Hello and thanks in advance for any wisdom you can give this newby. I've already learned a lot trolling these boards and know there would be a strong online community for DIY maintenance should I purchase this vehicle.

It's a 1980 300d 191k on its 3rd owner (bought from friend who bought from original owner). I plan to take it to Texas from the Bay area and would need to pay a mechanic to do any pressing work (like brakes) so it could make the trip, but after that I plan to do as much work myself as possible. I haven't really worked on cars before but have a mechanical mind and a strong desire to learn and these seem to be good cars for beginners.

It's got some newish work including almost brand new michelin tires, new Bosch battery, rear axle shaft and oil pan in 2010, 2 new motor mounts in 09, and a new brake master cylinder in 2011.
The bad according to the mechanic whose been working on it: both front calipers leaking brake fluid (they quoted be 550 parts 295 labor), windsheild wiper issues, climate control barely works and has been modified at some point, upper radiator leak, starter has some issues and will need replacement soon, worn motor mounts (I assume the ones that were not replaced. Cooling system running cool, needs new fuel filters.

The body is in decent shape. Only found a few very tiny rust spots on outside of wheel wells. Headlights and bumper show some serious wear/minor damage. Inside is ok front seat torn open, new radio, banged up glovebox and dash.

Owner wants to sell to the right person and seems to think I'd be a good new parent. Could probably offer a grand, but curious what yall think given all the issues and immeadiate work I'd need to pay to. Any other thoughts/advice? How much should i be prepared to spend maintaining it in the next few years?

Pics to follow later today when I can figure out uploading them from this damn tablet computer! Thanks!

I honestly think you can do better considering all the trouble you are about to undertake.

Leaking calipers could be a clue that the brake fluid has neglected and could give you an insight into the attitude of the owner towards basic maintenance.

I don't think a non-turbo 300d is that great.

I would hold out for a turbo. Just my $0.02

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

A CA car will be worth more in the east, so you have that going for you, and will still be worth $500 in parts after 5 years. That is a bit of rust, compared with the zero rust I see in my 84 & 85 in Sacramento and one even had 6" of water in the trunk.

Those brake quotes sound enormous. Check the cost of a rebuilt caliper. I know pads are cheap since I just replaced mine. A good place to start learning maintenance, since changing pads is similar to most any car. Requires just a few tools. The main trick is to pry the pads on each side to push the pistons in a bit so you can pull the caliper off past the ridge on the rotor. Sounds suspicious that both calipers are leaking. Why not verify for yourself. Replace the hoses if you see any cracks in the rubber. I re-filled with DOT 5 silicone fluids so no future problems with rust.

The climate system is a quirky design. Read the Owner's Manual before deciding it isn't working as designed. If the radiator leak is minor, I wouldn't fool with it until you get to Texas. Shake some Aluma-Seal into the upper hose and it will seal minor leaks for a year. Used starters were expensive ($100), but enough W123's are showing up in junkyards that won't last long. Ditto for other parts like electrical boxes. You can pull-start the car if you get stuck on the way in West Texas, but smarter to go to PickNPull and get some critical parts ahead of time.

I bought my 85 300D because co-workers had raved about their older M-B's and claimed the repairs weren't too bad and parts cost was OK. I found that to be much tougher than my old Chryslers. Parts seem to be getting cheaper lately, but are still outrageous for some parts. A rebuilt engine is $$$. Your non-turbo engine should last longer and should have 400K miles left. Check for blow-by (youtube). You will never have the ease of a common Chevy or Toyota model, though. I thought the 300D would be more like a VW Beetle since many were sold all over the world, but M-B seems to have managed to keep parts prices high somehow.

You didn't say what the seller was asking for it. You might be better waiting until after your move and then buying one in Texas. If you owned a truck and a trailer, then buying the CA car would make sense.....

but why spend the money on a mechanic fixing the brake calipers if this is a DIY project.

I wouldn't be concerned about the leaking brake calipers though as a sign of neglected maintenance.....one look at the master brake fluid reservoir will tell you if the fluid has been flushed/changed though.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

That sounds like a $2000 car before you can drive it home. Why not start with a $2000 car that'll get to Texas as is? There are a number of turbo 300Ds in the SF Bay Area which you should be able to talk down to $2000 cash. charmalu can point you to candidates. Or are you in another bay area? Aren't good running cars even cheaper in Texas?

Sixto
87 300D

what is picture #3 of?

nevermind. hood pad.

the caliper job is DIY. $550 for two rebuilt calipers is outrageous, BTW.

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1981 NA 300D 310k miles

Thanks for the responses so far. I've driven it twice now and don't mind the lack of power with the non turbo. Seller was starting at 2000 but we talked to day and i could probably get it down around 1000. They want it in a good home and they like me.

You are right on the brakes estimate being high. I priced calipers at 65 each rotors at 30 each, pads like 15 and sensors are cheapo. So like 200. Mechanic wasn't willing to do work with me providing parts. I did look at both and didn't see dripping with my friend pumping brakes but there was definitely some leaked fluid on and around calipers. Resevoir fluid looked clean. My main concern with doing work myself now is I am couchsurfing/don't have a solid place to work and worried about if I do make A mistake car could be stuck on the street for some days while I order parts/figure it out.

Id be curious about other leads in the Bay area (yes CA). Or maybe I should just wait until Texas?

I should also add that I'm particularly interested in diesel engines and at some point installing a second tank/wvo system (I know its controversial but seems like if done right it can work well) and the original owner replaced rubber hoses to be able to run bioD. It's been run some on bioD and some on dino at this point.

It is viable at $1000, but not necessarily a good idea.

I am really surprised at the rust. That, along with the other issues you will no doubt have to address, will have it back at over $2000 in no time.

Also, this is a first-generation car with the old climate control system. That isn't necessarily a minus, but at best it's a consideration.

I suspect you may be discounting how much time will have to go into that rust work before it's done. Rust is like an iceberg, the part you can see is just the tip of the problem.

If you are new to these cars, and you discover you like them, driving the first one can be a revelation against what you'd expect for an old car. However, once you drive a few, you'll find that what you first thought was a great example, isn't so much.

I am quite certain the current list of known problems will expand to at least 2x pretty soon after someone buys it.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

If you cannot quickly and properly change out a set of calipers give this type of car some serious thought. Paid for service tends to be really expensive.

It has been my opinion that these older diesels are really do it yourself or watch your wallet go on a serious diet.

I also own a gas 250c. The guy sold it to me as he was terrified to take it to his garage again. He gave me a sheaf of past bills. The first one sounded like they put two pistons in the engine by the amount charged.

I asked him about this and read the bill more carefully. It was to rebuild two calipers basically using new pistons they claimed. Over twelve hundred dollars and most the other bills where not much better if at all. A pair of already rebuilt calipers might have cost a hundred back then. Plus say an hour to install them.

It turned out the reason the car was doing what it was and the reason he sold it to me. The points had just closed up. He was right though as the bill for that at the special mercedes familiar garage he frequented would have been several hundred dollars probably. This judging by what the remainder of bills I read had cost him.

If the front drivers seat is tore up or worn badly the total milage does not sound right either. On all my examples with a little more than 200k indicated. The drivers seats are still as new. If the seats are real leather they might be bad but the vast majority of these cars came with a really tough non leather material as standard equipment.

You cannot trust the odometer readings on these cars at all. Instead you have to go by general condition. The earlier climate control system can be very costly to fix as well.

From what you have stated I think you should walk. Or get a good mechanic to check the car over totally on a hoist as well before purchasing it. It may very well be a car that they should pay you to take. There is no sense in a 1000 dollar car that will require additional thousands of dollars in parts alone to get back into decent condition.

Not sure what part of Texas you are moving to, but that seems pretty rusty compared to the specimens I see around here. Generally, there are 2-5 reasonable vehicles in the $2500 range at any time in the major cities (Austin, Dallas, Houston, and SA). In fact, I just looked earlier today, and found one or two here in SA that seemed like they were in better mechanical shape than that one.

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Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

The wheel arch rust might be from wheel arch trim -



Check the jack points and the bottoms of the doors for more rust. I'd call it aftermarket but that's redundant since they didn't come from the factory that way.

Consider your financial situation as well. That doesn't sound like a car to sink your last $1000 into, not even to commute to a job.

Sixto
87 300D

You will be end up buying 3 or $4000 in parts by the time you have a reasonably nice fairly reliable car. Any labor charges are in addition.

The mechanic is over the top in his pricing. I wonder if you'd get kissed also.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Looks like a fun project but at a 500$ entire fee.....driving it to texas....I would highly advise not too!

First thing, radiators are nla for non turbo cars....the few remaining are priced well over 600$

Your evil climate control is hacked beyond the ability of repair....it looks as through someone removed the servo and installed a unwired kit to replace it....lots of strange strange things going on there.....

engine is filthy....shows neglect....

Only one axle half shaft replace....be prepared to do the other....

brakes....look at a grand if not more....needs at the least new calipers, new reservoir rubber caps....and fluid....probably take on flex hose too...

I would get it if! it was a few miles from my home and priced that of a parts car no more then 500$

At the entry fee....you could by better...

If you want to go wvo(yuck!) why not buy one already on the road of destruction from it?

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ok, look I've bought LOTS of 123's and 126s it's not the lack of power that the NA non turbo vehicles are, it's the age, and difficulty servicing them.
the climate control is difficult, but it appears the car you are looking at has been bypassed.
does the a/c work? you don't need it in the bay area, but you WILL in texas!
I'd find either a really nice example for 2k or pay less than 500 for one you wanna work on to get reliable.
the transmission is weak in this model, the weight to power ratio is rotten, and it's fine in city, but SUCKS on the highway. trust me. the SCARY ability of merging/ mitigating traffic makes this a bad purchase. I"ve seen TONS AND TONS of better examples for less.
I just purchased TWO 190D 2.5Turbo cars for 1000 each... the deals are out there.

truly, unless the NA 123's are PRISTINE, they just are not worth buying anymore. SOOOOOOOOOOO many things that are difficult on these cars.
the emergency flasher is not availble for under 300.00
the radiator is not available under 600.00
the climate control system in unavailable under 600.00
the glow plug controller is a one off 500.00 part...
the list goes on and on.
the turbo models are a much better deal, and more efficient, and easier to get parts for...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!