best low cost diesel benz
 

I am looking to by a Diesel benz for the purpose of converting it to a veggie ride. I would like to own it fot the next 15 years. as such , I would also like to purchase a car that would be the cheapest to own.
So who has any recomendations, I would love hear from the mechanic side and aficionados out there.

my considerations are.

1. reputation for lasting for ever
2. availablity of inexpensive parts
3. anything else the group can think of

To my mind, you want the lowest mileage, rust free, 82-85 300D your circumstances allow you to purchase. I'm not talking about less than 100K, I'd personally be a little suspicious of a car like that, but something that was treated right, with 150-175K should be around for at least another 15 years if maintained. These car will last a long time, but not in a maintenance vacuum.

pick one. get the MOST EXPENSIVE example you can afford, and Make sure it has had as much done to it recently as possible. have it inspected by a Known MB mechanic.
be sure if you really use VO to HEAT THE OIL. and purge with diesel on shutdown. or forget the 15 year life of the car.

W123 240D stick...if you can stand it

A 240D stick lacks many of the power comforts of the 300D (power windows, etc.). OTOH, those can be maintenance headaches. Many of the body parts are the same between the 240D and the 300D and lots of them were imported in the 1982-85 time frame.

There may be more 300Ds to choose from -- I don't know the relative numbers. The 300D is more powerful and in ways a nicer car but there is more to take care of. You will have to decide which way to go. You might want to stay open and pick the cleanest car you can find, regardless of whether it's a 240D or 300D. Note also that the older non-turbocharged 300Ds are less desirable -- less power, older climate control design, etc.

The 240D has a 4-cylinder engine while the 300D has a 5-banger. They are essentially the same engines so many parts will also be the same.

The 240D engine is not turbocharged. With a manual transmission, it gets along pretty well anyway but forum members do not seem to like it with an automatic (too slow) so I would recommend avoiding the 240D automatic.

Low mileage is not critical, as was previously said. Avoid rust -- it's too hard to really determine in a pre-purchase inspection how deep it goes. Use the search function and see what others have done -- lots of good info here.

The advice to buy the best one you can find is sound -- there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.

Remember that we will want to see pictures of what you eventually buy! :D

Jeremy

240D manual would be simplest if you can live with the lack of highway legs..

- Peter.

Why convert it to veggie? Unless you really can't afford to pay for the fuel (in which case you should probably be riding a bike) I really don't see the reason. You'll most likely end up with coked injectors and prechamber deposits and possibly a ruined IP and shortened engine lifespan. If you're concerned about the environment, use biodiesel which is much closer in spec to regular diesel which the engine was designed for. There are tons of veggie-converted MB diesels for sale on Ebay, especially on the west coast. I wonder why.

15 years, cheap Mercedes on veggie?:D

Buy a very nice rust free example. Spend a few grand a year to keep it in good shape, and it should last a long time. Any W123 or W126 should suit your needs.

There is no low cost diesel benz. Be prepared to spend 2 or 3 grands a year for possibly 4 years to bring it up to snuff and keep up with maintenance. If you are trying the veggie thing be aware that all the savings in fuel you will be able to achieve will go away in additional maintenance.

If you really are strapped economically get a 1990-94 Nissan Sentra which is the lowest cost car (by far!!! ) available in the USA.

I call foul on the 2 to 4 thousand a year... that's crazy. I have had my SD for 7 years, and it has yet to total over 1500.00 in total repairs... including tires and the purchase price... of course I am an excellent driver... yeah, an excellent driver...

Theres a nice, "collectible" 77, 240D with a six cylinder diesel engine and leather interior, a couple threads over :D
just kidding, this is the type of thing that gives 240D owners a bad name:o:D

.
Hello All :)

I really like the 1981 - 1985 300 D and SD

But the 81 D does not have a turbo.

My maintenance bill is noting like mentioned earlier,
and I take good care of my cars.

I have thought about the 240s but have not purchased,
or driven one.

Have Fun
RichC
:joker:
.

I see you asked stuff on the LoveCrap site. If you do go veggie, go with FattyWagons, Elsbitt, Frybrid, GreaseCar or Plant Drive. Lovecrap is like GreenBenz, the quick way to kill a good car.

3K dollars a year is expected for a time to make up for the previous owner's negligence.

After everything is said and done, pads last 50K miles, rotors 100K, front suspension 2 - 300K miles...You can't beat it. But you have to be patient with these old cars.

This is why it is preferable to spend considerably more money UP FRONT on a near flawless condition Benz so you don't have to go through the work of bringing things up to snuff. The price may seem ridiculously high, but it is most definitely worth it, if the work has been done.

Strangely in my experience every time I sold one of my cars and listed all the work I had done people seemed to be turned off by it, as if doing no maintenance is an indication of a trouble-free vehicle.:confused: