i just bought a 1987 300sdl and really like this car, this one is in decent shape but i was considering buying another mercedes diesel to fix up or already in excellent shape for a second/weekend type car

my questions are

from my reading it looks like the 300d and 300sdl are good, very long lived motors
are there any later models like 90-94 etc that have as good and long lasting motors as these?

was considering buying a little bit younger if possible

i definitely want a diesel and one i can keep running for a long time, etc
not willing to trade off that reliability and longevity for a newer nicer model that won't last as long

any thoughts info on later diesels would be great

thank you

If you're in the US the 90-93 300D 2.5 turbo and 95 E300 come to mind. Same body style as the 87 300D. The 2.5 is an 87 300D missing a cylinder while the E300 dispatches the turbo in favor of a 4-valve head. Cabin and safety refinements are a bigger part of the appeal than the engines.

The 90-91 350SDL and 91 350SD can be a handful if/when the connecting rods bend. If you find one with a MB or Metric Motors replacement engine it could have a happy ending. Otherwise it's an 86-87 SDL, shorter wheelbase for the SD, with cabin and safety refinements... and a bunch more torque.

The 92-93 300SD rebadged to S350 for 94-95 have the potential engine problems of the 90-91 350s plus the complexity and uberluxury of the the W140 chassis.

Then there's the 96-97 E300 and 98-99 E300 turbo. Once you experience the refinement of the 606, particularly the turbo 606, over the 603 you might relegate the 603 to second/weekend car duty.

Sixto
87 300D

thanks for all this info, i am going to look up pics, etc on these cars you listed, are all these cars about the same size/bigness- for lack of a better word- as the 300sdl or are they smaller cars?

and how is the power on these other models, i was impressed with how my 300sdl moves out pretty quickly for a large diesel car and i like the way it rides
handles for a big car

another question is are these other motors/mechanical set ups as easy to work on as the 300sdl or are they more electrical/computer oriented and more difficult where they almost always have to go to a shop?

last question i know certain things on the 300sdl are pricey but overall it seems most of the parts prices for repairs do not seem overly high to me, i was impressed with that and also the fact that most of it still seems to be available

on these newer ones will high part prices be an issue?

thank you so much for all your help sixto

The NA 606 in the w124 seems to be one of the more effecient models out there, and the w124 was a great body style and update from the w123 as sixto mentioned. I really like my 606.910, it's quiet, smooth, relatively powerful (for a non-turbo), and very fuel efficient. With that said, I doubt a 606 will outlive the average 616 or 617, they are quite the durable motor that can handle a lot more abuse than the average engine--at least in my experience, but the trade off going to a newer w124 is a much more modern and fuel efficient rig with plenty of refinements.

Nothing can touch a 616/617 non turbo for trouble free longivity if they are set up correctly. For myself after that I would choose the 95 with its non turbo four valve head.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The SD and SDL will of course be similar in size to your car (a 126 model). The 300D and E300 will be smaller. 124 models are also called E class, and are smaller than S class cars, which are 126 models (older) and 140 models (younger).

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

Also, your SDL has the OM603 motor, which is a little more fragile than the older motors but can be just as long lived. The OM606 in a '94 or '95 E300 seems to be less fragile than a OM603 or an OM602.

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

thanks for all this info, i guess i need to see one of these e class in person and decide if it is what i want


was thinking i wanted one of the larger moore luxurious sedans, but from what i am reading here the e class are better appointed

will try to arrange to see one in person and see if i think it is big enough, would probably use this car for longer trips

how much of a power difference is there in the turbo and non turbo 90's e class cars mentioned here?

and also curious about part and repair prices compared to me 300sdl

thank you!

Why would you take a smaller car on a longer trip? Unless the long trip winds through mountains, the living room on wheels is the way to go. Coming form 126s and 140s I still find the 124 tight 4 years on. Certainly comfortable and more of a driver's car but I have no desire to feel or communicate with the road so I miss the 140s, particularly on long trips.

The E-class aren't necessarily better appointed - 140 doors latch themselves, for crying out loud - but they're the more reliable and owner serviceable choice in the 90-99 model range over the S-class.

I can't say the 90s E-class feel the same but the 98-99 have enough of a boost, pardon the pun, to blur the difference between the 90-97s.

124 parts and repairs shouldn't cost more than a 126. A 210 will cost more and a 140 more still. Someone said a 140 can cost $3000 a year in maintenance. I do my own work so it didn't cost me anywhere near that in direct costs but there were a lot of late nights poring over service manuals and v12uberalles.com .

Sixto
87 300D

i am thinking like you sixto, i like the big, living room on wheels type car too and it doesn't seem there is enough of a trade off to go with the smaller one, i should be able to keep a 300sdl running as long and good i think as one of these other ones

so right now my plan is to look for another one of these


these 616 motors, those cars seem to look a little smaller to me than my 300sdl, my friend has one of those
is it just on the outside that they look smaller and the inside is the same size since they are both w126, am i right?

also i like the way my 300sdl drives and i don't even think the motor etc is in good or top condition, think once we go completely through it will probably be even quicker

so if i were to look for one with a 616 or 617 motor will the power be the same or will it be more sluggish, especially if i get one that is non turbo?

GaK! How does one keep track of all of the Mercedes numbers? I can't. Is there a definitive list hidden in the archives of this forum for us noobs?

We have put a few long distant trips on our 1986 300SDL, and are very happy with the the car. It has a '20' motor in it with 170K on miles on it. Wifey cleaned it up when we bought it in November, and the interior looks great. Comfy ride, cruise control doesn't work, that's on the list to fix this summer. But, er, should say, butt, the seat controls are excellent, and one can adjust it to accommodate soreness in a certain area!

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1986 Mercedes 300 SDL
1975 Mercedes 450 SL
1985 Porsche 911
1980 Porsche 924 Turbo
1981 Porsche 924 Turbo
1971 Jeep CJ5 Renegade II
1995 Jeep Wrangler lifted
2001 Ford F350 Diesel to find more junk
2004 Car Trailer, to haul junk that the truck finds.
1993 Damon Challenger, diesel pusher RV
1958 Pam - Loving wife that puts up with the above!

It can take a while to find a 90s 124 or 210 Diesel so test drive a gasser E320 and E420/E430 instead to get a feel for the rest of car. 94-95 will be the 124 chassis, 96-97 will be the 210 chassis. The 210 E420 became the E430 from '98. The 124 E420 can be an addicting cruiser and can do mid-20s mpg on the highway on premium. Premium's been cheaper than Diesel for a long time now around here.

A 616 or 617 without a turbo borders on a lifestyle change

One option is to enjoy a 90-up S-class until smoke and oil consumption are too much to bear then either spend $8000 for a properly rebuilt 3.5 or $3000 (less if you DIY) on a still healthy 3.0 such as you have in your SDL. You'll get the safety features and creature comforts of the later body with the longevity of the earlier engine. The 3.5 will have lost some performance at that point so the 3.0 won't be too big of a shock.

Sixto
87 300D

^this man speaks wise words, I almost bit on a w124 E420 just becuase of the smooth power delivery and bullet-proof reliability of the M119 motor, but even that doesn't share the reliability and durability of the 606 I ended up with. I looked for SEVEN years for a 95 E300D locally and finally found one; and it's the only one I ever found in my area, lucky for me it was a low-mile one owner rig with service records and lots of new parts expensive(vac pump, timing chain, etc). It was worth the wait, I could have found one out of state in a lot less time, but I'm glad I stuck to my guns as we don't have rust issues here, the only thing I'd change about the car would be the color, I'd love a silver car, but it looks good in black...Just not looking forward to summer days with a black on black car that's been sitting in the sun all day.

love my 95 E300 with the OM606! Simple motor with plenty of power, minimal electronics

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1995 E300 diesel

i don't know, i am really leaning toward another 300sdl, i just do not think i want to go smaller

once we replace the timing chain on this one and i get to drive it some more and really see what mpg we are getting then i will decide