1985 300D Euro Spec W124 Chassis Sedan -6 cylinder non-turbo - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

bxtech · #1 07-17-2011, 01:57 PM

1985 Mercedes Benz 300D Diesel European Spec W124 Chassis with a 6 cylinder engine. $2750 - Located in Northern California, SF Bay Area.

- This is actually a 1985 year model 300D with the later W124 body.
- Rare European spec model that was privately imported into the U.S. in 1985 before this bodystyle was released here!
- Included are the original import documents which include:
** Letter from the District Director of Customs showing importer's name and vehicle imported on 9/11/1985.
** Document from the U.S. EPA regarding this vehicle and the EPA file number.
** Emission test report for this vehicle dated 9/16/1985. This document also shows the Port of Entry to be San Francisco.
- California car since it was imported and has NO rust issues.
- 3.0 litre 6 cylinder diesel normally aspirated (non turbo) engine with 221K miles on the odometer
- SMOG EXEMPT in California! (No smog check required)
- Automatic transmission
- Clean title (not salvage)
- Clear CARFAX report included
- All DOT and EPA compliance has been done way back when the car was imported.
- Currently titled and registered in California
- Runs and drives great! It gets great gas mileage with 30+ mpg!
- Lots of receipts/records dating way back!
- New windshield installed about 5-6 years ago
- Recent new injector delivery valve seals replaced (on injector pump)
- Front timing cover was recently replaced with an original Mercedes updated/stronger designed part
- New OEM dipstick tube
- New front crankshaft/main seal
- Radiator recently replaced
- New upper radiator hose
- Fuel injector bleeder lines all replaced with Viton hoses
- New cooling fan clutch
- Coolant change recently done
- Oil changes always done with the proper 15W-40 diesel engine oil
- Newer battery
- Recent new air filter
- Upgraded OEM 16 inch alloy wheels from a 1998 E-Class (originally had 14 inch wheels)
- Updated clear turn signal assemblies with yellow bulbs (like the newer model cars)
- Genuine leather seats (most of the US W124 cars had vinyl interiors)
- Genuine sheepskin front seat covers
- Original factory alloy spare tire/rim
- NEVER smoked in! -The ashtray and cigarette lighter has never even been used!
- Clock in the instrument panel STILL WORKS and keeps time perfectly!
- Door panels in good shape with no rips
- Power windows
- Power sunroof
- Power door locks, trunk lock, gas door lock
- Power antenna
- Factory foglamps
- Rear defog back glass (works!)
- Original Becker Grand Prix digital AM/FM/Cassette stereo -works great!
- Zebrano wood trimmed center console
- Dash mat carpet dash cover
- Updated rear "E 300" emblem (like the newer models) changed from the original "300D" logo.
- Headliner is in good shape with no rips
- Carpets in good shape with no holes
- Custom fitted W124 chassis floor mats
- Front and rear adjustable headrests
- Fold down armrests for front and rear seats
- Back deck area under the rear window is in good shape (most of the times this area is torn up and badly sun-beaten)
- Original Mercedes first aid kit included, and still sits in the storage area under the rear window
- Original owner's manual, warranty manual, and other manuals/documents included. Original plastic pouch with the Mercedes star is also included.
- Original emergency roadside hazard triangular reflector included.

As mentioned above, this car is a European specification model that was privately imported to the U.S. in 1985. The first year model that this newer W124 bodystyle was brought here to the U.S. was in 1987. This car was really envied in its day! A lot of money and effort was put in to get it here! In fact, if you look at the pictures, the front bumper still has the wider spacing for a European license plate!

There are a number of differences between this car and it's U.S. counterpart. This car has manually adjustable front seats, no anti-lock braking system (ABS), no outside digital temperature gauge, a 6 cylinder diesel engine but non-turbocharged, no above head seatbelt indicator light, no airbag system, no cruise control. The U.S. spec car came with all of those mentioned items. In my opinion, the less gadgets the better since less can go wrong! This car also had European headlights and tail lights but those were replaced with U.S. model ones to meet the DOT and EPA requirements. Originally, the European headlights were pneumatically adjustable with controls mounted in the dash. The controls and part of the adjustment system is still installed in the car, but it's obviously no longer operable. If someone wanted to re-install the headlight system, it shouldn't be too difficult.

The car runs and drives great! I used it for quite awhile as a daily driver and it has always been reliable. I've always liked the car and I've always tried to keep it up mechanically. As you can see from the list, I have put quite a bit into it! However, I haven't used it much in about the last year, so I've decided to put it up for sale. Please keep in mind that this is not a perfect car, but one that has been driven and enjoyed. The body is straight, but does have a number of minor nicks, scratches, and dings here and there from use. It is a solid body with no major accidents and NO rust! The biggest accident that it had was from the previous owner which had a relatively light collision with a deer and did some front damage around the headlight area. Because of this, the hood doesn't line up when shut as well as it originally did. However, the hood opens and closes fine and stays securely shut....it's strictly a cosmetic issue. If you come by to view the car, you can see that the inner structure in the front is all original and that proves there was no major front end damage. The paint on the car appears to be mostly all original. The front hood is oxidized and could use a good buffing. The driver's side front fender has some of the clear coat that is flaking. The air conditioning and heater was working great until about 1 month ago. The blower fan won't turn on now for some reason. The car has some oil residue on the bottom, but there are no major leaks and doesn't leave puddles or anything like that on the driveway. The parking brake needs adjustment. The driver's side REAR window is not working and suspect is the switch. The seats are in decent shape with no tears, but the leather on the front seats are a bit dried out which is why I installed the sheepskin seat covers. The wood trim in the center console has some cracking and chipping from age.

Well.........that's the car! I've tried to disclose and describe it all as best as I can! It needs a few things, but Hey!.....Keep in mind that it's 26+ years old! It's a good solid car for its age! In the past I was thinking of running it on biodiesel or veggie oil and maybe even installing a dual tank system, but I just never got around to doing it. It would be a great candidate for those things if somebody wanted to go that direction though.

Please PM if you have any questions. Thanks.

Please click on link below to view the photo album of the car:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65307850@N03/sets/72157627091574369/show/

mespe · #2 07-19-2011, 08:30 AM

location? asking price?

Zacharias · #3 07-19-2011, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mespe

location? asking price?

Both are in the first line of the ad, dude....

ashedd · #4 07-19-2011, 06:15 PM

I think that thing is pretty cool. The price is good too. It is odd to see an om603 without the turbo.

s38junkie · #5 07-21-2011, 06:09 PM

I have one, also an early build from 1986. Mine has been dead reliable over the last 30K miles and the odo now reads just shy of 265K miles. Motor and auto tranny have never been apart... the NA OM603 is economical, smooth, quiet, and free of the electronic and plumbing complexity of the turbo cars. It's not nearly as quick, but at highway speeds it is more than adequate and can cruise @ 80 - 85 MPH without much effort.

Anyone considering a W124 diesel should definitely give this consideration. The price seems fair too.

JimmyL · #6 07-21-2011, 11:54 PM

Honestly stated info.
Reasonable price.
Pretty clean car.
Not bad.......

I checked out one like that locally here a few years back. Also an '85. It had a manual tranny and rear SLS. Was in awful shape though!!!! Also had cloth interior.....

Good luck. Nice primitive W124......