I'm looking at an 88 - 300e with 175m on the clock.
Any issues? The ignition switch? Low book? Typical mpg? $$ For a typical service, or how much really can't be done at home? It's auto with electric everything and all are working well. When warm the Oil p sits just under 1bar but does not peg when at speed?? Does jump quickly to 1 bar under max, but I'm used to seeing it pegged. I think it's real leather, at least not MBtex.

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89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

They get about 20 mpg mixed driving... and are not too bad to maintain provided you don't have a mechanic who thinks Mercedes drivers are rich and or do some of your own work. They excel as daily drivers when they are in decent repair... but don't set the world on fire in any particular category.

Ahh... I wouldn't buy it... unless you know why it's doing that (could be a bad oil filter or could be something much more significant)... or just wanted it for a parts car. If it's been driven like that a lot it would not be a good thing. Oil pressure should be pegged over 2000 rpms, if it's not there is a problem.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

It is the overall mix of quality construction, excellent ride, "corner like its on rails" handling, that set it aside.

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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

Good advice. I think Crash9 could do better with a little patience. There are usually 2-3 124's in our local sale paper. Mileage varies from the 80's to 200's and prices from $1.5K to $6K. I had a chance at one last year that would have been a good catch. It was bought brand new by a co-worker's Mother-in-Law and she drove it around Little Rock and annually to Memphis. That was it. The car had something like 45K and had only been worked on by a dealer. She entered a nursing home and asked her son-in-law to sell it. He asked ME what he should ask for. I grew devil horns and thought, ("I'll take it off your hand for $6K") but blurted-out that he should check eBay prices. He bought it from his M-in-Law and gave it to his daughter's new husband, who is in grad school. Damn!

Oh yeah, another one that got away was a 124 Diesel at my wife's church -- a grandmother gave it to her grandson when he got his DL. Sad stories like these make you cry, don't they?

Did the 88's have the valve guide issues ? or was that only the 86/87's ? Might want to look it up

(my bro has an '86 5-speed, and most all of these grow leaky valve guides just past 100K, consuming oil and making dark smoke, reaplceing the guides fixes it all but requires pulling the head. I an under the impression that they will run forever with bad guides, but you'd have to add oil and deal with the dirty exhaust...

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I can't remember, but I don't think my old gasser pegged. What ever, it seemed very clean and well maintained. In our local real estate construction driven economy the deals for people with cash in hand are getting pretty good. My barn's full now, but a new toy for cheap is hard to pass up.
I'm way to far into minimalism, and having every possible electric gadget may just be my second childhood starting Is 61 to early for a second childhood?

__________________
89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

As an aside, I maintain (the amature opinion) that the M103 engine is one of the most durable engines ever built by Mercedes, or for that matter, by anybody. And the 722.3xx 4 speed transmission is just about in the same category.

I keep trying to prepare myself for the day I will have to replace my 86' but the day never seems to arrive.

Also: "will run forever with leaky valves" ...I can verify that :-D

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html