My $300 1986 300SDL - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

wolf_walker · #1 06-05-2004, 01:51 PM

I finally gave up and bought it. No title, but a title can be had for most anything for a couple hundred bucks.

Drove it home about fifteen miles this morning. Who would have thought, a $300 SDL one could drive home, more or less.

346,000 miles, and the odometer seems to still be working.

ORIGINAL HEAD

No there is no pressure in the cooling system, from what I read this is pretty astounding.

Oil pressure is good, engine temp is good, starts good, runs ok.
Shifts hard, no vac to modulator. It actually shifts harder than my 300D is capable of at full tilt. Little oil smoke now and then, little black smoke at full throttle, but the thing's been sitting for months, who knows.

Has one extremly worn out half shaft, which give an awlful THUNK!!! on any shifts. Like a scare you to death thunk, it's bad.
Looking under it all I see really loose is that half shaft and maybe the rear diff mounts, hard to tell otherwise. This car has the taller gearing too, 2.88, between that and the tallish 15" tires I could see the RPM's were lower on the highway, nifty.

It's rough, I have pics showing this, but it's pretty solid. No rust, rear window is intact, reclining rear seats(don't work), power memory front seats(do work), air bladers in front seats(do work), some other neat things.

This is the SDL I mentioned from months ago, and I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet. *Probibly* part it out and keep hunting for a 300SD, as I really don't need one quite so huge, and don't perticularly like the 6cyl engine.

Photos to follow.

You should see the mud hole it was sunk into, and actually managed to pull itself out of. That was impressive...

wolf_walker · #2 06-05-2004, 01:58 PM

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wolf_walker · #3 06-05-2004, 01:59 PM

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wolf_walker · #4 06-05-2004, 02:01 PM

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wolf_walker · #5 06-05-2004, 02:03 PM

Oh, and here's one for you..

I only have the valet key.
The trunk is locked, vacuum servo in trunk is non functional.
Get the picture?

Thoughts on how to get into the trunk?

wolf_walker · #6 06-05-2004, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MapleLeaf
You can fit a lot of bodies into that trunk!
Seriously though, why not hack it open? A new trunk lid can be had for cheap. (If not parting out)

Yeah, I know, we have a couple at work I believe. Just hate to ruin a perfectly good part. Wonder if one could drill out the lock?

I've got it jacked up in the shop right now, going to look over the underside and such, see what there is to see.

MB_FanAddict · #7 06-05-2004, 02:53 PM

WOW!

Rough but looks like it would clean up nicely.

Power heated rear seats and front orthopedic seats are RARE options on a SDL . There mostly found on the 560SEL's

The valet key should still open the trunk if it wasn't locked with the master key.

Chris

speedy300Dturbo · #8 06-05-2004, 03:52 PM

Why don't you like the 6 cylinder engine? It's smoother, quieter, more powerful, more economical, and more refined than the old 5 cylinder.

lietuviai · #9 06-05-2004, 04:18 PM

Would it be possible to get into the trunk through by removing the back seat or it the tank in the way like on a W123?
It doesn't look too bad but then some of the digi photos on ebay make purses out of sows ears.
Why part it out? Clean it up and sell it for a little profit. Who knows, maybe someone in the forum might want it.
Too bad you're in NC, I'd give you $400 for it today.

The Warden · #10 06-05-2004, 04:36 PM

Heck, pull the engine out and I'll take the rest of the car...an LWB 126 with an OM617 dropped in could make for something unique

Seriously, I do'nt know about the 126, but on my 123, there's a loop type handle under the rear seat cushion. Once that's pulled, the trunk can be gotten into regardless of whether or not you have the key. This was done as an emergency measure.

Just a thought...good luck!

wolf_walker · #11 06-05-2004, 05:34 PM

I looked it over pretty throughly the last few hours. I have found this spot of rust, it's inboard at the rearward end of the front "frame rail", about middle way of the pass side door and in.
It's bad but very localized. There was a chip in the undercoating and it's been holding water for who knows how many years. Fixable definantly.

Otherwise, that one half shaft is dead, flex disks look bad, rear diff mounts are gone, one front subframe/crossmember mount is gone, one tierod bent(hence the bad pull). Thats all the major underside stuff I see. I imagine it needs suspension and brake rebuilds like any other 340K mile car.

It really runs pretty darn well, quieter than my 617, rev's quicker, no bad noises that I can identify at least. It is smokeing when you wrap the throttle, can't tell if it's more bluish or whiteish. It's either oil or diesel, who knows. It starts well and has no tell tale deat signs. My gut says it's just got almost 350K miles on it and has been sitting up.

The trans shifted well enough, much as you can tell with no vacuum and the rear diff and a half shaft makeing a racket.
Wonder if I could swap tail housings and use it in a w123?
An 86 would have a newer valve body and such.

Based on the little rust and everything else, I'm going to either sell it or part it out. I'll be makeing another thread in the For Sale section, so please don't post I want stuff here guys. I'm not looking to get rich, I'd like to make $200 profit, that isnt asking too much I don't think considering what I paid for it.

If it were an SD with a 617, I'd be hugging the hood as we speak, but...

Two more things. I have to e-mail a local friend who's been a great teacher in all things MB, he has first dibs, but I don't think there is much of it he wants really. Secondly, if someon has a 300sd in about this shape, non-rusty and non-wrecked, I'd be inclined to shove an SDL at them for it..

I'd also thought about putting a 617 in one of these, best of both worlds maybe? It'd be an interisting project for sure, and not too hard.

wolf_walker · #12 06-05-2004, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Warden

Seriously, I do'nt know about the 126, but on my 123, there's a loop type handle under the rear seat cushion. Once that's pulled, the trunk can be gotten into regardless of whether or not you have the key. This was done as an emergency measure.

Just a thought...good luck!

Never noticed this loop handle. Really?

The valet key will not quite go all the way in the trunk, and it was not locked with the master key. Search me..

lietuviai · #13 06-05-2004, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Warden

Seriously, I do'nt know about the 126, but on my 123, there's a loop type handle under the rear seat cushion. Once that's pulled, the trunk can be gotten into regardless of whether or not you have the key. This was done as an emergency measure.

Just a thought...good luck!

I don't think I have one since I've never seen it in my '85 300D.

Wolf, I'd give you the $500 for the SDL but I figure it'd cost me at least twice that to have it shipped over here to Washington state.
I don't know if I could find one around here for $1500 no mater what condition it was in.

DieselAddict · #14 06-05-2004, 06:40 PM

It's sad to see a Mercedes in this kind of shape. Why would anyone want to abuse a Mercedes like that?

If you're not into 603's there's no point in completely rebuilding it. Most likely you can make some money selling it as is on Ebay.

wolf_walker · #15 06-05-2004, 06:55 PM

It is a crying shame indeed.
I ran a carfax on it and it more or less tells the tale. It's like so many others. Probibly owned by a good owner/maintainer, traded in, second and maybe third owner probibly did ok with it, it has made it almost 350K miles after all. But then in the late 90's come the string of sales at auction/wholesale joints, it was registered a time or two, floride and south carolina. The half shaft, bushings, and fact that none of the power windows or sunroof work probibly made it be abandoned at a shop after a killer estimate or something like that. And here it sits.

I mostly bought it just to keep it from being crushed. It's worth more around here as scrap metal than anything else, sad as that is.

I could fix it, I've had worse, and it's not hopeless at all, but I'm just not really into the 603 or the L's. I just want a 300SD.

Pathetic as it is, this SDL rode better than my 300D on the way home with it.

The rim's are remarkibly free of curb rubbings and such, they just need paint of whatever sort is correct. Nifty rims..