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

__________________
"Know other lessons I need to learn? TELL me. Tired of learning'em the hard way".

Glow Plug Wait: [i} Time of silence in homage Rudolph Diesel. Longer you own a diesel. more honor you give". [/i]

Life; SNAFU Situation Normal All Fouled Up, & FUBAR: Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

-Now: Snafued Jeep TJ w/OM617 2Be daily driver & building SS M1079 w/Ambo boxed /live in Adv. Truck, Diesel KLR conversion
-Sold 62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD

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

__________________
Jim

..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.

__________________
Nate Stanley
(Currently Benzless)
1985 F-250 6.9l 170K
2009 SCION XB 36.5K
2003 LS430 78K
2012 Kubota B 2320

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?

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

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

__________________
Ricali

03 C240 4matic wagon
95 300E 234,000
7 prior 240;s 5 still going
81 300sd gone
65 230sl gone
49 Studebaker Champion
90BMW convert.167,000
60 Dodge D-100