I just bought a 1983 300SD with 244000 miles on it about a week ago. It ran fine, started fine, no smoke, shifted well. I put about 500 miles on it without issue. My only concern was that it appeared to have a very slow leak at the rear main seal, meaning, it would yield maybe 6-7 droplets of oil on the driveway overnight after a drive, possibly less.

I performed a full oil change including oil filter and added a full bottle of Bar's Leaks, and proceeded to drive the vehicle 100-120 miles afterward with no issues. I stopped and started the engine reliably without hesitation 4 or 5 times over that 100-120 miles of use. It appeared the Bar's Leaks stopped the drip.

There were no signs of any problems until I went to start the vehicle on Monday afternoon leaving work (this was the sixth day owning and driving the vehicle), and suddenly it would crank but would not ignite. White smoke puffs from the tailpipe. The battery had plenty of charge.

Fuses are fine. Glow plug light comes on and turns off as usual. One time after trying to crank it, there was a hiss that seemed to come from underneath the car near the rear seats that lasted a second or two and then faded out, which I'm thinking may have been the fuel pump. However it still puffs white smoke as though it's getting fuel afterward.

Any advice would be appreciated.



Also, I paid $1150 for the vehicle. It has some body damage and a bad tie rod, and of course an engine that won't start now, but otherwise OK. As I said, I drove it about 500 miles without any issue. So, I'm not sure if I got a deal or if they copped a steal...

Thoughts?