I have been working on my 1984 300TD since making the purchase in April 2013. She was sold new in Palo Alto, CA. The non-functioning odometer read 238,000 miles. The car reportedly never had anything but diesel put in the tank. Many thanks to the good people on the Peach Parts forum for your valuable assistance and helpful hints. Accolades to Greazzer for this injector expertise and Rollguy for his really nice Sanden AC compressor conversion kit. Also to DieselKraut who lives and breathes MBZ.

On first sight, I almost did not even bother to take it for a test ride as the lady that owned it could not be termed as being overly detail oriented. This, along with the fact she had three dogs that travelled with her, the moldy dog food embedded between the front seats, non-functioning AC, old and near bald tires, left rear window not working and an engine compartment that looked like somebody just struck oil, did not leave the best of impressions. Thinking....”Well.....we’re here, might as well take it for a ride”.

Underlying all of the grime was a 99% rust-free W123 that spent it’s life in sunny California, an engine that took less than one revolution to start, a smooth shifting transmission and a drivetrain with absolutely no vibration at any speed. The seller told me that some work had just been done on the rear but was she not sure what. The rear sat really high like a jacked up hot rod from the late sixties, not complimentary to a 300TD.

Being from Maine where cars rust out seemingly overnight and viewing a virtually rust free California car, the perceived value was probably higher to me than most. I thought the price fairly reasonable and we made a deal after a bit of negotiation. As is said, nuthin’ more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.

Following is a list of things I have done or have had assistance doing. All parts used were either OEM or Lemforder except for the Sanden AC compressor, some short hose lengths, wiper blades and axles. It is probably safe to say that having competent and experienced mechanics work on these W123’s for you would be cost prohibitive, that is true in my case. Fortunately I am no stranger to parts and pieces. 90% of the work was done without a lift, just jack stands and cardboard on the dock.

Changed all fluids and filters, air, oil, tranny, fuel, rear diff, PS, SLS & anti-freeze
Repaired odometer
Troubleshoot and repair tachometer
Dropped fuel tank, silver solder pin hole leak
Axles and seals
Timing chain
Shifter bushings
New tires
Injector fuel return hoses
Diesel purge for injection pump
Oil filter to block housing gasket
Turbo and air cleaner grommets
Rear wheel bearings
Front main seal and wear sleeve
Front shock absorbers
2 door check straps
Cruise control component rebuild
Sanden AC compressor upgrade
Parallel flow AC condenser
Driver’s side seat cover from Pick and pull
Three head rests for the rear seats from Pick and Pull
New motor mounts
Drive shaft flex joints
Drive shaft steady bearing
Repaired front grill with new chrome strips
New headlights
Complete front end rebuild including sway bar bushings, wheel bearings etc. etc. etc.......
New front rotors and pads
Resealed PS pump
Checked alternator brushes
New rear calipers, rotors and brake lines
New rear subframe bushings
Resealed SLS valve
New SLS pump suction hose
New rear hydraulic shock absorbers $$$
Pioneer bluetooth stereo with new speakers

Now I am thinking “Missy” is ready for the cross-country trip to Maine where it will only see 3 seasons duty, no winters. She has dependably been to Burbank CA on several occasions to visit my buddy George who works at the Big Dog Garage. It has been exposed to the hills of San Francisco which will put any transmission to a good test and driven at 4,000 rpm for many miles. Uses barely a cup of oil every 1,000 miles and has almost zero blow-by. I call this my forever car and hope to never let her go. She ain’t a speedster, but she will get you there safely and very comfortably. She’s a honey for sure. Average mpg is 24-25 at 70-75 mph.

This is the best vehicle I have ever owned in terms of build quality and is without a doubt manufactured for longevity if properly maintained.
I plan to drive to Maine before fall and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Still have not determined if it a ”labor of love” or a “love of labor".