W115 240D Sitting for Decades

[stephenmorris]

Hi Everyone,

Just registered and this is my first post but after doing some research, it looks like this is the place to get advice on old MB diesels. My great-uncle passed away a few years ago and I'm gradually helping my great-aunt clean out their house after having been there for 40 years. During the oil crisis in the early seventies, he thought it might be wise to have a diesel so they bought a 1974 240D. He used it as a commuter car for a few years but from what she told me, it was never their primary vehicle and after a while became an occasional weekend driver for him, eventually being parked in the garage where it would stay for quite some time.

I was helping her with some things last weekend and asked if I could take a look at it. She was considering just asking someone to come haul it away and I've always had an interest in older cars. He was an engineer and meticulous with record keeping. I flipped through some books in the glove box and he has notes on every time he filled it up. There are only 49k miles on it but the last inspection sticker on the windshield is from 1993, which is when my great-aunt suspected was the last time it was driven.

Given the sentimental value, and all the love for W115s I've found online, I would be interested in making a hobby out of bringing some life back into this old 240D. I've watched countless ************** youtube videos that have been very helpful. However, I'm wondering if there is some sort of checklist for how to address an old diesel that has been sitting for almost as long as I've been alive. I watched a series that ************** put together but it seemed to end with draining the fuel tank. I know I'll need to replace all the fluids and most, if not all, the hoses but was hoping there might be a playbook from someone that has done this before.

If anyone can share some advice or point me to an existing thread, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!