Well, this cheap 240D could become the parts donor for that neigborhood 300D with the bad transmission. If a 240D auto won't work with the 300D engine, I suppose dropping in the whole 240D engine & tranny might be feasible, but then I'd be stuck with the infamous 300D ACC.

Meanwhile, except for the left rear suspension arm, the rust on this 240D isn't nearly as bad as the '80 300D that I patched up for someone else a few years ago. That car had totally rusted open the rear wheel arches, the firewall had perforated where the battery had eaten the metal away, the drivers floor was so bad the seat had partly fallen through, and the rust had eaten so far up the inner sill that the lower driver's seatbelt anchor was hanging by a shred! I had to fabricate two long heavy guage steel plates to repair the seat and sill area.

As for a 'good $2000 driver', thats what some in the DC area are asking for a driveable 240D in similar condition as this one, but without a rusted out rear suspension arm. Last week there was an '81 240D advertised in the Washington Post, with 80,000 miles, for $6500. Presumbably at that price, the car would be in perfect, or near perfect, condition, but I sure wouldn't bet on it.

The seat mountings in this $250 240D appear to still be OK and I'm hoping the rust hasn't terminally eaten up into the sill, lower pillar and seatbelt areas yet. I'll call the owner tommorrow, so I can get a more thorough second look, and hear it run myself before I make a decision.

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DrDKW