Scotty, I'm giving serious consideration to buying an 85' Mercedes 300TD wagon with 238k. as a daily driver. What are your thoughts on these vehicles. Thanks in advance.
Best,
Rick
Those old diesel engines can run forever but after nearly 40 years there's going to be a lot of worn and deteriorated parts in that car. In particular all the rubber parts will be shot unless already replaced fairly recently. Do you like spending a lot of time under the hood and under the car working on it?
Had a '85 240D myself.. That car, by far, had the slowest acceleration of any car I've ever owned!
Welcome new member. Great old car, but with caveats. Few things:
1) they’re slow. Seriously slow. If your daily commute takes you on the freeway you won’t be able to keep up with traffic. Not a deal-breaker, but be realistic about it. (We used to have an 86 300 SDL, which had a more powerful engine and was still slow)
2) it’s going to take a lot of care and feeding. You better have a well stocked garage.
3) for the big stuff, you need a good Mercedes specialist. Most younger mechanics aren’t familiar with those old diesels. So you should check around your local area to see what openings you have.
take a look at at mercedessource.com at the parts and kits they have
Thank you for the articulate responses, I appreciate the feedback. It's rumored that English Porsche builder out in CA. Is on to these now and is going to start modifying them and adding his special touch like he does on Porsche.
Had a '85 240D myself.. That car, by far, had the slowest acceleration of any car I've ever owned!
The "TD" means "Turbo Diesel", so between that and the larger engine it should be a bit better in that regard than a 240D though of course you still won't win any drag races.
Here's a MotorWeek review of a 1987 model:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc8Mcy1jnks&t=2s
Here's an owner's review of the car:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WB3eN9WOVM