Hey i have a line on buying a 1979 300d.
It has been owned by my wifes grandfather since new and kept in imaculate shape. It has 265 000 on the odometer and looks like it just came off the showroom floor.

He is asking $3000 canadian.
What do these cars sell for usualy?

If it's a one owner, well kept with repair records, no rust, everything seems to work car it is worth the $3K. Hard to offer less as $ and family dont make good trades, but do what you think is right.

My 2 cents worth. With 265,000km, I would have the compression checked. I have found that the non-turbo 300D's get alot of crancase blowby. With the engine running at warm idle, take off the oil cap and see how much white blowbt smoke comes out. Some of them will push the cap up as soon as you loosen it. The early non-turbos have cold start issues mostly due to poor compression. I live on the central coast of california and when we get down to 32degrees farenheith, the engines can be tough to start.
They also have the early crappy climate control system with that expensive heater valve that is under the hood. They also had 10 miles of vacuum lines to run the system.
My thinking is that you would be a whole lot happier with an 82 to 85 turbo. I have worked on several that had over 300,000 MILES (approx 485,000KM)on them. They ran good, started good in cold weather, had very little blowby and oil consumption.
The turbos also had the much better climate control.

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My Truck.. 2007 DODGE, 5.9 Cummins, 6spd stick, 4X4. My car..1977 240D, OTHER WHEELS...1955 VW Oval window bug, European Delivery (Holland) with a 1700cc, 2 barrel, Porsche drum brakes. 1939 WILLYS Pick-up. 1967 Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub. 1976 Honda 550F 4cyl Motor Cycle.

Thanks for the help guy's.

I'am not interested in buying a different car. The only reason i want this one is because it is like a family hierloom.
You know keep it in the family kind of thing.

I understand the reason. My Dad turned over to me his 1963 Porsche coupe about 15 years ago. I hardly drove it and it was impractical for my family but......... It was VERY special to me. About a year before He died, I asked him if he minded that I sold it because I needed a new truck. He was happy that I was able to sell it to use the money to afford my 2001 Dodge Diesel.
I don't know what the exchange rate is between Canadian and US but it sounds like a good deal. Chris

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My Truck.. 2007 DODGE, 5.9 Cummins, 6spd stick, 4X4. My car..1977 240D, OTHER WHEELS...1955 VW Oval window bug, European Delivery (Holland) with a 1700cc, 2 barrel, Porsche drum brakes. 1939 WILLYS Pick-up. 1967 Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub. 1976 Honda 550F 4cyl Motor Cycle.

Family huh? The old skinflint should ask you to set the price. Maybe you should invite the grand parents over for dinner and then stick em with a bill at the end of the night. Grandpa deserves an ass-whipping.

1979 is good year for the 300D. Manual heat controls, old style loop glow plugs and not alot of electric junk. 265,000 kilometers is low, not enough mileage to worry about timing chain stretch. Condition of the engine is your last concern.

i disagree with diesel dogs assessment of how to treat grandpa, being a grandpa myself. grandpa may have 23 grand kids so how can he give one a car without doing the same to all of them? selling it for fair market value seems fair enough.... and grandpa may not be rolling in money either.

but i agree with his assessment of the features of the car.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

LOL...the wifes Grandpa has 3 grand kids and is doing Extremely well in the financial department, but i imagine he isn't in the shape he is in by giving deals to everyone.
He worked very hard to get where he is and expects everyone to do the same. So i'am happy to pay him what he wants.

Oh buy the way he sold the car to me for $2000 CAD which is @$1700 US

The motor has never been cracked so i probably need injectors and glowplugs as it is alittle hard to start and is gutless as sin.
I also i need to do the ring gear or starter.

the '79 has the KLIMA system not manual. good car anyway. have it checked and deduct the repairs

AC working??

color of car??

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

The '79 uses the series type glow plugs if they have never been changed.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing that will help them start is making sure that the valves are not tight. I have found more than not with tight valves. Does the starter grind then engage or do you think that the starter drive is bad. I replaced the drive on my old 240D because it wasn't holding. When you remove the starter, get a flashlight and have someone turn over the engine by hand and inpect the ring gear teeth. Make SURE to turn the engine in its running direction only because turning it backwards slackens the timing chain and when you start it up, it can jump time. If it doesn't jump time, it sure sounds BAD until the tensioner pumps back up. I know this first hand!
I turn the engine by hand by putting a wrench on the power steering pump nut and turning it clockwise.

My opinion only..... Don't run the car sustained over 120kmph....

GOOD luck...you will like the car.

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My Truck.. 2007 DODGE, 5.9 Cummins, 6spd stick, 4X4. My car..1977 240D, OTHER WHEELS...1955 VW Oval window bug, European Delivery (Holland) with a 1700cc, 2 barrel, Porsche drum brakes. 1939 WILLYS Pick-up. 1967 Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub. 1976 Honda 550F 4cyl Motor Cycle.

Nandopsis - good to see you made it here.

$2000 is a hell of a deal. What these Yankees don't understand is that we don't have the luxury of rolling across one of these every week like they do. Believe it or not, they actually get to CHOOSE which one they want sometimes, instead of pining away for months at a time wishing for a glimpse of one like we do up here. I even heard rumours about junkyards in their area ACTUALLY having Mercedes to scrounge parts from - some even have more than one!

If it is in good shape, great find for that price. I paid $4000 for my 300SD. We'll have to get them together sometime.

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79 300SD - $50 out of pocket purchase
03 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD
2003 VW Jetta TDI

Glow plugs either glow or they dont, its not like they wear out gradually or a new set will improve performance. Dont think of them as spark plugs, they are only needed to start the engine and not to keep it running. The only time glow plugs are active at all is when the dashboard light is on. And if its hard to start try running through the glow cycle twice. If you inspect them and the loops are *not* broken like busted lightbulb filaments then they are fine. And diesels practically NEVER need injectors. The fuel itself acts as a lubricant so injector tips rarely wear out.

If you want to improve performance change the fuel filters and tweak the valves.... Otherwise drive the car like bat out of hell at high speeds to clean out carbon deposits on piston crowns and valves - this will help with performance too, especially if grandparents have just been piddling around town in the car for all these years.

Meanwhile prepare yourself for culture shock..... gotta hammer the accelerator through the floorboards if you expect to get anywhere. Plus the engine will sound like its gonna explode when running at optimum level. Does it have a tachometer? The engine runs best at 3000+ rpm's. Try to avoid letting it lug below 2500 and you will have plenty of power.

Of course if that's a canada/euro 4-spd 300D like we never see down here, then in the usa it's probly worth DOUBLE what you paid for it easily....... and you can no doubt expect grandpa to come after you with a shotgun if you ever try to sell it, you understand.

New diesel owners (and prospective ones) may or may not benifit from this guys wisdom.

I have the W116 seat book and a fuse set and am happy with both.

Michael

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Usta haves '69 250/8, '76 280C, 1971 250C 114.023, 1976 450SEL 116.033
Current have, 1983 300SD 126.120

Nandopsis - GOOD DEAL! Grandpa gets rehabilitated!
dunl - maybe y'all (that's Virginian for youse guys) need to not throw things away quite as casually - last time I was out to visit a friend in Edmonton and attend Stampede in Cowtown, my 85 Ford F150 pickemup truck blew a manifold gasket on its 300ci/4.9L straight six - when I went to the Ford dealer in Red Deer, the parts guy informed me that they didn't have it, wouldn't get it, and furthermore, that ("sniff"), "up here, that thing would be off in the corner of a field, somewhere!"
However, he did refer me to an engine rebuilder in town, who fortunately DID stock it, and I was able to return across continent with considerably less "chuffing"...

Of course, my friend's old Mercury pickup had a different engine and gasket - but then, it WAS out in the field....

Stan
(US/UK/Can mix)

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stanbabu@3bubbas.com
59 300d
65 250SE/Cpe
70 250/8
72 250C
78 280CE

I'am new to all this diesel and mercedes stuff so i don't quite understand all the lingo you guys use.

unkl300d What is a Klima system?
The AC works and the color of the car is gold.

240dieseldog I'am planning on buying the pencil type plugs and Re-wire them.
Also the starter engages but then spins freely as if it not catching the ring gear. I suspect one if not both are stripped of their teeth.

Wow...Dunl was right you guys are realy helpful!
I hope to learn more about the care and maintainence of this car, and you guy's are a god send.


thanks,

Jay