1979 Mercedes Benz 300CD
Diesel Coupe
2-Owners

VIN # 12315012002870
244,300 Original Miles
Milan Brown Metallic on Bamboo MB-Tex Interior
Automatic Transmission
Clean and Clear California Title
2-Owner California Car

Offered at $6,990

The W123 or C123 Chassis Mercedes Benzes having always had a strong following, but they are finally becoming a cult collectible. In particular, the diesel engine models are very desirable as time has proven these to be incredibly well built machines.

This particular Coupe has a soft spot in my heart. I learned to drive in this exact car when I was 15. My dad (now AutoKennel partner) purchased it brand new on March 16, 1979 from the Mercedes Benz dealer in Hollywood, CA. At the time, the gas crisis was in full swing and my dad was commuting 100-miles a day. He was done with gas lines and this Diesel seemed like the answer. To say he coveted the car would be putting it lightly. He changed his own oil religiously every 3,000 miles. The local Mercedes mechanic became such good friends with my dad that he became part of our Christmas card list. There are so many strong memories with my dad and they way he cherished this car.

By the early 90’s, his commute shortened to a dozen miles a day and he had a company car as well. So, the Brown Diesel (also called Henry) was retired from daily service at around 200,000 miles. Now, it was simply used as an extra car and the miles came on at a much slower rate. However, my dad still changed the oil every few months even if there was less than a few hundred miles between changes. My dad was so meticulous that he kept a record of every single tank of diesel that went into the car as well as every single record of oil changes done. Also, we have a three-ring binder that is over an inch thick with receipts since day one. Finally, we have every bit of sales information that came with the car. This includes the original bill of sale, sales brochure, and letters from Mercedes.

In 2003, we sold the car to my friend’s father. Henry had about 220,000 miles on it at the time. This owner had recently moved to Palm Springs and kept the car there as his weekend “show” car. He continued the excellent maintenance including the following recent services:

New Pirelli tires
New Bilstein shocks
Major Air Conditioning overhaul (works great)
Compression test: 1)320 2)320 3)325 4)320 5)310
New Injector fire rings
New A/C compressor
New timing chain and tensioner

The car really drives great. I think it is testament to the two owner’s care of the car. It shifts smoothly and starts with ease.

Considering the age of the paint, (it was repainted its original color when almost new due to being hit in the rear and my dad wanted the car to look perfect) it looks very good. The only flaw is on the passenger side “C” pillar (see photo). Some of the paint is cracking and flaking. It also is cracking a bit by the rear window as well (see photo). The interior looks amazing and is all original. The dash is perfect with no cracks or warping. The seats look great with no tears. The original carpet and floor mats still look good with minimal wear signs. The passenger side rear window does not work and probably needs a new regulator. Also, the driver side rear window is very slow. The sunroof motor works, but it doesn’t open and needs a new cable. Everything else works. Even the A/C blows cold and the clock keeps time.

This Benz comes with all the original owner’s manuals, first-aid kit, dealer documents, records, log books, metal owner plate, jack, spare tire, tools, and an extra key. You will be hard pressed to find a more complete 30+ year old diesel.


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or paul@autokennel.com

For tons of photos, go to: www.AutoKennel.com

Attached Thumbnails

         

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