.

I have mixed feelings. Glad your safetly home but it doesn't sound as though there was enough of an adventure. No breakdowns in the middle of nowhere outside a public library. Oh well.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Hi, I am glad you made it with no problems!
Say, did you park up close to them librarys? They might not like the diesel clatter if you did and left the engine running to keep the car warm (Oh, maybe not yet, it isn't that cold there!)
Dieseldiehard
1971 220 4-spd manual 104646
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 290820
1983 300D 238890
1985 300TD 207980

Hi guys-

Just bought my first diesel MB, a 1981 240D and stumbled across this thread. Hoping to go pick it up on Friday, a little nervous. The drive home is only 125 miles, but it's been a *long* while since I've driven stick, but hopefully, it'll be less eventful than I'm anticipating it will be.

Getting excited about the car.

__________________
________________________
98 e430, 55K

...just got MY first stick 240D...there's a little operating quirk I mentioned earlier in this thread you might not be aware of...

...when you want to put the car in REVERSE, you grab the shifter lever and LIFT IT STRAIGHT UP before moving the lever in the gate to where reverse is.

When I first drove this car, it bucked and stalled for the first few minutes until I got used to it...a buddy of mine who drove it for the first time last night had no problems.

ONE OTHER NOTE...get in the habit of setting the emergency brake when parked or on a hill...my auto MB's have such an awesome parking brake gear I rarely use the hand brake.

GOOD LUCK...fun, almost perfect, little cars.

Well, is there going to be a final "report" from Morgantruce? Gotta know the details of this really interesting trip.

I'm thinking of taking my 83 300TD-T on a trip to Colorado from California in the spring. Probably no real adventure, but I'm really looking forward to the trip. I've put over 14k on it since March and it has never let me down and in much better shape now that I've fixed everything.

Let us know some details.

__________________
Mike Holbrook
1983 MB 300TD-T (aka -- Daisy)
Spring Valley, CA

While I have a report, it is by no means final. The return trip home was thoroughly overshadowed by a wicked case of something I think I caught on the bus. It was a non-stop coughing fir 24 hours a day without end. I lost 8 pounds (the ONLY good part of this story!) I am just beginning to return to normal.

Fortunately the car caused me no problem at all. I was way too shaky to have been able to deal with even a flat. An Ohio State trooper pulled me over to check out the temporary Texas tag. When he saw what bad shape I was in, he decided to cut me loose---even though he had a highly suspect car (starting a trip in El Paso---a border town.) I'm sure he would have like to search around in the trunk, but he just wanted no part of catching whatever it was that I had. He was very, very nice.

-----

The more I look around this car, the more I realize what a cherry I've found. It has a brand new (huge) MB battery, new Michelins, was able to drive 1800 miles without a hitch---in spite of being a very unschooled diesel driver. I am getting the hang of applying the heavy foot at just the right moment...

I am still a bit concerned by the engine rattling noise during aceleration. Possibly related--- I notice a good size pocket of air in the clear fuel pre-filter... not sure what I should "crack open" while trying to purge the fuel of air.

Of course, I've noticed big rig tractors rattling away when starting off---I'd just rather not hear MY little diesel carryng on in the same way. Heh heh.

Air in the clear plastic filter is normal. If you are concerned about the diesel rattle when you first start it up and drive away you need to adapt. That is music to the ears of the rest of us and also completely normal.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

...and that rattle is "normal" after the car is completely warmed up (for hours) and you get into some stop-and-go traffic?

As long as its normal, I'm not at all bothered by it.

.

I guess I was having trouble believing I bought a 26 year old car that had no mechanical problems!

-----

On to the few cosmetic details:

(1) The "mid height" door and front fender "side trim moldings" are pulled away in two spots. The little clips no longer hold. Where can I get some new clips? Does it work to try and replace just one---or is it better to remove the entire trim piece and replace all the clips?

(2) One of the rear bumper "side cushion pieces" (that extends around the side a bit) got "smooshed off." I have the piece which is in good shape and just needs to be reapplied. The metal frame seems to be in order (still on the body.) It APPEARS to me that I would have to remove the side liner in the trunk to get to the bolts that are holding the metal frame, remove the metal frame, put the rubber peice back on and re-bolt the frame... Does that sound right?

(3) The "240-D" emblem at the rear of the car got bent just a little (probably some dude with a buffer...) Am I likely to be able to bend this back into line without snapping it in two? The plan was to grab it with two pairs of small pliers and have a friend pour a stream of hot water for a few seconds just before trying to re-bend.

(EDIT) Now that I think of it, the former owner mentioned that he recently had a guy work over the whole car with a buffer... I can see where a fellow with just the right amount of ineptitude with that machine could cause ALL THREE of the problems I just outlined!

Yup! an energetinc effort on the part of a detail man will leave a mess on a cars finish and strip clear coat while catching on legends and the like.
I stopped using drive-thru car washes, because they left cotton stuff in the trunk legend and scratched my finish.
Then my wife's car got keyed and we had it repainted (well, four fenders anyhow.) The shop was touted as the best in the area, they were the only place that said they routinely remove all trim when repainting (other "insurance-preferred" shops only mask the fender moldings).
Anyhow, the paint job was exellent, but when they detailed the car the operator of the buffing machine burned the clear coat off the trunk lid at the trailing edge. That still bugs me when I see it (just maybe a coat of wax will hide it but I haven't tried that yet as I am waiting for warm weather)
I plan to buy an orbital polisher and a clay kit so NO MORE BUFFING on my cars ever again! Grio's Garage has the best thing I have seen for this, it will not burn off wax or clear coat (so they claim!)
Oh, using heat will not help at all, the legends are made of pot metal, it might crack if you try straightening it, if it does, look for getting a replacement on eBay or at a wrecking yard, you have one of them near you don't you? (great source of Mercedes parts)

I am happy to hear you didn't catch any road debris on the trip, that happens occasionally to me.
Dieseldiehard
1971 220 4-spd manual 104646
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 290820
1983 300D 238890
1985 300TD 207980
1976 300D $100 car! (still waiting to see what it needs to get running)

(1) Next door neighbor works in a body repair shop and swears that some 2 sided tape will fix up my side mouldings---no harm in letting him bring me some to try.

(2)The rear bumper side cushion thingy is fixed---went just like I suspected. I also discovered a nest of golf pencils crowding the drain hole when I removed the side liner in the trunk...

(3) 240D emblem straightened out with two vise grips and a small amount of oomph.

-----

Now I'm noticing that the engine hood is not fitting properly. It does not come forward far enough to match up with the front of the fenders. Also there is hardly ANY gap at the cowl. Here's the interesting part: the four adjustment bolts (where the hood attaches to the hinges) are ALREADY fully adjusted forward. There is no more room in the slots to bring the hood further forward. It's beginning to sound to me like the hinges took a good hit towards the rear----although I cannot see where anything APPEARS to be bent.

Is there anywhere else to adjust the hood forward (other than the four bolts)?

Another question: I see "hub cap clips" advertised. My painted hub caps appear to not have clips. Are they needed?

So many questions...