Hello all, I am new to the forum and to this bus also. Me and some friends are restoring (as far as we can tell) a '58 O319d. We are not new to the problems that come with rare cars but we are new to the german market for them. We normally restore Italian cars and are coming up short on lots of info and also sources for replacement parts for this bus. If anyone has any info or contact info for someone that might be of help we would greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for all the feedback.

Nathan

They are pretty rare but some fellows here know about them....one being Kerry. A few other folks have had them and know them too.

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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.

I'm familiar with the newer van models. I know very little about the 1950's models. The 0319d is the one that looks kind of like a VW van right?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

That sounds like good news to me considering all the time if spent flipping through various web pages with very little return.. I am not just looking for replacement parts as much as I am rebuilding the parts I have already. Matter of fact it looks like the coolant in the original motor froze and blew up the head. It is split in a few spots at the water jackets. The bus did come with what I can tell is a newer motor from maybe a 220d, something like a om615.937. Some things are obviously different on the newer motor but I read somewhere that people can swap the old 621's for the newer 615's, if there is any experienced gents on here that can chime in regards to that idea please do. Thanks

Nathan

p.s yea it is the one that looks like an old 23 window vw.

They are cooler then any vw bus in my mind.....but slower then any known snail on the face of this earth.....instead of reworking the original drive line, I would hunting for something with a little more horsepower....

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It is this type of bus:





MB made van versions of the OM615 and OM616, but they had different manifolds (more upright), starters, valve covers with the filler cap and dipstick at the front etc. You can also modify a "normal" OM615 or OM616. In the picture below you can see a OM615-220D bored to 240D with van manifold:



I doubt that there is enough space for a OM617, but who knows.

You probably need engines from the W115, as W123 engines have the oil filter housing near cylinder four, which doesn't fit.

To get the linkage to work smoothly, you probably need an engine/IP with a pneumatic governor.

I always loved the styling on those.

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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 later vans with the 616 had an oil filter housing which faced back and down. I'm thinking one of those filter housings should fit in a 319d.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

As it turns out we came upon a spare bus for parts and it has an earlier 615 motor in it already. We also have a 615 motor out of a mid 70's 220 I believe. Im researching now to see which motor would pack the most punch. My biggest hurdle right now is the darn brake master cyl. I cant seem to locate a set of new seals and valves anywhere. The specialist I used for years has retired and I am now looking for a brake specialist to help me with the seal kit or I could send the dismantled cyl. to them for them to finish the build.. Any ideas? Those pics are sweet if you guys come across anymore let me know, we are looking for stuff like that all the time. Ill try to post an old pic of ours and give you guys an idea of the transformation taking place over here. Ours is rusted so bad im sure 50 of the sheet metal will be replaced when we are finished.

I'd pull it out and see what the seals look like. There is a lot of interchangibility in brakes. I once used a wheel cylinder kit I bought for a 51 caddy hearse in my 59 Ferrari.

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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.

ive got it all torn down now and things look ok as far as hard parts but the seals are shot. To be honest its the check valves that are posing a problem. They are built onto the return springs and have very strange shaped rubber seals. The piston seals can be found im sure like you said with some patients.

I'll save you time: neither .

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

lol ya the more I read the more im concerned about the performance. If you had to compare the 319d to a more common slug what would it be?.... 1300 beetle, fiat multipla maybe....

Slower than all those I imagine. A more modern engine might be what you want if you want to keep up with the traffic on the highway. I'd do some looking if there is room at the front of the engine you might put in a five cyulinder. If its like the 115 body style if it had a five or six the rear of the motor was always placed the same the difference being made up at the front. I think maybe the 319 came with a gas six too.

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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 standard phrase regarding it's power is: "It couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding."

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13