I've not seen it yet, but the buyer claims it's in immaculate condition. His asking price ($6k) seems unconscionably high to me. I've long desired a Mercedes diesel casually, and with my company moving its offices into the burbs I now need a daily commuter, preferably one I could one day convert to biodiesel.

Don't know a lot about the cars, and I'm wondering if the aficionados here could tell me

1. What's a good price for this car, assuming normal wear but no visible physical defects?

2. How DIY-accessible is this car? I've little car experience beyond changing oil, but have an engineering background. I've heard that when buying a 300D from the '80s, you can expect to spend $3k on repairs alone in the first year, but much of the work can theoretically be done yourself.

3. How long really do these last? 250k miles seems to be pushing it, for something that'll be going 130 miles per week minimum (probably 10k/year).