Auto/Clean in out, 4 door 1979 Mercedes 300 D, clear Title Clean

hey it looks good in the picture. will look at it tomorrow. not really a diesel guy, per se, but...it seem like a deal, so it must be ... a scam?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/793232305.html

auto and non turbo tho - kinda slow?

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Looks like a good deal.

As far as being slow, these cars are faster than most people think. I have a 190D automatic and while initial take-off is slow at low rpms, once you get going, these cars will move down the road nicely... especially at highway speeds. Do not expect neck breaking power though.

Its harder for me, because I rotate between this and my Lexus LS400 with 250 hp vs. the Mercedes 190D with 72 hp.

I hearby nominate this as the quote of the year.
Do I hear a second?

yes, i second.

however, my father's fine ?79 rabbit diesel weighed in at 48hp mated with a fine automatic transmission this one has to be better.

seriously. i think this is one of those not for the faint of heart. will have to jump, so...

can i trust the miles/odo?
can i visually really tell very much?
test drive may be possible?

the auto trans..scares me. is it overdrive? four speed?

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Wow, thats a powerhouse!

Well I thought my 190D would be a slower car than a 240D, but then I found out that a 77-83 240D has 67hp and weighs about 3200 lbs. The 84-86 190D has 72hp and weighs about 2800 lbs, so I am assuming pickup is a little better on a 190D than a 240D.

Depending on who you are trying to pick up in it, I suppose.

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

You're asking us, the ones seriously afflicted with the same costly disease, if you should buy it?

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Seriously, I wouldn't post links to cars for sale that you plan to buy but haven't yet. There are vultures swooping around the forum all the time.
Us........

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

It's not a scam. It's a hobby! :-)

Dont expect wind breaking power either lol.

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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

Check for blowby (idle, remove breather & shine a bright flashight like a mag lite or mini mag lite or LED flashlite on gas venting out, you shouldn't see a mist of oil) or look in the air cleaner, which should not be slimed with blowby, look for oil leaks. Ask about fluid use, pass on anything over a quart a month (you know they 'round down') & service. Since SVO conversion can be done quite incorrectly, I would pass on a car with 'single tank' VO use or high percentage (>15-20% SVO) blending unless it was for parts. No matter. Some chump is probably driving it to lovecraft biofuels right now.

Worst case, if the engines a stinker, you could pull lights, dash, trim tranny & rear end, scrap the body, & sell the parts.

If you are interested in buying a W123 300D - this one or any other - then now is the time for you to understand that the odometer, by itself, is not a reliable witness to the miles that the vehicle has traveled.

They have a tendency to eventually start "slipping", at which point miles cease to reliably be added to the reading. Once one has repaired such a problem (instructions available here and elsewhere), it should be obvious that it would be a simple matter to add or subtract miles from the odo pretty much at will.

thanks. i know it was a dumb/obvious question, but just wanted to be sure.

anyway - seemed to be too cheap - but it might just be a deal. will check the blow-by and air cleaner, as others recommended.

not planning on lovecraft-or any other conversion. probably will end up just buying a truck for business reasons, but am fighting my benz addiciton, which i am "powerless"? over

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Not a dumb question at all, IMHO. I'd never messed about with an odometer on any car until the one on my W123 started slipping. I habitually keep track of what the trip odometer reads in relationship to what the fuel gauge reads, so I caught it within just a few days, and fixed the odo the next weekend (rolling on the few miles that had "slipped away").

I was surprised by how easy it was to access the odometer and change the reading.

Check the body out carefully before you put any money down. Most mercedes that are $1000 have something wrong with it, ie major body work or mechinical work.

Car looks kinda rough inside. The car goes pretty good for not having a turbo.

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)