'99 E300 TD- advice - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dinman · #1 03-09-2019, 01:15 PM

Looking for some guidance hopefully.

Currently I have a '83 300D & 240D, and a '10 E63

I drive ~100 miles a day for work. The 240 is entirely too slow for my commute, and while the 300d drives great, it's sort of a "project that will never be completely finished" type of deal. Core support damage, minor frame damage, ac system is entirely mangled up, bad window seals/door seals, the list goes on. For $400, I love the thing to death but it's not something I'd enjoy driving every single day. The E63 is amazing but it gets horrendous fuel mileage and I'd like to keep my mileage down on it if possible

So I found a '99 e300 turbo diesel for sale. $1500. Silver, 280k miles. Pretty extensive service records. Well maintained. The car is in absolutely excellent shape inside and out, and everything supposedly works. It's so cheap due to the fact that the body is pretty rusty.

Are these good cars? I want to eventually swap the om606 from it into my 300d. But I want a good daily with good fuel mileage for the time being.

speednjay · #2 03-09-2019, 01:38 PM

I had a 99td and drive about 150miles a day. You’ll get about 35mpg with 5 people in the car with the ac on going uphill and it loves to eat up the hwy. one thing I noticed is that I drive a lil spirited and the lil 215/65/16 tires are a lil small for the weight of the car. I lowered with hr springs and added 19x9, 19x10 mono blocks. Made the diesel drive like a go cart.

Where are all these people finding mint condition $1500 w210 turbo diesels? I need to jump on the bandwagon

jake12tech · #3 03-09-2019, 02:13 PM

Buy it! One hundred percent. IMO, they’re the best benzes built. I’ve had tons of these cars and the fuel economy is excellent, they got style and are dead reliable. Can’t go wrong with it.

ESchwab · #4 03-09-2019, 02:55 PM

I've owned a '98 e300 for the last 12 years. It's been my only car, and I have been very happy with it.

shertex · #5 03-09-2019, 03:07 PM

Great cars. Buy it. Just be aware of the spring perch issue.

Murkybenz · #6 03-09-2019, 04:51 PM

I had mine for about five years and it just ate up the miles. Fixed my spring perches by using stainless steel 5mm rivets at about 16 per side, rock solid fix.

tyl604 · #7 03-09-2019, 05:53 PM

Did you say rust?

dinman · #8 03-10-2019, 09:43 AM

Awesome, thanks guys!

The body looks pretty bad rust wise, but a friend of my parents who also owns a w210 went and looked at it for me, and said the undercarriage is not bad at all.

chronometers · #9 03-10-2019, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyl604

Did you say rust?

If the body has started to rust on a w210.....stay away!

MB was perfecting water based paints and did not have it right w/ W210. If the car has been in a corrosive area of the country drop back and punt for a clean w124 or go for yardage and pick up a w211 (especially 2005-6) which are well valued now. These are truly great long commute cars.

jake12tech · #10 03-10-2019, 11:23 AM

I wouldn’t not buy a w210 because of the rust by any means. That’s how I’ve gotten quite a few of my cars dirt cheap. The arch repair panels for the quarters were $30 a piece and the rockers (common rust point) were $75 a piece for a whole outer rocker skin. Fenders easily sourced etc. I’ve never done a perch, but that’s easy too. The undercarriages really don’t rust that much besides the spring perches. I usually just don’t drive a car when it’s super rusty because it’s embarrassing to be driving a Benz covered in rust. It’s supposed to be clean and nice.

dieseldiehard · #11 03-10-2019, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speednjay

I had a 99td and drive about 150miles a day. You’ll get about 35mpg with 5 people in the car with the ac on going uphill and it loves to eat up the hwy. one thing I noticed is that I drive a lil spirited and the lil 215/65/16 tires are a lil small for the weight of the car. I lowered with hr springs and added 19x9, 19x10 mono blocks. Made the diesel drive like a go cart.

Where are all these people finding mint condition $1500 w210 turbo diesels? I need to jump on the bandwagon

I got my '99 300TD from a guy in Lancaster. it spent its life on Edwards AFB where the desert ate off the paint but NO RUST! Damn nice car all the rest works 100%.

Saw one listed this morning in Lake County no mention of rust. asking 1900.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/clearlake-park-mercedes-diesel/6837960626.html

dinman · #12 03-10-2019, 12:43 PM

Well, my main reason for buying it is the engine. To swap into my w123. But... I do plan on driving it around a bit while I gather parts for the swap.

jake12tech · #13 03-10-2019, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dinman

Well, my main reason for buying it is the engine. To swap into my w123. But... I do plan on driving it around a bit while I gather parts for the swap.

You’ll fall in love with the chassis and not want to do that I bet.

dlssmith · #14 03-10-2019, 01:48 PM

The rust issue is manageable if you intend to keep the car. I spent a bunch of time on mine with por 15, and eventually spent 3 grand on a competent paint job. The dust is from clear coat failure, outside in. I also found rust under the undercoating on the floor pans. Again, fixable, but needs monitoring. I lived in Minneapolis at the time. That 210 was otherwise a great car.

sloride · #15 03-10-2019, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dinman

Well, my main reason for buying it is the engine. To swap into my w123. But... I do plan on driving it around a bit while I gather parts for the swap.

Do you have several engine swaps under your belt? And what I mean by that is not a small block chevy R&R but a different power plant than the chassis was engineered for.