What some people will do for a 240D... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

morgantruce · #1 11-07-2003, 08:59 AM

In a few days I will be getting on a bus to travel nearly 2000 miles to buy a 240D. 42 hours on a Greyhound!

No, I checked my pupils, blood pressure, and temperature---and everything seems to be in good order. But I do notice my pulse is beating a bit quicker!

I'm a little old for getting all excited about a new (26 year old) car, but for some strange reason I'm feeling better about getting this aging tank of a car than I felt getting into my new MG (a "few" years ago.)

The 240D looks great in pictures and description, has under 200K miles, 4 speed manual, manual windows, no rust, and straight body. That's about all I'll say right now---'cause I don't have the title just yet... and I wouldn't want anyone beating me to this gem. I hope I have the courage to get back on the bus if the car turns out to be a disappointment... NOT!

Looking forward to that RIDE home...

djugurba · #2 11-07-2003, 09:33 AM

I've not had that courage... but having taken Amtrak and Airtran to faraway places to return home with those special deals I can relate to the excitement. Why should a few hundred (or thousand) miles stand in the way of you and that 'new' car.

Only once was I completely let down... should have known.. went to get a diesel Jetta, and it ran fine in the driveway but rather exploded 10 miles down the interstate... Never seen oil pressure drop and temp skyrocket so fast. took less time than for me to slow down. unreal. All indications were normal prior... but that was a donation anyway. What do you expect for free?

Latest aquisition was the 300D, which I flew to see my sister in DE to pick up. I had to replace a wheel bearing on Labor Day weekend before I drove it home, but it has not needed anything since! (besides shocks and ball joints and some minor rust repair and filters and oil change and.....)

Enjoy your adventure! (btw: I highly suggest checking Amtrak if convenient to you- their tiny 'rail sale' link on their website has some unbelievable deals! I went from Pittsburgh to Chicago for $11 last year! Plus, your taxes already pay for it!)

Cheers,
Kevin

shoe · #3 11-07-2003, 11:53 AM

Ahhh traveling to get a car, oh thats right I flew. Oh well it was the same nervousness and excitement just more expensive. I did then same for my E300D great feeling when you get there and all turns out to be the way it was advertised.

#4 11-07-2003, 12:10 PM

A "maple yellow" 240D with 130k on the clock, near Mt. Vernon VA...a 45 minute drive.

Car looks like it is about six months old...not 22 years. Seats still firm, even cargo nets aren't stretched!

Crank windows, no sunroof, but aftermarket AMFMTAPE, AC, PS, PB.

Getting some work done to pass MD safety inspection, but even purchase price was too low to pass up. At some point want to compare this with my automatic 240 of almost ten years faithful service...there have been some surprises in comparing the two cars.

#5 11-07-2003, 12:22 PM

I think I might have one better.

Last spring I bought an old 190D engine on Ebay. The original plan was for the sellers to bring it with them as they were planning a trip to Dallas anyway. No problem. Free shipping is good.

Well, his wife took ill, and they never made it. They were planning for a September trip, and I was deep in the middle of house rennovations, and simply didn't have time to follow up further. Then I put myself in the hospital disposing of old methanol in the most stupid way imaginable. Now I'm out of commission for several weeks on that bit of idiot judgement.

Well, now I will finally be bringing home an engine that I bought for $70 bux last spring. I'm driving to north of Chicago to pick it up myself and bring it home. Why drive? I can get it myself cheaper than what the shipping companies want to haul it.

Basically, I'm looking at a 2,000 mile round trip just for one auto PART!!

leathermang · #6 11-07-2003, 12:38 PM

OK,, there are about 300 guys calling greyhound right now and adding up distances and travel times to figure out what is 42 hours from you....

42 hours to GET BACK... that would be incentive to " overlook" some puffery by the owner.... LOL
I have a 240d with straight body,manual trans, manual windows and no sunroof... so I understand that that is one of the few cars in the world which would warrant such a trip.
Just pick out some good reading material.... and a digital camera to take with you...
After you get there and secure it... do what some of the guys have done about posting your return route ... in case you need some help or just want to have coffee with people on the board.
Then , as you progress, just stop into a library once a day and give a position report....

morgantruce · #7 11-07-2003, 01:48 PM

Leathermang,

That sounds like a very social suggestion... I like stopping at libraries anyway! I'll use this thread to post my progress reports which, by the way, will be starting in your "general" geographic location... heh heh.

One problem I know I'm going to have (and I hope the only one...) is a flakey combination switch on the column that wants to switch between low and high beams---on its own. Owner said it recently went bad and offered to replace it, but I pointed out that I would probably arrive before the part came---so I will replace it when I get home. He said that he had no trouble driving the car at night by keeping a slight thumb pressure on it. I'm going to bring along a bit of duct tape (please stop laughing) and an assortment of rubber bands----with which I'm certain I can approximate "slight thumb pressure."

Other than that---and the obvious complication of never having driven a diesel engine vehicle ever before---it should be a very interesting trip! With some luck and good timing, I should be able to stop and pick up my younger daughter at her college to take her home for Thanksgiving---boy will she be surprised! My girls are used to seeing me driving an odd assortment of rough looking 4x4 beaters.

#8 11-07-2003, 02:18 PM

It took a while for me to keep from bucking, lugging, stalling...

VERY important is the knowledge that "reverse" is achieved by lifting the shift lever UP and THEN pushing it into the usual reverse slot on a four-on-the-floor pattern.

One guy I knew bought a manual Benz from a lady who had forced the shift lever into reverse without pulling up on the knob...over an 8 year period of ownership.

Rick Miley · #9 11-07-2003, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by morgantruce
... never having driven a diesel engine vehicle ever before...

Don't put gasoline in the tank.

Buy fuel when you find it, don't wait until you need it.

leathermang · #10 11-07-2003, 02:40 PM

I am laughing at your Duct Tape idea because before I got to where you mentioned it I had already thought "Throttle spring Duct Taped to top of column".

morgantruce · #11 11-07-2003, 03:31 PM

My duct tape idea? Yes I'm sure that until I came along, duct tape was used only for taping ducts. Then one day I was divinely inspired to think that perhaps this sticky grey tape might also be useful in repairing unhinged combination switches. I hope I get credit for bringing duct tape up from the basement world of ducts and air conditioning technicians.

---

Think of how much of the world would simply fall apart if suddenly all the duct tape let loose at the same time. It would be dangerous to be out on the street...

R Leo · #12 11-07-2003, 03:32 PM

Hehe...I know right where there's a pretty fair 240D (4-spd man, crank windows and no sunroof ). And it's no death march bus ride to go get it either. But, I think I'll wait till he paints it that Snowberry color before picking it up.

#13 11-07-2003, 03:40 PM

2000 miles on the Greyhound!?!? Wow!

I took about a 700 mile trip to Cleveland to buy a car and man, I smelled like a bum after the ride.

Last summer I bought a car in Pittsburgh, that time I found cheap airfare-- ahh..... much better.

Your ride back will be a comforting reward -- best of luck on the trip home.

diesel don · #14 11-07-2003, 05:31 PM

I've done this five times and have some advice.

Don't sweat the little stuff. Here are some of the little things that bugged me upon seeing my cars close up:

Odometer not working after 10 miles
Speedometer not working after 20 miles
Door locks not working
Miss aimed headlights
Etc, etc.

You can fix the small stuff. Heck, with the help of the forum here you can fix anything.

I would absolutely make sure of two things:

Engine compression (oil usuage per 3k miles)
Tranny

I've traveled from my home in Michigan to these places for Ebay cars:

TX, VA, IN, KT, GA

Thanks,

Don

dieseldiehard · #15 11-07-2003, 05:58 PM

FWIW, I just spotted a 240D on eBay, a 1982 model supposedly with only 8700 miles on the speedometer. Buy it now for $22,500

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6329&item=2441725531
It will be interesting to see if this one ever breaks the reserve!

Dieseldiehard
1971 220 (gas) 4-spd manual 104041
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 289560
1983 300D 237490
1985 300TD 206150