Hello to all,
Looked at this car today. Very nice condition. Ran and drove really well.
Was hoping to get some "pro's and con's" in relation to possible ownership.
The seller will def take less. Have no idea what to "look for" or be wary of.
Inline 6, no turbo. Minimal rust, no rust in the "spring perch" areas.
Any and all opinions (especially price/value) will be greatly appreciated....
Thanks!

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/ambridge-mercedes-300-diesel/7216720003.html

I would not buy a W210 with even minimal rust. If you live in a place where a little rust is to be expected, it's better to get a different car. You won't see the rust around the spring perches until they snap off, and the front control arms rust out from the inside and snap off too. The 97s are not that powerful either, and they seem to always have codes for some weird engine related issue.

Yes to all of that, I did not see mileage in the C/L ad. OM606 Na is no rocket ship. The transmissions are good for around 300K. If you have any glow plug light malfunctions, chances are you have two dead ones. That can be a problem for a non-DIYer.

Edit photo does show 141K on the dash. If that is verifiable, 5.5K is still high if it is a one owner vehicle. It is more than likely being sold by not the original purchaser.

yeah 5500 is ALL the money for that car and then some. you can have a 2005-06 w211 e320 cdi for way less and that is a far superior car.

__________________
0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

It is rare to see a running non wrecked CDI for under $6500.

i bought my first 2005 last year from the original owner with 220k on the clock for 2500. car doesn't have a ton of options but mechanically it's fine. i put a grand in it after i bought it doing the flex discs, mounts and trans service

__________________
0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Yeah, it's the original owner. Not concerned about "speed". Drove the car and it was plenty fast, for me. They'll take less. NOT PAYING 5500! In your opinions, what's a decent price?

Get a price on the spring mount redo job.. One goes out while you are driving. It could be serious.You do not have to see rust present on them.

Your local mercedes dealer would tell you who they sent their customers to. At least the low millage for the year is possible with the original owner.

I bought my 97 300D about 3 years ago. Originally a Florida car, then NE Ohio. Only 91,000 miles on it when I got it, but rust on some wheel wells and doors. Had to replace spring perches, and selected a top-end MB certified body shop who charged $2,200. Ouch! I had the same shop do the same work on a 94 E420 10+ years ago and it was about $1,500. You CAN NOT see the problem. You would have to aggressively poke around the area, to put it lightly.

I like my 97 300D. I do a lot myself. Just replaced the HVAC fan voltage regulator and the shocks. It has about 135,000 on it now. It's my primary car and I have a Jeep as a secondary car. I wouldn't recommend it as your ONLY car, but everyone has different situations.

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NOW: 2017 C43 AMG, 2006 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, 1966 230SL, 1980 450SL (for sale!)
PAST: 2006 C230, 1997 E300D, 1994 E420, 1994 Neon Spt Cpe, 1984 300ZX, 1983 Celica GT, 1976 Electra Limited, 1984 Honda Nighthawk 650, 1979 Suzuki PE175, 1978 Suzuki DS100
www.mbca.org - www.sl113.org - www.ohio4x4.com

Wow, quite alarming to see things hadn't improved in 14 years - judging from your picture the rpm you've got to be at to make 80mph is as bad or worse than my '83SD with the 3.07 differential.

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

Am I missing something? The 722.6 is a 5 speed transmission. Seems to me like you're stuck in 4th. Try counting the gear changes when you accelerate.
No way you can be in 5th resulting in +- 3300rpm at a little over 80mph!

Where it says 4{}D on your shifter do you have the lever toggled to the right? To the left will keep you in 4th, to the right puts you in D for Drive i.e. with 5th gear.

Unless there's a defect. This should be an autobahn cruiser! 5th = 2670 rpm at 70 mph

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

Yes way. That's what it is. I don't find it objectionable in my 97. These w210 cars are known to have the steering column boot (at firewall) come apart and allow noise and hot/cold weather into the footwell. That could be part of the noise issue.

__________________
NOW: 2017 C43 AMG, 2006 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, 1966 230SL, 1980 450SL (for sale!)
PAST: 2006 C230, 1997 E300D, 1994 E420, 1994 Neon Spt Cpe, 1984 300ZX, 1983 Celica GT, 1976 Electra Limited, 1984 Honda Nighthawk 650, 1979 Suzuki PE175, 1978 Suzuki DS100
www.mbca.org - www.sl113.org - www.ohio4x4.com

Well, the few responses, so far, have turned me against this car. Too bad. It's in great shape and I'm thinkin they'll go 4-4.5K on the price. The spring perches sound like a horror story (what an idiotic design) and I've seen a couple write-ups about the glow plugs that aren't very encouraging, either. Although, they've been recently changed ( a year or two ago) in this car.
It's been listed for a while and I guess the "old adage" applies: "If it's good, it's gone"
Oh well, live to fight another day....
Thanks for the input, to all who contributed.

Not tryin to be smart a$$, but in my quick search, as far as this goes....
"you can have a 2005-06 w211 e320 cdi for way less and that is a far superior car",
I found NOTHING for "way less" than $5500.......jus sayin. Maybe I wasn't lookin in the "right" place.

Dealer in Miami-- has cdi 172k on clock-- ebay

1st auction- failed -- at $5,400 give or take... either dealer did not like price
(cuz i suspect they BID it UP)... OR buyer ghosted him.

I bought one a year ago from this dealer-- HE WILL fix any thing u want / cheaply prior to u buying-- ex.) Ball joints, mounts, trans service

car looks like it has a NICE service/carfax.

Guessing it goes for $5.7-- $6.5