I went to go look at it today.

Test drive notes/thoughts:

I was amazed at how peppy the 240D 4-speed is. I really didn't have trouble keeping up with any traffic, and it's so easy to drive.

All of the electrics worked with the exception of the sunroof and the central locks (yes, I know they're vacuum operated). All of the gauges worked, the odometer worked, the original Becker worked great, and the headlight switch still had the German solidity to it.

The doors still closed with a vault-like "thud."

Here's the bad:

At a low (for am OM616) 210,000 miles, blowby is crazy. I pulled off the oil cap, and you would have thought Old Faithful Junior was making an appearance. Visible oil was getting thrown out of the valve train too, everywhere.

The owner told me the original engine had just been replaced after a mechanic's error and a used engine was put in, but when the owner called to inquire about the used engine, he was given the run around. Shady.

Also, rust was present. The door skins met the door structure in rust, and when I opened the trunk, the water/drain channels had rust too.

To top it off, the interior needed a automobile version of "Extreme Makeover." Chunks were missing out of the dashboard, and the shift knob was mutilated and the bare metal underneath could still be seen. It shifted well though. The seat sagged hardcore, and although comfy, needed fixing. The wood was okay, not too many cracks were on the dash, but a good cleaning was needed at least.

The silver star was missing, too, and the emblem was upside down on the trunk lid.

I could forgive all of this and fix it all, but - with rust and blowby - pass.