I am new to diesels, but not to working on cars and I also owned a 1988 300E, which I have to admit was not the most trouble free car ever, having fuel system problems and a trans leak, not to mention an ac leak and other minor bothers.

I am looking at a sweet 1985 300D coupe with 165 K. It looks really clean and has orig. paint and the seller says it runs very well. Needs a sunroof motor. It will sell in the 3K range. Is this a good deal? I know coupes are more desirable, they are certainly good looking. I want a diesel because of more longevity and better economy. I may also want to tow a small boat with it.

Please advise.

Hello echelonphoto
Where exactly is it (address)?
Does that answer your question?
Have a creat day.

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1985 300SD
1983 300D
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We would need a lot more information to know if it's a good deal or not. I really like my car and I think I got a decent deal. 2700 for a 1984 with 160k. I did put 1400 into it immediately after purchasing, so that brings the cost up to 4100 for mine. That included a new windshield, front suspension, tranny work, misc. I hope my car will last another 200,000. There is no rust. Rust is a bad thing. The sunroof can be a PITA, or can be somewhat expensive to fix depending on the problem. I reccomend letting an independent mercedes specialist look the car over. Pay him for an hour of his time. You might want to get a compression test done to see how strong the engine is, but one of the most reccomended mechanics on this site doesn't do compresion tests...says he can tell without them. The ACC can be troublesome on these cars and can also be expensive to fix. How many owners has the vehicle had? Is there any records of maintenece/repairs done? With more information, we might be able to give you a better idea if it is a deal or not. I knew nothing about these cars a year ago, but with a lot of searching on this site, I think I can spot a good deal now if one would ever come along Good luck and keep us posted.

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

I highly doubt it is the sunroof motor, if it is the same setup as the sedan odds are it just needs to be greased with the proper grease. The incorrect grease hardens and doesn't allow the sunroof to slide freely in its tracks which makes the clutch on the sunroof motor slip.

__________________
Jeff M.
Mercedes W123 DIY pages are now located here.
1983 / 1984 300D Sold
2000 CLK430 Cabriolet ~58k Sold
2005 Avalanche 4x4 ~66k

Are there any obvious things I should look for?

RUST, RUST, RUST, RUST.
Oil leaks.
Electrical problems.

Give us a couple of pictures and you will get better advice.

Get the thing checked out pre-purchase by a good mechanic (where are you?). Engine health most important (compression leakdown test, etc.) Rust is to be avoided or at least should become a negotiation point on price.

Have an '83 300CD coupe and wish it was a sedan...many parts exclusive to the coupes are very expensive, which the rest of stuff for W123 bodies is NOT. Chronic area of complaint are the electric lifts for the rear quarter windows. There were a number of little problems like this peculiar to the coupes which appeared when the cars were almost new, but which Mercedes never bothered to fix because the coupe was a low-volume model offered for just a few years. Seems that those who made this choice at Daimler Benz have now entered senior management, because everything Mercedes seems to build now is according to the rule of what-we-can-get-away-with as opposed to how-well-can-we-build-this-vehicle?