A dandy 81 300D

[junqueyardjim]

One of those ads that really make you scratch your noggin. On Craigslist. When your done reading this you will be singing, " And God made little green apples and it never rains in Indianapolis in the summertime" This guy is out of sight! https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5767188388.html

[Junkman]

I wonder if he'd hold it for me if I wire him the cash - site unseen of course.

[76w115]

It really doesn't look as bad as he makes it sound.

[junqueyardjim]

Originally Posted by 76w115

It really doesn't look as bad as he makes it sound.

Have you seen the car? What do you think it worth in $$$$$'s

[chrisgt]

"Painted twice since I've had it, to prevent rust (probably due again)"

If that isn't the most suspect thing I've read in a long time...
As someone who lives in the rust belt and owned my share of crappy rusty beaters, any time someone is selling a car that was just painted, or "just needs paint to fix rust" it's a sham. That's code for RUN REALLY FAST.

[TX76513]

81K miles.....tongue in cheek

[tyl604]

Bet it gets probably in excess of 100 mpg.

[Demothen]

Originally Posted by chrisgt

"Painted twice since I've had it, to prevent rust (probably due again)"

If that isn't the most suspect thing I've read in a long time...
As someone who lives in the rust belt and owned my share of crappy rusty beaters, any time someone is selling a car that was just painted, or "just needs paint to fix rust" it's a sham. That's code for RUN REALLY FAST.

That reminds me of a car I saw yesterday that had rusted through at least one layer of metal around the fuel filler neck, but someone had sprayed primer on. Got a bit of a laugh out of that.

[sixto]

"Engine emits carbon." Don't they all?

Sixto
83 300SD

[junqueyardjim]

Well this gerbil is a well meaning not to long ago from Germany man who really wants to unload this car but he really thinks his price of $5500.00 is in the area of reasonable. I called him on Tuesday and we set up a meeting for Wednesday noon, splitting the distance more or less of about 40 miles. The car does not look to bad from across the street. And on the ad he is very exact as to the short falls of this 81. So we took it for a drive. Very hard to get it started and he blamed is new glow plugs. But it was about 90 F outside and eventually on a double glo it started, ran terrible rough and a huge cloud of smoke. After I convinced him I could handle anytype of mechanical shifting, he let me drive. Well, the engine was really rough and to keep it idling he used the fast idle knob on the left side like the 240D has. However with a little throttle that heavy flywheel really covered that dead cylinder and driving it around it was very "silky smooth". My 300D with a four speed leaves a little be be desired in that department. But I still love driving it and I could never put up with the performance this wreck is giving. I drove it about 5 or 6 miles. The chassis is good and I suspect he might be correct on the mileage of less then 100,000. So a great ride and smooth if you can tolerate 0 to 60 in maybe just a little less then 30 seconds. I don't know for sure, but I had a new 61 VW and I think the performance was pretty much like this car. Of course this thing has a sick engine, but who is going to put out $5500.00 on a rust bucket that obviously needs an engine replacement. This is a Euro engine which he says is built to better standards and with more performance then the comparable non turbo 617 export engine. Another problem is lack of vacuum. Brakes were hard and no engine shut off. On A/C he says it works but he only uses it on cold days because on hot days it doesn't perform to well. But on cool days on the highway he uses it so that he can keep the windows closed. I said, you know as hard as it was to start this engine, how do you start it in the wintertime. Oh he said, I never try to start it in cold weather. My wife likes our pickup and drives it all year and in cold weather she takes me to work. He works for Marion County Court house where he is a court reporter. Well, that is the car. The body is junk, the engine is junk, it does have the 4 speed and 38 pound flywheel and that is what I wanted. So, I said, well you mentioned in your ad that possibly the car could be better used as a parts car, possibly better, but to do that would be a shame. Well, maybe a shame to you, but I said, that is what it is, a parts car. You know and I know that at 50 degrees this bucket is never going to start. He said I think you know more about Mercedes Benz then you indicated when we first met. Well perhaps. Now I have a question I said. You say you are selling the car at a very low price. Did you perhaps make an error in your ad on Craigslist and add one extra zero. I said, at $550.00, it is a good price and might be considered a little low for the car. Oh he went into orbit on that one. No, no, no! I do want $5500.00, maybe a little less, but right around. You know I just had a new wiper motor installed and that cost almost, "I hate to tell you" almost what you are say the car is worth. Get out of here with your bogus offer of $550.00. Well, I said, don't take it so hard. You have heard that old statement I am sure, "one man's soup is another man's poison". Hey I said, if you can wait long enough for some one to give you $5500.00 or something close to that, let this be your starting point Victor Kerff! I will sweeten this offer up as much as I can and I will offer $750.00 cash, or if you want to drive it to Cicero and I will take you back to Indy, I'll give you $800.00 fresh green big ones. And that offer is good at least until winter, but I won't pay that if I have to get the car towed to Cicero. You have my phone number and I am ready when you are, but I won't tow it. But that is what it is and I never did mention that really all I wanted from the junker is the flywheel and some other parts. The car has been sitting out in the weather for at least as long as Victor has had (5 years) it and it has rust bubbling out of it all over the place. But I have no doubt that in Victor's little world, that Benz manufactured in Germany a couple years after he was born in Germany is worth at least $5000.00. Yes sir, $5000.00 or it is staying right here.

[sixto]

Show him what $100 more than his asking price buys - No Reserve: Euro 1984 Mercedes-Benz 240D 5-Speed | Bring a Trailer

Sixto
83 300SD

[barry12345]

Well your report removes all speculation on condition. I think I have you beat on one I looked at years ago. Advertised as a museum piece. He had it right it was a museum piece.

A horror museum. I never saw a car that had so many big rust holes that deserved to have eyes looking at you from them. Mechanically it would have made a pretty much worthless parts car as well.

[t walgamuth]

I drove all the way to Indy one time to look at a 51 caddy advertised as rust free. I got out of my car, walked over and leaned in the passenger side window and looked down. I could see both my feet through the floor.

Cursing vigorously under my breath I turned around and went home.

[vstech]

He states, "I had a manual transmission installed"

How do you know a 38#flywheel was used?

[junqueyardjim]

Originally Posted by vstech

He states, "I had a manual transmission installed"

How do you know a 38#flywheel was used?

That is a good question Vstech. First of all I indicated to him that I really knew next to nothing about MB. But in looking at the car, lifting the hood, I asked (but I knew the car originally had an automatic) so you had this engine installed after you bought it. Yes, the original engine in these cars is very inferior to what they sell in Germany. So I found a car in bad condition with this engine and manual transmission. It was built for European Market and imported. Much better car then what you buy here. The car was bad and I hoped this engine would be better then what I had, but this one is failing also. OK, I said, so is it possible to replace the engine and transmission in one unit on these cars. Oh yes, very easy. It is heavy of course, and I can't do it, but my mechanic, he pulled the whole thing, it is really a very easy thing to do! Bingo, and he had it done, so easy! They are such easy cars to work on. Anyone can do it, but it is heavy! And that is pretty much the context of what was said. Then of course I got the real proof in taking on this five mile drive. With that sick 617 really down on one cylinder, with a little increase in rpm it turned unbelievably smooth, like whipped cream. Now mine is not difficult to live with, but I do tend to use 3rd gear more then normal to keep the rpm's up and reduce vibration. But if I put a load on it and I am running in 4th gear at less then 40 mph, it gives you good notice to get it back in 3rd gear. But even in third, I can't get the smoothness that pile of junk has! That is why I wanted to buy it. I think he has taken it off Craigslist for now. Maybe rethinking is strategy, maybe re-write the ad and don't tell everybody in the ad that really it is a good parts car. You don't normally spend $5000.00 for a parts car with a bad engine.