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#1
08-30-2007, 10:25 AM
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Would like your 1983 Euro wagon 300TD thoughts
I was cleaning out old mail and found some communications I had with someone regarding a 1983 300TD for sale. I emailed them and its still available. Not sure about all the details yet but I noticed from the pictures that it has European bumpers and the windows are manual hand cranks. Does this add a lot of value to the car and is there anything to be aware of like registration if its a gray market car?
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Currently driving a very clean 1985 300SD from the West Coast. 
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#2
08-30-2007, 10:33 AM
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Manual heater controls would be nice. Also there is a chance it will be a factory stick.
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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver 1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver 1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine
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#3
08-30-2007, 11:20 AM
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Quote:
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 1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15 '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)
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#4
08-30-2007, 11:21 AM
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only so much as it's one less thing to break down. the manual stuff lasts forever, electric stuff fails.
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!  1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
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#5
08-30-2007, 01:05 PM
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Some insurance companies have difficulty with gray market cars, but only because their data bases sometimes don't have european gray market VIN #s in them..
It is not diffocult to find one, though, after a fashion, to cover the car. The Euro W123 cars are more valued by some because of their manual heater controls, manual sunroofs and crank windows, they have, which are more reliable, less likely to break or give problems. Some like the look of the thinner Euro bumpers, and the look and performance of the Euro headlights, (if they are on the car after the gray market conversion process) with dashboard thumbwheel height adjusters. Many of the euro cars have also, cloth or fabric interiors, which are desired by many, and some have the dark plastic wind deflectors on the roof, which were popular accessories for the cars when new. The euro gray market cars should be particularly scrutinized for rust, though, as many may have lived for long times in snowy areas of the United States - or Germany, where they may have been exposed to snow, slush, and salt.
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 1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ... 1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold) 2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp 1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k 2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive  (sold)
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#6
08-30-2007, 01:35 PM
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You may want to read up here before buying a grey-market car. This was written in the context of buying a pre-import G-wagen but I believe the information applies regardless.
__________________
1995 E300 200k 1981 300GD unknown km
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#7
08-30-2007, 09:43 PM
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Not the greatest pictures, look like they came from a digital camcorder. Think it has rust and I told myself no more rust, and I haven't got a $ amount but it has 280K on it.
 
__________________
Currently driving a very clean 1985 300SD from the West Coast.
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#8
08-30-2007, 10:36 PM
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Just my $0.02.
I own a US spec 85 300TD and an 84 euro 300TD, both turbos. Mechanically, the only real differences are the lack of an EGR and oil separator and a KKK turbo on the euro. Having no EGR just means I didn't have to disable it, no oil separator means it consumes a bit more oil. The KKK turbo makes it easier to adjust the wastegate, but once its done who cares? Cosmetically, the bumpers are different (I prefer the US style), both have US headlights (but the euro has the vac adjuster wheel, disconnected), otherwise the euro is a stripped down version (c.f. the fully optioned US version). I think that manual crank windows are highly overrated, I like to drive with all the windows halfway down and its just not feasible to crank the passenger side rear window while driving. Both of my cars have ACC, but I would like manual climate controls. I guess what I'm saying is that the differences are negligible. Find the nicest example you can afford, forget about the "euro mystique". If anything, it just makes it harder to find replacement trim pieces.
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#9
08-30-2007, 10:46 PM
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pass on it..
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#10
08-31-2007, 05:54 AM
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Gotta stick to the plan which is to reduce the inventory so i can spend more time with the family. Sell mode, followed by NO buy mode....
Can he do it? Yes he can. Douglas, I aggree with a lot of your points. Bumpers look neat but who really cares and are they safer? Thanks for the gray market info people.
__________________
Currently driving a very clean 1985 300SD from the West Coast.
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#11
08-31-2007, 09:04 AM
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Quote:
__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
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