1992 300SD?

[83w126]

I saw one for sale for very cheap (about 1/3 what I normally see them for) that has a salvage title and 260k miles, non-functional AC and some of the gauges don't work, but otherwise appears to be in decent shape. I checked at the dealer and it has also had a new engine at 83k miles, new wiring harness, AC evaporator, and tons of other repairs in the dealer records up to 120k miles. If the labor costs were taken into account I would bet that Mercedes lost money on this car. Any opinions on these, common problems, NLA parts that are an issue? I somewhat like W140s but I am not sure how much worse than a W126 they are to keep functional enough to use regularly.

[Partscarver]

I'm also tempted from time to time. I reason that the car is 9 years newer than mine with 50K fewer miles much more complex and nicer all around but a lot more to go wrong and it's hard to give up 29mpg for the 20~21 of the w140. I'll keep my old whooptie

[Usaguy]

Originally Posted by 83w126

has a salvage title

what happened

Originally Posted by 83w126

260k miles, non-functional AC and some of the gauges don't work, but otherwise appears to be in decent shape. I checked at the dealer and it has also had a new engine at 83k miles, new wiring harness, AC evaporator, and tons of other repairs in the dealer records up to 120k miles.

at 260k it may be time for yet another evaporator and maybe another engine too.

the plus of high mileage is that the transmission's probably been rebuilt

common problems:
-3.5 om603 is famous for bending rods but the cylinder head is good so you can swap a 3.0 block with 3.5 head and you will have a great engine. (it's called a 300SD but it has a 3.5 liter engine)

-front control arm bushings go/front spring can crack

-rear knuckle bushing

-if it has sls then the rear strut bushing and the strut itself can fail($$$)

[97 SL320]

A few things on the salvage title.

Check with your state laws concerning such vehicles.

When an insurance co considers a car a total loss from a cost to fix standpoint, a salvage certificate is issued as proof of ownership. A car like this can't be plated or driven on the road until it is fixed and inspected by someone.

A rebuilt title is issued after repairs are made and car inspected.

Actual damage to the car dictates whether it is a good deal or not. Older cars can be " totaled " over minor cosmetic damage that would still pass safety inspection.

[83w126]

I have no idea why it has a salvage title, but I think whatever happened was quite some time ago (10+ years). Did the replacement 3.5s have the same rod problems as the original ones? I would probably want to put an om606 in it eventually if I got it but I would hope it would stay running for another 30k miles at least.

I'm tall and have big feet so it would be way more comfortable to drive than a w126 (I pretty much have to have my right foot at a 45 degree angle to fit on the accelerator and if I sit up straight my head touches the roof). But, I'm not really all that good at working on cars, and while the w126 is simple enough I can do most things without a problem, I'm not sure that the w140 wouldn't just be frustrating. It probably can't be that much different to work on the drivetrain since its nearly the same, but I'm not sure about the rest of it.