All my talk about wanting a Benz diesel for myself has gotten my girlfriend wanting one. Power is not a concern; interior condition isn't a serious concern as long as it isn't truely trashed. It has to be okay mechanically (engine okay, tranny okay). She wants a manual transmission, although I think I've gotten her to understand that she can't expect one in her price range since stick diesels are quite coveted.

Problem is she's a college student like me and the car she has now is in really rough shape (I'm hoping to get $800 out of it; it's an '88 Ford Taurus that drives, but the engine mounts are shot and the interior's in bad shape), so she doesn't have very much $$ to play with, although $800 isn't the absolute limit. I'm guessing that it'd be hard to find a W123 or W126 in her price range, but maybe a W115 that wasn't loved? It has to be somewhere in California, although southern Oregon or western Nevada or Arizona would probably be okay; basically a days' worth of driving away.

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2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999