1983 Mercedes 300D advice

[MauleM5-235]

I just bought a 1983 Mercedes 300D with 188,000 miles. Got it from a friend for $800 sight unseen. Brought it home yesterday. It runs fine but needs tires, brakes and a new driver seat bottom cushion. My friend had been keeping it for her 16 year old daughter to drive and had been maintaining it for that purpose (ie keep the safety items up to par but don't pay much attention to cosmetics). The daughter managed to convince my friend that she couldn't see over the steering wheel, so it wasn't safe for her to drive!

My initial plan was to drive it occasionally as my second car and give it to my teenage driver in a year. I have been surprised how much I like it so I may fix it up some and use it as my winter daily driver.

Any thoughts/info on the market value of one of these? Anyone use one as their DD? I hate the faded tan paint (I think of the color as "Beirut taxi cab yellow") and would like to change the color to black or a deep burgundy. Thoughts on an inexpensive paint job vs a vinyl wrap?

I have heard Omega Motors in Portland is a good independent shop. Anyone have any information on them?

Thanks

[legion]

I sold my '85 300D in 2000. I still miss that car.

The horsehair/sawdust they used in the seats tends to leak out over time leaving just the springs to sit on. I bought a pillow to sit on. You can have an upholsterer stuff them with foam.

[bt1211]

I have a 84 300cd.
Go here(its a division of Pelican Parts)Diesel Discussion - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Anything and everything about these cars has already been worked out

you can also go here
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/

Here is a list of How-to's
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/DoItYourSelf

Changed mine to a 4 speed. I enjoy it as a DD. easy to work on and of course the build quality is top notch

[nota]

had a $800 83 sd
car ran fine but people keep running in to it

most of the parts [except the drive bits] are in common with the gas cars
and u-pick yards have lots and lots of 80's m-b gas cars
I got a complete brake parts set off a 500s for $50 for new looking parts

anyway after the last hit I junked the car but still have the motor+trans complete
if anyone near s fl needs it pm me

[vonsmog]

My son drives a 85 300D Turbo that now has a 5 speed in it! He loves it and has had no real issues with it, other than having to change the motor mounts out. Just do all the routine maintenance, like a valve adjustment, filter changes and such. For the seats, you can get the Fun noddles used for swimming and cut them down and install them inside of the springs. This does not let the seat sink down so far. We paid $4500 for his car two years ago, but it had the 5 speed in it already and all new front and rear suspension. When he was home he was running it on 100% biodiesel that we make.

[flskala]

I had a 300D turbo as a DD for 10 years. Best dependable DD I have ever had. Filter changes, valve adjustments and lubricated injection pump was all it ever needed. It finally quite at 300K+++ miles. Glow plugs are an issue in extreme cold temps & it's obviously not too good in the snow unless you run blizzaks or nokians nowadays. Mobil delvac helped with cold starting. Running examples are all over CL for $1000 and up. There is only a very SMALL cult following for these cars.... trust me. There is a 300D 2.5 sitting on CL for $2k for the past 3 months....

[VincentVega]

I cut my teeth working on them as a kid. Tanks is all ways with only a few week spots. If you can deal the lack of pace and find a decent on it should last forever.

[stinkindiesel]

Bought an '84 300D when I had two teenager girls learning to drive. My criteria at the time was 1) built like a tank 2) slow and 3) something they didn't really want to drive so they wouldn't be the school chauffeur. The Mercedes quite handily met all these. What other car could survive a 60MPH head on with a deer and still get my daughter home. $600 in salvage yard parts and it was as good as new (err... as good as it was before, at least).

When the girls finally graduated to a nicer car, I drove it as my DD for another 4 years. It was quite the high speed cruiser, and wasn't really all that slow in the 50 - 70MPH range once the turbo came on.

The price of diesel is what ultimately killed it for me, though. At the time I quite driving it, I could fill the 1995 E320 with super for considerably less than the cost of diesel. Now, I regularly see diesel $1 per gallon higher than regular unleaded. Kind of makes the economic case for diesel moot. I finally sold it for $1200 4 years ago. Now I see them advertised for crazy money around here. The hipsters seem to love them.

Gary

[Robert Adams]

Always loved this years style 1976 Mercedes Benz 300D Diesel
I think maybe the prices on these is creeping up. $5000 seems steep, but it does look like a good one.

Not in your price range but probably negotiable.
84 Mercedes 300D Turbo Diesel - $5700
http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/4841753144.html