If the original w123 radio with matching knobs to heater controls is still there, its worth salvaging or saving at least. They're not so common. Also look on the door post for silver sticker with signature of the assembly team chief. Some had this sticker and some didnt. And another thing you want to do is clear 4 rubber drain nipples: one each in trunk behind the wheelwell, and one in each hood hinge pocket. The hood also extends all the way verticle up by releasing the catch on the hinge, if you dont know this already.

Actually, 15 years ago I bought an original W123 Becker Europa cassette at a flea market for $20 and installed it in my '72 250. Not the correct radio for that car but it did fit the dash perfectly. If it still works, it may have a renewed life back in my 240D, where it belongs.

After today's downpours, I noticed a lot of water in the front passenger footwell. I was aware of the hood hinge pockets (and that the hood has a 'service' position) but I also suspect that the firewall may have rusted out behind the battery tray. Later next week, we're supposed to cool off and dry out. Time for some serious rust repair!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Spent yesterday in beautiful downtown Buckystown Maryland, at my friends house, fixing their Sears yard tractor and they finished off my visit with a little suprise 50th birthday dinner for me. In between, I made some trips to Potomac German Auto to look at a set of blue W108 Tex seats for Mike's '72 280SE. Driver's seat had a 6-inch split at a side seam, otherwise they looked perfect, especially compared to Mike's current shredded leather.
Bonus- I bought a nice matching tan tex driver's seat for $70, to replace the sagged, split & ripped one in my 'new' 240D. The replacement came out of an '85 300D and included an armrest to replace my butchered one. I noticed no disintegrating 'horsehair' padding and may go back next week to inspect the rear seat in that car.

When I called Mike, he OKed the purchase of the blue tex seats, then I spent over an hour trying to stuff his and mine into my '98 Nissan Altima! I did manage to get my driver's seat, both his front seats, and the bottom cushion of his rear seat, into the car, but had to leave Mike's rear seatback at Potomac until I could return with my friend's Volvo. Mike's seatback is now in friend's Buckystown garage until Mike or myself gets back up there to retrieve it. Delivered the rest of his seats to Mike at 11 pm and installed the 'new' driver's seat in his 280SE. Dealng with that heavy spring and extra track for the manual height adjuster was a real pain. I didn't get home till after 1 am!

Today, I got to wrestle my 'new' seat out of the Altima, then placed it in my living room, where it will remain on display until I repair my rusty 240D driver's floor.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Update on my attempts to transform 'Miss Diesel' from a thrashed teenager's ride, back to her former glory. Went back to Potomac German Auto last week and bought that 300D rear seat. What an improvement to my previously shabby interior. Also some spare floormats, a replacement for the shattered drivers door bin and some other small bits. Plus, I scored a passenger door mirror. Hard to believe that wasn't standard on a car that originally cost around $20,000!

Saturday I pulled my instrument cluster and performed micro-surgery on the speedometer. Heated a tiny screwdriver on the stove and used it to 'reshape' a couple of worn plastic gear teeth that were skipping and causing a loud annoying ticking. Also repaired the slipping number drive-wheel and the loose trip reset lever. So my speedometer is quiet and adding up the miles again. No longer 'forever-young'!

Yesterday, installed the 'missing' rear door bottom molding I found in the trunk, then went for a long test drive. I'm also getting used to 'shifting' with the accelerator. Driving through Woodbridge VA, I noticed the fuel-guage was showing nearly empty, and spent some anxious moments finding a gas station that had diesel!

last night I pulled the PO-installed 1997 Eclipse stereo with the dead CD and many tiny unlit buttons that made night-time radio such a challenge.
Plus, every function, from tuning stations to changing audio settings was accompanied by a loud irritating electronic beep that couldn't be shut-off! I've 'temporarily' installed an even older, late '80s vintage, Pioneer cassette radio with matching speakers that I salvaged from a neighbors trash last year. It has big round knobs that I can find in the dark, without the beeping! I'm still thinking about eventually putting in the Becker Europa Cassette that's in my '72 250, along with a real nice pair of Polk-Audio speakers, but I'm concerned that the Becker won't have sufficient power, so I might need to add an amp too. Today, motor mounts.
I'm also thinking about taking "Miss Daisy', my '60 Fintail , down to the Virgina Beach house, where the garage would qualify her for classic insurance, with substantial savings.
More later.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Congrats on your purchase! My W115 240D is my first diesel and my keeper. The W123 240D is a great car to drive though it's faster, smoother, quieter and stiffer chassis.

I suspect that ticking is the gearing in the odometer cluster. I had the same clicking every few seconds in the W116 once. I pressed the trip reset and it went away.....i guess the gears were stuck momentarily?

Jim, are you dying for a 240D? I have one I need to sell.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

The clicking in the dash is probably a stuck odometer reset -- try pushing hte button down and slipping your finger off so it snaps back up. The one in the 300D does this once in a while, clicks until properly reset.

One learns a different way of driving a 240, but they do run nicely and get pretty good milage if in good condition -- you will need to check valve/injection timing and probably need to roll a new chain in.

Check the vac supply to the modulator control valve -- a leak will cause hard shifts.

Replacement floor pans are about $125 per side, well worth the expense as the are factory shape and include the mount points for everything.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

The clicking was not related to the odometer reset, though I did have to repair the reset lever as well. It came from two badly worn teeth on the nylon transfer shaft skipping against the main odometer worm gear. I used a small, heated screwdriver blade to reshape the two damaged nylon gear teeth and, along with the other speedometer repairs, I've now added about 60 miles on this odometer, without clicking.

I don't have a lift or welding skills & equipment, so I fabricated a 16 guage galvanized repair assembly from two 'L' shaped pieces. The finished assembly somwhat resembles an 'I' beam and is bolted to the floor and sill, with the vertical section actually fitted behind the inner sill. It's a much more sturdy arrangement than simply pop-riveting in a patch.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW