My quest for the "right" old M-B diesel

[Cheaper Jeeper]

I'm a cheaper too. In my head driveline has always transmission to diff. I was just checking to make sure you meant the driveshaft was there.

That would be drive train wouldn't it?

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

I can vouch from experience on the mileage of the 126. I get about 25 mpg and about 400 gallons to the tank on mine. It used to be a lil less like 21-22 range before i replaced the injectors. Since i replaced the injectors it has been running good. Albeit other problems have arisen since then.

So is that 25mpg city, highway, or mixed?

Sounds like the one I was looking at does indeed need injectors replaced. They have already been serviced by a Mercedes mechanic...

 

[Full Monte]

What about the '87 300D series? It's the most in-demand series made, yet no one talks about it much. I have a buddy with three of them, various models. You get 6 cylinders instead of 5, better power, decent mileage. Mine gets 26-28 mpg.

 

[BENZIN]

didnt those 6s have problems with the head gaskets with the aluminum heads.

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

Well, I went and done it. Bought an 84 300CD turbo. Got it for $4800, though I'm only into it right at $4k due to profits made on the car I sold to buy the MB.

I LOVE IT! Here is a picture or two from the website of the place I bought it.

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So far here is the list of what I have found wrong with it (other than a few little dings and paint chips). I'll be asking lots of questions on how to fix the ones marked with an *
Dash cracks (I'll buy one of those molded plastic dash caps)
DS rear window only rolls down about 1/3 of the way
Sunroof doesn't open (either electrically OR with the trunk crank) - makes a stripped gear noise* (not even sure how to attack this other than drop the headliner)
Tach doesn't work* (is there some kind of jumper assembly that goes under the cap on the assembly mounted on the DS inner fenderwell?)
Odometer doesn't work* (repair or replace?)

 

[BENZIN]

man thats a nice MB how many miles ? I see you got a turbo deisel
http://www.adsitco.com/
http://catalog.worldpac.com/buymb/0...02CF157LNT&baseurl=http://www.buymbparts.com/
here are some parts mb .
I would try to buy a new dash or get a junk car dash before a cover it look alot better

 

[tgatch]

Nice looking car!

Here is a step by step on the ODO repair with pictures

Here is something to try for the tach. This fixed mine

Take a look at this for fixing your sunroof

You'll probably have to join schumans to view the photos, but I have found that being a member there has been well worth it.

 

[BENZIN]

derr schuamans is awsome super turbo

 

[Cheaper Jeeper]

man thats a nice MB how many miles ?

ODO says 201k - and based on what paperwork/carfax the guy had it appears to be pretty close, but no way to know exactly

I see you got a turbo deisel

You betcha

http://www.adsitco.com/
http://catalog.worldpac.com/buymb/0...02CF157LNT&baseurl=http://www.buymbparts.com/
here are some parts mb .

I'll check those out....

I would try to buy a new dash or get a junk car dash before a cover it look alot better

Yeah, I thought about that, but a new one is very spendy, a used one is going to be 24 years old - so it may crack in short order too (if you can even avoid cracking it getting it out or installing it) and the cover I'm talking about is less than $150. It isn't one of those pieces of carpet - it is made of ABS plastic colored to match the original and vacuum formed to look like the original dash. I put one in my 280 Z and it looked great. If you didn't know it was a cover, you wouldn't even notice.

Keep in mind, I'm not going for a showroom-perfect restoration here - this is going to be my daily driver. I just want it to look decent and have everything work...

 

[Full Monte]

didnt those 6s have problems with the head gaskets with the aluminum heads.

Yes, but they've all pretty much been replaced by now with updated heads.
Also, the cat converter was too close to the head and they have moved the converters away from the head on retrofit.

 

[Michael Fowler]

The 300SD is a larger car than the "standard" 300D, but, at least in my case, mileage is not much different.
I have tracked my mileage in the year+ that I have been driving it, and it ranges between 24 and 29 mph.
I keep the top speed to 65/70 mph. Mileage really suffers ( in any vehicle) as you increase the speed.