300D rebuild: Lamenting the era of the throwaway car...
 

I am starting to get my garage ready for a 300D rebuild. I am pricing it as:

300.00 Head Job
200.00 injectors
300.00 pistons/sleeves (oversize)
300.00 bearings
200.00 Seals, gaskets, etc.
0.00 Machine shop for redrilling
300.00 miscellaneous

$1400 Total

Unfortunately the used car market is flooded with 100K mile
Volvos, Toyotas, Corollas, Hondas and yes MERCEDES !!
QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THROWAWAY the
car, they may be right.

I am thinking the W123 cars were the last cars worth rebuilding....

My theory is: As long as rust or wrecks are not going to overtake the car, fix it and keep driving. Most things on an MB are built robustly enough to last a long time. Not always so on the other cars you mentioned. I have an '87 300E in our stable and would not be adverse to getting an '87 300D. If I can talk my daughter into driving it, I just may. (she has been complaining about the price of premium gas). You have the skills needed to rebuild the engine, so why not. I think it makes good sense in several ways.

Carrameow,

With such great compression numbers, why are you rebuilding it?

Have a great day,

hmmm do a partial rebuild (head job, new bearings,rings) from a donor car with an engine that does not need new pistons and sleeves? Sell the parts off of donor car to pay rebuild cost

Where are you getting pistons/sleeves for $300? I would make every effort to just resleeve and use the existing pistons.

Boy do I need a project...
 

..I dont want a Porsche or Honda or Toyota or Nissan..

I just want a good old solid Mercedes DIESEL. Nothing aginst the W123 class, but I have visited it many times and I was looking at the 87 190D but they said it wasnt such a good car....Also if I rebuild my W123 , if it gets hit, i wont get much from the insurance.. I think I (WE) could handle up to 93 or 94...is there anything out there?

Carrameow,

Just stop and think for a minute what all those 100K mile Hondas and Toyotas will look like when THEY get 20 years old.

Take a good look at the ones that are already 20 years old and ask yourself, "Would I really want to keep this thing?"

W123 cars were built to last and are truly worth repairing, but the materials used in the newer, cheaper cars won't go the distance.

What does it cost to get a shop rebuild?

I noticed you have rebuilt every car you own. Is this a necessity or a hobby? I personally wouldn't rebuild any of my engines even if I had the skill and desire unless I really had to. I think the MB factory engineers put these engines together better than any one of us will ever be able to. Why have I seen so many MB diesels for sale with freshly rebuilt engines?

Why not an engine from a salvage yard?? Rebuild can be risky if you miss some seemingly minor detail and them bang.