Friend needs 240d engine story

[Sev]

yeah, so my friend emails me about his 240d.
subject: threw a rod in the diesel
body: argh. the engine is done.

the same day, i was at the jy and found a 240d engine with a giant chuck blown out of the driver's side of the engine, right above the oil pan. it must of thrown a rod too.

this weekend was 1/2 price day at the local yard, and i'd told my friend i'd keep an eye out for a 240d. found one today with 235k on the odo, with a bird's nest engine, oil leaks below the valve cover covering the entire engine, and spiderwebs everywhere. didn't see any blown chunks on the engine, but it was hard to tell with all the grime covering it. i bet it's good.

too bad i found it today at 3pm, the jy closed at 6pm which is when 1/2 price weekend ended. i asked them if i could buy the engine and pick it up tomorrow, and apparently you have to take it out with you on the day of the payment. price for complete engine including all ancillaries, minus transmission: $197 on half price day. can't beat that. even double that much ain't bad.

the thing that sux about all this is that my friend's car had been out of commission for a while due to some metal parts loose in the tranny--eventually the tranny was shot, and he just literally got through paying a local mercedes transmission expert $1200 for a replacement tranny under warranty. and now he throws a rod.