I'm toying with the idea of picking up a 300SD that's been sitting for about 10 or 15 years. The shop it's at has had the car forever. The engine was hard to start in the winter and the guy quit putting money into it because the shop owner assumed it was low compression. otherwise meticulously maintained. It most likely would run again, but if I was find that assumption to be true I'd swap it with another 617.

There's body work (rust repair involved), rockers, floors etc. All which I can handle with my welder and home depot sheet metal and lots of bending and fitment.

I feel like w116s are about as rare as a hens tooth now, but is there some parts that are completely impossible to find or common issues? I know nothing about them.

I might be able to swing the car for $700. I think I should be able to get it to run again which would make for a cool video journey.

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

"Nuts" is a relative state. If the car has good bones, you have a place to work on it, the skills to make it go, time effort and money to put into it, there's no reason why you'd be "nuts" to consider it.

Then again, I'm probably not completely unbiased. I am working on The Diseasel after all...

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

yes, you're insane but so am I and many more here .

Lots and lots of parts are NLA but there are still quite a few W116's being junked way out West so you can get most any part you need used .

Understand before beginning that rust repair is seriously hard work .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

The W116 300SD is one of the best cars ever made and certainly worth fixing, as far as the quality of the car is concerned.

Keep in mind that many parts for this car are hard to find and more and more parts are becoming no longer available from Mercedes (I have been struggling recently because lots of parts I've been trying to order are no longer available). Not a lot of aftermarket suppliers sell parts for these cars, either.

The automatic climate control is a real hassle to get working properly and it can cost thousands of dollars and endless hours to get working correctly. I've resorted to converting it to manual climate control from a European W116. The power windows and sunroof also never seem to work, trapping you in a hot car. I've also resorted to converting those to manual as well.

With all that said, my 1980 300SD has been my only vehicle for nearly 10 years now and just keeps running, even when I used to commute 2 hours a day in stop and go traffic in the harshest Arizona summer heat. I got mine for about $1,000 and it was highly misrepresented--in other words, it was total junk and I've had to replace pretty much every part on the car except for the engine and body--which has some rust, but not much. But now the car is in a state where it's daily driven and I'd drive it cross-country at a moment's notice.

Mechanically, these are very solid cars, but a lot of odds and ends are extremely difficult to find. It used to be that you could get just about everything from The Classic Center, but recently they aren't stocking parts like they used to, and prices are going up.

It may cost more money and be more of a hassle than restoring another chassis of Mercedes, but these are SUCH nice, comfortable cars to drive, and I prefer the look over the comparable economy-class W123. I feel these cars justify putting high dollars into more than a lot of the other cars people fix up, even if the value isn't there.

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Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

I have 2 w116 300sd's. It's an addiction and the only thing that keeps me from getting more cars (w116 300sd) is parking availability where I live. An extra parts car never hurts if you get a good deal on it and if you have the room for it.

I feel your pain when it comes to discontinued parts from Mercedes.

When these cars hit 40 or 50 years old, their value will rise and the parts will start being made and then sold at a premium.

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NOW: 2017 C43 AMG, 2006 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, 1966 230SL, 1980 450SL (for sale!)
PAST: 2006 C230, 1997 E300D, 1994 E420, 1994 Neon Spt Cpe, 1984 300ZX, 1983 Celica GT, 1976 Electra Limited, 1984 Honda Nighthawk 650, 1979 Suzuki PE175, 1978 Suzuki DS100
www.mbca.org - www.sl113.org - www.ohio4x4.com

That's one of my favs. They can be a classy as anything on the road.

I would do it if I didn't have a project going right now.

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84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic