a very interesting post about a car i've always flirted with getting.
Just a few days ago, I spotted an Olds Delta 88 diesel, Grandma's car for
$3998. The good thing was that it only had 70K miles on it. If it had the
improved head bolts, it could be a good car for a while. It even had the
I know that at least a couple of you (dave M and Casey) are into these. I'm
interested in buying a 1982 VW Jetta diesel, 210K miles, always garaged, a 2
owner car in reasonably well kept condition. Does the same oil cap removal
blow by test work for these engines? Also, are these equipped
Yes, it's a 1.6L NA engine. Now that I've got the big 03 Dodge Cummins,
this little jetta is going to run around town and test out my biodiesel when
I get my homebrew setup going.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
That's not bad for one of those. There's a 1975 504 diesel for sale in my
area for $500 OBO that I'm thinking of tinkering with (can't get enough of
these old diesels).
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon, without an MB diesel
Woohoo! That's gonna be one quick car although it won't be quite as quick
as a hotrodded 603 or 606 diesel. Is this one going to be the weekend
machine after driving diesels all week?
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
no MB diesel as of yet
Wow! Over 11K for a 1984 W126? That beats anything I've ever encountered
before! There's a black one of the same vintage at a car lot down the
street from me that's been there since the beginning of the summer. I think
that it was well under 11K though...
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon, still
I've had 3 300D's and a 300CD which were all named. The first 1978 300D was
gretchen (just one that came to mind as was the second 300D, a 77, Frieda.
The third 300D, also a 78, got the name Ingrid. The 300CD got the name
Vinnie as my sisters were coaxing it up the Grapevine coming from SoCal
I decided to hold out for the SDL. I wanted a 'boat'.
How much longer is the 300SDL than the SD? I've heard that there's a bunch
more leg room in the SDL's rear seat area. However, the 603 aluminum heads
scare me!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1973 220D
I'm planning to go look at it, but first, I want to know if it's possible to
fix rather than rebuild the tranny. It is staying in 1st gear. Is this a
failure mode for that particular transmission? Here's the link to the ad.
http://portland.craigslist.org/car/143342384.html
Kevin in
Thanks, Kaleb, for the suggestions! This may be a car that's worth a
gamble.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1973 220D parting out
Ain't NO way a 603 will fit. Even the 602 was tight.
I looked at a 1988 190D 2.5 with the 602 engine, and there isn't any room
for much under there! It's hard to find the engine compared to the old 61X
engine cars.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1973 220D
I've always thought one of those Volvo 240 302 conversions would be fun to
have, although I currently lack the time, money, and space to actually build
one.
Funny that this topic should come up, but there's currently a 1977 300D 302
conversion listed on Craigslist here in Portland, OR.
I think that Kevin should purchase the 79
240D from him and let him get that 190
I'll buy the 190D, free up the tranny, and trade Jim out of that 240D.
Sound good? I'm going to look at it tomorrow since I have a free day. I've
never entered W201 territory, but this may be my ticket. It
I vote for totally gummed up transmission that has never seen a filter
or fluid change.
Is there a way to clean out a transmission that has been subjected to a life
of neglect? Would it be best to go through a couple change/flushes with
cheap ATF and then fill her with some Mobil 1?
Kevin
Well, I lost out on that 190D. It was sold by the time I was able to get
over there. It'll probably pop up on CL again once it's fixed up.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1973 220D
Will they work? Can the seat bottom from a w115 be put on W123 seat
runners? I have someone who's interested in my 220D driver's seat.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1973 220D parting out
no
That's what I thought.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1973 220D parting out
Hello listers.
I found a guy selling a 1978 240D 4spd manny tranny, tan ext with tan int.
It's got some vacuum issues going on (don't they all), but it runs and
drives ok. It won't shut off, it has a hard brake pedal, and probably not
much else vacuum operated that's working properly. He's
Well, I just found a 1978 300CD that's also on the list of possibilities.
It has 265K miles, no working glow plugs, but it has a good, straight body.
The guy isn't a mechanic, so he gave up on it. Unlike the experience with
the 220 gasser (getting yelled at when I tried to test the starter), I
You should also be sure that a CD is what you want.
It'll be fun to have a CD around again! Now that I have the 03 Dodge
Cummins diesel quad cab pickup, and my dad has a minivan, the CD will just
be a fun car as it should be. It may be a step up toward a wagon in the
long run once it's
Well, it's in my drivewayNOT! It did have a nice, straight body and
decent paint other than some rusting and peeling around the fuel door just
below the rear window seal and quite possibly more underneath the lip of it.
The interior was dirty and the upholstery wasn't too great either.
Anything convertible is collectable.
I wish that the VW Rabbit convertivle was available with either a 1.6L NA or
turbo diesel? There was one for sale on the street on our way to look at
the busted 300CD, and I thought what a fun project it would be to
transplant the older IDI diesel or a
Will a coupe hood fit onto a sedan and vice versa? I found a cheap 1979
300CD with hood and windshield damage that's in otherwise nice condition,
and I know of several W123 sedan hoods that can be had for $40 or so plus
painting to match. I'm not sure if coupe windshields are the same as
Hello everyone!
A 1979 300CD may be following us home on Sunday. Due to lack of an extra
driver and since it has a cracked-up windshield that may be unsafe, we're
planning on using a tow dolly. Auto tranny cars can't be towed on their
rear wheels without serious tranny problems resulting,
Well, here it is. It's a model 406 with an OM352 engine, sounds like a
great project or possibly an easy fixer!
http://portland.craigslist.org/car/146843971.html
Kevin, Benzless in Hillsboro Oregon,
No interest or affiliation, etc.
I was thinking of Joe the other day when I saw his web site in my favorites!
It sure has been a LNG time! Good to have ya back!
Kevin, Benzless in HIllsboro Oregon at least for now
Since this car supposedly has a rebuilt tranny, I would CERTAINLY like to
keep it in working order! I was even told by someone to leave the engine
running to lubricate the tranny which also saves the driveshaft removal job.
An Italian Tuneup would definitely be in order after that! It is a 3
Well, the 1979 300CD was a no go. For starters, I arrived only to find out
when checking the oil that it had about 1/8 of oil on the dipstick! I was
first told that he had driven it to where it's currently sitting about a
month ago. I was later told that the car hadn't been started for 9
the 'specialness' seems to be the two-tone
paint job.
Perhaps it's special because 1975 was the first year for the 300D?
Kevin in HIllsboro Oregon
What about that 240D stick with the broken
shift linkage?
Is it an easy fix as the guy claims? If so, it's priced right.
Kevin, Benzless in HIllsboro Oregon
Hello everyone!
I found this 300SD on Craigslist a couple days ago, and it hasn't sold yet.
It has 200K on the clock, and other than the missing front bumper, it could
be a good, cheap W126.
http://portland.craigslist.org/car/150638407.html
It states in the ad that it comes with a
Here's the VIN to that 300SD.
VIN: WDBCB20A0CB018422
Thanks!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
So this is good? I guess that since there's no emissions testing for
diesels in CA, there are no records. It's funny that there weren't any
title transfers (possibly a one owner car?)
I'm going to look at the car tomorrow. He's had it up for sale for nearly a
week, so I may have some wiggle
It's a 1981 300CD, dark blue with the light brown interior. The body and
interior are great, just a little dirty from sitting around. It's got some
problems with the engine which I believe are due to tight valves by the
sound of it when it cranks over. It's got 204K miles on it so hopefully,
It doesn't have a spot of rust on it! It should clean up very nicely with a
good washing and waxing. I do have both fuel filters on hand and ready to
install. It's gonna need new tires sometime soon, but they will be good
enough to get it home and to use during the sorting-out phase.
It's
Hello everyone.
I was thinking about something I observed yesterday with my 1981 300CD. It
has the horizontal push button unit, and it doesn't have the servo. I
haven't poked around enough to find out if it's been taken out or if it
wasn't equipped with one originally. I'll know a lot more
if the
battery was dead or missing, a manual tranny diesel could be push-started
and driven successfully?
This goes for many automatics as well although they must be pushed/pulled to
35MPH to get the juices flowin'. Diesels don't need any electrical energy
to stay running, no coil,
Coupes and wagons got the turbo first too, didn't they?
Yes, that's true. I think that this one's an early '81 since the 6 digit
chassis number begins with two zero's (I can't remember the whole thing
right off hand). It doesn't have a turbo though.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD
I have a 2003 Dodge Cummins diesel pickup that is WY more than enough to
pull our 29FT travel trailer (9000 pounds when fully loaded). It only has
25000 miles on it now, and it had 22000 miles on it when I bought it. It
gets over 20MPG cruisin' down the highway empty, and about 15 when
the time has come for me to start assembling the stuff to start
using WVO in my 300D.
Yes indeedee! That will be the next step for me as well once my newly
acquired 300CD is running. I've had 5 of these diesels, and I've sworn that
the NEXT one will be the one to set up to run on WVO.
Well, Giesela, my 1981 300CD is in my driveway and ready to be wrenched on!
If she has the newer type III system with a monovalve, where is it, and what
does it look like (how many hoses/wires are coming out of it)? I don't see
the bracket for the servo, so it appears to be a different setup
I've got horizontal buttons, so it must be a type III system. Does this
mean that it has a monovalve rather than the dreaded ACC servo?
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
Giesela, 1981 300CD 204K miles
Thanks, everyone for the ACC help! I'm glad that it does have the newer
style type III system without a servo!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
Giesela, 1981 300CD 204K miles
What you don't spend on a
new servo you can apply towards new window seals!
I'm already planning that since good used seals just aren't out there. It
has the usual gaps between the front and rear sections, so I'll have to get
that straightened out before the next rainy season. It does have a
Hopefully,not quite yet! I've got the car washed, the garage is cleaned
out, the car is now in it's place, hood opened and ready for the valve
adjustment tomorrow. If I end up getting it running, you guys will be the
first to know! If it's a runner, it's probably a $2000 OBO car as it sits,
Hello everyone!
The first question has to do with the intake manifold, and boy is the inside
D-I-R-T-Y! Is there any way short of removal to get this crud out of
there?
My second problem has to do with valve adjustment. I'm having a VERYYY hard
time adjusting the last exhaust valve.
Did you make some bent wrenches?
I bought some, but they seem to be too long. I think I'm going to hook up
with Dennis T to try out the short wrenches. Even an inch or so would make
ALL the difference in the world on the #5 cyl valves!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
Giesela, 1981 300CD 204K
What would you sell your stahlwille wrenches for? My wrenches should work
well for someone, so they'll be up for sale. Any takers? They were $87
new, used only once, so make me a good offer.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
Giesela, 1981 300CD 204K miles
My cell number is (971)222-6605, and my home number is (503)430-1910.
I sure hope that the shorter wrenches are what I need to bail myself out of
this jam!
Kevin
$2500 sounds like a good deal if it's very nice! I sold my '78 for $2700,
and it had a very nice body and a fair interior (major dash and rear
seatback cracking due to the california sun). This '81 CD that I have does
have a much better interior with minor splitting along the seams on the top
You mean an SDC would be ecstasy?
Now that's funny!
Kevin in HIllsboro Oregon
Giesela, 1981 300CD 204K miles
Hi, Bob.
I'm feeling very strongly that it's the battery. I let mine go in my '78
300D (my first Mercedes diesel) for too long, and it left us stranded. Now,
if it's even showing signs of weakness, it's outta there!
I hope that you get the old girl back up and running tomorrow!
Kevin in
Yea, BOB! That's what we like on this list, happy endings! Hopefully, I'll
have one of my own when the non-runner 1981 300CD starts up after a much
needed valve adjustment! I'm not sure if it'll be today since time's a
little tight, but it will be SOON!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD
The 280E was a W123 sedan IIRC,
Sure it wasn't a 280SE W126?
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
Anyone on the list would know that I've been fighting with the valves on the
1981 300CD, especially those on cylinder #5, but thanks to Dennis T and some
shorter wrenches, I was able to get JUST the amount of room I needed to
tackle them! I went back through and check the clearance on all of
I do like the 300CD! It does have a quieter ride, a more sporty feel, and
good looks although I can't see it hahahahaha! Is the one that you have
your eye on the same one that you saw for $2500 that was going to be posted
in your local paper? If so, I hope that you buy it and enjoy it!
What about the Tempo and Escort? What inspired those names? To something
more current, where did Aveo come from?
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD coupe diesel, 204K miles, Giesela
Hello fellow listers.
Tomorrow, I'm going to replace all of the belts, button up the last of the
linkage bits, put the air cleaner on and take her on her first test drive.
All this talk about starters reminded me about some strange behavior
exhibited by the starter on my car. If it's just a
Hello fellow listers.
Tomorrow, I'm going to replace all of the belts, button up the last of the
linkage bits, put the air cleaner on and take her on her first test drive.
All this talk about starters reminded me about some strange behavior
exhibited by the starter on my car. If it's just a
Honda's about to start selling a new subcompact hatchback called the
Honda Fit.
Is that because it will fit virtually anywhere? I know that it's not
because the average person will fit comfortably into it!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela, getting a new alternator
you will
be best-served just by ponying up for another starter.
I guess I'll start savin' then. I do want it to start reliably.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela, back on the road again!
Hello everyone!
My dad and I spent most of the afternoon prepping the car for its first test
drive since it came home on a tow truck. I replaced the alt and PS belts,
but couldn't do anything with the AC belt since it doesn't have an idler
pulley (the next project). The compressor turns
Return that starter, and I'll guarantee ya that your old one will most
certainly die. Let's see how long it'll last!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
I love happy endings too since my previous car, the '73 220D, didn't end
happily at all! However, I did make my money back when I sold it.
If I have to go through the trouble of removing the starter to check the
solenoid and brushes, I'll probably spring for a Bosch rebuilt starter. How
I then use a 10mm gear wrench
What is a gear wrench? Are you referring to the box type wrenches with
built-in ratcheting capability? I used one to adjust the PS pump yesterday,
and it worked great, all the benefits of a ratchet where the ratchet
wouldn't fit.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
I just bought a set of metric gear wrenches (now I know what they're called)
late last year anticipating the ownership of another Mercedes diesel, and
they sure do work well! I forgot that I had them until I was flinging a
12mm wrench back and forth to get at the PS pump adjuster. They'll be
Apparently, the extra $30k went toward building a damn-near indestructible
car.
They are sure saving a lot by using biodegradable wiring, eh? I wonder what
an '81 300CD cost new? I would guess mid to high $20k's?
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela, costing me $675 to
I also like the solid sound when closing the doors on my '81 300CD and all
other W123's that I've owned. It's pretty good for a 25 year old car not to
have a rattling window, especially the coupes. It's difficult to near
impossible to find that quality in any American car of that era. I also
It's the old unburned residue that stuck to the
inside of the engine and is responsible for the lowered compression,
poor idle and excessive oil consumption.
I've got all of the above going on with my 300CD I'm sure! Things will be a
LOT better once I do the oil change to Mobil 1 synthetic as
it has a brand new turbo buster on it.
Wunder if wunnadem there thangs'd fit own ma 300CD? Hahaha!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
Giesela, 1981 300CD 204K miles
The '87 300SDL W126 was the last S class diesel before the 350SDL came into
being in 1989-1991. 1992 was the first year of the W140 actually badged as
the 300SD. I'm not sure when they became S350D's.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
The GP
relays themselves can fail, too. How's its fuse?
Where are both the relay and the strip fuse on a 1981 300CD? Believe it or
not, this is the first diesel I've ever owned when I've had even the thought
of checking GP's. The engine in this thing seems to be worn out (lots of
blow by
Jim wrote: I need a money pit, but I'd prefer the type that's full of
it, into which I can lower a bucket at need!
Now that's the type of money pit I'm lookin' for! When you find it, let me
know and I'll bring the necessary 5 gallon buckets!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles,
Thanks, Jim. I'll have to take a feel next time I'm under there. I'll keep
everyone posted on how things go.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
What a battle you've been having with that car! It sounds like I may be
dealing with a cylinder on my 1981 300CD that has low compression. I want
the opposite thing to happen, higher compression, better idle, easier
starting, etc. The temp is WY up in the 90's here, so she should fire
Tomorrow, I'm going to look at a manny tranny 1983 240D that's been run out
of oil. I'm interested in the tires/wheels and the headlight doors, but
will most likely part the rest out or sell it whole. It's complete, red
(other than one silver door), with beige interior. If you're interested
Well, I took a look at the 1983 240D parts car today. To put it simply, it
was TRASHED! The seats were torn as was the shift boot, the console was
trashed, and the like new tires had about 12000 miles on them with some
abnormal wear on the insides. The headlight doors were also
I have a big stack of starters. Not sure what to do with them as most
people buy new ones.
Pick out the best one and send it to me!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
Hello everyone!
While driving yesterday, we spotted this wonderful car, perhaps a bit
overpriced at $4200. It appears to have been repainted (caramel color), but
it was done pretty well. It even has a sunroof! The beige interior appears
to be pristine. It has a new engine and
That manny tranny alone will bring 500
I'll ship it to you for $500.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
driving a new Mercedes is becoming more popular
here, as it has been other places for a long time. I mean, as in
commonplace.
Yeah, it's no big deal to se an SL500 driving around the Portland area.
It's not so for a 300TD though. We spotted a beautiful buttercup yellow
W123 300TD turbo diesel
Sunil Hari wrote:
I'm pretty sure that as soon as I sell it I'll start
missing having a Benz and start the search for my next one.
That's just the way it goes, welcome to the club/sickness/habbit !
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela with non-working glow plugs (I'm sure
http://portland.craigslist.org/car/162950874.html
Says it's a 1985 350SD, and that it's a European model. It seems
WAY overpriced with a rust spot, dinghed up exterior and rear bumper
damage.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
Hello everyone.
My sister in So Cal is looking at Mercedes 190E's, the latest one being a
1992 190E 2.6 with 112K miles on it for $3300. The car is for her fiance's
daughter, so they want to find a relatively good one for around 3K. The
first one was a $2700 1991 with 166K miles on it that
perhaps this one has one of those Chevy 'upgrades'?
Would such an upgrade be any better than the 3.5L (350) rod-bender, or
were you talking about a transplanted GM 350 Cu.in diesel? hahahahaha!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela, exhaust leak finally found!
Did MB build both a 350SD and a 350SDL? I guess anything's possible with
swaps. I'm half tempted to go and take a look at it.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
Something's definitely up. The problem I've been having with all but one of
my previously owned MB's and my current one as well is that everything in
the trunk is wet or smells musty from said moisture. Have you checked
around the tank/lines for fuel? Is the overflow line routed in such a
My 300CD has a hum that become noticeable at about 45 MPH. I believe it's
due to a bad diff mount (thanks Jim Cathey for your explanation of your
diagnosis on your 240D). It doesn't change with acceleration/deceleration,
and turning one way or the other doesn't affect it either. It's down
Well, they decided to buy a nice 1993 190E 2.3 limited edition with 200K
miles on it. It has maintenance records back to delivery from the original
owner, rebuilt engine and tranny, new tires, all belts and hoses replaced,
new struts, alt, radiator, all of the BIG stuff, and the AC works.
Would this apply to my 81 300CD? I believe that it does have an EGR valve
(none of my '78's had 'em. Any way I can get it to run better and breathe
less crud is the way to go!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
She doesn't have a turbo, just an OM617.912. There is quite a lot of crud
in the intake, so I was thinking of the EGR as a possibility. It also has
some blow by, so that's pushing oil in there too. I'm going to try the
custom oil separator idea just to keep the vast quantities of oil out of
I thought there were more hoses routinely effected.
My assumption was that any rubber lines in the system, those that are at
both ends of the main metal fuel lines, would eventually deteriorate when
using biodiesel.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204Kmiles, Giesela
The 95 should be a first gen flowerstroke...
I thought it was powerchoke, but I like flowerstroke too! The first gen
model that was in our LATE 1994 F350 crew cab 4WD was getting 10MPG with a
big 11'6 Lance camper on it. It didn't get much better mileage empty,
about 13-14MPG.
Kevin in
who cares, titles are easy to get.
REALLY? Explain, please. This could open up a new world of car purchases
Here in Oregon, if someone buys a car with an Oregon title, all that person
has to do is to send a certified letter to the last known address of the
previous owner. If it comes
this
goes double with 4.10s and a heavy foot.
I guess that explains the low mileage on the '94 Flowerstroke. My dad would
wind it up in every gear when possible which kept it cleaned out, I'm sure!
It was nice to feel that RAW power pushing my back against the seat! He
does the same with
If it REALLY has only 84K miles on it, why would it need a reupholstered
driver's seat? H.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
Jeep Adding Diesel Grand Cherokee
Well it's about time! I hope that it's priced reasonably though.
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
buy it and drive it like you stole it. But it will sound like every other
car on the road.
Exactly, Sunil! Oh, it's a gasser? So what, but when it's a diesel, YEAH!
Klatta Klatta Klatta Klatta Klatta and no EFI to deal with!
Kevin in Hillsboro Oregon
1981 300CD 204K miles, Giesela
I bet a 7-mile tow-start would have warmed it up enough to get her
started before you were actually home.
I was thinkin' about having the AAA guy tow it rear wheels down and hopping
into the driver's seat to do the tow-start procedure. That would have been
more fun, and if it would have run
sell the car from PDX. The prices
there are insane
It's definitely a seller's market for MB diesels out here in Portland. I'm
thinking about making the '81 300CD look nice and put it up for sale once I
get around to sorting out the GP system just because the market is so good
right now. VW
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