rubber hose, start the car and try to shut it down by sucking on the hose. If the car shuts off then the vacuum part is good - you've a vacuum leak somewhere else. Might save you some work.

Happiness is a rebuilt front end with a perfect alignment and brand new tires.