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I've owned two Mercedes diesels, a 1977 240D 5 speed, and a 1984 300SD.
My 240D (which was the same W123 body, but a sedan) was originally purchased by a military couple in Germany and brought back to the states where they used it here in the Midwest until I bought it in 1990 with 345K original miles. Original engine and trans, original clutch. It was pastel yellow with green MB Tex vinyl.
I used the car as a winter-beater to store my other cars from the harsh salt. I couldn't kill that car! And I tried. I sold it to a college student in 1993 (with 360K+) and saw the car in Duluth, MN in 1997, still running.
My 300SD had the exact same turbodiesel drivetrain as the 300TD wagon you just bought, but in the S-class (W126) sedan body. We drove that car daily from Aug 1990 until Aug 1993, from 36K miles to 154K miles, commuting 120 miles a day. We got up to 35 mpg and that car would cruise comfortably at 60-85mph all day every day. Great car.
Trouble spots mechanically:
Climate control, you will have trouble with the control unit
Cruise control, you will have trouble with the cruise amp
Oil leaks, they're just like 911's
Glow plug problems, sucks in cold weather
Nivomat self-leveling rear suspension ($$)
Rear liftgate struts, expensive and hard-to-get-at
The motors themselves are BULLETPROOF
Turbos commonly have oil related failures
Transmissions are okay
123's are usually rust-prone, like old 911's. Check the rockers and jack points and the rear wheel wells. They made the W123's from 1977 to 1986, so there are a lot of donor cars and replacement parts are easy to find.
As for bio diesel, I'd be very careful about how it affects the fuel system. The turbodiesels used a mechanical injection system very similar to CIS. Any particulate in the fuel car wear or clog the fine mechanisms in the distributor pump or the injectors. Be sure to use a high quality fuel filter and water separator.... ditch the M-B stuff.
It's been a while, but I used to have lots of info on good suppliers like Pelican, and know what brands of oem were good alternatives to M-B. But my experience with classic M-B's (I owned 12 total) ended when I sold my 6.9 in 2000. It'll come to me and I can post them if you like.
Good luck and keep us posted!
E
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