When I saw Diesel Don's Euro W123 wagon, I was shocked to see its 5,000 lb weight. It was stamped right there and the weight is 5,000 lb.

Yesterday, I discovered that my 1987 300TD wagon has a weight of 4,850 lb!!!!! That is a very heavy wagon, compared to the ~ 3,600 lb W124 sedans.

I wonder where is this extra weight. The rear suspension probably adds a few hundred pounds but where is the other 1,000 lb?

Any comments?

You're looking at the plate on the drivers side door post, right? Those numbers are the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), not the weight of the vehicle itself. GVWR is the maximum total weight of the vehicle and its maximum payload. In the case of your 124 wagon, it is rated to carry 1100 pounds. So take that much off the number to approximate the weight of the car - 3750lbs - about right for a 124 wagon.

jcyuhn:

Yes, I was looking at that plate.

Thanks. Now I know. 4,850 lb is a bit too heavy.

Bo:

I recently went to have my TD weighed. And yes, all these guys have been right. It came in around 3740 or something like that. I took a digital picture of the plate where it is clearly stamped as weighing more. I was in the process of downloading this image when I read the former explanation. Makes sense to me!

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Don:

So they are not as heavy as we think.

Check out this tag:

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

Uh oh, that means the HP calculated from my acceleration times are way off!

__________________
-Mike
'87 300TD 304kmi (RIP)
'95 Toyota Camry Wagon 125kmi