never been over in this forum much but I spyed an 85 300 TD for sale that has my attention, it mentions it was appraised at 6000 (cdn) and is selling at 2900 needs injector repair. now if thats all it needs id be surprised (given how these sorts of things are under reported) so if its more like an injection pump, what am I looking at cost wise and trouble wise? redid the engine on a jetta TD will this be more or less toublesome/difficult?

Also, these 85 wagons, how difficult will chassis parts be to get, they are certainly very infrequently sighted around here.

TIA,
Mark

Chassis parts are easily obtainable through several sources. I doubt a bad IP pump. Does it crank and run? Could be something as simple as a clogged tank vent, could need injectors or it could need more. Being in Canada, is there rust? Rust is the enemy of these cars. I wouldn't buy a car with anything more than surface rust or small rust on a panel. Check it over very carefully, if you find rust underneath you're better off looking elsewhere. Have a Pre-purchase inspection done on it. If it's mostly minor stuff, then get it and plan on spending about $1000 the first year to get everything in order. It won't necessarily cost you that much, but it should be included in how much you want to spend for a car.

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85 300CD
83 300TD
78 240D (daughter)

Mark be careful. if the owner knows the exact problem why did they not fix it? Scams galore out there. The least you should do is make a contractual arrangement if the repair costs more than having the injectors cleaned and repaired if needed the difference comes out of the selling price. Almost certain you will not be happy with the responce. The injectors could be the problem, they may not know what the problem is, or worse the problem is far greater than a set of shakey injectors and they know it. As for rust you do not want any or as the recent post mentioned very very little. But sometimes a car with a few mechanical or detail defects is really a good deal. Hard to quantify sometimes. Reading your post between the lines if car does not have much rust have a pre purchase inspection done at a garage that really repairs a lot of mercedes. They will charge you but it is better with than without in making a decision. If the owner refuses to go along with this just walk away as there are more cars for sale than buyers. Get someone in your area that owns a mercedes diesel of about the same age to go with you for the initial look if possible. Odometer readings are not to be trusted unless really verifiyable. (books and records) Sorry cannot put an optomistic spin on your find as have just not enjoyed seeing a lot of people getting beat up when buying a car. With the right attitude and proceedures you do not have to join their ranks. As for parts, I live in nova scotia and grew up in the west toronto area. Parts support is better on that car than any I can think of. Availability is good and the price of them generally extremely reasonable. Two exceptions though. Internal engine work is expensive and the internal engine parts are pretty pricy. The automatic transmission is pretty expensive to rebuild. This particular series of car lean towards the guy that wants to learn to repair it himself when things need it. Or already has the ability. If you are really interested just follow the suggestions above and things could be fine. Buyer beware. More information about the car would have been helpful as well. It's good you have enough experience to rebuild the tdi. It might be a creampuff with a few minor items.