There is a good mix of technically experienced people who have owned several MB diesels over many years, as well as numerous newcomers in this group. I am one of these neophites; my car being my second MB but first diesel, which I have owned for less than a year. So, I am curious - what were the reasons that you bought your first diesel? Were you motivated by fuel economy? Were you aware of the inherent reiability & longevity of these engines and purchased for those reasons? Or, did you inherit an old diesel from Grandpa and were smitten by the car once you got to know it a little better? What other diesels do or have you owned? How do they compare to our MB's?
...just curious...!

I just bought my first diesel in September. My girlfriend has a 95 E300 Diesel and I loved the way it drove. I don't have the cash for a new one and I did happen to notice that 90 percent on the 20 year old Benzes on the road were diesel. That combined with the fact that they are very affordably priced, probably because nobody gets their greatness. Most of the people I told about looking for a diesel said things like, "aren't they expensive to maintain?" They're too noisy." "They stink." "noone knows how to repair them!" My attitude was just keep on thinking that B.S. and I'll always be able to get great used cars for cheap money. My car has turned out to be great so far...

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1982 300D Turbo "Helga"
380,000 miles

In my case, the wagon I was looking for happens to be a diesel. I would have taken a gasoline wagon as well.

The first Diesel (and for that matter car) I drove when I was 13-14 was an 84 Diesel Rabbit in the Plano East Parking Lot (the same one where I currently park for school). My dad and I were always outside taking various things apart on it and thats where I learned the basics of car repair that I've quickly built on over the last 2-3 years.
My first car that I drove around on a regualr basis was the 89 Diesel Jetta that's in my sig. On that my dad and I had to replace the transmission because my brother wasn't to happy pressing the clutch in all the way to shift gears (that and the fact it was out of gear oil led to it's demise). The only problem I had with that car after replacing the transmission was the engine wasn't powerful enough to: run the A/C and accelerate at the same time, and reach 70 mph in under 2 minutes. The straw that broke the camels back though was the Fuel Injection Pump started leaking profusely out of this one weep hole on the bottom. The only way to fix that was to take it out of the car and bring it to a Bosch repair shop, or replace it with a used one for $500-$700. Surprisingly it was still running when the guy who bought it drove away in it (although he didn't know how to drive a stick, and he had to stop at the gas station down the street. I think he had a tow truck stashed away down the street though)

Then in January of last year after arguing with my parents over what car I should be driving (I wanted a CJ-8 or Chevy Truck, mom said no to both) I finally got mad and flipped through the Auto Trader to the MB section and picked out 2 Diesel w123s (my grandpa had a gas w123 in Germany, but thats a different story), one was a Black 80 300D and the other was a Silver 82 300D. I called about both but the only one who called back was the one about the 82. I picked up my 300D on Monday before the Super Bowl.


Since then I've rebuild the front end, replaced the drive shafts, gone through the entire cooling system (never actually overheated, but was running to warm) since the PO didn't really care for it, but I've have had fun every minute with it. My 300D has never left me sitting by the side of the road and has actually been more reliable then my friend's newer cars.


Sorry about the long story, but I guess that give's y'all a little more insight into my Diesel obsession.

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

My family lived in Munich, Germany from 1959 to 1971 and all the taxis over there at the time, and I mean all the taxis, were Diesels. When we moved back we picked up a 1971 220D for my Mother, with a standard and no options (I mean no options). When the fuel crisis hit in the early 70's there was never a line at the Diesel pump, and at times you could fill the car up for under two bucks. We drove all over the country in that car; I used it in college, my younger sister used it in college, and after about 250,000 miles of relatively trouble free service, I took the head off, had it rebuilt and sold the car to my father in law, who kept it for another 4 years. He was converted, and needed something he could pull a boat with, so he traded it in on a 1980 240D which he still has today. I got the string of cars after that one listed below, culminating in the 1998 E300D Turbodiesel. Personally I would prefer a little less sophistication and a manual transmission, but the car delivers all the things I like about Diesels with many of the comforts of the MB gas cars. It is quick off the line, gets over 30 mpg all the time, and has yet to show me the top end.

Can't say enough about how great these things are. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

I bought my diesel because I have never seen one with less than 300K on the clock and they all looked brand new. I might as well thought that they came with high miles from the factory.

A friend of mine bought an early 80s gas-engine MB from a local used car dealer and was very happy with it. I was looking for a car at the time, so I went to talk to the guy and he had another MB (my 79 300SD) which happened to be a diesel. I've always been a "gear-head", but really had no experience with MBs or diesels previously. I drove his and liked it, then drove the 300SD and LOVED it, so I bought it immediately.

That was over a year ago, and now I'm hooked! I love all the old MBs, diesel or not. I really dig the pre-80s ones the most, when they still had lots of chrome. I'm pretty old-school when it comes to that...I'm not a big fan of the rubber bumpers and monotone look. My "wish-list" for the future includes a late 60's/early 70's SL, a 6.9, maybe a 450 SLC or a 300CD, and a 280SE 3.5.

Mike

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1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
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1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
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1985 300TD
270,000 miles
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1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

I bought my '80 300SD because it had a couple of things, the durable workhorse 5 cyl. diesel and the look of a traditional big Benz. The large chrome grille, stainless steel wiper arms, chrome door handles etc. It was a bit of a fixer upper, but nothing I couldn't figure out. At the time I wanted a project car that my family of 4 could fit in, better than the '79 Datsun 280ZX I had.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

I have to admit that my first Mercedes Benz was a "POS".
It was 1982. I bought a cool old 1969 230S. It had..."69000 miles on it, previously owned by a retired sailor, who hada heart attack & was being reluctantly sold by his grieving son in law".
They saw me coming!
Within days it became obvious that something was horribly wrong with the brakes. $1000 Canadian dollars later, at a time when our dollar was on par with the US dollar, the brakes were repaired. New master cyl., new calipers...everything.
Then I changed the oil. The car began smoking like a mosquito fogger. The valves were shot. The estimate, in 1982 dollars, was $2300 to repair. I filled the engine with STP and did to some poor gullible sap what someone had done to me...and sold it for what I paid for it. I still feel bad about that.
Nineteen years and 30 cars later, my 87 Buick Grand National daily driver was about done for, at 300,000 km. Although I had a Hemi GTX and a Volvo P1800 and an Alfa GTV, none were suitable for the "daily grind" from Surrey to my work in North Vancouver, so I sold the GN while it was still worth something. I drove the rather uninspiring P1800 for a few weeks while I seached for a "practical" 4 door car that still had some interesting character. MB's were not on my "short list", as the sting of the 230S was still in my mind. Having owned a Hino diesel truck, and having heard about the many legendary qualities of the MB diesel...and after having taken a 1985 or 86 SEL 560 for a weekend to appraise for purchase, I was once again intrigued by an MB. Too bad the 560 was such a gas-pig, and it burned premium. A diesel...Hmmm - I have heard that they are economical and frugal...
Enter Synchronicity...
A former workmate, a Helicopter Mechanic at an Aerospace company that I had worked or a year previously turned up at the Peeler Bar where I was assuaging my woes one night, drowning my sorrows after finding out that my wife was a lesbian, and bent my ear with tales of a minty old diesel 1983 300D that he had just brought up from Santa Barbara, formerly owned by his dear dead old dad. Memories of my gullibility from 1982 were overcome by his vibrant tales of the pristine condition of this old 300D, my state of accute inebriation, and my need for a replacement for the flaccid old P1800, so I agreed to go have a lookie-see.
The rest is a page out of the story of my life...

The insurance corporation of the province of Britishj Columbia made me jump through every flaming hoop that they could conjure up, due to the inadequacies in the importation documentation that I had inherited upon the exchange of cash & car with this good old drinking buddy from the good old helicopter place that I used to work at, and three months later I was able to insure the 300D. That was almost a year ago.
"time flies when you are in a coma"

Thus endeth the strange tale of how I came into posession of my first diesel automobile.

I apologize for my verbosity. I am on my second bottle of Merlot.

The "ex" now fixes helicopters.

I'm on my 3rd bottle of Schweppes Ginger Ale, but I doubt that compares to what your drinking


If I had that 220S I'd probably have bought all the parts to restore it and fixed it up over the next couple of years, but that's just me, and we all know of my obsession, so what I'd do is pretty much useless.

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

My first diesel is my current one, a 1982 300SD. My father-in-law owned it and kept it garaged in Florida. On Christmas break 3 years ago, he asked me to drive it back up here (Maryland) because he was selling it to a friend of his. I cranked it up and fixed a number of minor things which were due to spending much time sitting in a garage. I liked the fact that the car had enough front seat room for me (defensive tackle size). Oh, there were a few things wrong - the heat was either on full bore or blowing cold, there seemed to be something wrong with the brakes, the tach didn't work, the odometer was no longer working, etc., etc.

But it drove really well and my then-current car was on its last legs, so I offered to buy it from him. He took me up on it and I had my first diesel. Then the fun began. I have learned more about working on a diesel than I ever thought possible. The major reasons, however, that I made the offer were that the engine ran strong, got good mileage, and it was clearly a heavy, well built car. I had also heard that the engines lasted forever. I was picking my kids up about 30 miles away several times a week in addition to my regular commute.

I'd get another one, but I think I would look at it more carefully with more knowledge. Things that I thought would be easy (climate control) have been a royal pain in the butt. But it keeps on going and going and going. I now have a better idea of what should be an easy fix and what could be getting me into a thorny mess.

Now my son wants my car when he starts driving and wants me to buy another one (maybe a newer SDL).

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1987 300SDL 265,000 mi.
1982 300SD 325,000 mi. (and holding)
1956 Packard Clipper 150,000 mi.

I have read your tale of the VW diesel that you initiated yourself into the cult of dieseldom on, Cart Kirk.. and I so wish that you had been born 20 years earlier, although I will not even try to explain or justify the psychoactive experimentation of that particular decade, but diesels aside, - those were good times. Imagine...400 horsepower cars that were available to even the most modestly financed of 7-11 clerks.
Diesels are an interst of my sunset years as I seek to reap the benifits of my retirement savigs plans one day. Hearing tell of one such as you, in this era of weird haircuts and import racers warms me thoroughly, as perhaps when I go to sell my ancient 300D with 800000 miiles on it, there might be a cult following who will buy it and lovingly restore and cherish it.
uh...Naaaah...
My dad had a 1958 Ford retractible. I thought it was goofy.

We bought our 1983 diesel in 1983 because there were no lines at the fuel station. We bought a Mercedes because of the bank vault doors, rock solid reliability, and slow depreciation rate. It's surpassed our expectations by a lot and was the first of four Mercedes that we've gone through. I must say though, that the old diesel has treated us better than the newer Mercedes we have (2002 E430 4Matic, 2001 E320 4Matic Wagon). The 1983 just keeps going and going and going and inspires us with the confidence that it can go a lot longer. The newer cars had some annoying defects that required several trips to the dealer which has awful service. Oh well, they're still magnificent cars.

Alex

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside