Well so far have only found two early 80 diesels on the Island. Both have 140k, one a 1981 300sd, and a 1984 300d turbo. Both with no ac. I am going to check out the latter tomorrow. He is asking 1400, so I'm not expecting much, but YOU NEVER KNOW. Oh yeah, one other wagon an 84 300td, askiing 2100, will probablly check that one out too. Thanks for party/parties responsible for this site, I have really enjoyed researching here. One question: What are the differences between the sd 81 and the d '84?

300SD is a big car, W126 chassis, S-Class. More gadgets, leather, etc.

300D is a medium sized-car, W123 chassis, "E-Class". More of a utlitiarian car.

Both have the same engine, only difference is the body.

Nice to see a post from a local! Welcome! Wanted to tell you that I have two cars that I got here in the islands. I bought my 300SD from the original owner here on the Big Island, and my 450SLC from the original owner who lives right next to Kapiolani Park in Honolulu.

So, with some perserverence and patience, I'm sure you'll be able to find the car that you want. And by the way, I may be looking for a TE or TD in the near future. Let me know what you find when you make your inspection.

Mahalo,

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__________________
Ray

1980 300SD (Anthrcite Gray) 253,108 miles
1982 300SD (Silver Blue) 242,398 miles
1982 300SD (Black) 263,185 miles

Aloha Ray---I just moved from Kealakekua on the Big Island and I sure miss it. The one td i looked at already was a 1984 and it had some problems. Sunroof had been sealed, back end had major sag, absolutely no power. Now mind you I am new at this diesel stuff and used to a little 4cylinder, but still I was scared pulling out onto nimitz. 0-60?---I doubt it... The car could have been had for 1000, so with some time and money??? The td did start right up nicely. Also suspension needed some work. I am not educated enough yet to know to what extent. Let me ask you about your sd as I will be looking at an 81 later this week. If you had a highway over there could it merge onto it? How quickly will it accelerate say to 40mph? How do I know when the turbo kicks in? Any words of advice from an sd owner? Thanks Ray---Aloha...

1stimer,
It sounds like the TD might be a money pit, so you are smart to stay away from it. The 1981 300SD, would be a W126. The 0-60 time should be around 13 seconds. It should be able to merge onto freeways just fine, with no sweat.

A W123 might be a wiser buy if you can find one, since you are new to diesels. They are much simpler in design than the W126, and resulting in cheaper repairs, as long as you do a lot of the repairs yourself, which in many cases are simple. A 300D, with a turbo, has the same engine as the 300SD, resulting in the same performance.

One thing to make sure is that the climate control is working proporly, and the rust is not bad, or that can be a big problem. The interior can be another spendy area to fix, if desired, so getting one with a nice interior would be another big plus. If you can get your hands on Illistrated Mercedes-Benz Buyer's Guide, by Frank Barrett, do it. This is a handy book that can help in the purchase of a Mercedes.

About my SD...mine is a 1980 and I can get into traffic just fine, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it to merge on to the H1 or H3 if we had them. (which, as you can imagine, I'm grateful that we don't) Not sure how many seconds it takes to accelerate to 40mph. Never timed it. With regard to the turbo...for me, it feels like another gear shift that comes at about 3000 rpm.

Just some thoughts...the car doesn't have neck snapping power or cat like acceleration. The a/c at it's very best is adequate but not wonderful (mine's been converted to R134a). But I knew that going in. What it does have is a big car ride, great comfort for four regular sized people (I'm well over 200 pounds and so are most of my friends), a large trunk, good mileage (I get about 28 miles per gallon), ease of maintenance with replacement parts readily available, (I change the oil and filter every 2500 miles - it takes about 10 minutes because the filter's on top in the engine compartment), and here's the bottom line for me...I love the classic design lines of the car. It's beautiful to look at! And judging by the fact that everytime (and that's no exageration) I have it out in public, even in a little town like Hilo, someone inevitably walks over to say "nice car, brah." They're shocked to learn that it's 22 years old and has 207, 000 miles on it.

Hope this helps you in your search and decision making. All the best to you!

__________________
Ray

1980 300SD (Anthrcite Gray) 253,108 miles
1982 300SD (Silver Blue) 242,398 miles
1982 300SD (Black) 263,185 miles

Well damn that '84300d I was going to go look at has already sold...Still have the 81sd...thanks for the info ray...i'll post in here for a little while longer and maybe go check out that td for ya...later brah....Randy