Just wondering if there's something wrong with the '76 240d I just bought. From reading the forums it should smoke, use oil and have bad power, but it runs great, no smoke, good pickup (esp. from 60 to 75). Was it worth the $500 bucks? But seriously folks, it's my first car in 19 years, now on bio-d, and the only issue so far is a grind when shifting into 2nd too fast. Vacuum problem? I know zero so any tips are great!

A Benz side story, when teaching hang-gliding in Ga, heard an awful crashing noise which turned out to be someone parked at the launch driving off the cliff! Turns out it was a borrowed mid 80's manual Benz, and I think the guy didn't lift the stick enough to get reverse, so instead of backing up, it started rolling forward, he panics, floors it, and launched it off an 85 foot cliff, then landed another 40 feet down the talus slope When I got down the cliff, you could see where the car landed grill first, shot him out the door, bounced and followed him, and came to rest on the wheels with him underneath, legs sticking out like the witch Dorothy dropped the house on.Unbelievably, he was still concious! After getting him out from the gas dripping wreckage, worrying we were both goint to go up in flames, while waiting for the rescue squad, there was time to look at the car. After at least 125 foot drop smack onto the nose the passenger compartment wasn't compressed at all, and he survived with moderate internal injuries! On of those freak accidents that wearing the seatbelt probably would have killed him.

240dnewbie


the one that went off the cliffs not the one you got a good deal on I hope I have a 5 spd car and a 4 spd car and am always looking for reverse in the wrong place when ever I switch cars, hopefully never with such drastic consequences. As too the 1st 2nd grinding, I think the sincro for that gear is getting bad, avoid shifting fast at high RPM. My MB mechanic said its about 4 hours labor to fix it, I think thats replacing all the sincros. I have that problem with my "79" when I shift fast at high RPM. I am running Red Line M tranny fluid which I highly recommend. Get yourself a Mitty Vac and start checking the system starting with the pump and work aft. If its a big leak that should not be a big deal to find, its the little ones that drive me nuts. Good luck

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

No, the that one is still at the base off a cliff on a 1400 foot mountain. If your'e ever at Lookout Mountain in Ga, you can probably go scavenge some parts. Just match out for copperheads(got bit there once)