'83 SD on eBay

And it's 100 miles away. Would this be a good daily driver? My winter beater is on its last legs and not worth putting time and money into.

I'd like something that gets decent mileage, rock solid reliable and relatively easy to do some DIY work. Would be used while I'm working on doctorate in Physical Therapy, so don't need car worries for the next 5 years. I probably wouldn't put more than 9k miles/yr on it.

Something I could use in the cold Wisconsin winters w/o starting woes? Don't have room in the garage at this point.

What probs to look for -- I'm not very familiar with diesels, but am with the other 126 issues

Or would I be better off with an early 90's $2500 Mazda/Honda/Toyota? Gulp!!

Thanks for any thoughts opinions!

Checked out the photos.

That has to be the cleanest 126 300SD I have ever seen.

Mileage seems awfully low, too.

Don't know much about diesels, but for $2,500, I'd find it hard not to buy this over a $2,500 Toyota / Honda / Mazda. At $2,500, you're looking at a 100,000 miles +, early 90's, late 80's Japanese car that is at / near the end of its life.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Yep! That was my first thought. I emailed the seller asking about maintenance records. It's too old for a CarFax...

The interior condition looks to be on par with mileage, and is comparable to my 560SEL. Of course pics can be very deceiving, so a trip would be worthwhile. I'd never buy that car w/o an inspection from someone with MB diesel experience.

Wish it was around here
They ought to get $5k for that car if the condition reflects the milage

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Jim

Yeah, you really have to inspect it in person.

It's amazing how digital / scanned photos can make a car's paint look flawless.

You've also been on this site long enough to know that maintenance records, real records (not some guy's promise), are critical.

Good luck!

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Thanks, I might try and sneak up there.

My question is -- how would it do on a cold sub-zero morning after sitting for 10 hrs. ? That is, outside in the wind, not in a garage.

1.) Appears to be professional seller. It's not difficult to steam clean an engine compartment and then shine it up. Not that this is the case here, but keep in mind that it is a possibility. Detailing a car is the least expensive way to seriously boost a car's PERCEIVED value.
The one picture that we all want to see but never do: the underside of the front end. You can tell a lot about a car by the fluids it has (or hasn't) collected around the oil pan, tranny bell, etc.

2.) ALDA anti-tamper shroud is intact. Pressure line from intake manifold to over-boost protection unit looks as if it may be dirty (inside). These two facts lead me to believe that "tuned", as the seller reports, may not mean diesel tuned. Many very competent mechanics know little about servicing these diesels properly.
This can be a positive in that if the car is performing poorly (does not move out with turbo boost) you can negotiate a better price and then improve performance with some simple and mostly easy steps.

3.) New injectors at that mileage? Not cheap. Why? (non-diesel mechanic trying to cure poor boost response?)

4.) More than a week to go on bidding. If this car is all there, it can bring $5K to $7K in current market.

Oh yeah. I just bought an 85 300SD (234K miles) for my sister. It may well be impossible to find the equal of the 126 turbo diesel for the money. It is a very, very outstanding car. Total outlay about $4K. Thank the powers that be that these gems aren't prized by the masses.

Looks to be in pretty good shape for an almost 20 year old Wisconsin car. Might be a keeper. As for the cold starts, with a block heater I think it should handle sub-zero temps in the winter.

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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

I never really liked the first generation 126 with the newer 15" wheels on it. It doesn't look right to me with the ribbed moulding and higher suspension. Besides that, the car looks pretty good.

If you want a diesel, and you already have a beautiful 126 in your stable, why not go with a nice 123 300D turbo?

Thanks guys.
I've thought about a lot of different cars and the 123 diesel is one of them. I like the fact that it's smaller, as I don't need a tank and this would be a better city car. I have yet to see one in my area forsale and I don't have the time anymore to fly out and look at cars. I'll check in the newspapers and online car ads Chicago and Minneapolis --

Try

www.abracat.com

great classifieds aggregator.