bought a 82' 240d yesterday!
 

Well, after a 2yr stint I am finally back in the saddle of a diesel again! Here is the skinny...

82' 240d w/ 312k miles. One owner car until 9/02. It is creme with light beige interior. very clean and first aid kit still there and OLD! Very straight body with a scrape along the lower pass doors. Not to bad but kinda ugly. Very mint looking with no rust. NC car. No cracked dash either and all the wood is there. pretty darn good shape!

It has a factory rebuild sticker on the engine but I do not know when it was done and neither did the guy I bought it from. His mechanic pointed it out to us. The transmission was rebuilt last summer. It runs cool and oil pressure stays above 3/4 even at idle. Car has had a/c converted. New brakes, rotors and calipers. It has a stiff brake pedal but stops quick and smooth. Started in 17 degree weather last night on first try. Very smooth and no smoke or unusual shaking. New alternator. Nearly new Michelins on all 4's. Sony C/D and infinity speakers pwr antenna works. Euro lights(nice!)

The car runs and drives like a champ and has pretty darn good pick up! Better than and old 300d I drove last week. It was not as healthy though. I only paid $1400 for it and I really feel like I got a good deal.

My only concern is after a 20 minute jaunt with the heat on I got home and it tinkled a little coolant underneath the car. It was more towards the back of the engine(I think) and I can't find where it came from. I drove the car around some more and it did not do it again. Hmmmm.... Okay dieselers let my games begin...

pics coming Monday!

Oh and another thing it has no power windows and no sunroof at all. simplicity at its best.

later,

new year old car.
 

Check the hoses and valve that is on the firewall.

Check your rotors' wear after a while to make sure the hard pedal symptom is not related to calipers even if they are 'new'.

Good one !!!

D

Ok, I appreciate it! I will check it out when I get back home Sunday.

I really was not sure if the problem was related to me running the heat full blast and I was running speeds of 75 or better. I only drove it around town a few times after that and did not notice the problem again.

I will keep an eye on the brakes as well. i do not mind a stiff pedal but when at a stoplight you start to get a little cramping in your leg to keep the car from hunching forward.

Great running car otherwise. I am tickled to death with it! I figure I will need to spend a little to get it 99%:p

congratulations

Where did you find it Joe? I have noticed that there are hardly any W123 cars being posted in the Atlanta paper anymore. Two years ago you could always find at least 5 or so. I guess those days are gone forever. Just recently there was a '85 300D (original owner car) come up in the Macon paper on a Thursday. I called about it on Friday and got an answering machine. I called again on Sat and got the machine again. Finally late Sat the guy called and said the car had already sold. They get gone pretty quick if they are in decent/good condition - especially the interiors.

I found it in Asheville, NC. He put it up for sale Monday and I gave hime a deposit Tuesday. Paid for the rest on Christmas eve. So it would have been gone quick.

The gentlemen I bought it from drove a 80' 300d that was in very good condition as well. It was silver with black interior. The interior was VERY sharp. I love those black interiors. It was in very good ruuning condition as well. It had the euro lamps and had nice Michelins on it as well. The body had ZERO bumps or dents but it had a little rust starting at the jack points and at the drivers front fender. It was not rusted out yet. Still a very sharp car. I would have bought it, but it was on its original motor and tranny. He was selling both for $1400. I could chose. So I chose the 240d with all the new parts. The 300d had a little over 200k, and the odo had stopped. Nice car none the less.

You are right they are getting harder to find everyday. There is still an 85 300td here in Dalton that an elderly couple owns. I see it at Kroger every now and then and I always gawk at the interior and it is a PERFECT example. The last time I got to peek at it parked at the grocer it had 104k on it. It looks it too! I am afraid to ask if they would sell it because they obviously pride the car and would want $10 grand for it.


If anyone is interested in the 80' 300d I have Steves number and I can email it to you.

later,

Those are the two cars that were on Ebay about 2 or 3 times in the past month. The guy drove the 300D and his wife drove the 240D. They were very beautiful none the less. I hope you enjoy driving a diesel again as much as you did before.

Congrats. Your coolant leak sounds like something that is loose; When it heats up it expands and stops leaking. Thus, an easy fix.

one more time!

Calendar girl
 

Yeah! That looks exactly like my 300D !
Also like my folk's 240D except for the wheels.
Very nice car Joe!!