That's because you have a 91 with later style guides. Early 103s came with guides that don't last as long. A valve job at 150-200K miles is hardly a reason to dismiss the otherwise bulletproof engine but it turns a $1500 purchase into a $3000 purchase :/

Other nits - water pump, belt tensioner and that joggle hose between the intake manifold and the head are needlessly complex.

Sixto
87 300D

There's a number of 103 parts that are either considerably cheaper or non-existant on the 104 motor - e.g. fuel pressure regulator, fuel distributor, idle speed control valve. 103s are easy to work on but diagnostic systems are inferior to those on later 104 motors.

Just when I about talk myself into buy into buying it, I read your posts and change my mind. Another problem is I will be buying it "sight unseen" and have no idea who this seller is, but he seems legit.

I can get the car for $2100 + $390 shipping, so it will be about $2500 for the car - then there is registering/title fees. I need to let this guy know something because someone else is interested he said, but waiting to see what I want to do.

Should I hold off and wait for a 84-87 300SD/SDL and wish for better luck?

If it checks out, buy it. There is no car you will buy for $2500 that will need nothing. M103 valve seals is about as lightly as you're going to get off on a 15-20 year old car.

Sixto
87 300D

The car your looking for doesn't exist. When you get a 20 year old MB, you should figure on putting the purchase price into it again in the first year to sort out the various issues they all have.

$2500 isn't going to get you a car that doesn't have a laundry list.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Like all cars they can be expensive or cheap to own. My neighbor has had 3 of them and just got a W220. His first one ran it about 80k. Nothing but issues. The second and third one he got ran fine all the way threw 100k. He now has a 2002 S600 and loves it more then his W140.

__________________
2015 ML350 4Matic. Wifes DD
2015 GLK350 4Matic. My winter DD
2012 E350 4Matic. Road Trip car
2009 CLK350 Coupe Designo.Kleemann Tune For nice days/DD
2006 CL600. V12.Eurocharged Tune. Enough said
2005 CLK55 AMG Coupe.Kleemann Tune. For the sound and style
2004 CLK320 Cabriolet. 2005+ Interior swap. For the sunny Florida days & beach days

This had me worried....

"Other nits - water pump, belt tensioner and that joggle hose between the intake manifold and the head are needlessly complex".

Yeah it did, because I sold it... my 190D. I just wish it had of been larger. Other than the A/C compressor, I could not find anything wrong with it, despite 157K miles.

Its not so much the problems on this 300SEL... He said it was fine, but my main hesitation was buying a car sight-unseen from a car on Craigslist. If I could get down there to get it there would be no issues. I would not mind having one with some problems anyway.

Sixtos comment just made me make some justification of what I was about to do. For all I know, there may not even be a car. Would I be crazy to wire money to a person I did not even know for a car I have not seen?

If I did that and it was a scam....

If you could get down there you would very likely find two issues 1) the car was not properly described, because very few are, and 2) you've wasted your travel money. This is the dilemma of buying an older used car - it is unwise to buy one sight unseen, and traveling to see them is cost prohibitive with so many wasted trips. This is almost true on local cars anymore, such an overwhelming percentage are poorly described by their owners, and it's certainly true for out of region. Some people are naive, others are desperate. The only real answer is patience or luck.

I was lucky with mine, as I bought all of them while driving truck long haul. I could try them out, take fotos, and get mechanics to check them, Then I would ask the dispatch for a load of solid bar steel, and drive the car right on top and bring it home. I also did that for cars for friends in Canada. I would average that I walked away from 6 cars for every one I liked.
One guy was desperate to sell a 300SDL. He tried telling me that the car was perfect, even after I showed him the diesel running down the IP and the engine shaking at idle.
After I told him, "the mechanic I go to say that perfectly normal....."

Ya right.....
If I could have had the car for $1000, it would have been worth it. But at $5000.... Not on your life.

__________________
All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Too many people tip toe through life, never attempting or doing anything great, hoping to make it safely to death... Bob Proctor

'95 S320 LWB
'87 300SDL
'04 E500 wagon 4matic

True, but because of insurance reasons, I told him I could not have it shipped, so he is working on a way to have it brought (driven) to me. I am assuming if it will make a 6 hour drive to my house then its probably a pretty worthy car. I hope anyway.

Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy a 20 year old car sight-unseen, let alone a Benz!

This whole situation is just a disaster waiting to happen. It's clear from your posts that you have your fingers crossed for a car that needs no work and is in A-1 condition. But then you turn around and set your price range at <$3k, which I guarantee you has just eliminated every single car that fits your criteria. And then to top it all off, you turn around and start buying one sight-unseen!

Hey CAPTAIN SMITH...slow down...you're about to hit an ICEBERG.

Oh wow...yea, don't buy any car sight unseen unless it's a deal you just can't pass up! Even then it's worth it to go and look!

I honestly would look at that 560SEL you were talking about that's local.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

Thanks for your concern - normally I would never do something like this, but I am needing a car pretty fast, as I want to give my car to my mother and I need to get me something. Well, I have seen ton of photos and it looks fine and if he is driving it here, surely its a good car. OR, even if he trailers it, I hope he would not be carelessness enough to misrepresent a car he his bringing- but you never know. Even if I could see a car I was buying, that would not mean anything. I have seen and driven cars only to have something happen soon after. I bought my 85' 380SE "sight unseen" and it turned out to be a good car (I bought it off of ebay and the car was driven here over 300 miles by the seller), aside from an engine knock that developed a few thousand miles after (it was faint and certain RPMS), I still managed to put over 15K miles on it and only paid $1000 for it, sold it for $700.

Its still all up in the air with this car. He said he thinks he has someone that will deliver it to me, so at least I know I will get the car, then pay, rather than paying and not having the car in my possession - now that was scary.

FWIW, here are some photos of the car....

Yeah, well look at the photo and give me your opinion.... worth $2100?

The people with the 560SEL work odd hours and I have not been able to see it... really not wanting a V8 W126 anyway. She said one front window off the track and the other does not work. Also, it has high miles and timing chain last change is unknown. She also said a radiator hose had sprang a leak (probably simple, but who knows, it could be the radiator and it has 260K miles! $2000 nego, but this probably would be a $$$$ car to repair.