Hello everyone

I had posted a similar message earlier today to the general forum and it was suggested I look over here so here I go again.

In about 12 hours, I am going to be looking at a '79 240D auto that the owner wants $100 for. It has a hole in the oil pan but was not run out of oil. The driver shut it off immediately after hitting the object. He observed the oil dripping from pan, left the car sit for awhile and when returned, there was a large puddle of oil. The owner was quoted $1500 for the repair so maybe there is more damage than just the pan.

They patched the hole w JB Weld there on the road to get it home. Drove it for about a month when the driver found a puddle under it one morning. Hasn't been driven since. I don't anticipate getting it running before deciding whether to purchase.

How hard is it to repair or replace the pan? I read some of the posts about oil pan work but remain confused as to whether the engine has to be pulled, lifted or just left alone. Can some one give me some advice here?

Tha car has not been run for 4 years so there's bound to be other problems getting it running. I'm sure the battery is dead, the fuel is bad and all fours tires need replaced. I thinking that for $100, I can recover my investment if it proves too much for me to repair. The owner describes the interior as "good shape" and the exterior described a solid as well. Some "nicks" she said. She believes the car has around 150K+ miles and, for a reason unknown to me, the engine had been rebuilt shortly before the oil pan damage.

The car has been in the same family since it was purchased new. I'd be the third or fourth owner. Clear title, not sure about maintainence records.

I've been excited about owning an older MB for several years and I hope this one can be my ticket into the Mercedes "club." If I wasn't so pressed for time, I'd read through more posts (gotta get some sleep) before asking this question. I see from the many posts I have read that I should be able to find help on just about any other problem I may run in to if I decide to purchase the car.

I thank everyone in advance for reading my note and replying.

Todd Woods
Round Rock, TX