Howdy, folks. After months of searching, I am on the verge of purchasing a used '85 300D. But there are one or two issues which are keeping me on the fence. I would appreciate greatly any advice or insights you good people might provide. If my question is not appropriate to this forum, please feel free to forward it.

The current owner (and not the original one) is an acquaintance of mine. I know him to be an honest and a good person; also, I know that he has taken very fine care of the car. We went together to a Mercedes mechanic, one considered a Mercedes guru in my area, for a thorough examination. From the owner's statements and the mechanic's evaluation, here is what I know:

The engine and the transmission are well-serviced and running very strong. I emphasize VERY. (The engine has about 190,000 'true' miles on it). Structurally there is close to zero rust. There is, however, quite a bit of Bondo on a couple of fenders (both sides of the car) and on the pillar of the driver's door. Nobody knows the prior history of the car, and the mechanic seems 'put off' by this badly done body work. Also, the driver's door seems to have been replaced, and is not, I think, the correct one. It may need to be replaced again.

The car needs new tires and a complete exhaust system. It needs new rear brake pads and discs, and new alternator belts and a windshield. The steering box needs adjustment, and the drive shaft center support is a little weak.

The interior is a bit rough, and the car needs quite a number of 'cosmetic' fixes. For example, it needs a little trim on left side of the dash, a grille insert and hood star, a power antenna mast, underhood pad, sunroof wind deflector springs, underdash screw caps, parking brake pedal cover, et cetera. (The mechanic is a purist).

The car also has a grease conversion kit already installed. This is vital to me, because running veg is a primary reason for getting a diesel.

The owner is asking $3500 - $4000. So I look at the car like it is worth $2000 - $2500, with a $1500 grease conversion kit. I figure the main repairs will cost about $1500 - $2000. That's about $5000 - $5500 total.

I have more or less taken a vow of poverty -- I perform volunteer community work -- and I can just barely afford the asking price. In fact, I have never owned a car, and would not get one now, except that various personal reasons are calling for it (e. g. an aging father 150 miles away).

My question is this: can I get a better car for $3500 (I have not found one yet) and put the $1500 - $2000 toward a better grease conversion kit (the one that is in it works well enough, but would not be my first choice) instead of toward repairs? The '85 300D is definitely the best $2000 car I have seen so far, and I have been looking since January.

Lastly, I should add that I would perform many repairs myself, but I do not own any tools. Not even a screwdriver in a kitchen drawer. I may borrow some tools, but I do not want to hassle my kind neighbors too much.

Thanks for any help or guidance you can give me.

depending on where you live, you can generally find mid 80s Mercedes w/ much lower mileage, no sheetmetal repairs/damage, and that do not immediately need critical stuff like tires and windshield for well under $3k.

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2005 Mercedes C230k sport sedan, 6 speed
1987 Porsche 924S - 968-engined track car

I see. Well, I live in rural New England. The MBs up here -- the few that I have seen -- are rusted out or rotten underneath. Long winters and a lot of salt . . . .