ok Folks, I have a 300sd but the significant other wants a gasser in the family as well. It would be used for highways runs mostly.

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85 300 sd california149,000 (Otto)
95 saab 900 se v6 81k (sold)
04 subaru forester 23k
83 240d manual 166k

I would say a late 80's or early 90's 190E 2.3

Some friends have one and they love it and it will get 30 mpg!

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Nick
*****
2002 Sprinter 2500 140" High Roof :

190 2.6. This car is a rocket. I put 450,000 on mine and it still had life left. Not bad looking either.

Regards,

Joe

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www.jerseyplanning.com
1987 300TD 440K - My car
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 107K - Tim's car
2000 - CLK320 100K - Deb's car
1994 C230 150K - Josh's Car

turbodiesel's SDL will serve you nicely. Runs as well as anything on the freeway. 120mph is not a problem.

A 260E or 300E is a pretty nice freeway cruiser too.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

This fall I will be looking in the very same price range. 5,000 to 6,000. The 420SEL's and 300SEL's seem to be in that price range, in good condition with under 150K. If you like the w126 cars.

If you enjoy a big powerful V8, you can't beat a 560SEL.. if you want to step it down a notch, get a 420SEL.. if you want to step it down another notch, get an inline 6 300SEL. All can be had for around $5,000.

There's a 190E 2.6 for sale in the classifieds on this site. Price $2800. That will leave you some money to make any necessary repairs.

There's more to the equation that just purchase price. You also need to consider how much you want to spend for upkeep on an ongoing basis. Assuming your budget for that is also low, a 190E can't be beat.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Caution on the '80s 420SEL...... it was known to blow headgaskets at/near 140k miles.

For $5G you could probably find a really snazzy 450SLC in excellent condition from the 1970s....... the one with louvre windows on the rear and semi-pagoda style roof.

A question of taste, but many consider the 450SLC to be finest and most timeless coupe that MB ever built.

Blow head gaskets? No.

Most common problems with these engines are valve seals and they need a timing chain at around 120k.

True enough every MB built over the last 40 yrs needs valve seals and timing chain each 120k miles.... some need valves and guides too - if the seals arent caught in time.

Dont know for sure, it may have been MB experimenting with high aluminum content cylinder heads and/or alloy blocks that gave '80s 420SEL's the reputation as crappiest V-8 gasket blower they ever built.

Also look for millions of vacuum lines, sensors and relays, especially on the California/American version. Truely an engine management system designed from hell that nobody wants to deal with.

There arent many gasoline Benz's I'd care to own, but the 420SEL has gotta be last on the list.

Dammit, I may be selling my perfectly good Euro 4-spd 280SEL for the simple reason that my 240D is alot more fun to drive and own..... just on its diesel merits alone.

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'80 300SD/ w116
'79 240D 4-spd
'71 750cc Guzzi

previously owned:

'83 240D 4-spd
'77 280SEL 4-spd
'74 280/8
'72 250/8
'65 220Sb 4-spd
'63 220Sb 4-spd
'63 190c 4-spd
'61 220Sb 4-spd
'60 190b 4-spd

I can't say I've ever heard of a blown head gasket on any late 80's V8's.. and I've seen ALOT of these cars.

The 3.8L V8 has the worst reputation thanks to the crappy single row timing chain.

I'm not speaking from personal experience, but if your not going to be loading up with 4 people all the time. How about a 124 bodied 300CE, mighty sweet lines, inside as well as out, and I've seen some seemingly really nice ones go for less then $6k. If they made one with a 603 motor, it is what I would have gotten. (I just love the way the 124's drive.)

If I wanted a MB gasser I think it would have to be a late 80's early 90's 300SEL.

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Jim