I'll gather more pics with the rain clears up/tomorrow! It rides like nothing I've ever driven before so I'm really not sure how to describe it. Like you lot said, it's very slow! I kinda love it though. The visibility is great. I'm not really sure how to describe the ride or sounds yet because I'm now used to anything so I'm not sure if what I'm hearing is normal or a bad sign! I will say it starts up real easy. The new glowplug system has worked right away every times I've started it up. The steering is responsive but maybe feels a bit loose? I;m really not sure about that. The indicator also doesn't always catch when I try to signal a right turn, but if I hold it for a second it stays.
That being said, I'm definitely going to have to get it looked at. The maintenance records are only from 201?-2013.

The seats are foam. I think carpets, seats/upholstery and dash take main priority as far as the interior. I'll definitely start a thread for that once I find out how much I'm going to have to do on the mechanics. There is a classic car restoration place nearby so I may give them a call to see what they have to say about fixing up the inside. (Amherst Classic Cars > Home)

As for removing the ash tray, pull it out, then press down on the springy tab in the center of the top/front opening and pull it all the way out. It's got two springy tabs on the bottom that lock into a flange in the opening. When replacing it you've got to get those tabs positioned just right and then you tilt it the rest of the way in.

Looking forward to seeing more of it. Take some detail pics of the other "problem" areas and we'll chime in.

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- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

Got it out and cleaned it right up! Thanks a lot.

I made a thread for the interior: New (to me) '75 W115 240D What to tackle and what to leave

Here are some pictures of the exterior problem areas...
Faded chrome:
IMG_7080-1
The serious rust hole and other rust(?) spots
IMG_7082
IMG_7084
IMG_7098
Trunk
IMG_7083
Old/dry seams
IMG_7099

Pull up those front carpets and let's have a look at the floors. I'm betting you got some water leakage, judging from the looks of the windshield seal and the vinyl covering of the front kick panels peeling back under the front speakers (Boston Acoustic speakers - nice). Looks like someone squirted some expanding foam in between the rain deflector and the windshield seal.

How's the trunk floor under the mat look? I'm guessing that car saw some salt at some point in its life. I'm kinda surprised by that rusty rot in the rear quarter, behind the wheel. I've see some WA cars that were amazingly solid.

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- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

I suspect theres some water leakage, too. I lifted the mats today to clean them up a bit and there wasn't any visible rust. The trunk is another story. There is loads or orange all over but no holes. It doesn't seem to go too deep (crossing my fingers). I picked up some RV desiccant and stuck it in there to try and get some of the moisture out. I'm a little annoyed about how much rust there actually is. They only mentioned some "light surface rust" that they just sanded away and painted over every so often. How should I go about tackling this?

Also, I was looking around in the engine today and I opened up the airfilter housing because there seemed to be a bit of oil around it. I found a lake of oil under the filter. My mechanic isn't taking appointments until the 21st so I'm not too sure what to do about this. How safe is it for me to actually drive--does it mean blowby? How freaked out about the state of the engine should I be? The more I get into it the more worried I am becoming. I feel that the rust could be manageable and definitely something I can probably get done on my own, but there seems like there's gonna be A LOT to do just to get this running safely...

Overwhelmed is easy to understand. Best advice - divide and conquer. I would for sure put a higher priority on the mechanical stuff.

Some surface rust on the trunk and front floors is OK. I wouldn't stress too much about that. As for the holes, the only way to repair that is with some cutting and welding, and paint. I would focus on that stuff later.

Windshield seals would be higher on my list. But that's quite the job, and will cost you some. But with them done you'll be in a better place by keeping the water out.

If the car runs and drives good all the cosmetic stuff is of lesser concern. Do what you can and enjoy the learning experience. My first W115, the '73 220D, was a rust bucket, but it ran and drove like a dream after all the mechanical stuff I did to it, and I learned to overlook the rust and ended up loving it and driving it for about 8 years. No regrets.

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- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

The air filter is an "oil bath" type, so the "lake" of oil is normal and necessary. When you change the oil in the engine you should change the oil in the air filter too, as well as clean the filter itself by dousing in solvent to rinse it out. Google up some information on that type of oil filter. It's nice to not have to buy filter elements, but the price is that you have to clean and maintain it.

Welcome to your vintage Mercedes-Benz!

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- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

That is a HUUUUGE relief. Wow. I was getting super worried. I gotta find a manual and get reading. I've only really done some skimming so far. It's a whole new world.

The rust isn't a huge issue, but at least the surface rust in the trunk seems like something I could deal with on my own. IF it turns out to be relatively inexpensive I will probably get on it just for peace of mind. The seats and floor mats (except for the driver side) are looking leagues better after I cleaned them and the desiccant is doing a great job in the trunk, so I'm really going to concentrate on the mechanics for now and tweak the interior as parts come up. Let me know if you have any

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- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D

That 240D looks like a good car. They've got oil-bath air cleaners, so there's supposed to be oil in the bottom of them.

You can get a patch panel for the rear quarter and have it welded in. They're available for purchase online.

If your main mission is cheap transportation, RTV silicone can fix leaky windshield gaskets. I caulked 'em up on my W115 and they were fine until the windshield got cracked (then I replaced it with a new gasket).

It is very difficult to find any car older than a W123 without any major rust. Northern cars get hit by the winter salt; southern cars get rusted out by water leaks.

You can defeat the wrath of the winter salt by washing your vehicle EVERY WEEK WITHOUT FAIL in snow season. That is the only way to do it. It's worked well with my 220D (which gets driven in the snow), except for a hole in a wheel well where water got in. So check your wheel wells for holes before wintertime!

Thanks! I also think it's pretty good. I have just been nitpicking so I have been focusing on the faults, but it is really a solid car. Plus I am excited to learn from all the things I will have to do!

I think I am a little confused on my main mission. I kind of want to get it going as best and as well as I can, but I also don't have too much money. I think my ultimate goal is to get this car like 80% of the way back to its former glory. I'm not necessarily trying to keep it factory but I definitely want it to be a good example. You don't see too many of these around so I feel it would be a shame to patch it together because I'm impatient or lazy.

I'm not saying that your option is impatient or lazy, but I think given the ultimate goal, I will use the silicone as a very solid plan B should it turn out to be too pricey for me at the moment. I'll probably try to find a place to do the seals and see how much it will run me and go from there.

Thanks for the winter driving tips! I'll definitely give it a good look over before wintertime (Honestly I'll probably post about it too). I was thinking of leaving it at home over winter where my parents can drive it every so often and have it garaged.

Rear quarter panel rust is very common. Need to replace rear window gasket and trunk seal. Best is to cut that rust out and replace. Panels as mentioned can be bought, I had this job done last fall for $1,500.
Check out POR 15 for rust inhibiting paint. It's not really paint as paint is porous and lets in moisture. It dries like an epoxy and encapsulates rust, depriving it of oxygen. Until you can afford the bodywork, sand back and cover. Will hold you over for a while.
See if you can find a Haynes manual for the Diesel Benz. The one available is for W123 but many things apply, not too expensive.

Also, I just wouldn't drive it in the winter. That salt gets EVERYWHERE and even with washing, it will work into the cracks and do its thing.

Attached Thumbnails

       

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63 220S W111
76 300D W115
2013 VW JSW TDI M6

previously-
73 280 SEL 4.5
86 300E 5 speed
2010 VW Jetta TDI M6

Check out this window gasket replacement video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4hAT0aSIyM

__________________
63 220S W111
76 300D W115
2013 VW JSW TDI M6

previously-
73 280 SEL 4.5
86 300E 5 speed
2010 VW Jetta TDI M6

Congratulations! I have been following along.

There was no Internet when I bought my first Mercedes Benz... So you are more fortunate to have a classic and hundreds of new friends who care that you are safe and enjoy your car.

I would start the way you are going now, take time to evaluate the entire car and make a plan that prioritizes mechanical safety and maintenance before cosmetics.

By maintenance, I mean to address things that could cause the car's health to decline by driving if not correct and fresh. Oil change, transmission fluid and filter change, brake fluid flush, rear differential fluid flush, and grease the chassis would be first list. Do you have a workshop manual yet? Taking the course without the text book puts you at a disadvantage.

Safety inspections for brakes, tires and the engines reliable performance (could put you in danger to stall in traffic).

The windshield seals leaking will cause damage so that is important but not as critical as brakes! Check all of the drains that are designed to channel water away; the are located in the engine compartment, trunk and at bottom of the doors. The front and rear windshield seals cost around $300 for OEM Mercedes brand or $150 ish for other brand, plus professional installation which could be $$$ or more if the window breaks.

Take your time and shop around for parts and competent professional help for work that is beyond your capabilities. Insist on watching the work getting done so you learn for next time. If you really love the classic cars then learning to repair things will increase your enjoyment. If I had to pay retail shop rates for car repair then I couldn't afford it. While you were looking at cars for sale you likely saw ads that said they spent $20,000 as justification why the car is worth $10,000.00; don't be that guy!

You are going to do well over a lifetime of buying, fixing, driving and selling many cars. Don't be afraid to make a mistake, that is how we learn. Even better for you if our mistakes can inform your decisions and avoid some mistakes.

Best regards,

Jeffrey

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1962 220Sb ~ The Emerald Bullet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx6tN1W48_o
1957 Ponton 220S
2001 S600 Daily Driver
The Universe is Abundant ~ Life is GOOD!http://www.classiccarclock.com

Regarding windshield seals by the way - If you replace them, go with genuine Mercedes. - it's worth the money. I've tried aftermarket windshield seals twice on my W115 and they all leaked.