I think I may have found one. Help.

[pj67coll]

OK. So I've done a stupid thing. With a mere $1300.00 in a special savings account set aside for the purpose I drove past an independent MB shop here in Phoenix wondering what they might have in their lot. Pure idle curiosity see as I had nothing better to do this morning.

Turned out that they have a 1984 123 300D (non turbo) with 250000 miles on it for $2100.00. It's an unusual car in that although it has US lights it's not a US spec car in other respects. It was bought by the original owner in Germany and then moved with him to the US. His son was the next owner and now it's for sale. It has electric windows and a sun roof all of which work. And best of all it has European A/C, same as on the 240D, not the awful US spec HVAC system. And it blows COLD. A major plus in Phoenix!

However I have some questions for the forum if you'all would not mind adding your collective wisdom. No problems staring or switching off. But I do suspect transmission work in it's near future. There is a small leak under the vehicle when parked. About the size of a dollar bill after a few minutes. The dealer said he thouht the tranny was beginning to leak. One thing that definately did not work was the kickdown. I could get it to drop down one gear if I floored it while doing about 30 to 40 but at no stage was there any life from the kickdown switch under the "motion pedal" This is the third 300D I've test driven and I hesitate to use the word "accellerator" with them. While it seemed to shift easily, if a little harshly when I worked thru the gears manually it appeared far less interested in moving around between ratios as a normal automatic.

With the car stationary and my foot off the break shifting from N into R produced an immediate and smooth backwards motion. From N into D produced a more interesting two stage forward motion of immediate slight forward creep followed within a second or two by propper forward motion. I repeated this several times so the two stage forward movement is not my imagination. Could that be wear in the driveline? Perhpas requiring new flex discs etc?

There was a considerable amount of black smoke poured out from behind when I accellerated - there I go again, that should be when I moved off from rest - although this did seem to get less noticable as the test drive progressed and it warmed up.

When I turned the key to the off position motor shutdown was instantaneous but there was a sharp metallic knock from just in front of the drivers foot well in the engine compartment. Like somethign large and heavy knocked against the chassis. I'm suspecting a bad motor mount. Would that possibly also be the reason that the whole car had a noticable wobble at idle?

My thoughts are that I might see about plunging into debt if the engine compression checks out in order to get this as a project car which may need mechnical stuff but happily needs no body work at all. I could find no trace of rust anywhere inside, underneath or in the trunk. Not even in the spare wheel well. But the chocolate brown paint was faded on the hood, roof and trunk lid. Indicative of life in the hot dry southwest.

Well, any comments on my recconnaisance mission would be welcome. As a last observation. I was unable to get it above 50mph at any stage during the drive which admittedly was only on surface streets. Assuming the engine is okay what is a realistic crusing speed on a freeway for this car?

- peter.