Hi All,

I am interested in buying 1983 300D. Here is the description of the car per ad:
1983 Mercedes-Benz 300D Turbo-Diesel, Power-Window's, Sun Roof, Good Tires/Paint, 2nd owner, 148,900 miles Asking $2500 in So. California.

I emailed the seller and here is his responses:
He does not have the record of the car, he bought it 10 years ago @120K miles.
• The air cond. is not working (not freon, but something with the unit itself).

• The car drips a little oil when its parked for awhile (very common), it does not ever get low on or use oil, its just one of those things you live with.

• The hydraulic/air system that controls the door locks has a leak somewhere. This is very common as well, and just something you get used to fixing every year or two. Additionally, this same system helps the cars motor to turn off when you remove the key. Sometimes the motor will run for a little bit after turning it off (very common with diesels, especially this model).

• The interior is pretty good overall, but there are cracks in the dashboard from the sun. Also, some of the wood trim is missing or cracked. These cosmetic things never bothered me, but you can find replacements from a "pick your part" auto wrecking type place for cheap if you want to replace them.

• The motor mounts usually need to be replaced every year or two. It's probably time for that again (you can drive it that way for sometime, but its better to fix them every couple of years). Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

On the good side: The paint is good. The car has been very reliable and the motor should have a long life ahead of it. The tires are in very good condition. The milage is fairly low for this year and model. The lights and windows work fine. It has a Sears Diehard battery that appears to be in great condition. It's cheap.


Any suggestions. He keeps say this is "common" things. Is it?
I have been looking for 300D between 1980-1985 300D ( my friend think I am crazy, for 34 yrs old to drive such a car...oh well I like it old)


BTW, I never own diesel car, and I am looking forward to the fruitful experience.

Thank you very much for your help and feedback. Have a good day.

Sam

__________________
1989 300E, 152k miles
1988 300E, 172k miles


"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz" -unknown

So, he purchased it ten years ago with 120K and now it has 150K. 3K per year in California. Hmmmmmm.

He does not have any records for the car? Why not? He owned it for the last 10 years?

Clearly, nobody has done any maintenance to it for years. All of the issues that you have listed show that the owner(s) just deferred the maintenance issues and drove it as is.

Such a vehicle should be worth between $1000 and $1500 sight unseen.

After you see it and look it over carefully, you might even pay less than that.

If he's supposedly owned it 10 years and @ only 3,000/year the above makes no sense at all. Buyer beware...

Hi Sam (heh, thats my name too!)

I don't have any serious answers for you because I'm no expert, but I've been shopping for a 300TD-T for quite a while (just found a good one a few days ago!), so have a few perspectives.

Air conditioning almost never works on used cars under 3000$. In fact, I only saw ONE car who's air conditioning and cruise control work (the one I'm buying), and I was looking in the 2500$ range.

Oil leaks are very common too, but should be fixed. There are a few predictable locations it seems, and a little diligence will result in a drip-free engine. A small drip won't kill ya, but its worth trying to fix.

Vacuum problems are also very common. From what I hear, they are fairly cheap and easy to fix, though time consuming. You'll need a hand vacuum pump, like a Mity-Vac, some vacuum diagrams (found on this forum, or online), and time to go through the vacuum system hunting for leaks. I'm sure with the symptoms given that some x-perts could suggest a place to start looking in the system. It can be a hassle, but it is definately within the range of a basic DIYer to fix.

Dashboard is apparently a huge annoying problem to fix. You can just put a cover over it if you want. However, if you want an uncracked dash you are going to be in for a serious installation. Wood pieces can be refinished without too much difficulty, but again, its just another 'little thing' that can add up.

If the paint is good and the body is rust-free (especially in bad places, like jack points), then it could be a good deal. The mileage is definately a big plus too.

So anyway.. I can't really say whether or not to pay 2500 for a car like that, but hopefully my experiences give you a little more to go on. Good luck!

Peace,
Sam

Ahh, the more experienced folks beat me to it.

They have good points, no maintainence records combined with oddly low mileage make for a suspicious situation. I've heard of cars breaking their odometer, being driven like hell for years, then someone fixes the odo right before selling the car. If you see the car, there are a few things you can look at to get an idea of 'real' milage, like gas pedal wear, wear on the radio's buttons, seat wear, etc. Its possible this car has higher mileage than it would seem.

Now, its not to say that the car still isn't a fine car, just be wary.

peace,
Sam

Thank You all for your kind reply. Man, now I love the diesel cars more, due to the support I am getting in this form.

Thanks again. I am continuing to read the thread. Any further feedback,
and advices are welcomed!!

Sam

__________________
1989 300E, 152k miles
1988 300E, 172k miles


"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz" -unknown

Joe,

Where can I find a car like yours..

__________________
1989 300E, 152k miles
1988 300E, 172k miles


"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz" -unknown

Hi All,

I went to check the car, and I was very disappointed. Here are my notes:
1. Driver door will not close(sometimes it does work)
2. Rust in the truck
3. Rear window seals are dried and damaged (most of the window seals are dried out. I saw some rust in the trunk
4. He repainted the car; very cheap paint job. I can spry over the suspension rubber parts, and rubber for the moonroof
5. Brake fluid is black...hints
6. Leak everywhere in the botton of the car: power steering leak, oil leak, and transmission fluid leak. Front engine leak. Rust under the battery

7. The dash is filled with cracks. Also, the right vent (passenger side) was pushed inside the dash; cracks in the wooden.

8. The hinges for the hood are bend
9. No records whatsoever of the oil changes.

I will post the photos I take once I download them.


I am very disappointed. How hard is it to find a well taken care of 300D(1982-1985) or even simple 240D. Am I asking too much??

Anyway, thanks for the help. I should got the hint not to go and waste my time, when I knew that maintenance record do not exists..oh well. I will keep looking, and hopefully I find the once I like before I retire ( in 30 yrs)

Have a good day.

Sam

__________________
1989 300E, 152k miles
1988 300E, 172k miles


"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz" -unknown

Well, it sounds like you're finding out just how hard it is to find a good one.

Take your time and that right one will come along.

Let us know what you get--maybe some pics....

Cheers,

Bill

Just wait, you'll eventually come across a good 300DT. Before I got the 1982 300D, I looked at various other models that were not in as good condition as the 300D I have now, in fact, I feel like listing them...
1987 300SDL (owner didnt want indy to see bad tranny)
1987 300DT (still had trap oxidizer, sold by the same guy who was selling SDL)
1994 C280 (nice car, but not a diesel)
1985 300DT (had a lot of problems)
1984 300DT (sluggish on takeoff, turbo didn't work, sold before I could get it to the indy)
1984 300D N/A Euro (tranny needed rebuild)
1982 300SD (needed a lot of repairs to bring back into good condition)
1985 300SD (owner reluctant to let indy see it, and sold it before we had time to let the indy see it, I later found out it had a tranny problem)
-Joe

__________________
'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

As we advised a fellow on the other thread, you will find that 9 out of 10 of these vehicles are vehicles that you do not want.

Therefore, you must be prepared, mentally, that the vehicle is a POS and that you are simply doing your homework. If you go out with the attitude that the vehicle is worth owning, then you will be frustrated and disappointed 9 out of 10 times. Even worse, your rose colored glasses might allow you to purchase one of the better choices in the group of 9. This would be a fatal error.

Remember, as I stated in the other thread:

There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz.

Brian,

I do really appreciate your advice. I am learning....
Thank you very much

-Sam

__________________
1989 300E, 152k miles
1988 300E, 172k miles


"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz" -unknown