1988 300TE Any Good? Reliable? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 07-06-2002, 10:31 PM

Hi,
I'm considering buying a 1988 300TE with 125,000 miles on it. Looks to be in good shape. I would appreciate any feedback from any forum members...Good, bad or indifferent.
Thanks,
Steif

joe p · #2 07-07-2002, 10:20 AM

I like these, other than the typical 103 oil leaks and valve guide wear, solid cars. The last one I had with 190K on it got the top end redone, valvebody redone and some mods to the valvebody to compensate for wear.

Tom has it now and other than the alternator going up in smoke (not literaly) no leaks, failures or weird stuff in about a year of hard driving. I'm rebuilding the tranny this fall for him and he's debating about paint.

The 103/722.3 combination is about as bulletproof as you can get and other than the 88 having a second gear start trans, these are pretty fun cars to drive. You can change the start gear by swap the posistion of the spring on the 1-2 command valve to the 91 MY posistion.

Expect to do guides at around 150K to 180K and I'd go ahead and do a t-chain, tensioner insert, rails, bearing bracket, belt tensioner and water pump at the same time. (abuse that crossover labor) and drive it another 100K.

Joe