I am looking to pick up my first old MB diesel and am curious if there is anything I should be aware of when shopping. I will most likely get it off Ebay or Craigs List so is there any particular questions I should ask to prevent unhappiness? Is there any particular model that is more reliable than others? Please give me the inside scoop.

Thanks

search here for W123 and W126 you will find more info than you can read in ten years.

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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!

www.mercedes-w123.net/buyers_guide.htm

British, but don't hold it against him

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Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

Every model has its followers and detractors, each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Here's how I'd start your process:

Decide how much you can spend, total including any repairs etc.

How much space do you need, large car or small?

Which is more important, sporty or classic looks?

What type of work do you feel competant doing yourself, electrical? Mechanical? Body/Rust?

The answers to these will help to elimnate several models.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Spend a few minutes searchig this forum and search "rod bender" and "cracked head". Those two issues are resonably common on some models and cost a lot to fix.

Also, spend a few minutes searching for threads on what to check on a new MB diesel purchase. The topic has been discussed several times with people tossing in their list of things to check for and the lists are usually a pretty good starting place of what issues to check for if unfamiliar with these cars.

As far as questions to ask of the seller.. how about "can I have it inspected prior to purchase?".

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'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

Buying a car off Ebay would scare the crap out of me, unless you can look at it and drive it of course.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I would never buy a car off Ebay. Values often get inflated way behond reason in these bidding wars. Check for local cars through Craigs List that you can have inspected prior to purchase. Also, it is a great idea to check with local independent MB repair shops for customers of theirs who are selling cars. Often times you can get a good repair history on a car like this plus straight info from the mechanic who has serviced it.

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'81 240D 4-Speed 328K (Daily Driver)
'01 Cadillac SLS 135k (currently up for sale)

I'll second craigslist or buy&sell or Kijiji. Ebay is just plain crazy..

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1987 VW Jetta Mk II - Daily Driver
1992 W201 2.3 - sold
1985 W126 380se - sold
1985 W123 OM617.952 - sold
1981 W123 OM617.912 - sold
1986 W201 2.3 - sold
1979 W123 OM 617.912 - sold

Good examples are hard to find so I recomend being patient. 95% of the old MB's on the market you don't want to buy, they are junk. Read these forums, talk to members, and educate yourself on what a good example looks like. These cars were built pretty well, so just because a car is pretty and drives well doesn't mean it's in good shape. You need to know what to look for or bring it to someone who does.

Spending more money for a better example up front is a wise investment, and is usualy cheaper long term.

Having said that I have seen some really good cars for sale go for fair prices. Actualy a member here is trying to get rid of a very nice SDL that just needs a head or engine. The rest of the car has been well sorted. Something like that could be a killer deal if you are mechanicaly inclined enough to swap motors. I have also seen a few very nice W126's and W123's pop up localy, so they are out there you just have to hunt.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Bernie,

I bought a 1985 300D Turbo on e-bay and couldn't be more happy with it. The vehicle was exactly as advertised and I got all the vehicle maintenance records back to the original owner. I personally would rather pay more for a vehicle with a known history than getting a "deal" on a vehicle where the maintenance history is uncertain. I would also pay more for a vehicle with lower mileage, but that's just my preference. It is a little scary pushing that last bid button if you haven't actually seen the car (or better yet driven it), but you have better odds if you're purchasing off a seller with lots of positive feedback history. If you do buy off of e-bay, I would spend the money to do a title search. It provides some peace of mind. I was a previous Benz owner (1974 240D, 4 speed, purchased locally) so I had a little better idea of what I was getting in to. There are a lot of really smart Benz lovers on this forum, so take advantage of their collective wisdom. One last warning. The diesel fuel gets in your veins and it's hard to get rid of . Good Luck!

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1985 300D Turbo California Model (134K)

I bought my SD sight unseen from a guy in PA 4.5 years ago through ebay with 207k on it.

He lied about: The A/C it worked for about 150 miles then died. (recharged a R12 system with 134a, the idiot) A window seal was messed up so the passenger front window wouldn't shut....I ended up breaking the window trying to fix it. $128 later....problem solved.

Other than that....it was accurate. Of course I have repaired about a million things since then, but its been a perfectly fine car.


My dad's SD was bought from a guy in Detroit through ebay. Honest/nice guy, and we went down and drove it/tested it out before the auction ended. Needless to say, we won the auction, picked it up a few days later.


300D we bought from a weird guy over in Eastern Michigan's deep pine forests through craigslist. Got an excellent deal on a rust-free/mechanically near perfect car. We actually had to hustle over there to get it because some other guy was going to come the following morning to buy it. Seller said "whoever comes first gets it". I bet that other guy was pretty mad.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

If I was within 1000 miles of this car I wouldn't be sitting in front of my computer tonight I'd be on my way to check it out.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/car/615443415.html
I am NOT saying it is a good car, I haven't seen it. But boy I would like to check it out just in case it is as good as it might be!
I hope someone here checks it out and maybe buys it!

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Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

I actualy bought the SDL off ebay, but it was right down the street so I knew exactly what I was getting before I bid. I actualy tried to get them to end it early and waved a bunch of cash at them but they held out, and got less than I was offering. I had waited a long time to get one, and it was exactly the car I wanted, so I wanted it right away and was willing to pay extra. So I waved $3k in front of them, and they wanted to hold out. I was the only bidder and got it for the starting price $2,500.

Come to think of it buying the car itself was the cheap part!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Jeff has some great pointers here. All very important to consider.
My 240D being my first car, I'd been looking at older Mercedes for a little while, including a w126, but decided on the 240d for several reasons.
It's a large engine bay with not much in it, and I wanted room to work and learn about the car on my own but wasn't concerned with being fastest on the freeway. But that's not for everyone. You'll find what's best for you.
As a side note, I've always been told to consider the price of the car and add on roughly $1000 for repairs that might need to be done soon after buying it. It's a good thing to keep in mind. Good luck, and welcome to the forum!

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Nicolette
1977 240D

I bought my 79 W116 300SD on Ebay but it was local to me. I'd be hesitant to buy at a distance anymore. Ebay seems to be getting more and more scam artists. Look at one of the GreenBenz threads if you want to be scared off Ebay.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13