I suggest fixing it. Many will say that MB's aren't throw-away cars, and at the first misshap -- a sore engine or fender bender -- they recommend junkpiling it.

Any MB, and especially one you love, is worth repairing.

__________________
'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate

You are wasting your time to try to fix that car. You will never get it right. Find a place that stores Big Rv's and see what it will cost you to long term store the car for parts. Take your check from the insurance co. and buy a new car.

__________________
Orland Park, IL
1985 300SD 215,000 miles

Don't let it die! That's only a fender bender by MB standards. If you do want to replace it, billrok has the right idea. Get a storage spot, strip it of as many parts as you can use on the new car to make it better.

Don't let it go to waste in a scrapyard, give it to me

Wow, I wanna say "thanks" again to everyone who's checked in with advice and suggestions. I've been reading this forum since July but this was my first post and you folks have really risen to the challenge, IMHO.

I've got much more thinking to do on this but I'm leaning towards getting as much as I can for this car from the ins. co. and seeking a rust-free '83 300D from out west or down south. Maybe I should look at this as an opportunity?

If I decide to part the car out (I've got nowhere to store it) I'll announce it here first.

Thanks!

Do you have any pictures of the Isuzu Rodeo? If it could damage a solid built body like that, I bet the alumiium and plastic "Oversized car" was demolished .

Actually, the Rodeo was able to drive away. The thing is, I caught its bumper. Another foot to the left and I would've steered clear of it.

For those of you who might be curious, here's what happened: I'm headed south on Washington Blvd. in Jersey City (New Jersey) on the way to host my radio talkshow, one I've been doing for 14 years. So I've driven this route many, many times. It's a way around Holland Tunnel traffic.

Picture three lanes running south and three lanes running north, separated by an eight foot wide median. There are breaks in the median every four or five blocks, for people to make turns into the Newport Mall and various apt. buildings and businesses. I'm in the left lane, doing 40 or so (it's a 35 mph zone), there are 2 other cars alongside me, and I notice I'm coming up on this somewhat dangerous uncontrolled intersection. Cars turning left onto 14th Street, to head to Route 1 & 9 and the New Jersey Turnpike, have to go across the three lanes of oncoming traffic. I see two SUVs make the turn darting out in front of me and the two other cars going south. They clear all three of us as the two other cars get ahead of me.

Just then I notice this metallic green SUV sitting there and I think, "I hope she isn't planning on... HOLY CRAP!!!" and she does: she pulls out in front of me. I hit the brakes, try steering around her. She must've hit her brakes too, when she finally saw me. A second of skidding and a loud metallic BANG as I hit her rear bumper and spin the Rodeo around. I sat there stunned as more cars zoomed around us. I realized quickly I hadn't been injured. Then I got angry. I started yelling nasty things, got out of the car, went over, yelled at the girl in the Rodeo. There is no real justification for getting so upset but I was.

Some backstory:

I bought the car in July, after an extensive search. Found it on eBay and it was everything the owner said it was (he was proud of the care he'd given the car, referring to his mechanic as, "My Mercedes Benz service adviser."). After 14 years getting my spine beat up in a Jeep Wrangler (1987), I was finally enjoying a long drive somewhere (Wranglers are great for around town and on the trail, but for long drives on highways, they're damn fatiguing). And as I mentioned, I was planning to keep the car a long time.

Back to the accident. At one point, I stood directly oposite the Rodeo, on the curb, yelling, "WHY DID YOU DO THAT? WHY DID YOU PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME?!" and the girl lowers her window and says, "I DIDN'T SEE YOU!" There was an older man sitting next to the girl, looked to be her father. I think he told her SHUT UP and rolled up the window. He knew she'd said too much.

I just kept looking at my car, reliving the whole accident, wondering if I should've done this or could've done that. But I quickly realized that there wasn't even time to think. It literally happened in a flash.

Alright, enough of this. When I get a chance, I'll put up more pix of the accident scene. I had my digital camera with me and took a bunch of shots.

Finally, I'll just say that Jersey City should seriously consider controlling this intersection with a light, a stop sign or something. It's a popular route to the Pulaski Skyway, Route 1 & 9, the turnpike and the rest of Sopranos-land. I'm sure mine was just one of many accidents to occur there every year.

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This is looking north alongside my car. Notice the skid marks and lack of any traffic light or stop sign.

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Here's another shot of the front fender.

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damn SUVs....

sorry to see that, it really looks like it was a really nice car! Even the wheels are nice !

bummer...

anyway,
I don't know how insurance companies do this, but can you pick a comparable car that and ask them to buy it for you?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2453615635&category=6330

there are some other ones too but this one looks nice in a glance. Don't know how big a fan of the coupes you are.

Good luck!

btw, looking at that picture from the side, it doesn't look that bad...

__________________
2008 BMW 335i Coupe

I'm looking at an '82 300D and wonder how much interchangeability there it is between it and the '83...

I can't think of anything that won't interchange on those two model years. Are the interior colors the same? What is the interior color of your existing car?

That sure is a nice looking $$ coupe on ebay Holson.

__________________
Jim

The only thing I can think of is that the 82 has an 85-mph speedo and the the 83 has a 120mph speedo.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Dear Diesel Fiends:

With your help I've pretty much decided I'm going to get another car and keep my 300D for a parts car. Can I get some opinions on whether I should get another 300D or seek out a nice 300CD? I know this is more a personal choice than anything but I'm also thinking of practical matters: Mercedes sold FAR more 300Ds than 300CDs in this country and the parts are easier to come by, plus I'll have my own parts car to cherry-pick from. Then again, the 300CD has a shorter wheelbase and overall length and would be easier to park in my town, where parking space is at a premium. Anyone out there think one model is superior to the other in terms of quality, longevity, etc.?
Thanks,
DieselFitter

I agree completely. I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago...some moron in a Toyota rear-ended me...the damage looked VERY minor, especially compared to your photo, but the estimate was more than TWICE the $1,500 your buddy guesstimated for your repair...

His insurance company wanted to total my car, but I fought them, made the adjuster examine the great condition the car was in, and documentation of what I had spent getting it that way, and keeping it that way, and I got them to fix it. I also insisted that the repairs be done at a REPUTABLE Mercedes-only body shop of my choosing!...Don't let them bully you...You are NOT at fault here, and you deserve proper compensation.

Your car IS fixable, and they are legally and contractually obligated to return your property to the condition it was in before their client damaged it.

And don't let them talk you into going to some low-budget Maaco-type shop, either--they have their "preferred body shops" list--which translated into normal English, means "cheap" body shops.

Get it done, and get it done right.

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

It's not the SUV's fault...It's the stupid, stupid, stupid people driving them!

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic