I am sorry that I disappoint you. As I said, the timing chain from what I can tell has not been replaced. The guides and tensioner are in great shape. I check every 12,000 miles when I do a valve adjustment. I am of the school that if there is no excessive stretch or an issue in engine health/performance (i.e running rough, burning oil, poor fuel combustion, etc.), why change it?

I would think that this forum would be the last place to have an audience of nay sayers. We all seem familiar with these cars and we know what they are capable of delivering. Why is it so hard to believe that a car that was well-cared for and maintained can't continue to deliver exceptional service? The other general comment I would like to make is that for an owner base that tends to like to brag about how many miles they put on their diesel, when a high mileage car comes up for sale, suddenly mileage is a direct relationship to service life of the vehicle. My response - causation does not equal correlation.

The last posting about the sale of the SD back in 1999. I really appreciate your comment because it supports the pricing and value of my car. If you look at the time value of money and account for inflation, the sale price of your car in 1999, is very close to my asking price. Additionally, if I take into consideration that your car had more miles on the clock than my car currently does, 17 years later and assuming 12,000 miles per year (and because mileage is apparently a factor in the assumed life of a car), the asking price again falls in line.

I think you all might be right. These forums aren't the way to go to advertise a car like this. It is best to be seen in person and the car will sell itself. Tomorrow is the Deutsche Marque car show in the DC area and my car will be on the green and I hope to get a lot of discussion and interest.

Thank you again for your feedback. I will let you know how it goes.

At that mileage I'd wonder about the potential longevity of the timing chain guides. I'd also wonder about the oil pump chain as that often fails before the main chain due to its shorter length.

It is a lovely car but as you state, the best way is for someone to look at it and drive it. I found out a long time ago that a nice Mercedes with over 200K miles on it has only a small number of buyers out there. If its really sharp I have often sold them to the first person who comes and looks at it.

I had one guy look at one of my nice clean 240Ds with 200,000 plus on it and said..."Its almost like someone snuck in and turned the odometer ahead 100K.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

How do you tell that your tensioner is in "great shape"? is there a specification in the factory manual?

Someone near here was selling a 300sd with under 200k that looked to be in great shape for around $8-9. For me it was a matter of value vs. utility and the only way that car retains its value is by not being driven much. I owned a 1984 sd and it was one of my favorite cars. That said I know that a w124 or w210 is going to deliver a better ride and better fuel economy and for 1/3 to 1/2 the price. I ended up buying a 99 e300 d with 167k partly because I always wanted one and I have a parts car for it.

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0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

EJHumber, a tensioner is in good shape if it is still strong.

To all: I am a friend of the owner and personally very familiar with this car. Kevin is the IDEAL car owner. He is the guy you want to buy from. No, he's not the original or even 2nd or third owner, but he has made it his mission to bring this and his other '85 300SD back into full working order. And I do mean full. He is obsessive about ensuring that everything functions as it should.

Is this car 100% perfect? No. It's a used vehicle. But it is both beautifully restored and mechanically excellent. Will something wear out in the future? Of course! Anyone here have a car that you can't say that about? Will you immediately have to dump money into this car? Nope. Buy your $3k car and spend another $6 getting it like this or just turn the key to this one and go.

I am a shop owner and mechanic who works exclusively on older Benzes, just to give you some context to my remarks.

This forum is likely not the place to market the SD for $12K (or even $9K). Might do better with Craigslist or something else where the public is not as well informed about the vehicles.

I'm not sure you understand what's going on here, so I'll help you.

I've seen this vehicle multiple times on multiple occasions. I've even rebuilt parts for it and helped hunt down others. Everyone on this forum who has been able to see this vehicle in person has stated nothing short of highly positive things about it.

Now that we've understood that the vehicle is in well condition, understand that it is priced accordingly on a forum for those who not only are well informed about the vehicle but also appreciate this type of vehicle. Now, while the price may be too high for some (lets not be too afraid to admit that many vintage diesel owners are cheapskates, myself included) this forum has a wide demographic, including those who the advertised price isn't a fortune for.

Please don't be so insulting to claim that only the "uninformed" public are the only ones who would purchase such a vehicle, especially as it appears that you not as informed about this car as you assume.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

You certainly took my comment wrong. The folks on this forum know well all the things to look for in the SD and I suspect at 400,000 miles many are leery that the car is somewhat near its end of life - without probably being required to address a big repair curve coming soon. The Craigslist folks however will look at the excellent appearance of the vehicle and assume that the purchase price will give them no cost driving for many years.

In my view the forum folks have a more realistic view and therefore are not going to be willing to pay as much as the Craigslist crowd.

So again I believe the seller will get more on Craigslist and I wish him every success.

Just wondering if it sold?

Don't think so. Will see both the vehicle and its quality-obsessed owner later this week. I'll be the third to chip in here about the condition and presentation. It's tops; the car is well known (as is the owner) to the MBCA/GWS and is an award winner.

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Scott in MD/DC
94 E320 Wagon
"Money can't replace it, no memory can erase it
and I know I'm never gonna find another one to compare"-LW
85 TDT project (stay tuned)
W201, W202, W126 and lotsa VWs