Next buy... Diesel or Gas - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vince77 · #16 09-01-2015, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshhol

Looks like a repaint. Suspiciously "shiny" for that vintage and doesn't look like an original color. Also, it's "300D Diesel", not "Diesel 300D". Couldn't even put the trim back on in the correct order.

Wow... completely missed that. Yea, Mercedes is pretty consistent on that.

Shortsguy1 · #17 09-02-2015, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshhol

... Also, it's "300D Diesel", not "Diesel 300D". Couldn't even put the trim back on in the correct order.

I think the trim may be correct on that car. Please see a similar vehicle from Mercedes Motoring:
Mercedes Motoring - 1975 300D Diesel Sedan
(scroll down for a pic of the rear)

If you google image search, you will find many examples of w115 300d cars which have Diesel on the driver's side and 300D on the passenger side.

joshhol · #18 09-02-2015, 01:02 PM

Shortsguy,

I remember seeing the badging flipped flopped often over the years when those 115's used to roam the earth. Never understood why. MB doesn't seem like a company to do that without reason. Maybe those were intended for Japanese or Jewish consumers that read right to left???

I'm also confounded by how clean that Mercedes Motoring car is. If only. . .

tomee · #19 09-10-2015, 07:07 PM

I have a 68' 220d, manual, dark green with ivory seats. Verrry nice condition. Make me an offer! I'm in Houston.

alabbasi · #20 09-10-2015, 09:37 PM

I bought a 300D and while it was fun, I only got 21mpg the way I drove it and it was horribly slow. I purchased my old 97 E420 back from the guy I sold it to shortly after and felt instant relief. It had a 32v v8, got better fuel mileage on cheaper gas with nice a/c and 5 times the hp.

An old W115 is a nice, the 250/280's should be able to keep up with traffic but expect fuel consumption to be in the mid to low teens.

vince77 · #21 09-11-2015, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomee

I have a 68' 220d, manual, dark green with ivory seats. Verrry nice condition. Make me an offer! I'm in Houston.

Dang, right up my alley, but my offers these days tend to incite either laughter or disapproving silence... I guess some of us aren't quite in the market for verrry nice.

But as luck would have it, I've just picked up a pokey '83 240D for a song... literally. After a cup of coffee with the guy he cut the price by 2/3rds so long as I promised not to hipster it to death

We'll see what tune I'm singing when it's back in shape. It has the typical issues I remember from way back when... sunroof only opens halfway, green coolant, honey colored brake fluid, rotors with an I-beam profile... But also lot's of new vacuum lines and receipts for engine work.

So another saga begins. Just need to pick up a good breaker bar... I hear those hex head bolts in the rotor are a bear.

vince77 · #22 09-11-2015, 10:39 AM

Oh yea, he was also motivated by the wife vs. diesel smell debate. Turns out all his injector return lines were new, except the plug at the end. It was pretty much nothing but the braiding...

vince77 · #23 09-11-2015, 11:16 AM

I should mention, my original question was two fold... both from a maintenance aspect (what I can keep running), but also what's more desirable so I could avoid it. The intent really is to rescue some jalopy from the crusher (with the added bonus of driving the type of car I grew up with). A W123 240D definitely fits that bill (but a W115 220D sure would be nice...)

Also, older cars with lower power (esp diesel) are an excuse to slow down. So many folks are looking for classic chrome so they can drop in a big block crate engine and loud pipes... Cool for them, just not my style.

JeffreyNMemphis · #24 09-11-2015, 11:48 AM

Congratulations!

Post a photo. We love to see cars.

Best wishes!

vince77 · #25 09-11-2015, 01:55 PM

Yea, saw that request coming so I bugged the wife for the picture she took.

Originally white with a passable respray... sits straight and level. A little rust in some door weep holes but pretty clean otherwise. Going to start with a diesel purge then belts and all fluids/filters. Then those rotors... worn so thin I swear you can see through them.

This will tide me over for now...

JeffreyNMemphis · #26 09-11-2015, 03:37 PM

Score! That is a good looking car. No shame in rolling up slowly in that one.

Happy Friday!!

Jeffrey

vince77 · #27 09-11-2015, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

Happy Friday!!

Jeffrey

Thanks! It did clean up pretty nice.

Skid Row Joe · #28 09-11-2015, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vince77

Dang, right up my alley, but my offers these days tend to incite either laughter or disapproving silence... I guess some of us aren't quite in the market for verrry nice.

But as luck would have it, I've just picked up a pokey '83 240D for a song... literally. After a cup of coffee with the guy he cut the price by 2/3rds so long as I promised not to hipster it to death

We'll see what tune I'm singing when it's back in shape. It has the typical issues I remember from way back when... sunroof only opens halfway, green coolant, honey colored brake fluid, rotors with an I-beam profile... But also lot's of new vacuum lines and receipts for engine work.

So another saga begins. Just need to pick up a good breaker bar... I hear those hex head bolts in the rotor are a bear.

I think that car would look so rad, slammed. I'd toy around with having that W123 slammed. I saw my 1st W211 with black wheels slammed two days ago. There's a couple of really sharp looking project/slammed W114s done here just a few months ago. Nice car you found though...

vince77 · #29 09-13-2015, 12:41 PM

I've seen some really sharp ones in LA. Need all the clearance I can get out here though... Pretty sure this place was designed with pickups in mind.

First glance, it always seem like they have shot air suspension...

1973 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 4,5 in need of total restoration, rust-free

Mark DiSilvestro · #30 09-13-2015, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vince77

Yea, saw that request coming so I bugged the wife for the picture she took.

Originally white with a passable respray... sits straight and level. A little rust in some door weep holes but pretty clean otherwise. Going to start with a diesel purge then belts and all fluids/filters. Then those rotors... worn so thin I swear you can see through them.

This will tide me over for now...

Is your 240D a stick or automatic. I own a solid, 1982 stick-shift 240D, with a factory replacement engine. I drive it sensibly and have no gripes with the power. It is however NOT my sole transportation.
As for fuel mileage, both my 240D and my '84 Euro NA 5-speed 300TD manage near 30 mpg highway, and around 20 mpg city. New fuel filters and primer pumps are most of the fuel system maintenance I've needed on those cars.

As for diesel vs gas, I really enjoyed the refined power of the old six-cylinder Mercedes gassers I've owned. But getting only 13-14 mpg in the city, usually requiring premium gas, gets old fast. Also, if not driven frequently, today's gasohol can really mess up the carbs on the old gassers.
Something I don't have to worry about with my diesels.

Happy Motoring, Mark