FS: 1980 300GD in Virginia (With Pics) - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

nazrat · #1 12-19-2010, 10:24 PM

Strong 1980 300GD G-wagen with some rare options for it's era. 97,xxx miles, no history to show that the odometer has rolled over 100,000 (or not).
Originally equipped with a 3.0L inline five cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive, it was recently converted to a 3.0L turbo diesel. Because it started as a 300GD it has the correct 300GD flywheel and clutch, not the smaller 240D car flywheel or lighter flywheel from a gas engine. According to Eurotruck only 6 of these were imported with 5-speeds. I've been getting 20-22mpg driving this with the turbo-diesel engine and can cruise at modern highway speeds. This truck also has a factory roof-rack and tow hitch. I bought it in Chicago and drove it to VA. Since then I've taken a couple of trips, including one to NC. I wouldn't hesitate to drive this truck home, but understand that it's a 30 year-old truck.

$13,500 - located in Fairfax Virginia.

Pictures at: http://luddite.net/300GD

The Good:
Mercedes om617a 5-cylinder turbo diesel has been swapped in and runs great. Had the following performed during the install:
Valves adjusted
Glow plugs removed, holes reamed, plugs tested and reinstalled
Glow plug system converted to newer parallel setup
New engine mounts
New valve cover gasket
New oil pan gasket
New oil filter housing gasket
New high-capacity oil cooler installed in front of radiator
New thermostat installed
New belts installed
New water pump installed
New turbo and air filter oil drain tube gaskets
New intake gaskets installed (manifold-engine, turbo-manifold, air intake-filter and air intake-turbo)
New turbocharger gasket installed
New oil pressure sender
New oil, fuel power steering and air filters
New (updated) primer pump
New radiator cap
New shifter bushings
New hard metal line from the front locker rubber hose back to the master cylinder
New pilot bearing
New input bearing on the transmission
Resurfaced flywheel/PP
Redline MTL in the transmission
New radiator hoses
All of the throttle linkage wear parts were replaced (all ball ends and the pivot on the flywheel)
New exhaust system from the turbo flex pipe back to the tip. An aluminized "Turbo" muffler was used

It has an oil pressure gauge now (vs just the stock idiot light) along with an Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT or Pyrometer) installed with new engine and a boost gauge. The EGT probe is pre-turbo for the most accurate readings

Done within the last year or so:
New center driveshaft
Shifter completely rebuilt
New door gaskets
New lower dash
Radiator rodded out and pressure tested. Brackets re-brazed to body
The coolant was flushed after the initial engine run-in after the swap
New rear springs
All dash light bulbs replaced (except the two in the EGT and boost gauges - they are slightly dimmer than the rest)
Radio replaced with newer Mercedes unit
New shift-shaft seals on the Transmission
Redline MT90 in the transfer case
New transfer-case floor seal
New transfer-case shifter seal
New shifter boots on both the transmission and transfer case shifter
New OEM shifter knob
New stainless braided brake hoses and the system was flushed with synthetic fluid
New battery cables + ground
New seal on the throttle linkage where it passes through the firewall

Before I bought the truck it was upgraded. This upgrade included a repaint (where they even painted the door jams), replacing the front seats with Recaro leather seats from some German car, and recovering the rear bench seat to match, updated the steering wheel to the later style, installed factory chrome brush-guard, chrome turn signal guards and chrome mirrors, a custom headliner was installed with three sets of dome lights (front one has a map light), the dash was leather-covered to match the seats and two front speakers were installed (compared to the one from the factory). The update also included some full-length chrome steps, but I removed those. They will come with the truck if you want them. They also added window tint which isn't bubbled or wavy, but it has sustained a couple of small (1/2") tears from contact with cargo - not very visible from the outside. Blue carpet was cut and installed over the factory mats in the rear seat area and cargo area.

This truck was imported only about 2 years ago and thus didn't require federalization (it was over 25 years old). That means that you get to keep the nice E-code headlights, and since it was originally a 1980 diesel you won't have to worry about getting any kind of certification that it was converted from gas to diesel. Both Virginia (where it is now) and Illinois (where I bought it) titled it without issue. CA may be a different story and I encourage you to do your research if you plan on moving it to CA. They play by a different set of rules.

The Bad:
Scratch on windshield above new gauges. About 2" long - definitely a scratch not a crack
Door locks are sticky: The driver's lock is the worst (of course). The truck has power lock actuators installed in the doors, and those work properly in the two right side and the left rear doors. Just like with the key, the driver's door solenoid won't always lock or unlock the system due to the added friction.
Wiper Arms leak: New ones are included with the purchase
Paint: It was repainted a few years back. The paint is generally ok, but there are a couple of rust spots now. The worst of it at the back below the cargo area windows (not at the gasket, but at the body seam there). There are pics to show the issue.
Door gasket missing between the cargo doors
Trip odometer is inoperable
One of the three air bladders in the driver side Recaro seat has a leak. The pump and the other two seem to be just fine.

Fulcrum525 · #2 12-20-2010, 11:29 AM

Oh wow very nice.

I love the upper radiator hose

(Is that a G320 I see parked in the garage

)

tfernandez · #3 12-20-2010, 12:11 PM

pardon my lack of knowledge, but why is there 2 shifters?

Fulcrum525 · #4 12-20-2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfernandez

pardon my lack of knowledge, but why is there 2 shifters?

Here you go.

nazrat · #5 12-20-2010, 12:26 PM

Yup, it lets you select 2wd high-range (1:1), 4wd high-range (1:1), Neutral or 4wd low-range (around 2.7:1).

-Tad

ColLonewolf · #6 12-21-2010, 08:58 AM

NO FAIR! You have two of them.

nazrat · #7 12-21-2010, 09:17 AM

I'm trying to fix that. Then I can work on making the 2nd one a diesel. The M104 has a nice flat torque curve but it doesn't compare to the music of a diesel.

-Tad

Fulcrum525 · #8 12-21-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nazrat

I'm trying to fix that. Then I can work on making the 2nd one a diesel. The M104 has a nice flat torque curve but it doesn't compare to the music of a diesel.

-Tad

Just make sure it has a turbo......

What a great day test driving old Mercedes

nazrat · #9 12-21-2010, 09:50 AM

Yea, definitely. This 1980 wasn't painful, but it was slow with the stock non-turbo engine. I can keep up with traffic now that it has the turbo engine in it and the 5-speed helps.

-Tad

Fulcrum525 · #10 12-21-2010, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nazrat

Yea, definitely. This 1980 wasn't painful, but it was slow with the stock non-turbo engine. I can keep up with traffic now that it has the turbo engine in it and the 5-speed helps.

-Tad

Don't say that!

It will only tempt me to look at this one even more

Fulcrum525 · #11 12-29-2010, 02:42 PM

How many miles were on the turbo engine before the swap?

nazrat · #12 12-29-2010, 08:47 PM

It has around 230k. It was purchased from another peachparts member.

"It is a darned good engine - it was babied by me with straight highway miles (168 miles a day round trip) and oil changes with Rotella synthetic every month! (3400 miles)" - and he told me that after I bought it not before

I forgot to mention that this comes with a hundred pounds of spares: starter, alternator, stock oil coolers, brackets, etc. I also just installed a brand new set of Bilstein front shocks.

-Tad

nazrat · #13 01-08-2011, 09:08 PM

Sold

-Tad

Fulcrum525 · #14 01-08-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nazrat

Sold

-Tad

Yeah I figured that it wouldn't take long.

*Sigh* next time.....