Had an 85 409d gray market import. No problems. The vin had been stamped on a plate and glued to the driver's side door pillar to satisfy an import requirement.

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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

Well, the latest news is that the Maryland MVA claims to actually have the complete VIN, including WBD, in their file, so the seller and I just need to show up at the Beltsville MVA tomorrow and they will issue a corrected title. Then it's just a matter of whether or not Virginia DMV gives me grief over the Euro WDB123 vs USA WDBA23.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Well, It was starting to look pretty grim, with the possibility that this car might be stuck in bureaucratic hell for 30 to 60 days, but after 7 calls and one trip to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, and four calls & three trips, to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, I'm now the proud and legal owner of an '84 Euro 300TD, with third-row seat, manual windows, Manual heat-AC, and Factory 5-speed stick-shift!

After all was said & done, there was never any request for paperwork regarding any conversion work, though the front bumper has been changed to a US type, and I'll be installing my spare set of US W123 headlights to get through VA inspection as both the Euro lenses are broken.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

pics?

congrats

Currently, my internet photo-posting capability is nonexistent. I'm planning to drive it to the local April 26 GTG, and hopefully someone there will be able to post something.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Is this the one that was white/cream colored and had some kind of reddish interior? from craigslist right?

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Here in fl they do a police vin inspection for all vehicles brought in from out of the state/country. . .Id be willing to assume that if ALL your vins, firewall, cross member, dash and door are intact and legible that should be pretty convincing evidence that it is legit, along with your explanation on euro MB vins to the jacka$$es at the DMV. .


when in doubt, ask for a supervisor. . .

__________________
". . .back before accountants designed cars"

-Current Stable-
'78 MB 450SL-C 107.024.12.020783 #3840 <Kayleen>
'85 FORD F250 6.9L Diesel <Allison>
'98 Lexus ES300 <Rachel>
Long Gone...
'74 Chevy G10...........................'99 GMC Yukon 4X4
'83 Chevy Suburban 6.2 diesel .....'99 SAAB 9-5
'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS............. '01 Chevy Tahoe
'98 Nissan Altima .......................'02 MB ML320
'88 Chevy Suburban V2500 4X4 6.2 diesel

Yep, that's the one. Ivory exterior. Henna (?) interior.
Rear wheel arches rusting. Otherwise, body & floors appeared solid except for one golf-ball sized rust spot under the back seat. Will be bringing her home Friday.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Nearly two weeks to get the VIN corrected in Maryland and the car registered in Virginia!
Believe me, it does little good for mere mortals like me to try and explain Euro VINs to the persons at MVA/DMV. And one of the biggest headaches I experienced during this ordeal, was from a supervisor at the Maryland MVA!

Initial problem was the VIN on the Maryland title was missing the WDB prefix. This error should have been caught when the car entered Maryland a few years ago on a Washington DC title. When I first tried to register the car in Virginia, DMV's computer automatically rejected the VIN.

Then when the seller and I first tried to get it corrected at Maryland MVA, the idiot supervisor gave us the biggest hassle when she kept insisting that they wouldn't issue a corrected title because I wasn't a Maryland resident!
I only realized later that she must have assumed I wanted a Maryland title issued in MY name.
But the seller returned to MVA this Tuesday and, after a Maryland state police officer inspected the vehicle, a corrected Maryland title in his name was promptly issued.

The next problem was that, a few days before the seller fixed his title, I asked the manager at Virginia DMV to run the complete VIN and see if there would still a problem, and DMV's computer again rejected it.
However, the Virginia DMV inspector I spoke to claimed as soon as Maryland issued a corrected title, the complete VIN number would be added to the national NCIC database, which would automatically validate the VIN in Virginia.
I had my doubts since Maryland had previously dropped the ball when the car entered that state with an incomplete VIN on the title. But today, when I went to Virginia DMV for my second attempt to title and register the car there were no problems.

Incidentally, this Euro W123 wagon has no VIN plates on the dash/pillar or doorjamb - only a removeable VIN plate fixed to the radiator support with two philips screws, and a permanent VIN stamped into the firewall behind the engine.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Mine is the same way. My euro SEC has a small plate stuck under the bottom of the A-pillar.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

I had a small issue getting my 1980 300D registered in IL. The title came back as a 1998 Mercedes (something about the Euro VIN not fitting the US standard; one or two particular character(s) is supposed to indicate build year), and naturally the state wanted more $ for tax on the car, so I had to have the car inspected by a police officer. Luckily, my neighbor is is a Sheriff's patrolman, and was happy to eyeball the car and confirm it was NOT a 1998 model. I had to really look to find the VIN -- mine had build info in the trunk. I was told that the build DATE would not be found, and sure enough, I never could find any specific evidence that it was a 1980 model.

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

The seller said, he was told by his mechanic that the VIN on this car came back as a '90-something, but with all the other hassles getting this car registered, this issue never came up.
US-market cars typically have the production date added to the VIN plate or decal on the door or doorjamb, and a year-compliance statement on an underhood emmissions decal, but my Euro 300TD has neither.
My old Ponton 180b does have 'year of manufacture - 1961' on the VIN plate attached to the right inner fender.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

According to the standard vin scheme, which I researched some years back, the 10th character indicates the model year, for example

WDBAB30A5BB241292 indicates this is a '81 MB


. In any event they began doing this with the 1980 model year, which was "A" up to 1999 which was "X". Betwene '80 to 2000 these characters were alphabetic, post 2000 the number in this position indicates the model year, for example

WDBSK75F23F059799 indicates this is a '03 MB

__________________
". . .back before accountants designed cars"

-Current Stable-
'78 MB 450SL-C 107.024.12.020783 #3840 <Kayleen>
'85 FORD F250 6.9L Diesel <Allison>
'98 Lexus ES300 <Rachel>
Long Gone...
'74 Chevy G10...........................'99 GMC Yukon 4X4
'83 Chevy Suburban 6.2 diesel .....'99 SAAB 9-5
'90 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS............. '01 Chevy Tahoe
'98 Nissan Altima .......................'02 MB ML320
'88 Chevy Suburban V2500 4X4 6.2 diesel

i have a grey mkt bmw and this was the only problem i experienced and it was w/ my insurance company. their computer kept kicking out the vin b/c the year did not match what the
VIN stated. it was all worked out, and i never had a problem with mvd (in new mexico)

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0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Well, the tenth character on my Euro W123 300TD VIN is a 1, so what year does that make it?

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW