I have some questions for you all.

I am looking at at an 83 300CD with 310K and a new transmission (at 270K) The car looks great on the outside, and from what the current owner has told me (he's the 2nd owner) the only problems that he knows about are the "blower motor for the heat and A/C is shot, and the windows have problems going up and down. The motors in the windows work but they dont go up and down"
Here's my situation. I'm looking for a car to take with me to Europe - I'm looking for something that will get me around town, not for speed. The guy is asking 2K for the car and it seems like a pretty good deal - my question to you all is, what do I need to pay attention to tomorrow when I test drive the car? Are there any problems that are "common" with this year ? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
300cdDE

Where are you located? Why do you want to take one with you to Europe? There are lots of Mercedes available in Europe. See ebay and www.mobile.de.

You'll find a lot of the little problems like you describe on 80's 123's. If you are a DIY they are usually no big deal. Repairing the AC could be very expensive. Depends on where you are going in Europe, you may not need it. In that case, you would actually be better off buying a Euro model that never had AC to start with.
You should at least check for blow-by coming out of the oil fill cap. It is a simple visual test of the health of the engines internals. If it smokes like a locomotive, think twice. If it doesn't, go on to other tests.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

You should check with the particular European country about licensing, etc. Depending on which country you license it in, you may have problems with emissions, emissions levies, safety certifications. I know that licensing that car in Germany, for example, would be ridulous because of the costs involved. Their 20 year old diesels have become a thing of the past because of high emissions.

If you're going from the US as a visitor, you could drive it on US plates.

There are lots of old diesel motorhomes in Europe. My 616 engine in the 307d had no problem passing the UK diesel emissions test.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

that show up on the coupe that don't show up on the sedan.

This body was a low-production item, so I think Mercedes decided to cease building them rather than fix a bunch of things which go wrong with ALL of the 123 coupes. One is the rear quarter-window actuators...they don't work. Quarter windows won't go up and down...and often won't STAY up. Front doors are VERY heavy, and again, there are window-motor issues...very expensive to replace as is the glass, as is EVERY BIT of body trim or equipment exclusive to the coupe body.

Heat/AC problematic on ALL 300 series W123 diesels...not just the coupe...BUT I've found that it's VERY difficult to keep the windshield/windows/backlight fog-free with the defroster.

I'd suggest you give the puppy a pass, and pick up a used sedan of the same vintage in Europe...NOT cheap to ship cars back-and-forth, by the way. Cost could be several times the vehicle's value.

First of all, are you even out there? The original post is a couple days old and we haven't heard back from you.

This is the part that is giving us all fits. There are all kinds of reasons why you shouldn't do this, unless you know something you're not telling us. But then again, you didn't really ask for info on that front, so a clarification from you would be helpful.

Speaking strictly about the car in question, if it has good compression, starts and runs well, and will pass a prepurchase inspection from a qualified Mercedes-Benz specialist, then the price is pretty good.

Edit: Let's say that your employer is relocating you to Europe and will pay for a car to be shipped over. A much better option for you would be to get a really cool old American car that's not available in Europe, ship it over, and sell it there. Maybe something like a Buick Centurian convertible. Then buy a European model for daily use while you're there.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

All,

Sorry I've not responded sooner. I was supposed to test drive the car on Monday - but didnt get a chance to until yesterday.

The car is in great shape. It cranked right up after sitting for a week. There was a little smoke at first (expected). I did have a chance to take a look under the hood prior to starting her up. There was some oil on the top of the engine block, I thought that it looked like a little much. Anyhow, I drove her for about 5 miles, no problems at all - for a car with 306K on her, she still had a very strong engine. Over all I think this would be a great car to have if I was staying here in the states, but after thinking it over, and reading you posts here (very helpful by the way) I've just decided to wait a few more weeks until I fly over and then treat myself to a "new" car.

Before I go on, I have to say that among the many things that REALLY impressed me about this car, was how well everyting still worked. The doors shut and opened like they were new, I was impressed that this model had cruise control (still worked) and had auto climate control (cept for the fan that doesnt work) There are VERY few cars that can hold up like a good German car....

Due to my height (6'6") most of the"smaller cars" in Europe are not an option for me . This includes the Audi A6, BMW 3 series etc. I've been looking online for the past few weeks and think I've come across a car that suits me just fine I think I'll be getting a BMW 530d - that is unless you all would recommend another car of similar size. I'm still open for suggestions....

Again, thank you all very much for you feedback - I did read and think about it all prior to my test drive....

-de

ROFLAMO!!!! Thanks for the plug. BTW-Your Czech is in the male!

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

that's for smuggling in the OTHER direction. Also seems to me that this would be an awfully thirsty vehicle to try to feed in Europe, where fuel costs are much higher than in the US.

SO IS THE INSURANCE, IN MOST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IT GOES ACCORDING TO HORSE POWER,THE MORE HORSES THE HIGHER THE INSURANCE. NO JOKE!!!!!


Louis.

300CD quarter windows with the problem you described are easy to fix once you understand why they fail. Both can be fixed in about 2 hours. I don't have the defrost problems either - my windshield defogs about 5 seconds after asking it to. Nonetheless, taking a european car to europe seems like bringing water with you to a well, but then again I am seriously ignorant on the subject...

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1982 Mercedes-Benz 300CD
1982 Mercedes-Benz 240D - stick

I don't know where 300cde is coming from, but I do know a thing or two about US residents owning vehicles in Europe since I owned a 307d motorhome in the UK until a few months ago. It is very difficult to impossible for non-residents to legally own cars in most European countries including Germany and France. So, there is an advantage in taking a car from the US, with US plates, to Europe if you want to keep it and drive it there. It would need to be registered in a US state that did not require any annual inspection if it was to be kept registered for more than a year. There are companies that will insure a car for a non-resident. They are not easy to find. I do know of a couple.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13