Should we put a fork in the 240D?

[PackerEdgerton]

Hi, some of you have kindly been following the saga of my buddy's 240D. Here's the situation.

He bought the car based on the external appearance, which is clean and presentable. Many of the cosmetic aspects of the car are in good order, e.g. it has no rust, no leaks, and everything actually works.

After helping him with the car over the last several months, we have discovered that the car likely has twice the mileage it says on the odo (it says 160, I think it's probably 300K)

Why do I think so? Well:
a) When he got it the accelerator linkage was completely mangled (it had broken pivot points, and the slop in the linkage when he got it was unbelievable. We fixed it all, but it was really only partially operational. I'm surprised it would move forward. You certainly couldn't get full output from the injection pump, and you could push the accelerator pedal 1/3 to the floor without getting a response). I just don't see how you get the accelerator linkage THAT worn out in just 160K. It seems to me the mileage HAS to be a LOT more than it says.
b) Probably used to run WVO with an improperly designed system - looks single tank, simple heat exchanger.
c) Broken down seat springs. When he got the car, the front seat upholstery was actually new, but the seats were totally sagging. I helped him get it fixed up. It's a whole lot better, but still way more worn than my 83. I just don't see how a car with 160K can have seats THAT worn out.
d) Ample blow-by (which a valve adjustment, 200 miles of Kreen, 3 day MMO piston soaking, 30 minutes of WMI and 5 hrs or italian tuning hasn't helped at all). So, it seems that it's just tired and worn.
e) Needs a new clutch. It's worn and slipping.
f) Needs new upper ball joints and control arms. There's a lot of rattling and clanking in the suspension.
g) Tranny has lots of gear whine. Again, I don't see how you get a tranny that worn out without a LOT more miles.
h) Pinion seal is leaking.
i) The entire vehicle feels really 'loose' compared to my 83 with documented 135K miles. My 83 is tight and has a lot more power.

So here's the question. He originally wanted something he could fix up, and be a really great low-mileage car and then let his teenage kids safely run around in. The reason why he chose a manual transmission 240D with manual windows and manual climate controls is that he wanted something safe, simple to fix, durable, and not too fast. A manual 240D meets all those criteria!

Although we've had a lot of fun fixing the various bits and pieces of the car, the bottom line is, the body is in really good shape, but the running gear is obviously pretty worn. That's why I think the mileage is probably so much higher than the ODO says it is.

I know he'll need a new clutch, new upper control arms and ball joints, and a new pinion seal, and who knows what else. Even with all that fixed, the whole car still feels a lot more 'loose' and 'worn' than my 83. If he farmed out all those jobs, we're looking at at least $2000 based on the quotes he's received.

So, he's at a crossroads. At the current time, EVERYTHING WORKS. Even with all the blowby and the clanking of the upper ball joints and the pinion seal leak, nothing is actually unsafe, and the car is presentable and will likely not be too hard to sell.

What do you guys think? Should he sell it and try and get something with less wear, or just keep throwing time, energy and money at it? How hard is it to find a low-mileage (e.g. 150K?), not-horrifically expensive (e.g. less than 5 grand, let's say) 240D with a manual that isn't so worn out?

Sincerely,

PE