my SDL.

I was coming home tonite doing about 80 - 85

and a gold 300D passed me by like nothing.

Well I just had to see what the deal was and caught up to it.

We both got to the toll at the same time but he took off like a bat out of hell and left me way behind.

Are those 300's that quick? I've never driven one.

I assume that they are a lot lighter making it so"explosive".

Maybe next year.......

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

If you're talking about the '87 300D, they are pretty quick. Some diesels are just abnormally quick.

The 300D shouldn't seem that fast anyway...0-60 in 10.9 seconds vs 12.5 secs for the SDL(0-50 should be near identical).

Who knows what he has underhood. Maybe an intercooler with fuel delivery and boost turned up? Maybe it's just "broken-in well"?

Use some Diesel Kleen additive in your tank. It may help fuel economy and performance a bit, plus make injectors quieter. Can improve cetane up to 6 numbers. I'm using Diesel Supplement right now(4 cetane numbers and anti-gel), and I've got to tell you, I feel like my car pulls like Hell now like never before(even with normal summer fuel). Most of the power hits strong in my car from 3K rpm up till near 5K. The hp keeps pulling the car faster and faster, like the M119, until gears finally change. COOL!! 350 is the same way! Although torque response is still the same in both cars.

Oh fuel economy you won't believe,....Ready? Well I'm at slightly below half with 310 miles logged. So roughly 28 mpg, IN THIS FREAKIN' COLD!:p

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

I own a 82 300TD and a 86 300SDL. I would say the 300D is a little faster but not as fast as you described. Both will accelerate about the same. He must have had something under the hood. We are talking about a 123-300D?

Dave

Had a 99 E300 and got a E320 loaner from the dealer. the E300 was faster than the E320. The intercooled turbo that opens at 1000RPM really had some speed.

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

An 87 300TD weighs about 10% lighter than a 300SDL and the rear end gears are different. That makes the diffence.

Henry

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63 190d (sold)
69 220D (sold)
69 280SL (sold)
76 BMW 2002 (sold)
86 190E-16v (Demised at Laguna Seca Turn 9)
87 300SDL (sold)
87 300SDL 135k
87 300TD 280k (sold)
95 E320W 211k
95 E320w 111k
05 C320 4matic
06 E320 CDI 90k (Totaled by a texting 19 year old girl in a nissan)
2013 GLK 250 Bluetek 4MATIC

We still need a clarification from Plantman. Was this a W123 or W124 300D?

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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

Maybe compare your performance against another SDL. He might not be fast, you might be slow.

Don

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1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

Where did this occur and at what time? I was on the turnpike last night driving between Miami and Lake Worth. Those 3 lane stretches between Commercial and Lantana are really nice at 105.

1984 300D 324k miles

It was a 123 (gold) and my car seems pretty quick, althought i have no reference except the SD I totaled.


Tony Stewart:

I was going South from NWw106 street to SW 184.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

Hmmm..,

Who knows? Actually the W123 300D is supposed to have equal acceleration, if not, less acceleration capability than the 300SDL.

The car you were trying to follow might have better fuel than your car has in its tank. Maybe you picked up a poor load of diesel? Maybe he had less weight in his car than you had in yours? There are so many unknowns about that car that its impossible to speculate to any degree of accuracy exactly what happened.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

How about this un?

Attached Thumbnails

 

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Are you sure it was a diesel? Maybe he had a 350 Chevy under the hood. I would think a cool conversion would be a 5spd manual 240D with a 5.0 Mustang motor in it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Maybe you need to adjust your throttle linkage .... ? Some people here have said they found theirs way lacking in total travel....They were thrilled with the cheap easy fix it provided...

Nope Plantman it wasn't me. Are you in the nursery business? I am in Delray Beach.

If u take a 300D turbodiesel and drop in a manual transmission (in place of the auto transmission) , it is known to fly like a bat out of hell.

There r people who have done this and say its the quickest diesel in its class.

I have an '85 300D and an '87 SDL. The 123 was painfully slow and had a terribly hard shifting transmission for 2 years. Turned out out be a major vacuum leak to the transmission. This was fixed and the car can actually spin its wheels on anything but perfectly dry pavement. I could not believe the difference. So it is quicker than my SDL off the line, probably. After reaching 15 to 20 MPH, I believe the SDL would catch up and pass the D.

I am sure my 16 year old son would love to help run this test, but I think I will wait.

Alan Hamm