You really have to have a sense of humor sometimes to drive 1970's era diesels.

My 1977 300D was running great. Recent "lifestyle" improvements were.

1. Rebuilt the instrument panel lights with LED's,,,,, Perfect.
2. Heat working GREAT
3. A plug in heated seat pad with new sheepskin seat covers... WARM
4. New alternator,,,,, NO radio interference.. important to me.

I stopped at my favorite Mobil station to pick up my usual diet coke for the drive home, as well as a tank full of fuel.

I looked at the rear bumper and said,,, that looks a little funny.

I reached down and pulled it off. One hand.

I was hysterical laughing all the way home.

The good news is Phil/Fastlane pointed me to a source for a used bumper. Should arrive by next week.

People ask me why I don't get a new car. In addition to the remarkable engineering on these cars, the emotional attachment I have to a car that has been in the family since new,,,,,,, the entertainment value can be limitless.

Cheers,

JCD

Ahh life is good. I roll in a '79 300d with good heat and a/c. I like the freedom of NOT having a car payment.

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1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

people always look at my garage and sa "you have such nice cars - why do you drive a 84 diesel!"

1) it was my mother's car - the car I used to sneak out in high school (which is tough to do with all the noise!) - the car I used to sleep in the back seat floor boards on the trips to see the grandparents - so there is emotional ties there

2) it is a perfectly good car - in fact it gets the best mpg of my fleet at a fairly regular 24 mpg in the city - now that the a/c / heater is all sorted out and the leaks are down to next to nothing (OK, still working on the cruise control problem) there is nothing operational that makes it a horrible to drive

3) it's very dependable and by far the easiest to service and parts are readily avialable.... and it keeps miles off my other cars (miles on a diesel is a badge of pride! - literally!)

4) no rust - none (texas car)

5) no car payment, only a $12 safety inspection needed in texas , where I can't get my nissan to pass (well, there are some reasons for that)

only down side is a few cosmetic items - bumbers have some scraps and fading - paint is good, but not great, interior is leather and is needs to be replaced, bundt cake rims could be refinished

so it would be a crime to take it out to pasture and shoot it!

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~shell
As of 2/2010:
2001 CLK55 0o\=*=/o0
13.6 @ 106mph
10K mi
1984 300SD
260K mi and going and going...
97 S600
46K miles
1991 Sentra SE-R (extremely dorked with)
www.se-r.net

I love it. I am working on a presentation on Biodiesel and SVO and have a slide on renewing an old diesel and realizing the plague of disposable car syndrome here. Building an emotional attachment and entertainment are nice bullets.

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

Most cars are like Bic lighters. Buy'em, use em up, throw em away.

These cars, given that they respond so well to use combined with good maintenance, are like Zippo lighters. Replace the flint and the wick, keep it full of fluid and they will last you for years.

JCD

Amen.

That's a great analogy!!! Not being a smoker, I never thought of that.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

I believe it was in the late when 80's my grandfather's diesel had a similar problem with the bumper. It was because MB put a steel surface on an aluminum mount, and of course it corroded quickly. He was so upset at the cost of a new bumber and the poor design by MB that he fabricated a 2x6 plank of white oak to take its place. To each their own....


cheers,
dan

ive actually thought of my benz like a zippo lighter also.. and whats great about zippo's is they have a great following and a repair center.. i guess the following is us and the repair center is us/the indy/phil/the classic center..

id like a zippo with a mercdes benz emblem on it and 300D just to have

I would be in for 2...... lol

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1983 Mercedes 300D
Atlanta, GA

[quote]people always look at my garage and sa "you have such nice cars - why do you drive a 84 diesel!"[quote]

I get the opposite. I go to work at my school, and park between a new cherry red Mustang and a new silver Hona Civic. There are also plenty of later model Grand Cherokees and SUV hybrid types. But when the staff took a bus to a conference and I and a few others drove (shortly after buying my restored 1980 300SD), I came out to the parking lot to find the entire staff gathered around and drooling on the paint, looking very respectful about my new car, and not believing it was a 1980.

It might not be the newest car, but it is the classiest one in the lot.

My wife doesn't mind me going out in it alone. It doesn't get me girls, but I sure get a lot of guys with their tongues hanging out when I go by.

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79 300SD - $50 out of pocket purchase
03 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD
2003 VW Jetta TDI

when airport security took apart my zippo and busted the hinge, i just sent it to back to bradford pa, and it came back as new. cost= $0.00.

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

you could just wire it up with 2 coat hangers jcd...

like mine has been for the last 3 years, lol


note to self: replace coat hangers holding rear bumper on car...


seriously glad to hear you are keeping old blue up to speed , you have a really fine example there.

remember this?

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=39174&highlight=gtg

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

I haven't been to a diesel meet in a long time. In that period I have picked us some more rust, but she still looks pretty good. I just wish I had more time to keep up with the car and the NJ salt is just a killer.

It is rare in the winter, but when the weather is nice, at least once per month someone stops me and says what a cool car. Sometimes it happens while in traffic, I get a thumbs up. The demographics of the kudo's are what kill me. Men/women/young/old.

I can't wait til the bumper get's here. Now it looks like a 29 old car. With the bumper, she looks alot younger.