Hi all,

Recently I've been looking at getting another car to use as a RELIABLE (key word here) beater, an errand, shopping, get-around type of car. Browsing through the ads, I found an '82 240D sedan. Today I went to look at it. It's beige and pretty crappy looking. The front grille is messed up from a previous accident (bumper was not affected), and there are some blotches on the paint. It's a diesel 4-speed manual. The car seems to shift and drive smoothly. However, that is based on me being the passenger. I did not drive the car, as I haven't driven a stick in a long time. I'll test drive it when I'm serious about buying it. I've never owned a diesel car before. What do I need to know about this particular 240D? Do they use special fluids? The owner said he adds regular 10w-40 oil in the engine. Also, when he turned off the car, it seemed to run a little before shutting down. He said it has always done that. The car seems to be in good running condition; it just has a few cosmetic blemishes. Here is a quick overview from my preliminary check today:

PROS
-pretty quiet for a diesel
-runs nicely
-no major dents

CONS
-dirty-looking engine
-driver-side passenger door does not open at all
-power sunroof stopped working
-radio removed
-power antenna removed (replaced with an ugly aftermarket one)
-armrest torn
-missing a couple of hubcaps
-fog lights don't work
-interior is in OK condition, no major tears
-odometer stopped working
-300k miles

The asking price is $550, but the owner said it's worth more. Is this car a good deal? I'm pretty interested in getting a diesel car. Although it will be a beater, it still has to be reliable and not cost much to operate. I don't want to spend money fixing things just to drive it. I heard diesels are pretty reliable and that they last a long time. Any comments about the 240D is appreciated. Thanks!