rust free 240d in junkyard

[47dodge]

found a 240d 1983 in pick a part just south of Fredericksburg VA. No rust, 201000 miles. so far some interior pieces gone, radiator, and condenser. Otherwise a lot left on it. Real shame to see this in a junkyard, would have been an easy restoration.

[gatorblue92]

These seem to be left when older owners pass away and the estate doesn't know what to do and get rid of it as soon as possible. I have missed out on two examples like that here in New Orleans recently. At least there are quite a few hipsters here who will get parts from them at the yard to keep their cars running.

[JustPassinThru]

Saw one arrive in a strip lot in north Seattle about two months ago which looked identical to the shiny example shown in gatorblue92's post --red paint, palomino MB-Tex interior. Shiny. No body damage. No rust anywhere I could see. It even started right up and ran, smooth as butter. The power sunroof worked. Two weeks ago, the interior had been only halfway dismantled. Engine and tranny were pulled about a week ago. But when I watched them crush it, last Friday, it still had all four calipers and rotors, perfectly good; the grille and bumpers, which were immaculate, and all glass, which was perfect, and all four doors, missing only the interior vinyl panels. Console switches were gone from day one, but nobody ever took the ashtray, kickpanels, excellent parcel shelf, B pillar vinyl, front seats (though someone dismounted them and took the driver's armrest), instrument cluster, or its perfect dashboard. Nobody even took the hood star.

[anghrist]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

Saw one arrive in a strip lot in north Seattle about two months ago which looked identical to the shiny example shown in gatorblue92's post --red paint, palomino MB-Tex interior. Shiny. No body damage. No rust anywhere I could see. It even started right up and ran, smooth as butter. The power sunroof worked. Two weeks ago, the interior had been only halfway dismantled. Engine and tranny were pulled about a week ago. But when I watched them crush it, last Friday, it still had all four calipers and rotors, perfectly good; the grille and bumpers, which were immaculate, and all glass, which was perfect, and all four doors, missing only the interior vinyl panels. Console switches were gone from day one, but nobody ever took the ashtray, kickpanels, excellent parcel shelf, B pillar vinyl, front seats (though someone dismounted them and took the driver's armrest), instrument cluster, or its perfect dashboard. Nobody even took the hood star.

Where is this green revolution I keep hearing everyone talk about? The time and energy spent to strip an old car of good parts is far less than the time and energy spent to build a brand new hybrid. We're not where we need to be in terms of keeping good things in good shape, versus throwing away good stuff when we feel like a style change.

[TheDon]

its the raw materials that are not having to be mined and processed.

[Codifex Maximus]

That's it! I'm going to save a few more Mercedes.

[Ronkat81]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

Saw one arrive in a strip lot in north Seattle about two months ago which looked identical to the shiny example shown in gatorblue92's post --red paint, palomino MB-Tex interior. Shiny. No body damage. No rust anywhere I could see. It even started right up and ran, smooth as butter. The power sunroof worked. Two weeks ago, the interior had been only halfway dismantled. Engine and tranny were pulled about a week ago. But when I watched them crush it, last Friday, it still had all four calipers and rotors, perfectly good; the grille and bumpers, which were immaculate, and all glass, which was perfect, and all four doors, missing only the interior vinyl panels. Console switches were gone from day one, but nobody ever took the ashtray, kickpanels, excellent parcel shelf, B pillar vinyl, front seats (though someone dismounted them and took the driver's armrest), instrument cluster, or its perfect dashboard. Nobody even took the hood star.

That Darn near made me cry....

[Zacharias]

Originally Posted by anghrist

Where is this green revolution I keep hearing everyone talk about? The time and energy spent to strip an old car of good parts is far less than the time and energy spent to build a brand new hybrid. We're not where we need to be in terms of keeping good things in good shape, versus throwing away good stuff when we feel like a style change.

Hear, hear.

Around here many shops just don't work on cars over 8 or 10 years of age. Period. Once regular customers' cars get up there in years, they get the "you know you're going to start having problems one of these days... we recommend you get something newer" speech.

I think this is more true when people take their imports to "we fix everything" shops, for god-knows-what reason (proximity, family loyalty, just don't know better, whatever). Those shops aren't into troubleshooting anymore. Everything is strictly re/re parts, fast-moving stuff with good markups.

A friend has a 1999 Accord, spotless car. The guy is pretty A-retentive over it, had it since new. Never any issues over the years.

Lately he has been having a minor intermittent hot-start problem (takes few tries to get it to run when stopped for a short time).

I nearly fell off the chair when he told me his wrench had given him "the" speech. Wow.

I told him to call me if he does decide to get rid of it. I will buy the damn thing in a heartbeat for a winter car....

[47dodge]

I think part of the problem is "modern" mechanics are taught haw to trouble shoot cars with a computer attached to them. They just do not have the hands on experiance to do otherwise. So one of our old cars comes in and it might as well be the space shuttle to them. Had an injection pump quit on me on my Dodge truck in the middle of Oklahoma. the fellow looked under the hood shook his head, and wanted no part of changing the ip. At least he could order it for me to put in. It's just a shame to see good cars go to scrap because people just do not have any idea of how to fix it, or because it is left over from an estate, and they don't take the time to sell it. A 240 in my area in decent shape seems to sell for around $3000, certainly a lot more the the junkyard will give. Must be they don;t care , just want to get it out of their hair.

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by 47dodge

I think part of the problem is "modern" mechanics are taught how to trouble shoot cars with a computer attached to them. They just do not have the hands on experience to do otherwise. So one of our old cars comes in and it might as well be the space shuttle to them...

Amen to that, but the lack of hands-on experience in young mechanics today, of which you speak, is not a problem just with old cars.

Yesterday, after wrenching around in a strip lot, I leave and walk back to my '85 300D, there's a C220 parked beside it, its owner standing there smoking a cigarette looking mine over. Thick accent, he said his mom was Italian, father Bulgarian. The usual inquiries: "How many miles on it?" "Ever have any trouble?" He then said, his C220 had rough idle and lack of power, so he took it to a local Mercedes dealership. They charged him $1,800, replaced the engine wiring harness, problem still not fixed. Then he met an old indy mechanic, not even a Benz specialist. The indy changed one injector. Problem solved. $260. You'd fall over laughing at this, if you could hear the radio ad Mercedes-Benz of Seattle is currently running, touting their service department.

[anghrist]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

Amen to that, but the lack of hands-on experience in young mechanics today, of which you speak, is not a problem just with old cars.

Yep, the fundamentals apply to old and new cars. Older vehicles just don't have a computer to mislead you from the true cause of the problems.

Without the older cars, young mechanics will not clue into the fundamentals. So where will they build experience?

[TnBob]

Imagine having to rejet a carburetor or ... heaven forbid ... sync a tri-power.

[Merk]

Which junk yard was it. I use to live in Q Town and work at Green leaf salvage up the road. I live in Texas now. How much was the car still there? I will be in the area maybe next week. I could use a alt. bracket for a 240d. Thx Robert evansr727@aol.com