You neglected to mention 500hp and carbon fiber.

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1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.

Re M-B diesels, the biggest stumbling block is the many parts that are "not avail" or exorbitantly priced, even used. The OM617.952 turbo engine is the biggest example. A rebuilt one cost $8500 (show-stopper for me). New pistons are $550 ea, if you can find. I did see a set of 5 sell for ~$1300 on ebay a few years ago. Contrast to small-block Chevy set of 8 for <$100. When the engine in my 1985 300D CA failed at 330K miles, I lucked into a used one on craigslist for $300 which turned out to be excellent (new cam, >400 psig all cyl), but can't count on that. That car had seen regular and frequent trips to the dealer before I bought it at 278K and I treated it well. I suspect the >1M miles might apply only to non-turbo engines. The heads also develop cracks and you must find a used head and hope it is better. Other problem parts are the vacuum pump ($400 new, $150 rebuild kit), shutdown valve ($150 new OEM), and mono-valve ($100 rebuild OEM). But, people here are coming up with solutions, similar to what hot-rodders have always done. One example is swap to an electric vacuum pump for ~2008 VW/Audi. Worst-case, you could install a totally different engine. I have a spare Chrysler small-block V-8, though a GM LS engine would look nice in there, and gas is currently much cheaper than diesel.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I am trying to decide whether to retire my 85 wagon. We totaled it in AZ three years ago, but it drove back to TN with a bent frame. After spending a couple months looking for a replacement and finding nothing without rust or major mechanical issues I straightened the frame with a couple come-a-longs attached to trees and put another front clip on it.
Its got cancer all over but runs great. Here is a pic of it yesterday before my wife and kids headed out on a 2000 mile road trip.
Its rusty and has 440,000 but I keep pouring parts in it because its the easiest thing in the driveway to keep on the road.
I am working on getting an 84 with half the miles up to daily driver status, but I can't decide whether attack the rust on the 85 once the family switches to the 84.

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1985 300 TD 448K
1984 300 TD 278K

1983 240D euro 240k
1994 f-250 idi turbo 330K
1986 f-350 IDI
1987 F-350 IDI

1985 JD 1050 4wd
1965 IH 3660

Congrats on the splendid and supremely lucky replacement find! What caused the demise of the 330K miles engine?

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'83 SD, 2x '85 SD
You are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own facts.

One of the coolest ever posts on this site! Was going to recommend just keeping the '85 as a parts car, but now I can't really bring myself to do it

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'83 SD, 2x '85 SD
You are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own facts.

I know thats my problem too. Its been our daily driver for 12 years now. Everytime I think about pulling a part off of it for the 84 I cringe and just buy new.
I did pull the vac pod off of the trunk for the 84. Those are NLA so now the 85 has a cranky auto lock back there.
When we got hit in AZ, the insurance company tried to total it. They priced the repair at $4800 and valued the car at $4100. Because we were still on the road (that was a 6200 mile trip) I convinced them that this car should be valued higher because of its mechanical condition even though it looked like crap. They ended up writing me the check for $4800 and valuing the car at $5500. It couldn't have hurt that I was in San Diego with a TN car at the time of negotiation. At that point we briefly thought of leaving the car in CA and buying another one there to return in, but we were towing the trailer and didn't find anything at the time with a hitch.

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1985 300 TD 448K
1984 300 TD 278K

1983 240D euro 240k
1994 f-250 idi turbo 330K
1986 f-350 IDI
1987 F-350 IDI

1985 JD 1050 4wd
1965 IH 3660

This '85 with a hitch could have come in handy, except that it's in FL and this is now and that was then:

https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/cto/d/tyro-mercedes-300td-1985/6913273330.html

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'83 SD, 2x '85 SD
You are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own facts.

Thats an awesome wagon! Glad to see the true testament of MB reliability of these cars.

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1983 300D 255K
2014 ML-350 Bluetec

Supply and demand set prices, that is the way the world works. If housing prices in your neighborhood went up, would you sell your house for what you paid for it years ago?

It is possible to do a rebuild that amounts to a good used engine for far less.

You are making patently unfair comparisons between a low production diesel ( with forged pistons? ) and a high production generic gas V8 with cast pistons. I'm thinking even the really obscure Chevy 262 75-6 and 267 79 / 82 was produced in greater numbers than the 617T .


And Volvo ( I think ) or Chevy Equinox. These pumps are not meant for continuous duty as they are booster pumps so use a vac canister and vac switch.

The most direct solution would be a 4 or 5 cyl + trans from a Ford Ranger / Chevy S-10 / Colorado or even a Japanese mini truck if that is what you are familiar with. This would be an easy fit and could be had with a manual trans.

I try to purchase cars with minimal rot/ rust. Then, I use the following additives to cleanse internal seals free of any carbon buildup, sludge and varnish:

1) Auto Rx 2) Diesel Purge 3) Chevron Techron

If compression doesn't noticeably increase , then the rings and cylinder walls are worn. That said, Mercedes engines are engineered tough - I've never owned one where the above treatment doesn't bring back optimum motor operation.

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Why I will never do business with "DieselKraut" again

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-used-parts-sale-wanted/378935-why-i-will-never-do-business-dieselkraut-again.html

We have put 3300 miles on the 85 since the last post 30 days ago. Almost all towing a trailer and with bikes or boats on top. It quit charging about 300 miles ago and it appears the armature on the alternator is so worn that the brushes on the regulator cant maintain consistent contact. Changing that now.
On this trip I also found that I can put my hand through the rear quarter on the drivers side and stick my fingers out the holes next to the rear jackpoints. I could do that a couple years ago on the passenger side and just filled it with fiberglass and undercoating to get by.
I am going to hold off on the retirement decision till the replacement 84 is fully in daily driver mode, but to fix the rust correctly the whole rear subframe would need to come down to gain access to the rust.
Here are a few pics as we ran the tail of the dragon (US 129) in east TN last week. The SLS is fully functional, but the car is pretty heavily loaded with all our food and camping gear.

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1985 300 TD 448K
1984 300 TD 278K

1983 240D euro 240k
1994 f-250 idi turbo 330K
1986 f-350 IDI
1987 F-350 IDI

1985 JD 1050 4wd
1965 IH 3660

Retirement decisions. Rust to the point it threatens structural strength when using a car for your family. Reduces the strength in the event of a collision.

An extreme example. I have metal shrinkers and stretchers. A neighbor dropped by and asked us to fabricate a patch panel for the roof area just above the back door on his smaller Ford station wagon. We did this for him.

Then he mentioned something about the rear shock towers. A quick examination indicated that even though there were no holes the whole floor was just iron oxide. I told him in our opinion the car was not really repairable.

His wife was hit while driving the car two doors away not long after. The car folded up and killed her. Back then unlike today the safety checks every two years did not exist or that car would have been taken off the road.

We sent a nice otherwise 126 low milage Mercedes to the wreckers for the same issue. Also beyond a certain amount of millage metal fatigue issues can enter the picture. Something unexpected can let go. I have to add we also live in a rustbelt. What people call rust south of us. Is seldom as pervasive and spread as we see. We used to see cars up here with no strength left in the floor pans and supports from the firewall to the rear bumper. Weld repairs were not even possible mind practical. There being no really solid metal left in the areas to weld to.