1981 Mercedes 300SD, should I?

[theFONZ]

I found one on the local craigslist and ten guy is willing to do some trading for guns/ammo or tools.

http://fairbanks.craigslist.org/cto/4695050651.html

I am fairly mechanically inclined, but I'd worry about sourcing parts, and I really don't know much about them. I do know these older Mercedes diesels are tanks, but what does the brain trust think? Anything I should look for? Deal breakers? Super rare rally legal race motors?

[varmint]

I'm down in kenai, and have an eye on it too. Hard to find an old merc that some hippie hasn't tried to convert to biodiesel. For $3000 it's worth the risk.

Your pfd should cover most of it.

[stomachmonkey]

Great cars.

I notice no shots of the front fenders.

Bet there is cancer starting.

Those things like to die like that.

[varmint]

https://anchorage.craigslist.org/cto/4670317315.html

Is this the same car listed in anchorage? Looks really nice in these pics

[stomachmonkey]

Not the same car.

[theFONZ]

That one in Anchorage looks pretty nice, but it's a different one. I'm definitely going to have my eye out for rust.

I just talked to the seller, who seems pretty motivated to trade for tools, and am going to look at it tomorrow evening. He said the brakes work, but you have to push the pedal down pretty far. Also the first start of the day takes a bit, but if it's warm, it starts instantly. Also, probably due to the hard starting, the starter is making an occasional noise. Last thing he mentioned was the exhaust is good, but the rubber hangers are shot.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by theFONZ

That one in Anchorage looks pretty nice, but it's a different one. I'm definitely going to have my eye out for rust.

I just talked to the seller, who seems pretty motivated to trade for tools, and am going to look at it tomorrow evening. He said the brakes work, but you have to push the pedal down pretty far. Also the first start of the day takes a bit, but if it's warm, it starts instantly. Also, probably due to the hard starting, the starter is making an occasional noise. Last thing he mentioned was the exhaust is good, but the rubber hangers are shot.

Brakes pads are easy to seat wrong on that car.

I've seen guys that know that car real well get it wrong.

Results in a real low peddle.

[speeder]

The one in Anchorage looks pretty solid for $3 grand with all the recent maintenance. '81 is a change-over year, first year of the 126 chassis and has some weird *one-year-only* stuff that make it not my favorite year but condition trumps everything in old cars like this.

Parts are easy for all of the stuff you'll actually need for it like normal wear items and maint stuff. Parts are generally cheap, the drag is that the quality of aftermarket parts is on a steady decline with names like Bosch, Lemforter and Reinz not meaning what they did even 5 years ago. But what are you going to do...that's the way the world is going. Avoid Meyle branded parts at all costs.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Brakes pads are easy to seat wrong on that car.

I've seen guys that know that car real well get it wrong.

Results in a real low peddle.

I've been working on them for a lot of years and have no idea what you are talking about here.

A low pedal is normally a hydraulics issue, ie. brake MC, calipers, etc....

[grendiers]

We had an '86 SDL, and hated it. Too complicated, pneumatics are poor, heat was poor, hard starting, leaks everywhere. However, freeway driving was amazing, great fuel mileage for an old big car, and lots of room. Never buy another.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by grendiers

We had an '86 SDL, and hated it. Too complicated, pneumatics are poor, heat was poor, hard starting, leaks everywhere. However, freeway driving was amazing, great fuel mileage for an old big car, and lots of room. Never buy another.

Completely different engine on that car from the ones being discussed here. The SDL is a fantastic car, though, if it's been maintained and has an owner who does not do dipschit things like take it to Pep Boys for oil changes and brakes. If maintained properly by trained techs with OG parts, it's a 300k car easy.

[nota]

you can't kill the 5

and almost all the other parts are the same as the gas S cars
lots of spares in junked gas cars
I replaced the total brake system for $50 from a pick&pull
by using parts off a 500s

3k is a bit high esp for a 81
I paid $800 for one an 83 sd with diesel bugs
later they got an air bag and anti-lock brakes
avoid the post 5 banger 6's esp the 3.5 motors
buy the big bottle of tank cleaner and use it like the fuel treatment
it is the same chemicals just way cheaper in the bigger cleaner size

[1990C4S]

When I drove one it was really slow. And heavy. I did not enjoy it.

Maybe it was just a bad example?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

When I drove one it was really slow. And heavy. I did not enjoy it.

Maybe it was just a bad example?

None of them are going to win any races but they perform pretty well if everything is right on them. If not, they can be dangerously slow. Some of the causes of slowness can be very quickly and easily remedied by someone who knows the cars.

As for the rest of the driving experience, it completely depends on the condition and maintenance of the car. We're talking about 30 year old Mercedes-Benzes here. They drove like a waking dream when they were new but after a 100k miles of neglect and deferred maint, of course they will drive like schit. I'm not talking about the first 100k miles put on the car here but rather the most recent 100k where someone was too cheap to use the correct oil filter much less do anything else to it. That's what I see a lot.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by nota

you can't kill the 5

and almost all the other parts are the same as the gas S cars
lots of spares in junked gas cars
I replaced the total brake system for $50 from a pick&pull
by using parts off a 500s

3k is a bit high esp for a 81
I paid $800 for one an 83 sd with diesel bugs
later they got an air bag and anti-lock brakes
avoid the post 5 banger 6's esp the 3.5 motors
buy the big bottle of tank cleaner and use it like the fuel treatment
it is the same chemicals just way cheaper in the bigger cleaner size

$3k is not high at all for a decent MB diesel, at least here where they generally do not rust. I would not sell my w116 turbodiesel for double that but I could if I wanted to in the next 24 hours. There are not many good ones left. Lots of stinking garbage.

My DD, not perfect but well cared for and it's a keeper:

[bt1211]

Go to these sites for more info

This one is owned by our host
Diesel Discussion - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

Also check out here


W123 E,CE,D,CD,TD,TE Class - Mercedes-Benz Forum

Great cars but you need to know what to look for. There are LOTS to choose from. They are very easy to work on(even if you are not sure which end is the business end of a hammer). Every issue/fix has already been worked out. Helpful people and lots of parts cars in junk-yards.

Heres my DD. I changed it to a 4 speed and lowered it a bit.

[theFONZ]

Well the guy never answered my message about meeting up. Oh well, probably for the best. That one in Anchorage for 3k made me think I'd rather get a mostly sorted Merc turbo diesel than a project. Maybe if that one is still for sale in a month or two when we make our semi annual shopping pilgrimage to the big city I'll check it out.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by theFONZ

That one in Anchorage looks pretty nice, but it's a different one. I'm definitely going to have my eye out for rust.

When I lived in Juneau I picked up a beat up Datsun B210 that was advertised with "Juneau Body". It had obviously seen too many winters. There were holes in the floors (you could watch the highway passing underneath you), holes in the trunk and the exhaust manifold caused CO to leak into the cabin. Ten minutes of driving would give you a headache. Luckily you couldn't drive too far in Juneau. One of my coworkers, after riding with me nicknamed it the "Dachau Datsun".

[varmint]

Originally Posted by KNS

When I lived in Juneau I picked up a beat up Datsun B210 that was advertised with "Juneau Body".

and every other car for sale here refers to the windshield as having been "alasked".