greetings all,

i am ready to take the plunge! i love my toyotas, volvos, and audis, but i'm ready for a diesel. and as you all know, when going diesel, go benz, right? I am really keen on the idea of converting the engine over to run on vegetable oil, which is not a difficult or expensive trick. anyway, i am thinking about a 300d or (preferably) a 300td, and i am trying to decide whether to look for a 123 or a 124. from what little i know about these cars, it seems like the trade-offs are about even. the 6-cylinders appear to have more power, but i know that parts for the the 5-cylinders are easier to come by (used that is). is one engine or chassis particularly more difficult to work on? i have never (been able to afford to have) had a mechanic do anything to my cars, so i am just thinking ahead. what do you gurus think? other questions: is the 87 3 liter turbo engine really better than other years? how hard is it to pop a 5-speed into a 300? can one use a 5-speed from any 190d? what is the output from the 5-cylinder engines? i have not been able to find this stat. Are there any other significant things I need to think about when making this kind of decision?any and all advice is appreciated. thanks much, guys!

jon