(story)Need help with heartbreaking decision for the 76 300D

[Nate]

This sucks. All in all, I have nothing much to say, other then I need help deciding the fate of a 76 300D. Heres the history surrounding the car, in a nutshell...

I dont know when my dad bought it, but he did. It's a 76 300D. He took very good care of it. It was his babied car. I have a notebook logging what was done to the car, hand written by my late father, documenting everything... Oil changes, brakes, valve adjustments (every year? wow) It was in extremely good shape. New tires, R12 holding AC, washed/waxed, everything worked, ran great, and had no problems... He was done with it, he had no more to do with it, and since he liked to stay busy, he was to sell it spring of 1998. He passed away in fall 1997, and the car was parked in the shed until 2004/2005. I changed the oil, checked the fluids, changed the air filter, aired up the tires, thew in a new battery, and installed new battery cables. It was back to life, mostly. It needs a bushing kit in the idler arm, the window switches needs to be taken apart and cleaned, the transmission pan leaks (i hope, or a seal somewhere), it runs rough, wont start when it's cold out, theres a quarter sized bubbling paint on the pass rear quarter above the tire, needs seat padding, needs vacuum system help, and most recently, the brake light is on and there is no power assist.

I am 19 years old. I live at home with my mother. I work 40 hours a week or better between a "job" as a basic undercar tech and working on the side for extra income. I am a reservist medic in the Army. I am a preprogram nursing student. I am going to Iraq this winter for a one year tour. My mom wants me to drive it, sell it, or store it elsewhere.

I have no enthusiast attitude for this car. I cannot "get into" something like this no matter the extream sentimental value, or otherwise. I have tried, and tried very hard to love this car. I love it because my dad loved it, but if I were to see a similer car, I would think "nice old Mercedes" and carry about my day...

I cant afford to store it, that is not an option. I cannot drive it due to it's current needs and my fear of something happening to it. I am also afraid to drive it because I dont want it to get ruined with miles, stone chips, and whatnot. I would keel over if I sold it to someone who wouldn't take care of it. Its not worth much, i dont think, and getting haggled on price of something my dad loved would hurt.

I would like to see it go to someone who would take excellent car of it, get it in good running condition, and maybe drive it on the weekends or something?

Little help from the forum?
Heres a picture from around 2006-2008. No good ones to be found anywhere...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/NathanEbert/152184bc.jpg
~Nate

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hello Nate,

I feel your message... My Dad had a 1977 that he put 350,000 miles on before he reluctantly sold it. Dad used to polish and love on that car with a lot of pride.

He lives in Florida now retired driving a Toyota SUV that bores him nearly to death. He is always visiting the Mercedes showroom looking at new ones. He doesn't have a garage at his condominium, and could bare leaving a brand new Mercedes sitting out in the weather.

My advice would be to post on the diesel forum. Those guys are fanatics for that car and you can be reasonably assured it will be loved by someone who comes to the forum. Don't try to get the sentimental value of your car, but offer a reasonably fair market price and you won't have to haggle. You can advertise it as a red tag special which is meant to communicate "no haggling or trades".

You Dad would probably appreciate the care and concern you have demonstrated for his Mercedes. Was he the generous type who would have wanted an enthusiast to reserect the car without concern for his monetary situation? It is going to be expensive for most enthusiasts to repair the issues you cited and drive the car. Your price should take into account what it costs to repair and what the car will be worth repaired.

I wish you could post more pictures. I was looking for a diesel a few months ago, but gave up when gas prices came back down. My car gets 12 miles to the gallon around town, but I love "Driving Miss Daisy". Slow and smooth, looking good...

[meltedpanda]

You can be assured that if priced correctly , it will find a very good home , I suspect with someone from this forum.
I for one, if I were closer, would come to look at it today
It is a dream of us old MB nuts to have service history, a car that was actually taken care of
Good luck, keep us posted

[tomee]

I am interested. Please call me. Cell 281.541.3851

[Wodnek]

Just dont sell it to someone that will greasecar it.

If I didnt already have an entire fleet, I would take it off your hands. It is close enough.