New member in need of advice
 

Hello, I am a new member with a few questions. I currently do not own a diesel Mercedes, but I have a plan to acquire one in the near future. So, what do you think about this…
My wife and I drive very little and would like to buy an early 80’s MB turbo diesel to run commercially made B100 in during the warmer months of the year (which in WI can be 4-8 months of the year). Our gasser that we would sell is worth about $5000. I was thinking about purchasing a cleaner MB turbo diesel for ~$3000, add another ~$1000 for tune up and such (done by myself) and have another ~$1000 for unforeseen expenses. Does this sound reasonable? The car the MB would replace is driven ~7500miles per year, so there is downtime for repairs, for when they arrive.
We are also considering a VW TDI, but I am not a fan of $$$ computer chips controlling my vehicles. I am a wrenches and welder kind of guy. I have been scouting the internet for info and it seems like the MB would fit into my lifestyle. I do valve adjustments on my motorcycles and have rebuilt motors in the past, so I feel like I could handle a lot that the MB could throw at me. The only weird thing would be to own an automatic.
I am not too worried about economics of this venture; we are of the type that if diesel was $4/gallon and biodiesel was $5, we would fill up with biodiesel.
I appreciate any and all thoughts and insights.
Joe

if auto is weird, get a manual. they are harder to find, but they are out there.
the 240D manual is slow, but available, also out there is the 86-87 300D manual 5speed, but they are RARE, so you will be looking for quite a while.
in your neck of the woods, rust is going to be prime concern, so plan on spending another 5-800.00 for transport for the car from the rust free areas of the US....
good luck finding what you are looking for, and post pics here when you get it.

Head south, southeast or gulp, southwest. In California, the wagons are selling for insane prices, so use southwest only as a last resort.

Either way look for a rust free, well maintained car. The MB wagon is a hot commodity right now, but your price range seem s feasable.

Member Winmutt in Georgia has a non turbo for sale.

I live in Wisconsin, and in the last year, I have seen several examples of truly rust-free MB diesels in my area. It is not impossible, you just need to look and know where to look to check for the rust.

Thanks for the replies so far. I didn't mean weird = bad, just that it has been a long time since I didn't have to do the shifting. After replacing the clutch in my truck a few years ago, the idea of an automatic is weird = intriguing. If it works, I am for it.
I have been looking in the South for a cleaner MB. I am trying to sell it as a family trip.:)
Also, in re-reading my post, I didn't mean to offend anyone with my comments about the the VW TDI. They are great cars and wonderful technology. I have friends who own them and I have driven several. The ones I am familiar with get great MPG and run for a lot of miles.
Where I am at in life, I don't need that level of transportation, but diesel options are far and few. I have gone to the VW dealership 4 times in the last 10 years to look at the TDI, but can't, for some reason, make the jump (I also dislike car payments).

MB automatic is surprisingly shiftable with manual feathering of the accelerator pedal, tight and responsive. It's like you always know what gear you're in. Far cry from typical slush bucket auto trannies. And you can pretty much hold each gear long as you like. Didnt think I'd like em either but now am having fun with 1980 automatic 300SD. Shifts strong and hard German style, amount of pedal you apply is key. And with diesels this usually means hammer down most of the time. Its kinda cool, you can peddle the accelerator to control the shifts.

Where in Wisconsin are you? I have a 78 300D (non turbo but 5 cyl) for sale. It needs exhaust work and brake work but isn't rusty and has low miles. I can send all the pics you want. Price is negotiable.

Welcome potential new MB diesel owner! Minimal rust is key, auto's are fine, I prefer a manual myself, yet there are none on a 5 cylinder. You sound as if you can handle any mechanical difficulties. A non turbo is even easier to work on. Bio is corrosive to rubber, so replacing the few rubber lines won't be a big deal. On the '85's and earlier, the IP will not be affected, no internal rubber parts.

Bump for more.

Thanks for all of the replies so far. I am glad to hear words of encouragement. I think these cars are really cool.

As for the cars forsale; thanks for keeping me informed but at this point next Spring is the earliest we will be purchasing a diesel. Also, for the time being, I have my mind set on a 80-85 300 turbo. That doesn't mean you can't try to change it...

The SD was the only '80 300 to have the turbo, IIRC, it was '81 when it was available for the wagon and '82 for the sedan and coupe.

size matters
 

What you will want depends on how 'big' a car you like driving.

I have an '81 300SD. The car is built like a panzer and is very nice to own. It comes with the turbodiesel so you get that extra 40 hp over the normally aspirated engines. The only potential drawback is that it is a full size car. It does not 'feel' as big as a Buick Roadmaster but it can be tight to parallel part, etc. The upside is a nice sized cabin with plenty of room for five people and a large trunk. The model is the W126. The five cylinder engine went in it from '81 to '85 and then it got the six cylinder engine from '87-'90. From what I have heard, the six is much more tunable to get more horsepower. If you are looking for a smaller sportier car, as if any 1980's diesel could be called sporty, take a look at the W123 300D cars. They have the same turbodiesel five cylinder, but is a mid size car. The drawback is that they can be tight inside and the trunk is smaller. For my needs, which are long commutes and trips the W126 was literally a better fit.

Once you get into the late '80s you will see more electronic controls on the engines. If you want to stay away from that, and I did, stick to the earlier cars. I like the idea of a car that will keep running even if the entire electrical system dies.

As people have said before, take your time and get the best example for the money you can find. Rust is the biggest problem on these cars as everything mechanical can be rebuilt from the heater valves to the air conditioning control unit.

Good luck in your search.

Interesting, so far in my MB searching, I thought the SD stood for turbo diesel and the D meant normally aspirated. So, the SD means W126 and the D means W123, both with the 5 cylinder turbo diesel? What is the size and MPG difference between the W126 and the W123? The plot thickens...

Sounds like a good call. I'm a little over a year into owning an older turbo diesel MB and love it. Most of the work I've done on it is quite straightforward--- a welcome relief from near total dependence on repair shops. Fun to own and drive too. Although KY winters are mild compared to yours, I'm certain that bio is still an option in winter. Last winter I never ran less than 70% bio and added an anti -gel to the tank and did fine. Seems that the anti -gel (Diesel Kleen) doesn't work on B100 but will do OK with a blend.

I find the manual 240D right. My wife, being rather short, doesn't like the "bigger" SD feel and likes the manual trannys so I consider myself lucky. Most of our driving is two lane roads yet when we get on the freeway the 240s feel plenty sure footed and comfy. Plus all the manual things, heat & AS, windows, tranny, sun roof, are allot simpler and easy too work on.

Think of SD as S class diesel. 78-80 SD would be a 116 Chassis, 81-85 would be a 126 Chassis. A 300D from 77 to 85 would be a 123 chassis.
A 126 will usually return better mpg then a 123 even though its a bigger car due to more wind tunnel influence in its design.