I'll post pics later but my SD got tagged. A Suburban rear ended me while I was sitting at a stop light.The hit wasn't hard but I need a bumper and the rear panel under the trunk lid was bent. It also bent the frame enough so it can't just be pounded out. The car drives straight but will take someone with skill to repair correctly.

I'll pick up the accident report in a couple of days. I need paint so may take insurance money and put it with a little more and buy a nicer example. Of course, except for paint and AC, I was close to decent. Engine is solid, shocks, brakes, tires, interior except drivers seat, guide rod mounts are all good.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Same thing happened to my dad's car, he had a shop fix it for about $550-600 or so and his damage was probably worse than yours sounds.

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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)

Happened to me on D-Day 2003. $3500 in damage to a California 300cd, totalled. A kid in a rusty Ford Ranger popped me on a downtown Milwaukee freeway.

I drove it kinked for a couple more years until the transmission went out. I used the insurance check to buy a 300td.

There seem to be many OM617 benzes out there right now, going relatively cheap. The WVO craze seems to have passed for now, thankfully.

I bet a cell phone was involved, sorry to hear of your mess

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1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

sorry to hear; lemme pull some parts off your SD if you decide junk it

I'm going to try for $2500 in cash with no salvage title & keeping the car. I may sell 2 SDs & buy 1 really good one or fix mine. Totally undecided but need a daily driver & don't have time to work on it so looking toward least resistance. This one was bought new by family member & I have intention of giving it to my 10 yr old. That should give enough time to get it fixed

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Sorry to hear. Your neck okay? Sometimes that stuff shows up days (or even weeks) later.

Post pics if you can. If you like the car I would seriously consider fixing it.

I took a hard hit back in 2002 in an SD. I regret selling it afterwards, as when I went for another SD a few years later I hit the high point in the market and ended up with one that was less than great (which was all I could get my price point). It turned out to be a real dog.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Insurance company will give me what I could sell for before accident and I keep car. ~ $3,000 less salvage value which is a good deal. Now I have to decide how to proceed. I have this car, another that I bought for parts but am considering fixing and cash. I may be able to sell both and buy something better than I could build.

There is a little frame bend and a little rust. Things like shocks, brakes, guide rod mounts, decent interior are done. I need damage repair, AC, drivers seat, paint. Trans has 200- 250k but is working.

I hate trashing (or selling) a perfectly good repairable car and this has been in the family since new. I'm talking to a friend who used to own a body shop to find out what he wants to repair. The arithmetic isn't helping. Anyone see a cream puff for 4k or less?

Attached Thumbnails

 

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Replace the lenses and keep driving it as if nothing happened. Put the money in the bank.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

That is my wife's preference but we're not broke & already drive (almost) cheaper cars than all but the homeless. My intent before the accident was to finish it and drive. This adds about $1500 to the job and changes the math.

The nicest I've seen was a 617 SD with 130k on the clock. Supposedly everything worked, like new original paint, garage kept asking $5000. It isn't listed so I expect is sold but would have been a good solution (hopefully with a little discount).

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

X2
You suggested it may be a car for your son. The maths (statistics) are that he will total it in the first year any way.
I would just keep driving it & maybe the next DB mobile phone user will hit it & you will get another $3k !

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Exactly. I got two totals out of a 74 Olds Custom Cruiser and most people would never have been able to detect it had been hit at all.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Thats not that bad. I'd fix it if the rest of the car is nice, which it does appear to be from the pic. Or, I'd fix the light, pound it out a bit, and pocket the cash and keep driving it.

__________________
-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)

Bummer Junkman,
Hope you can get her back in shape!

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2006 Jetta TDI DSG 320k miles
1997 Ford F150 325k miles 4.2L V6 "Work Truck"
2008 Tundra 225k miles 5.7L
1982 240D.....sold
1984 300D...Totaled OUCH!
1985 300D Turbo 222k miles "Dos" sold to 79Mercy
1986 300SDL 98K miles "The Beater"....sold
1987 190E 2.3 16v Euro spec 115K miles....sold

A friend of mine who is a very skilled long time bodyman looked at the car today. His take is the base coat is checking and would need to be completely removed or it would check again within a few years. Removed as in stripped &/or media blasted - more expensive than simply painting

He is going to pound out the rear enough so I can install a tail light from my parts car. I'll drive until I find something else then probably sell or part out both cars as time permits. All of the little things would have eaten a lot of cash & better starting point can be purchased for less.

FWIW, the insurance companies pay approximately what the car is worth and round up with any sort of decent argument. I didn't even have to document, only assert with authority of knowing the mechanical process that this system or that had been redone.
ie replaced dash & fixed vac pods, replaced brake master with new, not failure prone reman.... Do not point out that odometer is broken - they deduct for anything over 200k at least on my 85.

I am now officially in the market for another daily driver that isn't a project.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.