Block heater is a dealer/aftermarket supplier item (try FastLane on this site!). Big pain in the butt to put in -- the core plugs are almost immobile by now.

Your real problem is either low compression or a tired starter -- if you aren't using significant oil (less than a quart in 1000 miles or so) and have good power with no black smoke and little blowby, either you need the valves adjusted, a valve job, or (cheap, cheap, cheap) a new starter!

The engine MUST turn at least 100 rpm to start. If the starting rpm is low, it will kick and thump and smoke, but refuse to start. By now, it is a safe bet that the starter windings have excessive resistance, the starter draws way too much current, and doesn't go fast enough.

A good starter/alternator shop can usually check the current draw in the car, saving you the hassle of taking the starter out just to check it.

Buy a Bosch rebuild if you need a new starter -- don't have someone just clean it up, turn the commutator, and put new brushes in it, it still won't work. Bosch replaced the armature and field coils.

Otherwise, you can install a tank heater or a lower radiator hose heater as a stop-gap measure. Autozone usually has tank heaters this time of year -- they go between the two heater hoses with the heater on the head to heater core side. Much better to fix the real problem, but at least a tank heater or something will let you use the car!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!