It has been a few weeks now, I have gone from looking at 250C's to 300SD's.
I appreciate all the help you guys have given me!
I am going monday for a 6 hr drive, again with a pile of money to look at a 1983 300sd, with supposedly 89,000 miles.
This car lives in a snowy climate, so my major peering is going to be for rust issues.
The Seller told me the car belonged to his grandfather. It was always parked in a heated garage and rarely driven in the snow.
I realize that doesn't mean it is not rusted.
He says the auto is perfect, no rust, no mechanical issues. He says that it is taking garage space away from his own car and wants to be rid of it.
If I am looking for rust on these cars where do I look? Can I do it without a lift? What do I need besides a flashlight, would an icepick do?
I am going to a strange town, knowing no mechanics to check it out. I know I am probably taking a large chance here.
Any advice?
thanks for the umpteenth time....phal

http://home.concepts.nl/~vlimmere/index2.HTM

The URL above is for the artical below. I was in the same boat you was in. I drove from Charleston Sc to pick up my 1988 300 SE from Nashville Tenn. I looked at many articals regarding to mercedes.... this one was helpful. Once there, Click on the buying tips link.. and Enjoy....


Buying and maintenanceTips
Corrosion
Althoug the W126 received excellent corrosion prevention at the factory, it still is advisable to look for signs of corrosion damage when buying one. Especially when the cars have been driven around in a moist environment and when service records are not available.

Likely corrosion areas are depicted in yellow in the illustrations below. Always check the trunk area of the car. Whenever there is serious corrosion damage, the trunk will be the first place where it is revealed. Always remove the trunk lining from the car to get a good look inside. The car was designed to redirect the waterflow from the front of the car towards the rear of the car, rather than across the sides. This construction means that the rear window and the trunk area have to be watertight. Older cars can develop leaks through the trunk seal, the rear window seal and the taillight seals. Water can make it's way down into the trunk area and cause severe corrosion damage.

Feel around the underside of the package tray area (it can be reached through the trunk) and check for signs of rust.















Engine

The engines are known for their durability. If an engine is properly maintained, it can easily run for 300.000 - 400.000 kilometers without a rebuild. The V8 engines are alloy engines and the walls of the cylinder housings are coated with a silicium-based layer. Expect to change a distribution chain every 250.000 kilometers. The early Bosch K-jetronic continuous fuel injection systems can develop a rough idle over time. Typically, a V8 should run about 650 - 700 rpm at idle when hot. If the car will develop a jumpy idle (jumping from about 1500 rpm to 500 and up again), the electronic control module is likely to be at fault. Post-1985 models were equipped with Bosch KE-jetronic pulsed fuel injection systems with a completely electronic engine management system.

Electrical system

One of the problems older car can suffer from is disfunctioning electrical systems. Usually the remedy for such problems is some good contact cleaner at the right place. The switches in the doorjambs are a good example. These switches can easily be removed and cleaned, curing problems like disabled interior lights and courtesy lights, strange behaviour of seatbelt extenders (in SEC's), light warning buzzer and factory alarm systems. Resoldering certain electronic components such as the electronic climate control unit can cure heater problems as well.

Delamination

An incurable problem with Mercedes-Benz cars from the 1980's tha cannot be fixed is the 'delamination' process. MB front and rear window are made from several separate layers of glass. Over time, these layers become separated, eventually fracturing the glass. First sign of trouble is a white, milky discoloration of the window sides. In case of the rear window, the process will eventually take out the rear window heating as well. On a W126, usually the first spots appear in the lower corners of the rear window.

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Look in the Diesel Discussion forum, and do some searching there - you'll find lots of buying tips for OM617 diesels; even though most will be for W123 300Ds, they're virtually all applicable to 300SDs. If you can, get a local mechanic who knows MBs to do a PPI.

I strongly recommend doing a compression check on the engine (or having one done for you).

__________________
81 300SD
08 MDX Tech
93 525i

05 F650GS

I drove 6 hours one way through Chicago traffic to look at this car and the torrential downpour 2 minutes away from my destination must have been a sign. As I pulled up to the car, it was raining sideways and I could still see the beat up trim,the broken chunks out of the grille, and the brake dust that had destroyed the finish of the wheels on the 85,000 mile "Mint" 300sd. This car had holes cut in the front dam, the drivers side interior door handle was hanging askew, the window switch was broken, the seats were broken down. All I could do was shake my head and head for home. As I left, the guy was calling me on my cellphone and dropping the price.
Unbelievable.
I am convinced, I will never buy anything sight unseen....phal