MY story is rather siimple, but I did get hooked on MB diesel's about 2 years ago. My dad was talking his afternoon walk during work lunch hour and found this 300D is decent looking shape with a For Sale sign on it. He took a quick one-over and gave me a call. Curious I went to go test drive it. All in all we ended up buying the car that same night and have only had to rebuild the tranny and replace an injector. Other than that she runs like a clock at just under 200K. Anywho, I admired the sound that that little smelly diesel made. It was kinda soothing to hear that clanking at idle :-)

This past May I was getting into the market for a new car. I was getting sick of what I had and just wanted a change. So I was interested in buying a new VW Jetta. Long story short I went to Old Saybrook VW and recieved the worst customer service from the sales manger Dale Smith. I had placed an order on a 2003 Jetta with the options I wanted. When it all came down to it they had never ordered my car and just wanted to wait for what their inventory would bring, They had wasted 2.5 months of my time. Then when I wanted a refund for my deposit, he was to say the least, absolutely reluctant to issue a refund and admit any fault. Eventually I got the deposit back and ran with it. After that order I was looking into a new Passat from a local VW dealer but my jaw dropped when I heard the insurance on it.

So I started shopping EBay for a used W126 preferably a 300SDL and found a nice one from Florida in silver. But late rthat night I had found my current car out of Ohio. Ever since the first day we got our first MB diesel I was hooked. I really wanted a W210 body but figured they were too much, until I found my car on EBay.

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#dieselFLEET
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'97 E300
'99 E300

Well for me, I grew up around diesels. My Dad owned a taxi business in the Phil. and all we had were Isuzu Geminis. edit... we had corollas and coronas before the geminis. My first car was an ex taxi, 76 4dr corolla w/c started with a 3k engine and I upgraded to a 2tc then went back to a 3k that me and my buddy messed around with. Redline was around 8500rpms. I miss that car.
Those diesel engines were built to last. NOt as good as the MB diesels but pretty close IMO.
So I always missed the diesel clack and smell. Still looking for a Gen 1 MOntero 4 dr to convert to a 2.5 Mitsu TD.

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96 Legacy LSi wagon
92 Mitsu Expo
95 525iT
1983 300TD clackclackclack sold
1972 Toyota Corolla wagon TE28 sold
1991 Galant VR4 pshhhhh non-op
1989 Montero RS pop's ride

I'm a law student, and over the last sumer I was working hard and enjoying some of the fruits of a tortuous legal education and decided I wanted a fun second car to my bloat bus the Explorer. I was actually saving up for a 944, and the opportunity to look at an MB came up. As it was described to me, it sounded like a newer 200 or 300 series, so I was excited. Then, as more news came in, I found it had 230K on it. OK, my heart sank a little. Then, I heard it was a diesel, so I didn't care so much about the mileage.

I saw the car and had some reservations (an '84 300D turbo). It needed a good cleaning, but otherwise everything worked on it. I test drove it and it felt like a big swinging car, like an old Lincoln or something. The thing about it was, I was buying it from the widow of a recently deceased state supreme court judge who owned it since new, which was a major factor, and they were family friends so I got a good deal. It came with all the maintenance records and the window sticker, listing the price at $35K in 1984, a lot of money!

I decided to buy it and it was the best automotive decision I have ever made, and the first one I made with my brain. After years of british sportscar enthusiasm without ever gaining the requisite enthusiasm for shade tree mechanical work, I finally have a car with classic lines, a distinctive badge, reliability and economy all for less than I paid for my last 74 MGB-GT, plus it seats five in comfort. It has such a polished and official look to it, too. After I bought it, I babied it and rarely drove it fearful of an accident or something, but now I drive it every day and have taken some 600+ mile road trips in it. I just put a CD player in it, so every toime I drive it it makes me smile.

Guess you can say I was raised on Mercedes Benzes. When I was 2, my dad had a 1980 280SE. In 1982 came the 380SL. A few years later, a 300E. In the mix were various other cars; BMWs, Cadillacs, Hondas and the like...

1991 rolls around, we get a 420SEL that had terrible electrical problems. The dealer used 300Ds and 240s as loaners. We got an 83 300DT for a loaner and fell in love. We then bought an 85 300D with 15,000 miles on it for 6500 bucks in 1991! Drove it for 50k, then sold it for it didn't have an airbag????? Why, I really don't know. Drunk maybe?

In the mix were other cars, 500s, a 560 SEL. After a while, the Mercedes cars slowly went away to a Jeep, VW and a BMW.

1999 rolls around and I buy my 300D. The magic was back! Dad buys the last E300 imported in the country, and the rest is history.

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Wow, did you get that from a dealer, or privately? I guess there are old ladies who only drive their Mercedes to church on Sundays!

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)