The pride of ownership...when I first bought it the 300D two years ago, my son complained about the sluggishness, the leaks, the noise compared to the ML320. Now that he has his license, he and all of his friends love the car. It is roomy, solid and retro-cool. He was actually washing and waxing the car last weekend and wants to install a sub-woofer. Even one of his friends wants to buy a 300D. This is 180 degrees from 2 years ago when he wanted ANY SUV. I let him drive the 94 E320 which he liked but he loves his 300D over the 300SD. He says, as long as it drives nice without having to spend alot of money to maintain it, he's happy. My mission is accomplished, I turn him from a potential wastefull SUV driver to a thoughful frugal MB diesel driver.

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

edge,

Congratulations! I have allowed life with a 1982 240D to convince my daughter it is a uniquely awesome machine too. When I speak of retiring it after she gets back from California later this summer (probably most of August will be spent driving back) she gets defensive and threatens to cry. In the beginning it was just a car, and an old one at that. Now it is definitely HER car, and it has earned a good measure of loyalty after providing unfailing service while she was in college for four years where it became the sorority house's favorite car for trips around New England.

She is determined to see it to the 500,000 km badge mileage (it is just over 300,000 miles now), and if she lived in a less aggressively corrosive part of the country on a permanent basis she would probably begin to fight back at the rust. Most of the rust is merely cosmetically offensive, but it won't be long before the jacking tubes need to be addressed, and at that point I am figuring it is time to let Mother Nature take it back. When that happens I am sure my wife, who drove it for ten years or more before my daughter, will also shed a few tears (but they both cry watching TV shows, so I am not as impressed with those tears as I used to be).

More so than even to Life Cereal, I think the "try it, you'll like it" phrase applies perfectly to these cars.

Good luck to your son on his new outlook, Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Read my post concerning my daughters 300D. (search : Bruce Bonds) That's why she's got another one already. I busting unowhat trying to get it so it will be worry free for her at college. It doesn't use or leak oil so that is one less worry. I think your son will enjoy the car and you will enjoy the peace of mind.

Bruce

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Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)

Bruce, how is the new 300D for your daughter coming along? I noticed you fixed the headlight/blinker switch issue. How about the other items? Anything you need help on? Good luck, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Edge,
Nice work!

Our son's first car is a 300D which he still drives and really loves, considering the newer and less substantial junk his friends have bought / sold/ gotten tired of, the only other car he wants is mine, which has a turbo.

Since my commute will drop from 1:05 to :35 starting next week, and his has increased, I will use my diesel pickup and give him mine, and sell the '79 non turbo. I have mixed feelings about this, because it has only 60K on a rebuilt engine, and the car has given him excellent service, and the peace of mind we have that he's driving a bank vault is a real plus.

However, we have one too many cars at this time, but as the need arises, I will definitely get another 617 powered Mercedes.

__________________
Nate Stanley
(Currently Benzless)
1985 F-250 6.9l 170K
2009 SCION XB 36.5K
2003 LS430 78K
2012 Kubota B 2320

I have seen that car, and the kid is getting a bargain!! It should last him all the way through college considering its imaculate condition....

Sluggishness on diesels is entirely relative, even the 240D can be driven with pep and vigor. If he masters shifting the automatic using both acclerator pedal and shift level, working all its gears instead of riding around in 3 all the time, and maybe takes a few several hundred mile trips at speed..... then he will not be disappointed with its performance.

i have had my 300D for 8 years and i am sure my son will be a happy camper when i turn it over to him next year. he drove it full time for one winter in fla. but then dad took it back!

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Edge,

I tried to get my son interested in MB Diesels, even got him a 240D. It never caught on with him and I bought the 240D back.

He has since had a mirad of cars since and now has 2 rice burners.

I wish my son had the sense yours has.

P E H

My 17 yr old is talking about selling his GTI and getting a diesel. He likes the VW around town, but the way it reacts on the highway makes him nervous. My 19 yr old is is thinking about a diesel for his college car. The price of parts for his BMW 325 is wearing on him. Even my daughter has said that the Cavalier she absolutely had to have was a better deal for the seller than the buyer and she should have bought the 240D I was showing her.

My muscle that restrains the I told you so reflex has grown to Arnold-like strength.

Jerry