I need to ask you guys question. I found a 1987 300D that someone backed into. The front of the car is pushed into the motor. I would have to replace both front quarter panels, the hood, the radiator, the lights, the grill. Everything on the front of the car, the bumper is fine just everything else in the front. The oil cooler line and the oil radiator will have to be replaced also. I cant start it or here it run, the owner says the motor and the tranny are good. The car has 186,000 on it and it is in good shape. He was asking $1,500 for it I have got him down to $650. I am not sure what I should do, what else should I look at? Would you go for it? It will take alot of work to get it running again, but $650 is a good price? Give me some of your opinions. Thanks.

Well, I will take a shot at this since no one else has...
We don't know how much experience you have or the tools... and you have not put where you live in the upper right hand corner of your posts...
You do have him down to a reasonable figure dollar wise if his description is correct.
But I personally would not do it without FIRST finding the replacement stuff... usually the cheap way is to find an exact match for that car and have it physically next to it when working on it... really helps in all aspects... but often hard to do.
You should also become an expert in measuring whether the FRAME is bent.
If it is I would only consider that the engine/trans DONOR car... would never attempt to straighten an old car like a MB after being bent.
The Chassis Factory shop manual has the way to measure that stuff...
if it is bent you can count on having tire wear and alignment issues for the rest of its life ( in my opinion ). Be sure to check to see that the stuff on the front of the crank shaft is not bent or broken....

i would buy it just to at least have the motor and tranny

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• 1993 Mercedes-Benz 400E *146,000 Miles*
• 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300SD Turbo Diesel Biodiesel *SOLD @ 346,000 Miles*
• 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300D Turbo Diesel Biodiesel *SOLD @ 284,000 Miles*

Is this car in St Louis, per chance?

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

Buy the car just to sell the motor and tranny? If i would do that, how much would you ask for the motor and tranny. I could sell other parts also.

Yes it is, why?

Just curious; I was hoping to see pics of it (assuming it's the one on Craigslist), but the fellow never sent me any. Sounds like it's beyond my capabilities to fix anyway, but the running gear would be worth $650 if they are intact!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

How can you tell if the crank shaft is bent? The radiator is up against the motor.

I am talking about the crank balancer , pulleys, etc... that sort of stuff on the front of the engine ...
the crank positioner indicator... all that fancy stuff that might be hard to find for replacement...

I cant even see that stuff.

I was thinking the same at first, but your post says the bumper is fine, so it would all be above the crank. The front cover and accessories might be toast though, and if the engine was running while the front cover and chain were hit, the engine cold have crashed pistons into valves.

If the bumper is pushed back, you've got a lot more work since the body is right behind it. Pushing that bowed steel back will spread the whole front of the car (by design) and need much more "frame work".

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Will you fix it to keep or flip? Sounds like cost to repair is about what you'll pay for a running 300D since there are 87 300D specific parts involved. Note that while not rare, this is a one year only model.

I don't know the going rate for engines and transmissions but without the ability to test before buying, I'm not sure I'd pay $650 even if I needed them today.

$650 is a good price if you have space to store it until you find a use for it.

Sixto
87 300D

I want to keep it, I miss driving a diesel.

If the pistons hit the valves, and I try to turn the motor by hand it would not turn? Right?

You might be able to turn the engine even if pistons and valves are intimate. Be concerned if you don't feel/hear a compression and release every 120 crank degrees. Pull the valve cover so you see the cam turning with the crank (if you can get a 27mm socket on the crank pulley with the radiator pushed into the engine). Ideally you'll be able to see the crank pulley TDC mark (~10 o'clock position) to confirm cam timing is fine or close enough.

What the heck backing into does that much damage? I rear ended a Grand Am with my 93 SD. I was hard on the brakes so the grill rather than bumper took the brunt of the impact. The airbag deployed but there wasn't as much engine bay damage as you describe.

Sixto
87 300D