I'm going to look at a 300DT Sunday that blew it's engine. According to the seller the interior and exterior are excellent,AC blows cold and the transmission is only a year old w/one year left on the warranty(has paperwork). She asked for $1,000.00 and I offered $800.00 which she accepted. I will lower my offer if I see any red flags upon inspection. I figure the transmission is worth $400.00 alone.

My neighbor has a 617 turbo diesel engine in his '79 300sd(originally from a 123).
I drove in that car before it stopped going in reverse, and the engine is strong. However, it idles poorly and smokes at idle. I think it's a bad injector. He's tired of working on all of his Mercedes(2 wagons + 300sd) and is willing to sell me the 300sd for $1,000.00.

Since I'm happy with my 240D, I'd like to save this 300D from the junkyard and make a profit of at least $1,000.00 . Does anyone think I can get $3,000.00 for a clean 300DT in Northern Ca? Could the smoking and idle issues with the 617 engine be serious if the engine runs well? Thanks

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'81 300SD

Why would you make an offer over the phone if you plan on lowering it after inspecting the car? This is why I refuse as a seller to respond to "how low will you go" until they come in person whenever possible.

I'm not sure about the parting out idea for profit. That takes alot of time and effort to do, and shipping costs are so high that you'll have to deal mostly with locals. I imagine it taking months to recoup, and many, many hours.

If the car is as nice as you say, you could find a healthy 617 to put in, then sell it for a profit. Seems like an easier idea to me, and you've saved an old benz from getting destroyed.

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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!!!

Yes, putting a healthy 617 in it is the idea. I'm just not sure how healthy the 617 in the 300sd is. Since it has a fair amount of blow-by, it could be low compression in one cylinder as well as a bad injector causing the rough idle.

The over the phone offer is just to see if the seller is flexible. $1,000.00 seems like a lot to ask for a car that isn't running.

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'81 300SD

One thousand is not excessive really if otherwise the coupe is very sound with a really good interior. You have to inspect the car carefully in person to determine what really is there. At all costs do not totally piss off the vendor if you want it. The rebuilt transmission still under warranty is a bonus as well.

Do not drop a marginal engine in though if the car is really good. It would not make sense. You again have to inspect the car before any conclusions can be made. Remember if it is a good one it might not last long either.

Do you know for sure that the engine is really "blown"? That can mean different things to different people--the car could possibly just need minor work that seems major to the current owner.

You could make a profit on the car, but not at the prices you are discussing. Find out what the scrap yard is paying for scrap autos per 100lbs, then figure the car weighs about 3700lbs--that will allow you to calculate a good price. I make it my policy not to pay more for non-running cars than scrap price. I don't know what scrap is going for in your area, but I would guess $200-$250 to be about right for the car. Many people will say you just can't find them that cheap, but, I found three last summer, including a running 240d and a running 300td. If you buy low enough, you can afford to sell for a reasonable price, and you don't have to wait months for someone to come along willing to pay more than the car is worth.

$800 is reasonable if the car is really really nice. My dad paid $750 for his exceptional SD that needed a new engine.....the whole project probably cost about $2k in addition to the purchase price all said and done....but its quite a fantastic car now. And it would be quite difficult to find a SD that nice for $2700.

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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)