I cannot express how much I love my new W115 300D. It starts up so easily, and despite having some rust spots and some faded paint, I love how it looks. It has so much character. I will get pics up soon.

Tommorow I clean it up real nice, and do some work to detail the engine. Maybe an oil change.

Kylepavao2,

Congratulations on your purchase and very glad to hear the car is in good shape. My first "purchased with my own money" car was a 1975 240D, and it was still running strong when the body decided to give in to the forces of nature.

Let me know how you feel about it after you change the oil and oil filter though. Without a lift, this is a nightmare of a job. When I did mine, I was sure this was a normal design, and when I got a W123 240D I was overwhelmed with the ease of maintenance that was added.

Once again, good luck and congratulations on the find. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Maybe on the 123 but that 115 is just oil to the elbows waiting to happen. I take it to my indy every other oil change, otherwise he suggested a quick lube here in town that knows the old diesels.

Personally I would take the 115 over the 123 any day. It rides so smooth, doesn't roll on corners, has the classic round lines and all the stuff is manual. ACC, windows, etc...

I'm still looking for a 115 300.

Congrats Kyle!

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'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

Congrats Kyle!

You definitely have to give me a ride in that thing at the next GTG!! I've always wanted a ride in a 115/114 car.

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2008 BMW 335i Coupe

There are not many opportunities left to own the 115..... increasingly becoming scarcer and scarcer. They could become nearly extinct in another 10 yrs. RUST is the killer...... where the hell are 115 stickshift 240D's??

Otherwise, the 123 is much fatter car with better soundproofing and insulation. You can see where MB corrected against typical drafts from behind the firewall on the 114/115 and eliminated rocker panels entirely. You could probably get some spray foam insulation for behind the firewall and put tar based undercoating over finish coated rockerpanels below the lower chrome strip to correct these problems yourself.

What makes the 115 handle better than the 123? Probably beefier steering box and more durable front suspension thats not riddled with millions of ball joints each of which wears down at different levels after the first 150k miles or so. But this doesnt mean the 123 suspension is junk... just that it might be a little over-engineered compared with the 115.

Back in '68 when 115's were first built, their suspension geometry was radical departure from kingpins that litterally tracked like the car was on rails. Massive difference between kingpins and ball joint control arms..... Kingpins are helluva lot stiffer and never waver or stray with immense heavy car feel. Ball joints are alot nimbler and pivot better makin the car feel light as feather...... entirely different handling characteristics.

108s are the last of the kingpin Benz that tracked like a freight train. The owner/driver of say, 1972 280SEL, will probably think everything else feels wobbly and weak by comparison. Finbodies also provide the stiffer and straighter, but less nimble, kingpin ride.

Yep, the 115 is first of the new world MBs...... but if any of you guys ever drove a finbody or 108, you'd be amazed at the difference. 108s are hot cars on the vintage circuit right now..... plenty of well maintained examples at less than $2500 suitable as dailly drivers for owners who cant imagine driving anything else after they get used to them. Last of the old world MB's with massive upholstery, complete woodwork detailing and stiff rigid suspension that makes the car feel like its carved out of one chunk of iron..... notso good for popping around in crowded cities - but the ultimate highway ride when roads are clear of traffic.

Hell, if they ever made turbo-charged diesel version of the 108 - we'd probably be all over it like a bunch of bums on a baloney sandwich. What was it... merely 3 yrs between development of 5 cyl diesel engine and last production run of the 108 chassis?

Oil change is no problem, but that filter, yipes!

Canister, attached via a through bolt on the bottom, you MUST elevate the front of the car to get to it, and you always end up coated in used motor oil -- holds a quart, and it all drains out, but ONLY when you get the canister loose and the bolt drops down.

Pure pain to get back up there, too -- the lip of the canister is often rolled over from going on crooked. You must hold the blasted canister up into the opening against the (strong) spring and thread the bolt all the way up, usually with a ratchet. Hard to do coated in oil, and it seems you cannot get away from that oil. It goes everywhere when you take the canister off! Plan on cleaning the floor or putting down a large flattened cardboard box.

Worst part of the whole design.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Ah come on, the 115 oil change is not bad at all. The trick is to plan to hold the case up against the O-ring seal until you drop the bolt into the drain pan. Less than a minute after that is done, nearly all of the oil in the case that is going to run out any time soon, has done so. Pull the case down, tip it into second drain pan or other fairly clean container and dump out the filters and spring. Clean up all reusables and refill the case with new goodies. Push the case up and start the bolt, then use a ratchet carefully to get the bolt nearly to the bottom of the case. Wiggle the case a bit to center and push up to seal. Then finish tightening the bolt. That part of job is done and can be accomplished in a white shirt, if it is not the first time you do the job!!! Ran the 220D/8 for twenty years and did all of the oil changes, but one, on the ground with no ramps; so this was a Routine Job. Agree that a grease rack would help some, but certainly not a big deal this way.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

If the spring is properly attached to the oil filter canister bolt, you aren't going to be able to pull it out by hand covered with oil.

Might not be so bad on a hoist where you can get to things, buy lying on the floor it's a huge pain.

BTDT, we have two W115s, and the 220D is MUCH easier than the 300D -- far less room, the spring clips onto the bolt, and it's impossible to just drop the canister like you can on the 220D -- it only goes in and out one way, tipped over pretty far. Messy.


Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

The 240D/240D300D (115 body) filter change difficulty is a good reason for using synthetic oil which will go 10,000 miles between changes.

P E H

Or you can braze/TIG a drain on the cannister. daBenz has a nut brazed on the bottom corner. Sealed with a short bolt and copper washer. I position the plug to the rear so that it's the lowest part on the cannister when daBenz is on the ramps.

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daBenz - 1970 220D