Hey everyone,
I've been recently re-introduced to the wonders of Mercedes diesels and their ability to run on wvo. I'm looking to sell my '02 Acura RSX and get a 300-class Mercedes from the mid-to-late 80's, but don't really know what to look for. Ideally, I'd like to get a 300SDL, but that's mostly because it has the type of options I'm looking for.

I have a few questions and would love to get some advice before making the switch. Thanks in advance for any help.

- What is a reasonable price for a mid-to-late 80's 300SD/L that has few, if any mechanical problems and is in reasonable cosmetic condition (I know this varies by region, but just a ballpark is all I'm looking for).

- Where can I go to find technical specs and model information for Mercedes of that vintage? In other words, I'd like to know if the models that I'm looking at are the right ones for me, so I want to find out what options, standard features, etc each of those models had.

- What are some common things I should look for/be aware of when I'm looking for a car to purchase. ie - X is known to break after 200k miles. That kind of thing.

Again, I appreciate anyone's help and look forward to talking about this interesting subject.

Peace.

Welcome to the forum. It is THE place for answers .

Generally speaking, you should expect to find power windows, seats, sunroof in the SD and SDL models.
Leather seats seem common, and after having them I tend to look for the MB Tex Vinyl as it appears more durable. (Just my opinion).

I own the 5 sylinder SD with Turbo and do love it. I also want an SDL because I like the longer body, and it does have a 6 cylinder diesel turbo which certainly has more power.
But it is a different engine, and I am being careful about my choice.

I have no fear buying and driving the 5 cylinder 617 engine versions, they are really easy to keep maintained. I suppose the 6 cylinder 603 engine is too, and the owners here will tell you they are great.

Do you do any work yourself ?

Price: You do not say where you are , and I think that may have a lot to do with what you might pay.
In Southern California, where I am willing to travel up to 500 miles for a car,
it seems 3 to 5 thousand for a decent SD with no more than 250,000 miles.
The SDL is an easy 5 to 8 thousand.
Deals are around, but you have to be ready and jump quick.
One think the southern cars often have is no rust. That is worth more.

You will never be sorry about your decision.
I stopped driving my Mercedes and let it sit for ten years, now that I have put
it back in service I realize what has been said before, A Used Mercedes is
better than a new anything. No joke.

Good Luck !

__________________
80 300D 340K Owned 30 yrs
83 300SD 440K Owned 9 yrs - Daily Driver 150mi/day
02 Z71 Suburban 117,000
15 Toyota Prius 2600 miles
00 Harley Sportster 24k
09 Yamaha R6
03 Ninja 250

i too have a 617 300SD and it is fairly easy to maintain.
the 603 6cyl diesel that is in the SDL is known to have some problem. run a search on the forum and u'll see waht i mean. not all are bad keep in mind...

i agree with rhodes "A Used Mercedes is better than a new anything. No joke."

im in the mid west...as for price well im not entirely sure but 3-5grand sounds reasonible. there is one for sale in the CARS section that is very nice..a lot of mods have been done to it and is most likely worth far more than 3-5....

kris

__________________
Cruise Control not working? Send me PM or email (jamesdean59@gmail.com). I might be able to help out.
Check here for compatibility, diagnostics, and availability!

(4/11/2020: Hi Everyone! I am still taking orders and replying to emails/PMs/etc, I appreciate your patience in these crazy times. Stay safe and healthy!)


82 300SD 145k
89 420SEL 210k
89 560SEL 118k
90 300SE 262k RIP 5/25/2010
90 560SEL 154k
91 300D 2.5 Turbo. 241k
93 190E 3.0 235k
93 300E 195k

Thanks for the replies so far. All good information.

I'm in Austin, TX and there seems to be plenty of cars for sale both is this area and in the Dallas/Houston areas. Both of those locations are less than 200 miles from me now.

I've been seeing cars priced anywhere from $1500-$8000 for a 300SD (the $8k was a '91) and anywhere from $3500-$7500 for a SDL.

I can do some work myself, but I'm much more familiar with gasoline-powered cars. My first car was a '68 Mustang and I pretty much worked on that thing every weekend.

I'd like to have a (more or less) maintenance-free car because my current schedule doesn't allow me much time to work on things, but I can find time if need-be.

I like the SDL because of the size and the options, but if the word I'm getting is that the SD is more reliable and more maintenance-free, that'll certainly affect my choice.

Keep the info coming!
Thanks.

I hate to be discouraging, but there is no such thing as a maintenance free car. If you really want to have minimal maintenance, it's better to stick with something newer. Mercedes are well-engineered and well-built cars, but when you buy any car that's pushing 20 years old, things will go wrong on them.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Don't even think about the SDL or the SD if you are looking for a maintenance free vehicle. Neither of them will be maintenance free........with the SDL causing the need for a separate bank account.

If you want a maintenance free vehicle, find $10K and buy a Honda or a Toyota, not a 20 year old M/B.

How come we never get any posts that say, "I have way too much free time and money, and I'm looking for a new hobby to help me take care of that problem..."

Wow, you guys really took my statement out of context. I never assumed a 20-year-old car would be maintenance-free. I'm looking for something with minimal problems. I"m not delusional enough to think that a car of that vintage will be perfect.

So what's up with the SDL? Is it not worth the extra money?

I simply responded to your request for a maintenance free vehicle. Now, we need to understand what your goal of "minimal problems" would be? The '86 SDL has consumed $4K in parts over the last two and one half years........and it's still not 100% perfect.

It's quite typical of its vintage. Others have spent considerably more.

I don't think an SDL qualifies for the "minimal problems" class. Most SD's also will get you into quite a bit of maintenance and repair unless you simply defer it. These vehicles will still transport passengers when requiring over $7K worth of repairs to get them correct. That's the danger when purchasing one. You need to be able to discern the vehicle that needs $8K worth of repairs from the one that needs $2K worth of repairs. None of them need $0 worth of repairs.........despite the seller's claims.

Value is a personal judgment. The SDL is smoother and faster than the SD. It also behaves like it's two feet longer and 500 lb. heavier than the SD.

anywhoo. I got my SD for free, and I have done little to it really since then, Brake caliper, wheel berring, fuel filters, air and oil filters, Battery, Glow plugs and tires...
the car had over 350K on it when I got it, and it now has nearly 400K, So I count that as minimal.
Mine is an 82 5Cyl with the 617 turbo in it.
oh, and the Transmission started slipping going into 4th, so I had it Rebuilt...
still minor in my opinion. So far, I have less than 1500 invested in this baby.
John

Sounds reasonable to me. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Something that has had some TLC over the years, but may need some minor repairs to get it back into dependable shape.

I guess when I said maintenance-free I should have said dependable. That's all I need.

What can you tell me about this car?: http://austin.craigslist.org/car/177455476.html

Don't know much about the 350SD's.

Do a search on rod bender so you know the risks of the 350.
My personal preference is the 5 cyl turbo models. Very good reputation and easy to work on.

__________________
1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

I did a quick search and came up with a little. Can you clue me in a little better? From what I've gathered the engine in the 350SD has a propensity to bend rods. Why? Is this something that happens early in the life of the car or later? A little more info would be great.

The car I posted above is intriguing but I'd like to know more about it. I think it's priced a but high, but it may have low mileage. Who knows. I've emailed the seller to get more info.

Not to be a wet blanket but not going to happen. You need time to work on these things. After a couple of years of work you may get to the point where you can go for a couple of months without a project.

I'd keep the Honda. Buy a MB for fun but keep that Honda.

Brian said it the best. You can ignore problems for a very long time. I just drive the SD, it goes down the road and I am happy. But it needs an easy $5k to get right. I have never found an old MB where I couldn't find $2k worth of stuff it needed. If you want one to be as reliable as a late model car, expect a few grand a year in parts.

The 350SD itself is a fine car, the engine can be a bit weak. Do a search you will get better info.

If you view one of these cars as a fun and relaxing hobby you will enjoy it.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200