From: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net (diesel-benz-digest) To: diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Subject: diesel-benz-digest V1 #471 Reply-To: diesel-benz-at-digest.net Sender: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Errors-To: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Precedence: bulk diesel-benz-digest Monday, January 8 2001 Volume 01 : Number 471 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles John Meister Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: Intros a few questions Re: a few questions introductions Intro Continued Re: Intro Continued 300D Instrument Panel Lighting Fwd: Re: insurance Fwd: 0w-30w Fwd: Re: been thinkin' Re: intros Re: 300D (and 240D!) Instrument Panel Lighting RE: a few questions Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request-at-digest.net To unsubscribe, include the word unsubscribe by itself in the body of the message, unless you are sending the request from a different address than the one that appears on the list. Include the word help in a message to stag-digest-request to get a list of other majordomo commands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 13:14:43 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: Intros cool. I used to live down in Troutdale and East Portland... taught for ITT tech while attending Western Cons. Baptist Seminary, then worked for Intel over in Aloha... moved up to the Seattle area in '85. john On Mon, 8 Jan 2001, Mark Fountain wrote: >-->I guess I'll chime in here. I'm a TV chief engineer for KNMT TV-24 in >-->Portland OR (a Trinity Broadcasting affiliate). I live in Vancouver WA >-->with my wife of 15 months (still adjusting to marriage). >-->My introduction to diesel was during the 1979 gas crunch when my brother >-->bought a Diesel Rabbit. The thing got 50 mpg and he didn't have to wait >-->in gas lines - only went to the local truck stop every 6 weeks (where I >-->had to wait in line with my Ford Falcon). His commute to work was only 4 >-->miles, but this was bad because algae was constantly plugging up his >-->fuel system and took its toll on causing the premature failure of the >-->injector pump. Diesels like to, and should be driven a lot. He finally >-->sold it about the same time I purchased my brand new Dodge/Mitsubishi >-->Turbo Diesel pickup in 1983 >--> >-->This could get long . . . to be continued! >--> ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com **** http://wagoneers.com don't leave life without Jesus, please... Snohomish, Washington USA - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 15:14:20 -0500 From: "John D. Shelton" Subject: a few questions I'm new to the list and have a few questions. I don't own a diesel Mercedes yet but I do own a '99 Jetta TDI which I love. It's relatively fast and gets 49 mpg on the highway and has the perfect combination of sporty smooth ride. I'll drive it till the wheels fall off, then glue them on and drive it some more. I've become a huge fan of diesels and now want to get a Mercedes diesel, specifically, a 300D. My budget is fairly limited, only $5K, so I'll be limited to an early 80s model. Here are my questions: - -Are there any years or certain model numbers I need to be wary of? - -Can I expect to get a good runner for only $5K? - -I'll be moving to Brunswick, Maine in a couple of years (I'm in the Navy so will be able to put a LOT of miles on my Mercedes if I get one). Does anyone on this list live up north and if so what kind of problems do you encounter? Keep in mind I probably won't have a garage. - -I ride an old BMW motorcycle. BMW is fantastic about keeping old parts in stock. Is Mercedes the same way? Is parts availability a problem for anyone? What about finding a shop to work on it? - -Any other words of advice would be greatly appreciated. John Shelton ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 13:44:50 -0800 From: Richard Barnaby Subject: Re: a few questions At 03:14 PM 1/8/01 -0500, you wrote: >I'm new to the list and have a few questions. I don't own a diesel Mercedes >yet but I do own a '99 Jetta TDI which I love. It's relatively fast and gets >49 mpg on the highway and has the perfect combination of sporty smooth ride. >I'll drive it till the wheels fall off, then glue them on and drive it some >more. I've become a huge fan of diesels and now want to get a Mercedes >diesel, specifically, a 300D. My budget is fairly limited, only $5K, so I'll >be limited to an early 80s model. Here are my questions: > >-Are there any years or certain model numbers I need to be wary of? Cant comment here >-Can I expect to get a good runner for only $5K? About that, sure. >-I'll be moving to Brunswick, Maine in a couple of years (I'm in the Navy so >will be able to put a LOT of miles on my Mercedes if I get one). Does anyone >on this list live up north and if so what kind of problems do you encounter? >Keep in mind I probably won't have a garage. Watch the salt in the winter Get a GOOD block heater and a GOOD rugged extension cord with Ground Fault Protection. Locate a GOOD source of Fuel Be sure the tanks are good. If you can find Diesel, and Kero, sold on the same Island, you can make your own customized blends in winter depending on temps. I had found a great station offering "back island" with diesel and kero, and didn't have "pay before you pump" so I could stop once, and fuel without having to move the car. >-I ride an old BMW motorcycle. BMW is fantastic about keeping old parts in >stock. Is Mercedes the same way? Is parts availability a problem for anyone? >What about finding a shop to work on it? Usually there is one "guy" who works on the old diesels. Usually opinionated, but you wouldn't want it different, really. These guys are "dying off" though, so some degree of "self help" is likely. I just upgraded the engine. I find I can't find interior door panels anywhere except at junkyard. Parts tend to be on the expensive side, especially if coming from Germany. BUT there are many many other posters here that can comment on the parts situation. I have owned Mercedes, brand new, and have always subscribed to the maintanence philosophy, stated as "If you replace the parts when we say to, rather than when they break, 1) You will not break down 2) You will always have the experience of driving a new automobile". Now this costs money. I figure that to say "hello" to the MBZ dealership, I am going to pay $350 for repairs. It seems I rarely can get out the door without the bill being that high for one thing or another. And that's a minimum. I've gotten used to it. What I haven't gotten used to is having to replace the stupid climate control, and the cruise control every couple of years. Some parts are not that well made in spite of everything. The reason I bring this up is that some folks come to the MBZ thinking, "Wow, I can own a 30-60,000 auto for only $5,000 Yes, you can. BUT there is a service component. If you are always trying to "go the cheap route", it is not likely that you will be satisfied because you will wait to fix things, and only fix them when they are broken. Now when you take that attitude to the "old diesel guy", iv'e seen them grouse about having to explain to the new $5K owner that the climate control with installation is about $500. So, get prepared for a bit of sticker shock on the repair side. Knowing what I know about Maine, and cold weather, and Mercedes, if it were me, I'd keep the car off the road in the winter and get something else. Drive the MBZ in the summer. Too much salt, too many accidents, and the car looks like hell in the snow and slush anyway. I of course drove mine for 4 Vermont winters, but to do it again, I'm not sure I would. >-Any other words of advice would be greatly appreciated. > >John Shelton ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 18:19:25 -0600 From: "Randolph A Bennell" Subject: introductions I'm Randy and I am a lawyer in Winnipeg, Manitoba - another place where air conditioning is nice but not mandatory. I have no diesels and never have had but have always wanted to. I got onto this list because I want to acquire an MB diesel and am hoping to improve my odds of selecting a decent one by learning what the potential shortfalls are. Since I live in an area with cold winters and have a short commute to work I couldn't justify subjecting an MB diesel to daily driving in the winter. I want to find one that will do the weekend runs to the cottage in summer - a distance of about 400 miles round trip. A good solid MB with a diesel strikes me as a good vehicle for that purpose. I currently have 4 vehicles as follows: 1997 Mercury Sable - 3.0 etc - about 65K kilometres (my wife's car - and although we like it, we do not plan to keep it long term) 1995 Toyota 4Runner V6 SR5 - 109K kilometres (my daily driver and my first 4X4 - clean but no a/c darn it) 1980 Ford LTD - 302-4V - 134K kilometres ( a recent project rescued because it was too good to let a friend scrap it just because of an engine knock - totally rebuilt engine and transmission - maybe my elder son's first car as he is learning to drive as we speak) 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup truck - 292 straight 6 and a powerglide (who knows how many miles?) (have had it 15 years and driven it about 13K miles in that time - tough as nails and neglected - intended restoration project when acquired but have never got to it - bought power steering parts box and pump for it more than a year ago and have yet to install it - not even a radio - factory plug in the dash hole) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 16:28:03 -0800 From: Mark Fountain Subject: Intro Continued I purchased my brand new Dodge/Mitsubishi Turbo Diesel pickup in 1983 and fell in love with it. (Has anyone out there ever had one of these?) It was a 5 speed 2300 cc 4 banger. When the turbo kicked in it was like going into warp. I took it out to the Mojave Desert once on a straightaway to see what it would do. In 5th gear at 100 rpm less than red line (4500) on the tach, it was pegging the speedo which only went up to 85 mph. Extrapolating, it must have been doing 115. It got around 33-35 mph, highway or city and would go 600 miles / tankful. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. The Mitsubishi 4D55 engine liked to eat balancer pulleys and after about 150k miles, the aluminum head / cast iron block started having serious marriage difficulties. It took 6 weeks to locate a used engine for it and after that was swapped, I drove it another 100k until 1997 when the engine overheated again and a combustion chamber became totally united with the water jacket. I wound up selling it to a farmer for $600 and decided to buy a used early 80's 300 series diesel Benz (cast iron head - steel timing belt). I found an 82 300D for $3300 thru a friend in Salem OR with less than 200k. I drove this for about 75k miles till the engine lost compression so acquired a used engine from Aurora Auto Wrecking, had it installed and that is doing fine. However the combination of high diesel prices, missing having my own truck and then the wife's dislike of diesel fumes has put me on the lookout for - as much as I hate to admit - a later model gas powered 4wd pickup or suv rather than a "stinky clattery diesel". Still typical problems with cruise comntrol, climate system and occasional electrical problems. All things considered, this has been the best vehicle of the 4 that I have owned in my lifetime. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 16:51:14 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: Intro Continued On Mon, 8 Jan 2001, Mark Fountain wrote: >-->lost compression so acquired a used engine from Aurora Auto Wrecking, hey, I've heard of them... :) Never been there yet, they're only open during the week, like till 5pm... sheesh... >-->"stinky clattery diesel". Still typical problems with cruise comntrol, >-->climate system and occasional electrical problems. All things I like the first part, but I can relate to the high Diesel prices ("down" to 1.83!), climate/cruise and so on... I sold Fritz because not using him seemed to aggravate things... on my 300SD the cruise is, oddly enough, perfect. but the climate control is still a ridiculous rube goldberg design... if I were keeping it I'd go down to Aurora ;) or Benz Friends and convert it to a manual system. not sure why the teutonic engineering requires such elaborate use of wide hysteresis and overkill... the vacuum door locks are another interesting design... what's the matter with electric locks??? later, john ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com **** http://wagoneers.com don't leave life without Jesus, please... Snohomish, Washington USA - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 16:54:37 -0800 From: Mark Fountain Subject: 300D Instrument Panel Lighting Another area of frustration on my 82 300D is the dim instrument panel lighting. Does anyone out there have difficulty with your instrument panel being too dim? (BTW, I did check that the rheostat is not the problem). Also thot about installing high intensity LEDs but haven't gotten that far yet. Dont want to go with the Radio Shack stuff. Thoughts, Ideas, solutions? Thanks, Mark ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 17:58:51 -0800 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Fwd: Re: insurance I tried sending this before, but wasn't smart enough to get through. >Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 09:11:46 -0800 >To: john , mercedes-at-lists.realtime.net >From: Greg Fiorentino >Subject: Re: insurance > >I have Farmers' because they gave me a good package deal on home, cars, >and umbrella. BUT they tell me that they charge more for SUV & my crew >cab F-350 dsl PU because they are "heavier and likely to cause more damage >and injury in an accident." > >A recent news article highlighted State Farm for having LOWER rates on >SUV's PU's and large heavy "luxury" cars (Benz included) because they are >statistically less likely to be involved in accidents. Perhaps other >companies have also adopted this policy. > >I may be looking for a new insurance company this spring also. > >At 11:24 PM 1/4/01 -0800, you wrote: >>>Subject: xj: Insuring Lifted Vehicles >>>When I called yesterday to have my "new" '84 XJ added to my car insurance >>>policy (I'm with Nationwide), I got lectured by the lady when I told her I >>>might put a lift on it at some point. She said that Nationwide will NOT >>>insure any vehicle that has been lifted due to safety reasons, blah, blah, >>>blah. I didn't bother arguing with her and just said, "okay, so it won't >>>get a lift." Of course, I was lying through my teeth. >>>'Course, she also told me that they count moving violations for FIVE YEARS, >>>as opposed to the three that they appear on your license. Talk about a load >>>of crap. And I have two dropping off by the time my policy expires in May. >>>What it really means is that in five months when this policy is up for >>>renewal, I'll be looking for a new company. Anybody have any >>>recommendations on more accomodating ones? I've already been with >>>Progressive and didn't like them (they will surcharge you for comp claims). >>>Rob >> >>without teenagers - National Merit >>with teenagers but no trees - Pemco >>with teenagers, with trees - Hartford (through Washington Mutual bank) >> >>Pemco was very good, but they upped my rates about $400 a year when I >>totalled the little wagoneer. Hartford saved me some over Pemco, and >>still beats Liberty Mutual, even after the three years. >> >>Another company that used to be good was Prefered Risk, haven't heard >>about them in years though. >> >>I'll be doing a study on this as my policy renews in February. The >>Alumni Association from the University of Maryland sent me some insurance >>stuff... need to call and check rates... >> >>Oh, Pemco actually paid me MORE money on the total of my XJ because of >>the Old Man Emu lift kit!!! None of the companies I mentioned asked or >>cared about lifts, bigger tires, etc. EXCEPT to add a surcharge in case >>of a total loss. Pemco listed my Aussie Bull Bar and the IPF lights >>after I rebuilt and reinsured, I think the surcharge was quite minimal, but >>it did add coverage to some very expensive accessories. >> >>If you're ticket free, have a vehicle that's less than 10 years old and >>over 25 National Merit could save you a bunch of bucks. Pemco is the >>next good deal... but Liberty Mutual seems to be competing... Hartford has >>been ok, and I'm still going to check with Geico... >> >>john >>------------------------------------------------------ >> http://www.WAGONEERS.com/ >> Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... >> jesus, don't leave life without him, please! >>------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 17:58:37 -0800 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Fwd: 0w-30w I tried sending this before, but wasn't smart enough to get through. >Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 18:19:24 -0800 >To: mercedes-at-lists.realtime.net >From: Greg Fiorentino >Subject: Fwd: 0w-30w > >Well I guess I'll express my opinion too. My credentials are that my >brother is a Mechanical Engineer (joke attempt). I think that a synthetic >0W30 oil will protect when hot at least as well as a straight 30W oil, and >do a whole lot better at the really cold temps. > >The danger with the multigrade oils is with the dinosaur juice that has >viscosity improver additives that boost the rating from the base. The >base oil is, as another stated, the lower number. The viscosity improver >additives are not very stable in the dinojuice, leaving the engine poorly >protected at high temps. This is why 10W40 is no longer >recommended. This caveat does NOT apply to synthetics. > >I would feel very safe using 0W30 if I lived in such a cold climate. > > >>Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2001 20:53:13 -0500 >>From: Jeffrey Creager >>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 (Macintosh; U; PPC) >>X-Accept-Language: en >>To: diesel-benz-at-digest.net >>Subject: 0w-30w >>Sender: owner-diesel-benz-at-digest.net >> >>Yeah, 0w-30w is a little scary, as what pours out of the can reminds one >>of water. But, I figure that since the petroleum engineers insist it's >>O.K., and since the car seems much happier at the low temperatures with >>it, I'll give it a try. There's certainly much less wear on the starter. >>The stiffness of a cold engine is due, in some sense, to lack of lubrication. >> >>Supposedly, you can use this stuff in much warmer weather. There must be >>more to lubrication than thickness as the metal vs. metal protection >>occurs at molecular scales. Yet, it also makes intuitive sense that >>there's some benefit to thickness. In the summer, I use 15w-50w. In the >>fall and spring, 10w-30w. >> >>The Mercedes Formula One engines use Mobil-1. It would be interesting to >>know the viscosity. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 17:59:04 -0800 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Fwd: Re: been thinkin' I tried sending this before, but wasn't smart enough to get through. >Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 09:16:30 -0800 >To: "Mike Mehringer" , >mercedes-at-lists.realtime.net >From: Greg Fiorentino >Subject: Re: been thinkin' > >Looking at my recently acquired reg. on my '85 6.9L crew cab F-350 it says >4,400 pounds. Now that is hard to believe... > > >At 02:31 PM 1/5/01 +0000, you wrote: >> How could your J10 weigh only 300 LBS more than the Mercedes? My >> 300SD weighs somewhere around 4700 LBS? And my Grand Cherokee weighs >> 5300 LBS... >>That's a difference of 600 LBS... and I would think a J10 weighs more >>than a Grand Cherokee! >> >>Mike M. >>'83 300SD W126 >>'95 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ >> >> >>>From: john >>>To: (Recipient list suppressed) >>>Subject: been thinkin' >>>Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 22:42:11 -0800 >> >>>go a long, long way. Considering my J10 has taller gears and only weighs >>>about 300 lbs or so more than the 300SD I might even see mileage up in the >>>26 to 28 mpg range... that would give me a range of about 1176 miles! >>> >>>Ok, here comes the questions. >>> >>>1) how in the world do I connect a Mercedes turbo Diesel to ANY transmission >>> that will bolt up to my transfer case or ANY xfr case???? >>> >>> a) use my T-5? then I'd have to find a flywheel for the 3.0L TD. >>> (doesn't solve the problem with my left leg/lower back... :( >>> b) use the MBz 4speed automatic? How do I mate THAT to ANY xfr case? >>> divorced case? which ones would work to replace an NP208??? >>> c) use an Aisin Warner 4speed auto? Where do I find an adapter to mate >>> engine/trans??? might not be that hard... but will the torque >>>converter >>> from the Aisin Warner mate to the Benz flex plate? Oh, drat, how >>> would one solve the computer problems??? A manual box, but that >>> could >>> risk burning it up by accident... :( >>> >>>Ideas, suggestions? >>> >>>This is just thinkin' now... :) >>> >>>Other thoughts include an '89 Ford 302 with Fuel injection, complete engine/ >>>trans, etc. $1,500... Question is how hard to convert a Ford AT to work >>>with a transfer case? advance adapter tail shaft for more than we care to >>>think? >>>divorced case? (need to learn more about these mythical beasts... ;) >>> >>>Still thinking about whit's old 5.2L V8... haven't had time to check on >>>a rebuild... would still need to figure out which tranny to use... >>>Rebuilding >>>anything doesn't excite me right now... however, >>> >>>...then there is always the harebrained idea of having my 4.2L rebuilt and >>>putting a 4.0L head on it, use the 4.0L distr and so on... and an Aisin >>>Warner. >>> >>>The 1983 4.2L was the same compression ratio, 9.2:1 as the 4.0L, same basic >>>block from what I can gather from the factory manual that has the 4.0/4.2 in >>>the same book! :) (more engine specs under separate email... ) >>> >>>So, here I sit, thinkin'... how do I want to go about this? :) No hurry, >>>always a good position to be in when doing something like this. :) >>> >>>Actually had a call on the 300SD this morning. The ad started in the >>>Seattle >>>papers today... Mixed emotions on selling it... I need the money to extend >>>my garage and do the engine swap... but it sure is a nice car... :( But, >>>when it comes down to it. I'd rather have my J10 than a Mercedes... >>> >>>You know one things I dislike most about the Mercedes is that climate >>>control >>>setup... what a Rube Goldberg setup that is. I drove the little >>>wagoneer into >>>town at lunch, we adjusted the heater where we wanted it and never >>>touched it >>>again... went to Seattle in the Benz and I was constantly having to >>>fiddle with >>>the settings to get it comfortable... almost took out a section of guardrail >>>on 520... ;) HEY, that would have solved TWO out of three of my problems. >>>:) >>>It would have provided an engine for SuperDawg and would have paid off the >>>Benz... the only problem it wouldn't solve is the insurance issue... I'm >>>FINALLY >>>out of the woods from hitting that tree over three years ago! >>> >>>sorry for going so long... but I've been thinkin'. ;) >>> >>>john >>>------------------------------------------------------ >>> http://www.WAGONEERS.com/ >>> Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... >>> jesus, don't leave life without him, please! >>>------------------------------------------------------- >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 18:18:46 -0800 From: Greg Fiorentino Subject: Re: intros From: john Sent: January 6, 2001 8:09:19 PM GMT Subject: intros We haven't done this for awhile... lots of new folks. Brief post of who/where/what you are. - ----------------------------- I hope I finally figured out where to send these messages. My name's Greg and I'm a MBz newbie. I live in Vancouver Warshington and work at PDX airport, as does my wife. We have 3 kids in middle school & Nick the Golden Retriever. I've owned a couple of Diesel vehicles before. I had a VW Dasher & an '88 6.2 Suburban. Also have owned a bunch of Volvos, including a soon-to-retire '80 245. I used to know with a couple of guys who drove nothing but older MBz Diesels. They would look around for a good one, drive it for a couple of years, then sell and pretty much break even. When my 6.2L Suburban gave up the ghost, I looked for one here and found a nice '84 300D Turbodiesel with 146k mi. I've had it about 2 mos. and like it a lot. I also recently bought an '85 F-350 (6.9L Intl. Harvester, 155k mi.) crew cab. That is actually the replacement for the Suburban, the MBz will replace the Volvo. The F-350 will pull our travel trailer, then a 5th. wheel when we have the coins to upgrade from the '83 21' Prowler. I think the list is great and have gleaned a lot of useful info from the posts and archive. I especially appreciate the accepting attitude displayed to the technologically challenged when they have questions. You guys have a great online community. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 23:02:14 -0500 From: "John Heflin" Subject: Re: 300D (and 240D!) Instrument Panel Lighting That reminds me.... I still have no dash lights. Is there two points on the back of the rheostat(or anywhere) that I can jump to just have the dash lights on full (which is what they normally were at) its in a 1978 240D, which after seeing a, I think, a 85 300D panel, i realized they are different. John >From: Mark Fountain To: "diesel-benz-at-digest.net" Subject: 300D Instrument >Panel Lighting Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 16:54:37 -0800 > >Another area of frustration on my 82 300D is the dim instrument panel >lighting. Does anyone out there have difficulty with your instrument panel >being too dim? (BTW, I did check that the rheostat is not the problem). >Also thot about installing high intensity LEDs but haven't gotten that far >yet. Dont want to go with the Radio Shack stuff. Thoughts, Ideas, >solutions? Thanks, Mark _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 22:05:48 -0600 From: "Alec Cordova" Subject: RE: a few questions John, I've read that the US may get a modern MB diesel in the E-class for 2001. Once those are ten or fifteen years old and affordable for the rest of us, we won't have to be jealous of your VW TDI anymore. Early 80's 300D's are exceptional cars, especially as daily drivers that get lots of miles. They are happiest when driven often and hard. Starting in 1981 or 1982, the 300D used only the turbocharged diesel. Earlier ones used only a non-turbo. Huge difference in power. 1985 was the last model year in the US for the W123 chassis 300D, and the last US year for that motor. No bad years for this car. Gobs of them were sold. Care and feeding makes all the difference when looking at them now. If you find one that looks good, but maintenance over it's life seems questionable, pass it by. You'll find a better one. Same applies to the larger 300SD, which always used the turbo motor, but in the W126 S-class. They are also good choices, but a little heavier, so a little slower. You should definitely be able to find a good one within your stated budget. Unless you want John's almost fully restored 300SD, which both he and the State of Washington believe is worth more than that. For cold climates without a garage, the only challenge is starting. Many people use synthetic motor oil (AMSOIL or Mobil 1), which helps tremendously with cold starting. Alternative is to throw in a quart or two of good thin conventional oil. The valves are supposed to be readjusted every 15,000 miles. They're not too tough to adjust, and if they get too far out of spec, cold starting can be tricky. If you can run an electrical extension cord to the car overnight, you can plug in the block heater, and you'll be fine. I think the block heater was a free dealer install, so you got the correct plug in different countries, but not everyone got it. If the car has it, you will see a household 3-prong plug in front of the radiator. During cold weather, buy your diesel from someplace that sells a lot. They will be most likely to have fuel that is appropriate for the weather. And expect diesel prices to rise during the winter, since diesel is not too far from home heating oil. Supply and demand. Pretty much all Benzes of this era have only a few consistent trouble spots. Primarily air conditioning and cruise control. Much of the suspension rubber (bushings, etc) may need replacing if the original parts are still there. Some 84 and 85 models have problems with the clearcoat paint finish, so if the car has been repainted, it is not necessarily a sign that the car was in an accident. If it has paint problems, you will know it. Parts availability is amazing. Most parts can still be purchased from the dealer, although there are several suppliers frequented by list members for substantial savings (Rusty, Randy, BenzBin). Aftermarket repair manuals (Haynes, etc.) are inconsistent. Factory repair manuals are available from MB on CD-ROM, although the interface sucks, and they often assume you are familiar with the parts you wish to repair, but at least they are accurate. Costs a little over a hundred bucks from MB. Also suggest you request a catalog from Performance Products (www.performanceproducts.com). Their prices aren't the best, but they have loads of tremendous exploded drawings in the catalog. Rule number one: Pay for a good pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic familiar with these cars. That's the best way to determine if any particular car was well cared for. There are some mechanic recommendations of various ages at www.mercedesmailinglist.com, and other current list members may be able to offer nearby suggestions. Rule number two: Change the oil and filters religiously. Debate rages on about synthetic versus conventional motor oils. Just be sure the oil is rated for diesel (CD, CF, CG). AMSOIL and Mobil1 are favorite synthetics, Chevron Delo 400 and Shell Rotella are favorite conventionals for these cars. The early 80's 300D, albeit usually with smaller motors, was used regularly for taxicabs. They hold up that well. The 5-cylinder turbodiesel is a glorious motor. Although the car is no stunning beauty, I find them PERFECTLY proportioned. And don't expect "German sports sedan," or you may be disappointed. They're just not the most exciting car in the world to drive, but they are very rewarding, and have a wonderful character that continues to grow on you the longer you live with one. Good luck, Alec Cordova Taylor, Texas 95 C280 89 300CE 85 300DT - -----Original Message----- From: owner-diesel-benz-at-digest.net [mailto:owner-diesel-benz-at-digest.net] On Behalf Of John D. Shelton Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 2:14 PM To: diesel-benz-at-digest.net Subject: a few questions I'm new to the list and have a few questions. I don't own a diesel Mercedes yet but I do own a '99 Jetta TDI which I love. It's relatively fast and gets 49 mpg on the highway and has the perfect combination of sporty smooth ride. I'll drive it till the wheels fall off, then glue them on and drive it some more. I've become a huge fan of diesels and now want to get a Mercedes diesel, specifically, a 300D. My budget is fairly limited, only $5K, so I'll be limited to an early 80s model. Here are my questions: - -Are there any years or certain model numbers I need to be wary of? - -Can I expect to get a good runner for only $5K? - -I'll be moving to Brunswick, Maine in a couple of years (I'm in the Navy so will be able to put a LOT of miles on my Mercedes if I get one). Does anyone on this list live up north and if so what kind of problems do you encounter? Keep in mind I probably won't have a garage. - -I ride an old BMW motorcycle. BMW is fantastic about keeping old parts in stock. Is Mercedes the same way? Is parts availability a problem for anyone? What about finding a shop to work on it? - -Any other words of advice would be greatly appreciated. John Shelton ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #471 *********************************