Bought '83 300D for $717.00.... (non runner )

[dkveuro]

Your collective, valuable input required.
What do you think this vehicle is worth running and ready for service ?
Was I stupid to buy it or do you think I did okay ?

I'm debating using it as personal transport.

This is where I bought it from.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4593012389



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[TheDon]

youve got alot of good parts on that thing... i like the hood ornament.. is it removable or is it broken

[dkveuro]

Originally Posted by TheDon

youve got alot of good parts on that thing... i like the hood ornament.. is it removable or is it broken

Apparently it's a removable item....like those radio face plates.


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[pawoSD]

Overall that looks like a very nice car for $717!! Get it running again and I bet it could cruise many more miles. I wonder whats wrong with the engine, maybe compression finally got too low or something....

[sailor15015]

I was cruising ebay a couple of days ago and I saw you bidding on this car. If mine's totaled out I might decide to keep the salvage and part it out. Since we live in the same state, it might be easy for us to work something out. PM me if you're interested.

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by dkveuro

Your collective, valuable input required.
What do you think this vehicle is worth running and ready for service ?
Was I stupid to buy it or do you think I did okay ?

I'm debating using it as personal transport.

This is where I bought it from.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4593012389



.

Was a fair deal....needs some work but you can put it on the road fairly cheaply....

[J. R. B.]

Looks nice. Congrats.

[84300DT]

nice one. drive it.

[nckmsn]

good looking car, let us know when you diagnose it

[dkveuro]

Will post a $ by $ account of what it takes to put it on the road.



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[redassag00]

Looks good! Keep her goin!

[dkveuro]

UPDATE...........

The story so far...........

The morning I was to go to Buhler Ks...a friend called and said there was a lady and her father and two daughters at the local motel having arrived the night before with a burnt transmission in a Dodge Caravan ....could I give it a look.

The trans' was bad...the Caravan was loaded to the roof and two bicycles on the rear door rack....!

I asked where she was going..." Ponca City" she said.
My loaner truck was a 1996 GM Crew cab turbo diesel with a U-Haul transporter in tow.....so I said I'd trailer her Caravan to Ponca City with them all.

Arrived after 3 hours at Ponca City okay....she paid me $200.00. Nice

Fueled up and left for Buhler ( I 'Google Earth'ed Buhler and it seemed to be a tiny community .....found street location too.)
Arrived spot on 7pm as arranged with seller.

Car was ready and we loaded up and chained it down......like he said....will not start.
Set off for dinner and home......fuel gauge read max.......arrived diner and set off again at 9:30 pm.
Running 70 to 75mph on cruise and crossed the Ok/Ks line...dash warning lamp flicked on THROTTLE SERVICE SOON...everything seemed okay.

About 50 miles later engine bucked twice and settled back to pulling again....for 2 miles.
Engine died at 70 mph 1 mile short of exit 194A and came to stop about 50 yards from off ramp..
Opened hood and with only my cell phone face plate for light, checked what I could..... outside temperature was around 28 degrees and north wind about 20 mph.
Found nothing obvious.....checked by cranking for 10 seconds...nothing.
Fuel gauge showed 1/2 tank...oil pressure climbed to 20 psi cranking...?

I got out and felt for tank under truck...banged on base, it sounded hollow.
Opened fuel drain on thermostat housing and a stream of fuel followed by bubbles came out.....NO FUEL !?
Cranked again...same thing, bubbles.

Turned on the ignition on towed Mercedes...showed full tank....whoopeeee !
Problem...how to get fuel to truck ?

I had bought a bottle of water for the dog, back at last stop.....drained it out and shook all water out.
Opened hood of Mercedes and pulled fuel return banana line off metal pipe.
Opened manual primer and pumped fuel into bottle.......120 strokes to the pint !
12 pints later I thought I'd enough fuel in truck to attempt a start.
Cranked 10 seconds...nothing.....crank for 10 seconds...nothing....no fuel coming from bleed tube.

Was begining to think fuel was not all the problem...maybe that THROTTLE SERVICE SOON lamp, meant a failed signal to pump.
Waited 15 minutes and tried again...nothing, not even a cough.
Called 911, operator told me to call *55 for assistance.
Punched in *55........." We're sorry....your call has been redirected to Cingular for non payment of account, please use a land line to call our billing department or ......blah blah blah...!

Oh no !...Middle of nowhere......traffic flying by and no phone for miles ..Great !
Sat in truck trying to warm up a bit......only option was to call 911 again.....hated to do this, as it is an EMERGENCY system after all.

911...."Hallo emergency services, how can we assist you.?"
"Good evening ma'am, I called you earlier about being out at 194A ....well I cannot call out for service..."
"No problem, I'll call a wrecker for you, be with you in 30 minuets."

Wrecker arrived from Perry....SAM'S AUTO REPAIR INC'......Driver about 30 something....
Told him I have automatic 4X4....and I THINK a low fuel condition.
"Kay....will tow you to fuel stop, hop in and warm up."

Arrived fuel stop...Driver was owner of SAM'S...and he was very familiar with GM turbo diesels.
I filled with 24 gallons of diesel and opened the hood....Sam opened the filter bleed....which I'd missed, and a trickle of fuel and air came out...
"Good " he said, "....that means the pump is okay...crank on it some"

After a few tries it bursts into life....a little stumble but running.....Sam said it was cold and airated...would clear up in a few.
He went back and unhooked the truck and wrote the bill.

$112.00.

Paid him cash and a little extra...".Thanks Sam.....what you know about '96 Caravan's ?"
I explained the tow I had dropped off....he said enough to convince me he was able to tackle the job and he was 24 miles from her location..... I told him I'd call her to let her know about SAM'S.

Checked everything and started off on I-35 south to home.....going through Norman at 2:45am I stopped and had breakfast. Waffell House.
Arrived back at shop at 3:35am.
Unloaded and dropped off transporter to Criswell Texaco up town.

Got to bed at 4:15am.


NEXT MORNING...............

Looked over Mercedes. Nice car, interior very nice....star on hood removable too...but guess what ? EURO HEADLIGHTS !
Hooked up battery charger and went to lunch.
After, I cranked the engine...no start...glow lamp okay....looked some more...rats chewed through glow curcuit next to battery.....ran hot wire straight ot glow plug on #1.
Cranked and engine fired off...........good oil pressure and idles a little rough......three year old diesel fuel.

Filled coolant to top and found water pump leaked and top of radiator cracked...ran it to warm with cap off.
Started to run smoother.
Did a daylight walk round........Front fender drivers side, bondo behind lower wheel arch...accident damage? rear fender lip on same side scorred too.....scrapped a post most like.
Rest of car in great condition.....drove around yard and up driveway....shifted fine and brakes good too, all new tyres and no oil leak exept front cam cover.

So....all in all, everything turned out okay.........

Car = $717.77.
Trailer = $65.00
Diesel = $147.00
Breakdown = $112.00

Nice car, and arriving home in one piece. = PRICELESS.


Wadda ya think ?


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[dkveuro]

I guess this got lost in the weekend noise.

[Brian Carlton]

Sounds like a homerun to me. You basically purchased a $2K vehicle for $700. All it needs is a glow plug wiring issue and it's back on the road.

I'm hoping to be somewhat lucky with my new SDL. Hopefully I can get away with just a turbo.

[kerry]

Good deal. They don't get much better than that. Usually one expects the mechanical problems to occur with the new vehicle, not the tow vehicle.