Intro and newbie q's
 

Picked up my first Mercedes Diesel, an 82 300CD. I've restored saab two strokes and odd motorcycles, had and still have a modern MB, first foray into vintage MB. I've read the heck outta the forums. Had this thing 3 days and so far: Tested vacuum pump, 20in at idle. Replaced the 3 and 4 ways in the vac system, metering and check valves. Central locking has a leak somewhere in cabin so left that capped off for now. Disconnected EGR vac and ordered the blanking kit from a forum member. Removed the transmission vacuum levers from the valve cover and looped the two hard lines that were going to that distribution block. Installed Hella headlights. Replaced air cleaner. Have a priming pump an fuel filters on order Still a bit of a whisk whisk noise when accelerating (sounds like vacuum to me). Takes about 4 seconds to shut down after turning off key. Shifting is a bit hard.

123 vacuum line have been known to crack at the door hinges. Pull back accordion sleeve, inspect, and repair bad areas with rubber tubing.

Alot of folks who are hobbyists in the MB realm have checklists they go thru. Part of the checklist is pre-purchase.

Some standard things to check:
Rear axle boots,
Flex disks and center drive axle bearing,
Exhaust hangers,
Brake inspection, (Including master cylinder, calipers, rotors, bearings, pads, indicators and rubber hose from caliper to metal line - also parking brake shoes)
Motor, Tranny and Differential Mounts,
Front End inspection, repair and alignment,
Shocks and associated suspension hardware and mounts,
Fuel lines from tank to lift pump to return lines between injectors,
All fuel filters,
Oil and filter change,
Obviously rust and rubber degradation.

I'm sure others would have more to add but that's a start.

Yup, sure does.

Plug off the door lock system, is there any vacuum difference?

Lock circuit has been plugged off right at the yellow metering valve, car came that way. Vacuum is good, but I still have a leak I can hear but can't find. It went down audibly when I replaced the almost completely broken rubber connector at the modulator valve, but it's still there. Sounds like rear engine area.

Trans still shifts hard into second, then seems fine.

I bought it sight unseen on fleabay (let the levity begin), but I've bought a few dozen cars and bikes that way and often do well, sometimes get screwed. This one is a mixed back. Seller with almost 4k positive feedback claimed no rust, but I've found a lot of recent filler in rusted out rear quarters, and a section of floorboard is soft. I've got a sheetmetal brake and a mig...no stranger to rust repair, just don't enjoy it.

$3600 for a low miles 82 CD though, climate control works, diesel seems strong. Tach and clock were out, fixed both of those...Cleaned the contacts on the amplifier for the tach, cleaned the sensor pickup of gunge. Refurbed the rheostat and got dash lights.

Other than chasing rust the only current issues are central locking (don't really care), and hard shifting tranny....which I suspect is more about the vacuum leak I can hear....I've got all the drawings and have been using my vacuum pump but havent found the culprit.

<<big snip>> Edit. found the underhood vacuum leak. Bein half blind and midway to 60 the hearing aint so good either, but the culprit sure did explain the hard shifting. That white switchover valve that sits on top of the shutoff valve...had no connection to the lower port. Didn't have one when I got the car, and somehow I missed it when I was looking through the drawings. My vac system had really been mangled by a master.

Hooked that up and suddenly everything is springtime in Germany...or North Carolina at least. Trans shifts nicely, diesel shuts off instantly with key, no more whisk whisk noise. The rest of today will be rust repair. Waiting on trans filter kit, valve cover, fuel primer, and filters to show up for the next round of PM.

Eric
Here's a sig line...
'99 SLK 230 41k original miles
'93 Saab Turbo Convertible
'82 300CD
'65 Fjord Rustang
--
2012 Concours 14
1972 Suzuki GT750

-eric

First thing you have to know, these cars don't rust.....they rot....and if there are signs of repair, you can almost guaranteed to find lots of rot....and another thing to learn, is that none of these cars have the milage stated on the odometer....they fail more then they work....there's are one car, you should never buy sight unseen....a guy on here awhile back, bought a CD....just like you....he spent more around 7500$....he got so frustrated....he just donated it....

What is the difference between rust and rot?

Oh yeh, odo was broken when I got it, fixed. I can take a few more risks than some folks since I've restored dozens of cars. This one isn't 'too' bad for rot, rust. took out the interior, pans on one side have a see through on the edges, front right rocker has an old bondo repair that held moisture, just knocked it all out so that's a nice section. Drivers side is perfect pan and rocker wise.

Both rear fender flares show repair from the inside, that rust will come back of course.

I'm doing a POR15 job on the floor pans and the bad rocker area, then I'll shape new metal and mig it in. Won't ever be a show car, just want a good looking driver.

Not sure if I know....I prefer the term 'tin worm' :). I've done cars that needed complete body panels welded in, floor pans, etc. Don't enjoy it, was promised by seller this car didn't have these issues.

Should have known....other than my current '93 Saab vert I've never bought an old euro car that didn't have significant rust hiding somewhere.

A good going through now to eradicate the tin worm presence will hopefully give me a solid ten years out of the car. We don't salt roads here and I've got a bad heart so ten years should be all I need!!! :)

Divide and Conquer!

And, after reading further and seeing you fixed it... Congrats! My opinion? If you're going to sink money into a car, a CD is not a bad choice seeing as it's got lots of curb appeal.

Hope you live as long as you comfortably can and want to.

Thanks Codifex!!! I learned long ago with 'classics' that with the exception of the professional restorers doing other peoples cars, that it's not something you do to get money back from.

The only items I've actually made money on is two stroke seadoos....buy 'em broken and cheap in fall, fix them and sell them in spring, make a few hundred for my trouble. I live on a big lake, they're like a corn crop you can count on every season :).

This CD will (God willing) be my last car. It came with a new maaco paint job (solely to cover the bondo in the rear wheel arches I'm sure), and once I've gotten all the mechanicals sorted I'll weld in replacements there, get new front and rear windscreen rubber, and have it painted by a good shop. Not show car but I'll put a couple K into a nice prep and paint.

Back in the old days I'd prep and paint myself but besides the dodgy heart I hit a deer with the motorcycle about a year ago, totalled the bike and broke a bunch of stuff, they put in plates and screws but I'm just not able to do a lot of what I did before. Damn deer....season is about to open and I'm going deer hunting for the first time....well, for the first time non-vehicularly...it's payback time!!!

In the meantime, the maaco job looks good for a ten footer and will hold it for the year or so for me to get everything else fully sorted.

As I respond to my own posts...8 days of ownership and almost 40 hours of work...
 

I love this car.

I took the trunk panels out, found minor rust through, cleaned and POR15'd along with some glass for added strength. Pulled the interior and repaired the edges of the passenger floor pans, front and rear had some gaps. Again POR15, glass, and in one spot a steel patch. Repaired the passenger front rocker where someone had crushed it with a jack of some kind rather than use the frame or the pin jack point, then let it rust.

Drained about 7 quarts from the tranny with a new filter and fill.

Replaced the air filter housing mounts.

Replaced all the belts (that was a learning experience that the forum search was a real timesaver for).

All engine compartment vac is sorted. Should have sorted cabin while I had the interior out but I was using my mityvac plastic brake kit and didn't like it so ordered a metal tester.

Oil and both fuel filters will arrive today, along with new primer.

Did a full under inspection. All the front end components are very recently replaced, as are the brake calipers and pads. Oil pan has sealant showing so it makes me wonder who was in there for what.

Thought I had eaten an AC compressor but it had broken a belt. Junkyard yellow marking on the compressor. Put a new belt on and tossed gauges on, someone had obviously done a suicide R134 conversion, 34 low, 310 high, 88 ambient with fans on high and windows down, engine at idle. I've just pulled the electric connection from the compressor until I can flush, re-oil, purge and convert back to R12. Probably do a Sanden conversion at the same time since my R12 refrigerant is worth more than a junkyard R4 compressor.

Sunroof is working but sometimes slips unless helped, read the forums and planning to pull the cable and clean off the old grease, wipe out the tube, then regrease, and check the fiber gear. Tracks look good but they'll get a cleaning and greasing.

Front power windows work great, rears are slow and drop 'oddly' so they're on the list for a cleaning and greasing.

All new rubber except windscreens is on order....yeoch on the rear window rails....$180 each for coupe :(.

My odo fix failed after about 40 miles :(....I said 'fuggit' and bought a 115 speedo from ebay with a 'tested working odo'. Doubt it will work all that long but this time I won't screw it up myself, when it stops working will just send it to a pro for repair.

Doesn't sound like a lot accomplished yet for 40 hours but body work/rust repair is slow :), and the belts alone took me 3 hours. I'm old.

You actually need the w123 speedo, 82 to 84 due to the 3.07 differential gearing ratio. The speedometer is matched to the gear ratio. Sounds like you are making good progress!