I gave into my unique vehicle obsession this year and just bought an '81 300TD with a single tank WVO conversion. (Past obsessions have left me with a Prius, 2 classic motorscooters, and almost a Dodge/MB Sprinter ...)

We did baptism by fire and drove it home 660 miles to Tucson in 100^+ heat for about 400 of those miles. The car is in pretty darn good shape with about 250 miles and a rebuilt transmission (10k miles ago). We developed a punchlist on the way home, and first on the list is to find a good MB mechanic here in Tucson. Is there a list on the forum of recommended techs? Does anyone know a good one in Tucson?

Here's a list of stuff that needs attention. Looking for ideas, hints, common problems, etc. Or please point me to an FAQ.

1a. Idles roughly and dies after running on the freeway for a long time. I saw another thread on this today ... airleaks are common causes? Especially with the WVO? It's got a heat exchanger on a coolant line and a big canister filter.

1b. Also, when I was able to keep it running by pulsing the accelerator, when it started moving again, there was a big puff of smoke.

1c. Also related is a hesitation at low RPM. Once it starts revving up it runs fine.

2. The door locks move up and down with the vacuum central locking, but they move kinda slow ... Vacuum leak?

3a. We ran the A/C hard the whole way ... Very little air came out of the middle vents ... Vacuum problem?

3b. When first turning on the A/C, it blows hot for a minute or 2, then cools down. Sometimes the left outside vent stayed hot, while the right one got cold.

3c. Should the A/C only come on when the wheel is turned all the way to Min?

4a. Horn doesn't work ... Fuse is fine

4b. Cigarette lighter receptacle doesn't work ... Haven't checked to see if there is current getting to the bracket yet ... Fuse is fine

4c. Instrument lights don't light ... Tried turning knob, tapping on the knob, etc. ... Fuse is fine

5. The starter didn't work when we first started it after getting gas after a couple hours on the highway. The engine was just above the 100^ mark. After a bunch of tries, it worked ... Bad solenoid?

6. Last but not least, is it possible to get an OEM key set for this car?

Thanks a bunch. I'm in love with this car.

Mike
Tucson, AZ