New project 300TD! - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stretch · #46 11-09-2018, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vonsmog

This car spent its whole life in TX with one family until about a year ago, when they brought it up to NY. Sold it to a young guy who is a diesel mechanic who had a few 300SD's. He sold it to me only owning it for six months, needing some cash for another project. Never drove it in the winter and put only a few hundred miles on it. Car now has only 144k on it and had over $12k of work done on it in the past few years.

That's an amazing amount of money - does it feel like a new car?

Stretch · #47 11-09-2018, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

No, I tried to buy it when it came to California but the seller was busy or something and I never was able to connect with them .

A member here really helped me out by hipping me to a gray market 300TD near Sta. Barbara, I bought it and still have it, SWMBO drives it and everywhere it goes, people comment on it and ask to buy it .

It's beige, I'da much rather had a pastel color but it is what it is .

I've been taking it back to original specifications, my KM speedo came and -was- near perfect but not quite good enough packaging caused the needle to get broken in transit from Russia

.

I'll have it rebuilt and install it then only a couple more things to do .

If you want me to send you stuff from Holland we can talk about the pitfalls as well as the possibilities

vonsmog · #48 11-09-2018, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

That's an amazing amount of money - does it feel like a new car?

It drives quite nice, but since I never drove a new one I can't compare. It does drive better than my 85 wagon, which I plan to swap the motor and transmission this summer with one I pulled from the red parts wagon. In the US they have been selling very well on the bringatrailer.com site. I think my car is better than this one here, which has been repainted and has some very bad repairs to the rockers.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-mercedes-benz-300td-turbo-10/

Stretch · #49 11-09-2018, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vonsmog

It drives quite nice, but since I never drove a new one I can't compare. It does drive better than my 85 wagon, which I plan to swap the motor and transmission this summer with one I pulled from the red parts wagon. In the US they have been selling very well on the bringatrailer.com site. I think my car is better than this one here, which has been repainted and has some very bad repairs to the rockers.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-mercedes-benz-300td-turbo-10/

Flipping heck - they are no where near that price over here. That's like how the prices felt they were going in about 2006/7 before you know what happened...

In Holland a diesel W123 is almost impossible to sell - even the petrol engined ones struggle to make more than 10K (euro)

#####

As for the driving - I too never drove a new one but I can say that all of the ones that wallow around the corners like the Good Ship Venus are not how a W123 is meant to feel. If you've got the self levelling suspension in good condition and a new front end with say Sachs touring shocks I reckon that's about as new as it is going to ever feel (so long as the steering box is in good condition)

HD Bilstiens are a bit too jiggly for a stock feel (in my opinion) but were pretty popular back in the day

vwnate1 · #50 11-09-2018, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

If you want me to send you stuff from Holland we can talk about the pitfalls as well as the possibilities

Sure, why not ? .

FWIW, only a few of the TD's on BAT got that much $, most were less than half that price .

I wonder how much my gray market 300TD might be worth there, it's never been rusty and has new paint etc.

I don't really want to sell it though .

vonsmog · #51 11-26-2018, 02:18 PM

Well I'm just waiting for BaT to list the wagon, hope its sometime this week. Had a chance to wash my coupe and green wagon, before I put them away for their winter time sleep. (something your west coast guys no nothing about) This is the snow we had last week.

vwnate1 · #52 11-26-2018, 07:30 PM

Don't forget to post up a link to BaT when you list it .

vwnate1 · #53 11-26-2018, 09:29 PM

......Actually, we know all about it, we can see it on TV any time !

.

Seriously, the snow in Winter is only an hour's drive from Los Angeles, I grew up in snow country and when first I moved to California, I'd go to visit the snow every Winter.....