I'd be interested in what suspension components have been replaced....in all likelihood, you would need to replace anything that's original. And I'd particularly want to make sure the SLS system isn't leaking....that can get expensive.

For $1000 it looks like a solid buy as long as you don't mind a project. It looks to have good bones.

hmmm. Lift the carpets and look at the floor pan. After buying two rust buckets that appeared to be OK I learned the hard way! These cars are NOTORIOUS for hiding rust well. If it where me any rust in the front wheel well near the jack points or the rocker end covers would be a NO GO for me. Mercedes threw on the rubber undercoat THICK so it's hard to see the rust till it's too late. And they put a hardened layer of soundproofing on the floor pan that will rust underneath and you may not be able to see it without ripping that off. As bad as it sounds if I go out to buy a car body now I take a screwdriver and poke hard at the undercoating looking for soft spots and will pull the rubber plugs in the floor pans to check the state of the sheet metal. I would also check the condition of the front windowseal. That will tell you more about what you are getting into than anything. If they are cracked and sun bleached and shrunk I'd pass. That usually tells me the rust has already begun. This is a picture of what I bought into before knowing all of this.... The hard floor covering and the rubber bottom gave no indication there was a problem till months later when my driver seat fell through the floor.

well...
I called the seller back to tell him i was on my way back to work out a deal and bring along a friend to drive my car back.. and just my damn luck.. HE SOLD IT!!!!!!!!!
omfg ... so dissapointed.

The trials and tribulations of buying on Craigslist!

Purchased by another forum member????

I'd hit it. Can't go much lower than $1,000 & have something worth fixing.

Nothing like rubbing it in.:eek:

That's why you never post about a deal into its in your hands! That wagon was in amazing shape for a grand....I passed on one that was 1500$ and was in horrible shape....but supposedly it sold soon after I looked at it.....wagons go fast regardless of condition....why I don't know....

There are two things that conspire to turn 123s and older models into rust buckets.

The first is the fact that the car is made with plain steel that has not been galvanized. The technology for continuous hot dip galvanizing of steel wide enough for car body use did not come about until the mid 80s. 124s and later are made with galvanized steel which is why you don't see so many rust bombs that are 124s or second gen 126s.

The second thing is that since the untreated steel will quickly rust, it has to be protected with something, either paint or another coating. The undercoating and sound deadening protects the steel when it leaves the factory. However it traps moisture over time, and if there is any kind of breach of the coating it is all over. Throw in road salt and it is a sure death.

I think the 123 is a beautiful timeless car but its fatal flaw is the steel. Unless you can find one from a dry climate that has been meticulously kept, it is likely going to have rust issues.

I never understood the whole wagon phenomenon either. Too me it's too much like a mini van. But to each his own I guess. I guess if you have to haul youngens and a dawg it's a good thing

Do you have much experience with SLS?

there is no question, the major benefit of the wagon is in it's exceptional handling stability with a load or empty due to the hydraulic load leveling suspension. :cool:

There is a lesson to be learned from this- Buy the car for $1,000 before someone else does! You took the effort to get it running and drive it a few miles, and someone else scooped it up after you did all the work! Look on the bright side, you now know what to do the next time a good deal comes along. We want to hear about the good deal you get AFTER you make the purchase!

Thanks for the input everyone. Looks like I wont be on these forums as much as I had hoped. That is at least until I find myself another 300td for sale out there that is reasonably priced. I have been so damn mad over not buying that wagon up when i had the chance that I have literally not been able to sleep.
It seems every single other wagon I can find within 200 miles of me is selling for 3 to 5 grand and they don't appear to be in any better shape than the one I missed.
I only caught the bug for and started doing my research on these bad boys a few weeks ago. If only I had posted on is forum earlier or checked back a little sooner to see what you all had said I would have bought that thing up in a hurry......
ohhhh well...