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I have located a 1979 300d with a 4 speed on the internets for 900 bucks. I have a 1977 300d (auto) already so I have an idea of what I am getting myself into. Apparently, the interior is shot and the sunroof leaks (already looked it up, feel that I can fix that easily) but it "runs and drives good"; I figure there is more wrong with it for that price though. Obviously, oil leaks, electrical and and suspension are all something I will check, but what else? I know what to look for in an automatic transmission (violent as hell 1->2 shift) but I have no clue with a manual. This is compounded by the fact that I can not drive stick, which is part of the reason I want it. So what should I, and more importantly my manual capable friend who will be with me, look for? An added bonus is that it will begin the process of getting newfangled BMWs (e39 + e46) out of my life.
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Dec 26, 2010 00:58
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Well, one of the reasons I want to learn manual is so I can drive the 35' 1956 GM bus I own with a friend; it requires double clutching the 50 pound clutch and shifting requires a person to be angry. If anything is going to put me off of driving stick, it will be that thing. Also, the auto transmission in my 1977 300d is dying; it slips going up almost every incline at this point. The transmission will be replaced/rebuilt once I sell off the BMWs. In the mean time, a working 300d will be fast as hell in comparison.
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Dec 26, 2010 07:41
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You could do what I saw on a 300D that I looked at buying. They cut bigger holes into the dash and mounted ~5" speakers. It sounded pretty good but looked like complete poo poo.  I purchased the car I mentioned earlier, they listed it as a manual 300D but it turned out to be a 240D. I need more practice driving stick but the car is not reliable enough for me to put ~500 miles a week on it. I sold one of the 2 new fangled BMWs in my life and turned around and purchased a well kept 1985 300D Turbodiesel. I am digging the turbo, I sense that I will not purchase a naturally aspirated diesel ever again. edit: On a side note, every single person that has driven the manual 240D likes how easy it is and have remarked that it is a great car to learn on. 
EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 07:52 on Feb 16, 2011 |
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Feb 16, 2011 07:36
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If the car has been maintained decently, the car will easily hit 500k; if not, you will be in for major repairs. I am doing my own wrenching and learning in the process. Buying a car that is over 2k will have less need for wrenching, especially over 3k. In the end you will spend at least ~2k, one way or another, for it to be reliable. The manual 300D was only offered in Europe, the last one I saw on ebay was over 6k simply because it is so coveted. It is possible to convert a 300D to stick, taking a transmission from a 240D. The turbo 300D might not be the best candidate for a manual conversion iirc. If the car has vacuum issues stay the gently caress away from the 1985 300D, there is a lot more voodoo magic than previous years. The 240D is easier to wrench on since it has way less magic under the hood but, as previously mentioned, it has a severe lack of power. The w123 ran from 1977 to 1985 but in 1980 or 1981 they changed things. The engines got more power, things moved around in the engine bay, etc.
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Feb 16, 2011 18:55
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I expect to be a master of vacuum lines and brakes by the end of the weekend. 
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May 6, 2011 06:27
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EvilMoFo posted:I expect to be a master of vacuum lines and brakes by the end of the weekend. I expect to do a compression test next week, when I have time. Following that, I expect to take the intake/exhaust off to get a better look. I fear that I will be learning a lot about how these engines are put together. 
EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 02:09 on May 9, 2011 |
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May 9, 2011 01:45
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I paid 600 for mine. The sunroof leaks when it rains, has minor fender damage, has bits of rust on the body, and has a busted odometer at ~235k ... but it runs great and has been bullet proof. I saw one that was better looking with bad brakes and a questionable engine for 300 soon after that. I would say ~1k would be a starting point. I bought my quite functional (at the time  ) 300D turbo with ~285k for 1600 and it was in pretty good cosmetic condition, aside from the paint.edit: vvv the concept of a gasoline Mercedes does not compute for me EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 09:20 on Jun 30, 2011 |
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Jun 29, 2011 06:58
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Today the family became Mercedes Benz W123 only, with the sale of a BMW 3 series. While it feels good, logically, I would feel better if at least one of these cars was a step above marginally functional.
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Jul 16, 2011 05:29
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Sprout Magnet posted:It's got 4-speed auto in it. Thing kicks like an angry baby trying to get out of the womb 3 months early whenever it shifts from first to second.
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Jul 22, 2011 22:57
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A W123 for over ~2500 has to be in pretty good condition, given the market conditions, unless the seller is an asshat. I would not buy a wagon without a visit to a mechanic, with specific attention given to the magical rear suspension. Wagon parts tend to be unique, unique is not what you seek in a car that will need work at some point; there were many more sedans made than there were wagons. Driving a w123 diesel like a modern car will not have the results you seek. It is simply impossible to hit triple digits in these non turbo diesels without a hill involved. Likewise, the only thing you will beat off of a line is a bus or a truck; you stop missing acceleration after a while. MATLAB 1988 posted:Keep in mind that 1980 isn't a great year for these cars (... 1960's nightmare HVAC system)
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Sep 11, 2011 13:53
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MATLAB 1988 posted:1977-1983 240d with manual climate control. We are the original owner of a 77 300D and I bought an 85 300D earler this year. It honestly is night and day with what was done to the car over the 8 years of production. EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 02:01 on Sep 12, 2011 |
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Sep 12, 2011 01:51
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gently caress. I did a valve job (my first ever) on my 77 300D and now it will not start. When it does start, or tries to run I should say, it kills itself immediately; all while the car is shaking violently. Just went though it the 3rd time and the spacing is good. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Nov 15, 2011 06:03
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MATLAB 1988 posted:Intake/Exhaust clearances could be mixed up if the diagram was read upside-down. .10mm exhaust and .30mm intake for nonturbos. You're measuring at the camshaft and rocker arm, right? Adjusted valves with the camshaft pointing straight up for each valve? Any binding linkage cutting fuel? As for linkages, they are all moving freely and not touching the fuel lines inappropriately.
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Nov 15, 2011 08:10
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Today I checked the clearances again and went to start it, now it is making a noise each cycle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CihwxR7RQxg It is the same sound that my 1985 300D made when the engine would not start, here is hoping I can fix both of them  .
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Nov 16, 2011 00:53
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7734 posted:I got a 78 300d last summer and attempted to do a valve adjust on it myself. Did not turn out to well, though luckily my dad is a diesel mechanic and he helped me finish it up.  .I am going to talk to a couple people I know that work on cars and see what they say. From everything that I have read about valve adjustments, I have the spacing perfect but we shall see.
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Nov 16, 2011 23:11
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My 700 dollar 1979 240d has been a great car, though it tends to leak when it rains, the rear suspension is hosed, and there is epic blowby. All told, probably spent 500 (plus registration) to keep it going. It has been a super reliable car even though it has had some annoying issues.
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Dec 22, 2011 23:15
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Rontalvos posted:I've got a friend in the Fresno California area who is leisurely trying to sell a 1980 240D with the automatic, I think 38k miles. It's the stereotypical creamy tan exterior with matched interior. I hate that color combo so much, the only thing worse is white/tan.
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Jan 19, 2012 23:51
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7734 posted:Even though my '78 300D is sitting in my driveway with a broken drive shaft flex plate, I'm seriously considering picking up another Benz (probably just take a hit on the 300D and sell it as is). I just looked at rockauto, they have one for 25 bucks.
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Feb 27, 2012 22:45
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Defghanistan posted:am I a douche for calling it a Merc?
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Mar 5, 2012 05:32
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Gullous posted:That link says you need a subscription to access their free parts manual Speaking of which, I imagine my year is nearly up by now. Also, the site requires java; as a person that hates java, that annoyed me more that the subscription. I have a VM exclusively for accessing the EPC. Edit: looking at the site, world cars require money ... https://epc.startekinfo.com/epc/subscribe2.jsp Edit 2: of important note, they store the password in the clear; you may not want to use your super awesome banking password or anything critial EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Mar 9, 2012 |
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Mar 9, 2012 21:54
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If it is in perfect condition, that is the average going rate for a euro manual 300D. When one came up for sale for ~1000 that had a blown engine I nearly begged, borrowed, and stole to get it; it got parted out though.
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Aug 1, 2012 13:46
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So, I am thinking about getting a (4 speed, on the floor) 1966 W110 220D. The fuel timing is hosed, so it would be 1000 (listed, but likely lower with some talking) plus a trip to the mechanic. How horrible of an idea is this? Considering I have never seen a W110 at the local wrecking yard, I suspect anything I ever need will not be pleasant. I heart the eugenics in my driveway of only having W123 (77 300D, 79 240D, and an 85 300D I am going to sell) but this car looks pretty awesome. PS: +1 for euro W123 lights looking lovely
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Aug 3, 2012 07:38
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EvilMoFo posted:So, I am thinking about getting a (4 speed, on the floor) 1966 W110 220D. The fuel timing is hosed, so it would be 1000 (listed, but likely lower with some talking) plus a trip to the mechanic. In other news, my 85 300D works again after I put it back together for the most part, with the help of starting fluid; seems the glow plugs are content with doing nothing useful. Once I finish bolting the exhaust back on, it will be taking a trip to the mechanic to fix the brakes; then my mother can work on destroying that car instead of the 77 300D I want to convert to manual. edit: didnt buy the 200d, I expect to regret it for a while. EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Nov 2, 2012 |
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Nov 1, 2012 09:17
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Bobby_Wokkerfella posted:How bad are W123's (most likely diesels) maintenance/parts wise? On the 240D, the vacuum nonsense is far less prevalent. The 300D has more, a lot more; the later the car the worse it is, the lines in the engine bay on my 85 are like double compared to my 77. I would be hard pressed to purchase an automatic at this point. The vacuum nonsense impacts the auto, especially if it has that vacuum piece on the top of the engine. The manual 240D I have has nothing bizarre like you describe. 5 speed in a 123 is quite uncommon, from what I have seen. My 240D runs around 30 mpg when I bother attempting to calculate it.
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Nov 14, 2012 09:30
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I went from an E39 528i touring that I loved, and an E46 325i sedan I hated, to W123 diesel Mercedes. I enjoy driving as much, if not more, simply because the edge is relatively slow (~80mph) compared to the fun I had driving the BMWs (100+mph); captain slow reviewed a sluggish hatchback and provided a more eloquent description of this concept. Also, gently caress computers in cars. So what if my vacuum locks don't work after being left to sit for an hour, at least a computer that costs thousands to replace is not involved with the basic function of the engine.
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Mar 27, 2013 07:23
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trouser chili posted:They were actually racing. It's hard to tell sometimes.  There are 3 w123 diesels in the driveway and 2 are daily drivers. I have been eyeing w110 diesels recently though...
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Mar 28, 2013 19:37
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BrokenKnucklez posted:http://omaha.craigslist.org/cto/3872215510.html There has been a fintail for sale with a non-working engine (water pump died, overheated) for a few months. If it is still available when I get back from a trip, I am buying it with the full expectation of sinking at least 1k into it (at bare minimum) to get it to run.
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Jul 17, 2013 07:05
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Do you think its worth that much?
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Jul 18, 2013 08:44
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I went to see this over the weekend: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/4000367996.html - I had seen this car on cl a couple months back but have some money now. The previous owner (from the previous cl post) cut a lot of corners. Painted but didn't fix dents or deal with rust and sunk money into a flowmaster, so it sets off car alarms, while the shift linkage has issues and brakes need attention. My 240D has more character for it's own good but it is relatively safe to drive, as opposed to that thing. This guy paid too much so he is trying to make back some money so no sale with my offer. At least I now know exactly what I want, now a matter of waiting for it to pop up/finding it. EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Aug 20, 2013 |
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Aug 19, 2013 19:43
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I got a 1967 W110 200D and it is fun to drive it has much more cancer than I expected some previous owner, likely #2 and I am #4, ghetto repaired the body/frame apparently, I should reinforce the cabin floor to make sure I do not fall onto the roadway
EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Dec 4, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2013 06:31
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I really enjoy my w110, even with it's problems that will cost a disheartening amount of money to fix. ... But mine is diesel and has a manual transmission.
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Dec 11, 2013 18:34
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Do a detail and flip it for more than you paid, then upgrade into a nicer W110. Is there really a shortage of Fintails? Only time will tell if I will sell it off for another one.
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Dec 12, 2013 06:59
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Wait, mercedes makes gas cars?  On a serious note, I called the classic center and was happy to find that the price of the (driver side) floor pan for a w110 is not bad (~250 w/2 day shipping), now to hear what it will cost to put it in. Hearing the price of door seals, however, was cringe worthy; ~800 bucks for the back 2 doors alone. Someone found an OEM set of all 4 in Germany for ~650 shipped, I sense I will be putting my faith in them. Edit: I figured out the speedo being off is due to someone putting 175/70r13 on the car while the spare is 185/80r13 (the correct size). Looking at 185/80r13 (non trailer) tire prices on the internets makes me sad. I have this weird feeling I am going to put some w123 wheels on it with a comparable size (190/70r14) to actually drive it in a reasonable manner. EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 07:48 on May 4, 2014 |
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May 4, 2014 07:26
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So, I bought another W123 today. It is a 1977 300D with a stick shift and it is quite fun to drive.
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May 15, 2014 08:13
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I wouldn't mind a 240GD or 300GD, so long as it was stick, but holy poo poo are they expensive. I have a pair of 1977 300D now, I think the one with the stick is older since the VIN is ~15k less than the auto we are original owners on. edit: look at this long wheelbase 300D that I would buy if I had the money http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/cto/4446988621.html edit that should be a reply but doubleposting is less than ideal: Drove the car ~300 miles this weekend, it is really fun and nearly par with other cars on acceleration. The laundry list of poo poo that is wrong is mostly little crap, some more cosmetic than anything else. The notable issues are the passenger window mechanism needs to be fixed/replaced, the vacuum locks were bypassed via golf tee due to a leak somewhere  , and eventually the syncros need to be rebuilt on the transmission (instead, I will pull the trans off my 240D and swap it out).
EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 08:13 on May 19, 2014 |
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May 16, 2014 19:44
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The window regulator was broken when I got my 300D stick, got around to dealing with that today. Mercedes wanted ~650 for the thing, I got a perfect one at pick n pull for 11.72 cents. So, the alarm screaming when the car is off, the door is open, and the headlights are on; what causes that lovely tone on an early w123? I assume it is in one of the magical boxes that have one of the only integrated circuits on the car, sadly. I heard my 79 240D do it 2 or 3 times in a couple years (the wiring was less than ideal on that thing, obviously) and I know I am going to gently caress up eventually on this 77 300D stick. I know the newer cars (~82+) have it, they also have entirely different circuitry and I don't want to mix and match too much. edit: apparently it lives at the back of the instrument cluster, haven't found anything suggesting I can add it to a 77 though
EvilMoFo fucked around with this message at 17:49 on May 25, 2014 |
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May 25, 2014 09:24
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I lost a hubcap today. It rolled across 4 lanes of traffic and laid down, then a Volvo tapped it and it went across the last lane into the median shoulder. I went and retrieved it but the blow was too much and I doubt I can make it look decent again. Good thing I have a spare one.
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Jun 10, 2014 02:30
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CharlesM posted:Oddly enough rockauto offers mirrors for RHD W202s for some reason and not LHD? A while back, I found a W123 manual passenger side mirror assembly with broken glass. I called and got a quote for the W123 side mirror glass and that number was simply shocking. I then found out the electric plastic backing on the glass is different than the manual one so I have glass from a wrecking yard and now need to figure out how to adhere it to the plastic from the manual assembly. Noeland posted:The vacuum issues are also due to the hard plastic hoses that run throughout the interior. They get old and brittle and some of them are in kind of silly places, like running through the door electrical boot to the vacuum locks. A quick check is to lock the drivers door with the key and count the 5 "thunks".
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Sep 21, 2014 09:59
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Napa only has the mirror glass, I'll need the whole thing.
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Most of the mbtex in my 67 Mercedes is in perfect shape, shouldn't that be enough reason?
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Dec 30, 2014 07:53
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I had an E39 wagon, the injection computer failed and a mechanic was in complete shock that the transmission was still working; it was around either 150k or 200k I believe. gently caress computers and gently caress maintaining an early 2000s BMW. The manual 1977 300D I purchased almost a year ago is a decent daily driver. It was ~2200 and I talked her down a couple hundred due to the syncros being trashed. I have spent about 2k since at the mechanic and a couple weekends here and there sorting out some issues. I am getting on an even keel with maintenance and expect to get the timing chain done soon. Admittedly, there is a gaping rust hole in the trunk behind the passenger wheel well, the cluster isn't lit and the fuel gauge is wrong due to some electrical gremlins, and the driver seat is on it's way out but things seem to be doing alright in the grand scheme of things. Hell, the cruise control almost works even.
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Feb 24, 2015 18:57
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