86 300SDL To Buy or Not to Buy?? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Styler_Colfax · #1 12-24-2010, 09:30 PM

I found a 1986 300 SDL. I had a 300SD and I have always wanted another big benz.

Ok here is the run down....1986 300SDL Rust Free but the paint is rough. Nice interior with all the windows and door locks working, which I have not seen on any of the other cars I have owned. The dash had a couple cracks but clean other wise. Plus the heater control worked great, again a first for the other cars I have owned.

Car started a little rough but it was 30 degrees and had not been started in a couple weeks. It cleared up pretty quick and I went for a quick drive. Car had a little more fuel smoke than my 617 ever had.WOW the 603 6 cylinder has nice smooth power and felt nice vs. the 617's I have had....but the car makes a strange knocking noise. Sounds like it was coming from the front of the engine/valve cover. The noise was sometimes louder the other times....maybe a injector. I noticed with a not even 2 mile run I had heat and the temp was around 80c on the gauge.I felt that odd since my other car took what seemed like forever to warm up and make heat. So I got back and let the car idle and everything seemed fine. So the owner came out to talk with me and he said the guy he got it from had two 3 ring binders of service records. So I asked "How do you get the car....." He said the owner said it was losing coolant and had got another car. Then he said he had not seen it lose an coolant in the time he had owned it. So I pulled the dip stick...oil looked fine. So I pulled the oil cap. It had a little green coolant around the cap seal. I have heard the 300SDL's were known for cracked heads/head gasket issues. Also the anti-lock brake light was on.....

So the guy wants $800.00 for the car with a clear title.
If it does have head problems is that a deal breaker??
Can the head be repaired or is it a replace only item??
I like the car but I am unsure of the issues on the 603 engines.

strelnik · #2 12-24-2010, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styler_Colfax

I found a 1986 300 SDL. I had a 300SD and I have always wanted another big benz.

Ok here is the run down....1986 300SDL Rust Free but the paint is rough. Nice interior with all the windows and door locks working, which I have not seen on any of the other cars I have owned. The dash had a couple cracks but clean other wise. Plus the heater control worked great, again a first for the other cars I have owned.

Car started a little rough but it was 30 degrees and had not been started in a couple weeks. It cleared up pretty quick and I went for a quick drive. Car had a little more fuel smoke than my 617 ever had.WOW the 603 6 cylinder has nice smooth power and felt nice vs. the 617's I have had....but the car makes a strange knocking noise. Sounds like it was coming from the front of the engine/valve cover. The noise was sometimes louder the other times....maybe a injector. I noticed with a not even 2 mile run I had heat and the temp was around 80c on the gauge.I felt that odd since my other car took what seemed like forever to warm up and make heat. So I got back and let the car idle and everything seemed fine. So the owner came out to talk with me and he said the guy he got it from had two 3 ring binders of service records. So I asked "How do you get the car....." He said the owner said it was losing coolant and had got another car. Then he said he had not seen it lose an coolant in the time he had owned it. So I pulled the dip stick...oil looked fine. So I pulled the oil cap. It had a little green coolant around the cap seal. I have heard the 300SDL's were known for cracked heads/head gasket issues. Also the anti-lock brake light was on.....

So the guy wants $800.00 for the car with a clear title.
If it does have head problems is that a deal breaker??
Can the head be repaired or is it a replace only item??
I like the car but I am unsure of the issues on the 603 engines.

Buy it. I like mine so much I don't even care oif I don't drive it every day.
The head can be fixed and the cars drive like a dream, I did 740 miles at two sittings and loved every minute.

Daman858 · #3 12-24-2010, 10:01 PM

For $800 you can't go wrong. They are a wonderful big Benz.

My wife is from Little Washington, NC and her whole family lives there. Nice part of the world!

Styler_Colfax · #4 12-24-2010, 10:11 PM

Yea I love Washington....I grew up across the river but moved to Washington after I finshed school and got married.

Yea that is what I am thinking. Car looked well cared for as the engine bay was super clean.

jfarmer64 · #5 12-24-2010, 10:12 PM

Check AC belt on that car. Could be source of the noise. On my 300 SD if that belt is loose, it sounds horrible.

When/If you buy, slap a secondary fuel filter on it and get some Deisel Kleen from wally world. You will not believe the difference.

If you are not going to buy, please let me know. I would like to make contact with the seller as I am in WS

vstech · #6 12-24-2010, 10:39 PM

plenty of things could be causing the noise, the 603 has a few noisemakers. beware of the original vacuum pump, it's an engine killer if it fails! get that binder of records! ya really can't go wrong with a rust free driving SDL for 800!
head repair is not cheap, but well within any budget on an 800.00 car!
I vote buy it or pass it on to the forum!!!

Hit Man X · #7 12-25-2010, 02:43 AM

How long has the current owner had the SDL? What brand of tires are on the car and how old? This is pretty indicative of the type of care a person puts into the vehicle. Cheapo/off-brand = low/no care.

I would scour those 'records' thoroughly before deciding. If the car has had a new front end, HVAC rebuilt, etc. it could be a decent purchase even if you have to do the head, despite the bad paint. If it had major repairs done 10 years back or more, who cares... they are due again soon enough or the systems will be leaking/needing upkeep/total rebuild again. I have records for mine for glow plugs, new starter, some basic tune up stuff, etc. They are nice as it was sort of maintained, but they were so long ago I just put them away in my file as 'big deal'. Luckily mine had a rebuilt R12 A/C system too.

The tapping/nailing could also be that belt damper or wasted motor mounts.

I would pass and buy something with good paint and that does not have any major issues. Good, original paint is difficult to find and a quality respray is not cheap unless you do it yourself. You will end up being into this car for $1000 once you get the title work done and in your name... and I would wager money the current owner knows it is using coolant too and that is why they are selling.

Figure about $400-600 in parts alone to do the head (gasket kit, bolts, updated timing cover, timing chain, tensioner, fan belt, fluids, misc stuff, etc) plus a valve job if your casting is not cracked so there is another $250-500 in parts+labor depending on what you need... guides, seals, valve springs, glow plugs, etc. It would be prudent to have the injectors rebuilt with new nozzles or at the very least have the spray pattern checked and have injectors pop tested for even fuel delivery. Next thing you know you can be into it another $1500, provided the head is not cracked.

... and if you need a radiator, you probably still have the original expansion tank, and old cooling hoses. The expansion tank is $150 alone, about $325 for a radiator, the lower rad hose is around $90, ... stuff adds up quick.

I know it sounds like worst case scenario, but just know what you are getting into. From here, it sounds like a nightmare. $3000 will buy a far better condition W126 than you think it will or even $4000. Pick up one that runs and looks great but has one system failure, if any, like bad HVAC or turbocharger... this one just seems driven into the ground and the seller is simply looking for a sucker.

If the records 'disappeared' or are 'lost' then pass without thinking twice.

And MERRY CHRISTMAS

Styler_Colfax · #8 12-25-2010, 08:27 AM

Thanks for the advice. I will study the records close. The guy I would be buying it from brought this car and a 85 300SD around the same time. He is not a mercedes guy but Im sure he got deals of both cars. The SD needs the trans checked over and he brought this car I think for the transmisson then decided it was to nice to rob the trans and kept to complete.

One thing about this car I would know the car is fixed...if I buy the better W126 for around 3K and have issues a couple months after I brought it then I would be into that car for more $$.

One thing I like about the W126 chassis is the room under the hood to work.

Early next week I asked if we could put it up on his lift and look over the underside of the car.

Hit Man X · #9 12-25-2010, 10:19 PM

Well kept cars need less work, this is just fact. One major or a few minor rebuilds beat multiple major rebuilds. If you buy a $3k car, chances of it having major issues will be low or just pure bad luck. Full suspension, tires, and brakes will end up setting you back nearly $2000.

Just seems like a pig in a poke to me. There is more to the cost involved for rebuilds, it takes your time to keep it going and to rebuild the major systems. Since you are new to the 603 it is going to take time to learn and understand the motor in addition to all the second generation W126 add-ons.

Sounds like you are hell bent on it, go for it then. I used to be like that too, I have since changed my tune unless the car is just impossible to find. 300SDL are not that hard to encounter. I buy for paint first, then interior now. Both of those will drive you crazy trying to go back to being presentable.

Remember, the car is $800 for a reason. Caveat emptor.

Brian77 · #10 12-26-2010, 03:45 PM

If you intend on keeping the car and can live with the bad paint, it sounds like a deal, even with the head issues. However, if the clearcoat is peeling, it is not a cheap job to strip the car and have it repainted. I spent over $3K this summer having my 300SD painted, and the shop only stripped the sections of the car where the clearcoat had peeled. It was better than, say, a Maaco job (they removed as opposed to masking the trim pieces), but it was not a top quality paint job. If the car is rust (and dent) free, then I would budget a cost closer to $2K.

Brian

ROLLGUY · #11 12-26-2010, 04:04 PM

A rust free, drivable SDL is well worth the $800 asking price IMO. If it were closer, I would be right there behind you if you backed out of the deal, and there would be others behind me I am sure (especially here in California).

LUVMBDiesels · #12 12-26-2010, 05:12 PM

Once you get it on the lift you can see how things look. Take a good look at the control arms and bushings as I spent about $1000 doing them over on my 1986 a few years ago. I also put in HD Bils and that made a world of difference in the ride and handling.

The 603 engine is light years ahead of the 617 in terms of smoothness and power delivery. I loved my 300SD but it felt like a tractor next to the SDL!

take a long screwdriver and by placing it on SAFE portions of the engine while it is running, use it as a stethoscope to try and pin point where the noise is coming from. It could be an injector, a valve lifter (hydraulic on the 603), tensioner, or the vacuum pump...

Good luck! If this was a couple months into the Spring I would be fighting you for this car!

dagObx · #13 12-26-2010, 06:05 PM

I'd say buy it. If you don't you'll probably kick yourself in the morning.

Good to know there's a MBZ enthusiast in Little Washington. I used to live there several years ago while working at Carolina Wind Yachting Center.

vstech · #14 12-26-2010, 09:34 PM

so... did you decide to get the car or are you passing on it?
the $800 is likely negotiable, the car has great working items, and it appears to be in good condition, you felt the transmission, and the suspension felt good. you KNOW you are going to need a head, so factor that into what you can afford on the car, and offer something.
I think the car is easy worth 800, but it won't hurt to offer $600 and see if he bites. go search for a newer 603 head, and price a change, and see what you can do.
but report here with your decision, and pics if you get it!

thayer · #15 12-26-2010, 11:06 PM

I would buy it as long as it wasn't my only car..if you can afford to have it out of commission for a while as you make right what is wrong, you may have an awesome car at the end of the honey do list. If its your main car you are liable to be really frustrated very soon. scrap price for a car is what? 3 -400$?