how did you convert to diesel mercedes? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jivadent · #1 03-17-2003, 02:12 AM

I doubt many of us grew up thinking "I want a diesel mb when I'm 16". So I'm curious how everyone got to have one.

My story goes like this. I had an '87 Plymouth Sundance for about 5 years. Crappy car, but I loved it. Drove it like a Ferrari and put it in the shop every 4 months with something wrong on it. One time it was the camshaft. This, on top of a myriad of other little things, and it was then that I decided I finally had to let that speedy little car go to Sundace heaven.

So I was in the market for a car, and my mom talks to one of her friends and the friend mentions that her recently estranged husband had left her an old mercedes. She had recently replaced it with a new Jetta, and she said I could have it for free, but it needed some repairs. Reluctantly I said ok (she didn't even know to tell me what model it was). We did about $800 worth of repairs and it was mine. The first time I test drove it, I loved it. I didn't like the slow acceleration (was a little afraid to cross busy highways), but everything else was great.

That car was totalled in a wreck 7 months ago, but the next car I got was another diesel mercedes.

The Warden · #2 03-17-2003, 04:20 AM

Actually, I'm a rare breed in that I actually wanted a diesel car (actually, "truck") before I got my license (I've been working with a Sea Scout program, working on marine diesels for years beforehand, so I was used to them and had a strong love for diesels). My first car was a '74 VW Bug...not a diesel, but it was given to me so I didn't complain. 2 months later, it left me on the side of the road with a blown piston (after normal driving, mind you; it just didn't like the Pacheco Pass). My second car was a '65 Chevy, also given to me, in this case from a family member who coudn't drive anymore (at age 96). The car was a low-mileage vehicle, and had problems resulting directly from that. The car wasn't reliable enough for what I needed, so I gave up on it after 9 months. This time, I had money and the ability to choose a vehicle. So, I lived out my dream and got a diesel...an 101 horsepower Nissan SD-33T, with a rusted-out IH Scout body wrapped around it. It was a great little truck (even though it couldn't break 55mph except with a tailwind going downhill), but a previous owner had modified the engine, and I didn't find out 'till after I had cracked a piston (note: it's NOT good to get to 1300° EGT's on an after-turo reading!!). The body was in such bad a condition as to make it unsaveable, so I sold it to a guy who parted it out, and got a good deal on an '84 Ford E-350 with a 6.9l International-Harvester diesel. This cargo van served me beautifully; I put almost 35,000 miles on it in the year and a half or so that I owned it, and it only let me down twice (starter died once, and I lost enough glow plugs to make it unstartable once; both were easy fixes); it was still running perfectly when I sold it, and it's probably still out there. Engine-wise, the 300D beats it out, but overall, it's the most reliable vehicle I've owned to date.

However, about 6 months after I bought the van, on April 30th, 2001 my uncle died. It was a tragic and sudden loss that I still have not truly recovered from. He left me the pickup truck that I had learned to drive a clutch on at age 15, which is the '84 F-250 in my signature. For about 7 or 8 months, I ran both the truck and the van, then decided that I couldn't afford to continue to do so and had to choose to sell one of them. Emotions told me to keep the truck, although it had been sitting long enough that I was having problems with it related to non-operation and sitting in the desert (rubber drying out, mainly). I decided to sell the van and get something more economical; however, I knew I couldn't get all that much for the van, and wanted something diesel-powered and that got good mileage. In essence, I was limited to either Volkswagen or Mercedes-Benz. At the time, I had thought a Mercedes would be unobtainable and impossible to keep maintained, and I was scared of the aluminum cylinder head and timing belt on the Volkswagens, so I was at an impasse.

Then I found this site, and learned that the "Mercedes cars are insanely expensive to maintain" was mainly a myth, and that a diesel like I was looking for (for partially the same reasons I was avoiding Volkswagen, I didn't want an OM603) could be had within my price range. As they say, the rest is history. I sold my van on July 1st 2002, and that next weekend, I flew out to Dallas to pick up the 300D that someone on here was selling, and after a day of fretting over what appeared to be a compression issue, I bought it, drove down to Austin so that TXBill and leathermang could be kind enough to run a compression check on 'er (she passed), and then drove her back to California, where for the most part, she's served me well. I've uncovered some problems in the front end and replaced the axleshafts, but other than the axles, I've never had any drivetrain troubles, and the front end stuff is more of a nuisance than anything else. However, the fuel economy (25 to 30 mpg vs 13mpg) more than makes up for that. I still miss that van, and wish I hadn't needed to sell her, but I love my 300D!! First "car" that I've owned and been happy with.

A 123 diesel is now on my list of vehicles I want to always have around (along with my F-250 and a Dodge 12 valve Cummins pickup), and at the rate I'm going, this car'll be with me for a long time to come.

Keep on truckin'

diesel don · #3 03-17-2003, 07:18 AM

My dad always loved diesels. He had an old Mercedes when I was growing up. I didn't appreciate it then but I knew he loved it. Then he bought a GM diesel (one of the rare ones that actually worked). It put 300k on it at about 30 mpg. He then bought a Diesel Chevette. Cute little thing. Then he swapped the gas hog engine in our sail boat for a diesel. Man, did that boat power through the Lake Michigan six footers differently.

I started with a diesel chevette and immediately loved the engine, the noise and the distinctiveness. I then went to a volvo diesel. Drove it nine years nearly free. I'd always heard and respected MB diesels but didn't think I could afford them. When I got my first one, I was shocked at two things. How much better the engine was (starting, etc) and how easy they were to work on (with the help of the forum). I'm hooked. No way out.

Don

#4 03-17-2003, 09:11 AM

I've wanted a MB diesel since the summer of 1997, when I spend part of the summer on the Oregon Coast and saw many old MB's running around. BTW, I was 19 at the time, when I was 16 I would have never wanted a Diesel

Erikir · #5 03-17-2003, 09:28 AM

Being the owner of a 425hp 383 powered 1980 Z28 I was in need of a daily driver. I wanted a large, comfortable car that was inexpensive to drive and that I could work on myself. I could only find one vehicle that fit my criteria - A diesel MB.

DieselHead · #6 03-17-2003, 09:45 AM

We bought our's new in 1983 mainly because of the good reviews magazines were giving the 300D and because of the gas shortage. The car was kind of a hand me down for me. I started driving on a Volvo 240DL wagon but that thing was terribly unreliable, so then I had this diesel for a few months before my parents leased me a Chrysler Sebring Convert. Thought it was a cool car when I had it, I realize it sucked now. Went to college, parents bought me a used Volvo 850 T-5R, but that thing was a piece of crap too, sold it after college and so back to the diesel I went.

Recently I split the cost of the BMW (in the sig.) with my parents but still really like the Mercedes more. I do a lot of city driving and it's really the perfect car for my needs. I can park on the street because no one wants it, it's incredibly durable and can handle the NYC potholes, people think it's very cool, it has lots of space, it's got a seemingly bottomless fuel tank (300 miles on 12.8 gallons), and it's simple enough for me to trouble shoot problems.

It's got 148K miles on it now and I plan on atleast doubling it. Bad thing and good thing about buying a Mercedes is that they're built so well that you can't get rid of them. They were probably expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Alex

Holson Adi · #7 03-17-2003, 10:26 AM

When I was 14 I saw a 240D and I just wanted it because it was rare (Jakarta is full of 200s, 230s, 280s and the 280Es).

My dad had a 280E and I initially hated it as I wanted a W124. Then I got to know some kids (yes 15yr olds) who drove and loved these 123s dearly. I got hooked and wanted my dad's car.

Then he got rid of it for a W124!!! I loved it for a bit because it was new, etc. Then later realized how much cooler a W123 is..

However as soon as I was about to go to college, I found mercedesshop.com browsed and got really interested in the diesels mainly because of the crowd here and I have always loved the W123 shape and in the US they are mostly diesels.

I'm hooked now. I still want a W124. However it has to be either a diesel or the V-8

Yes .... a used car guy told me.. "you have a weird taste"

Fisherman · #8 03-17-2003, 12:32 PM

Needed a replacement for my van that got hit by a deer ( yes, It hit me!) and a friend around the corner had a 240 115 that he was trying to dump beacsue he was planning on movign to So Cal and the car did not run.
Bought it for $425.00, spent three hours working on it and now it is very reliable.

I then found this forum...

Went out and bought a 123 for $750.00 and have it now running pretty well.

Wihtout this forum I can tell you that I would not have 2 MBZ diesels but what is even more amazing. I have not really wrenched on any of my vehiclse since my 1976 BMW 2002 went away. Now at my ripe old age I am back under teh hood almost every weekend trying to improve things.

My fly-casting skills are suffering but my ability to key into a problem under teh hood has improved dramatically. I'm not sure which is better but I'm having fun!

edge · #9 03-17-2003, 01:54 PM

My first Mercedes was a 87 300E which was a wonderful car. I had test driven a 300D two years before but thought it was too slow for me at the time. Now I always knew that the diesels lasted a long time because you see the W123's everywhere. After leasing a 98 C230 and a 99 ML320, I felt that MB quality was not as strong as it was in the 80's. So in anticipation of my oldest son driving, I decided to buy a 84 300D two years ago. The 300D cruises so well on the highway and is built like a tank and is a bit slow off the line which is perfect for my son who gets his license next month. He won't get into trouble with the W123. I liked the diesel so much that I'm giving back the ML lease and I bought a 85 300SD last week. Now I want to run them forever, goodbye monthly lease payments!

gsxr · #10 03-17-2003, 02:28 PM

It was 1994 and I had my eyes peeled for a 1990-92 VW Jetta GLI 16V. I spotted a nice one at a used car dealer and stopped to check it out. It lacked some of the options I wanted, like power windows & locks. The salesman said, "You know, for the same money I could put you in that Mercedes over there." I wasn't really interested, but a couple weeks and many test drives later (including several BMW's) I drove off the lot in a near-flawless 1985 190D 2.2 with a 5-sp manual. They also had an 85 (or 86?) 190D with ABS and an airbag but it was ugly and sluggish with an auto tranny. The more time I spent in the 190D the more I liked it, and after wrecking it (ooops) I got a 300E to replace it, and well the rest is history.

I eventually did buy a '91 GLI for my wife years later. That is a FUN car to drive! But I also found it's a maintenance nightmare. She's gone now and I don't miss either one of them. Well, I take that back. I do miss her second GLI because it was near showroom condition, fully loaded except ABS, was a rare color (teal), and had a bunch of cool mods (auto seatbelts removed, quad Euro lights w/relays, etc.) But after owning a total of 8 VW's and 7 MB's, I'll probably never buy another VW. Just not worth the hassle...

#11 03-17-2003, 02:58 PM

Actually I wanted a Porsche 911 when I was 16

(didn't get one though, I was too poor)

This 300D is my first venture into diesel (and first Mercedes), and I got it specifically to play around with biofuels. I heard that 123's were pretty easy to work on and convert. So far I've found it pretty fun to work on, and it does make me feel a little like a teenager again to have my feet sticking out from under a car again

I've kind of gotten swept up in the Benz experience - I think I'm hooked

rickg · #12 03-17-2003, 03:08 PM

Not sure exactly when I saw the light. I've always liked Mercedes, even as a young kid in LA in the 60's. Then I spent a year working in a wrecking yard in the early 80's and we had a lot of Benz 's there. That's where I really learned to admire them. It was a pleasure pulling parts off them because they were so well built.
About ten years ago I had a part time job (on top of my full time job) That required me to drive about 65 miles one way (I was well paid!!) and got tired of the old Datsun station wagon I was driving. Started looking for something more comfortable, but yet would get decent milage. Saw an old 220D for sale near home with $1800 on the windshield. I thought what the heck! Stopped, drove it, bought it! Should have seen the look on my wifes face when I drove up in a Benz!
That was 4 Mercedes ago, 3 of which have been diesels. Gotta love em!!

Aaron · #13 03-17-2003, 03:13 PM

My first was a '63 190Dc and all I can tell you about that car was that the 52 or so horses that resided under the hood were mighty lazy but never complained. I drove that thing until I bought an '80 300SD (Eduardo) which I owned for about five years until TXBill bought it from me (Cleveland winters ate the body right up). Throughout that time period, I had a few other random MB diesels but always loved that 300SD. When that car left, I got an '83 300D from some friends of the family who had bought it brand new from Geller Imports in Akron, Ohio and took it to Florida every winter. I got it with 283K on it and sold it with 295K on it to some other friends of the family for their son who was in college. I hated that car because it was Signal Red, had it been Navy Blue or Silver I'd probably still have it today. Since then, many others have come and gone (not all diesels necessarily). I bought my 1970 280SE (which I recently sold) and used it every day and had a 1993 300E 2.8. The 2.8 was a wonderful car but we traded it in for a '99 ML320. Still have the ML but I happend upon a 1983 300SD which came into the shop for an inspection of what it needed to be put back on the road again after three years of sitting. When the owner decided to sell it, I bought it, did all the necessary work and have put 20K on it since then, and that was last April or so.

Of course when I got my training from MB way back when, the diesels were one of the areas I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to focus on (this was before I got the '63). So naturally they were a top pick for me as daily drivers.

But the thing that initially sparked (no pun intended) my interest in Mercedes (and MB diesels) was growing up around them. My family owned clothing stores and their accountants worked in to their budget new cars for everyone every 2 years or so. My grandmother asked if she could be alotted more money to buy a Mercedes and would then just keep it for many years, instead of getting a new Chrysler every 2 years. They said ok and she bought a 1964 230SL which she kept and drove all year round for 26 years. Not a bad deal in my opinion. Shortly thereafter, others caught onto the trend and began getting Mercedes. An uncle bought a 1979 300CD and still drives it to this day. My father got an '85 190E and my mother got an '82 380SL and they had those cars for probably 10 years each. And best of all, the accountants were kept happy

Richard Eldridge · #14 03-17-2003, 04:35 PM

My father bought a large stucco house on US 69 N of Kansas City in 1948 when I was 6. The one-room country school I attended first grade was pretty awful, so I my parents sent me into Liberty on the Greyhound every morning. The ride cost a dime, and the driver and I became good buddies, and talked about how neat the bus, an old Flxible, sounded (not like those puny cars).

Later I went to college at NMSU, and one of my roomates was an ex-Army Lieutenent from Wisconsin, so we went back in his car together with about four others on vacations, dropping people off in Dodge, Wichita, Liberty, and DesMoines. He had a 1959 finback 180-D Diesel, which was a dream to drive, unlike my horrid old 1951 Chevy Deluxe (aka "the Green Urinal", after an incident involving Billy Skaggs and too much beer at a party on New Year's, 1959). The old Chevy gave me shoulder cramps to drive after an hour or so.

Somehow I eventually decided to buy a Mercedes Diesel, since it was the best driving car that I had ever driven to that date, as soon as I realized that I could pay cash for a good used one.

I have had THREE Renaults as well. The Dauphine was a horrid thing, but the R-10 and even more, the R-16 had amazingly comfy seats. French cars are very comfy.

I still seem to pine for a nice 1973 Citroen-Maserati SM occasionally, but I have this feeling that I would end up paying far far too much to keep it running to a guy named "Jacques".

The Citroen SM is an awesome-looking old car, but is too deeply weird to use for transportation after 29 years. The V-6 engine is not said to be all that reliable, and of course, it's not a Diesel.

Fofr an occasional car to collect and occasionally drive to wow the peasantry, a nice Citroen Traction Avant (1937-54) could be fun.

By the way, Tommy Chong's 1972 gray Citroen SM sold (with a recently overhauled motor, a new leather interior and a new 18-speaker sound system) on E Bay last month for a mere $15K.

I would not have thought of Tommy Chong as a guy who would drive a gray car. On the other hand, If I were Tommy Chong, I am pretty sure I would find it prudent to avoid giving envy to Ponch and Jon (of CHiPs) with the red Porsche Carrera I might buy if I had Tommy Chongs' money.

MS Fowler · #15 03-17-2003, 04:54 PM

My story is similar to The Warden's; I got into diesels because of a Ford Pick up. My wife and I like "camping"--well trailering, really. We had a Coleman Popup for a long time while the kids we at home. Then a small Travel Tailer with a too small tow vehicle. Well THAT wasn't going to happen again, So I looked for a suitable tow vehicle--nothing tows more and better than a diesel, so we got an '86 Ford diesel with 6.9 liter International engine--great truck over 200,000 miles and now at 330,000 miles is just getting a little tired.
I bought a junkyard engine for it to rebuild so that the actual downtime would be very short--then the bad news; the heads were cracked, I got another set of heads, and they too, were cracked. With remanufactured heads running about $1000 or more per pair, I figured I could get a 240D for about the same money, and use the heads that are on my truck now. Time would not be as important as I can drive the 240D for work. Plus I get a neat, reliable cat all for about the same money!!
I also have 2 friends with W123 diesels--both 1985 300turbos, one a wagon and one a sedan. The wagon has only 240,000 miles while the sedan is approaching the half million mark---one the original ( though slipping) trransmission!