1983 Mercedes-Benz

123 CHASSIS Sedan

Manual

WDBAB23A4DB405057

Clear

Diesel

Offered here is perhaps the most unusual 123 car we have ever offered. It was originally a California 240-D non turbo 4 cylinder car that is a converted European spec car (Euro headlights, American Bumpers etc.). At 268,000 the 4 cylinder gave up the ghost. The owner liked the super clean body and decent interior and decided to install a newer and fairly low mileage (90,000 miles) 5 cylinder turbo-diesel out of a wrecked 300-D. The result is the creation of what we beleive is one of the only 300-D four speed Turbo 5 cylinder cars in the US. In addition, the owner had the body side molding removed and the car was repainted the original white with a black roof. The effect (with the clean lines and the darkened windows) makes for the baddest looking versions of this kind of car around. This car also received a lot of mechanical and trim updates (see details below) and the result is a fast, economical and unique 123 car in all ways. Including the new (used) motor, custom driveline, new tires, restored wheels, updated trim and custom paint and body work, the owner spent well over $6,000.00 to do the restoration. . The result is a classic looking and extremely sleek 300-D (a sleeper with 240-D nameplates still in place). The reception to this car has been amazing. In addition to being a better looking car, you get the 240-D’s simpler climate controls and the pleasure of driving a four speed with a real (and more powerful) turbo 5 cylinder motor. If you’ve driven any of these 123 cars, you know how well they drive and handle in stock trim. This one (as modified) will likely outdo them all! If you are close to the D.C. Metro area, feel free to contact us and take it for a spin. It’s blast to drive. The car is garage kept and as you can see from the pictures, it’s straight and rust free with a nice paint job. DETAILS- Mileage- 268,000 original miles on the car and 90,000 on the new motor conversion. Color- Mercedes white with formal black roof and tan interior-r Engine- 3.0 liter five cylinder fuel injected diesel 116 horsepower Transmission- four speed manual transmission- Brakes- Dual circuit four wheel disc power assisted w/pad wear indicator. Suspension- Independent front and rear w/coil springs, diagonal swing axle, anti-roll control bar. Other features- MB Tex vinyl interior with front bucket seats, Air Conditioning, Power steering, power windows, electric antennae, original Becker AM/FM radio (which looks and sounds great), real Zebrano wood trim, European single lens headlights with self contained driving lights, chrome plated aluminum bumpers w. rubber strips, restored alloy 14” wheels and new performance rated radial tires, new heavy duty battery. Condition- BODY- Excellent body and paint (car was repainted top to bottom and all the extraneous rubber trim was removed and all the holes filled). This was a 98% rust free car to start with and it looks amazing! TRIM- All chrome trim and window moldings in excellent condition, excellent grill and insert (new from Mercedes), nice European headlights (one small holes in the right side light), excellent Mercedes grill symbol, excellent front bumper, nice rear bumper and rubber moldings, excellent mirrors. Windshield has a couple of defects and we would be willing to talk about replacement with the winning bidder. It does have an excellent rear window and trim. The side windows and the rear have been moderately dark tinted. In addition to keeping the interior substantially cooler, this treatment looks amazing! INTERIOR- Overall very good condition- No obvious cracks in the dash, no tears in the headliner or door panels, rear seat about perfect, passengers seat excellent but discolored, drivers seat in good condition with a few small tears and discoloration. The springs in the seats are firm and also in excellent condition. Wood trim wood in excellent condition (one of the better ones we have ever seen) no discoloration or fading (see pics) and very little in the way of cracks or chips. Excellent interior chrome and all switches and gauges are solid and crisp. All the carpets are in good to very good condition with the exception of a little normal wear and light stains. This is not the best interior we have ever seen, but if you redid the front seats, it would look extremely good. The seats and the rest are however, very serviceable! This car also has an operational Sun-roof. TRUNK AREA- Older spare and alloy wheel. Trunk is in decent overall condition and has no rust or corrosion ENGINE COMPARTMENT- Unusually clean (especially for a diesel) with no oil heavy deposits, battery spray or discoloration. Engine and wiring are very clean and well maintained. (see pics) This car was a really interesting project and it took over 6 months to complete the restoration and do the mechanical work. This car is really fast for a 123 model and the four speed makes driving it absolutely a treat. Forget the 265,000 mile odometer reading because this car drives and feels like a car with much lower mileage on it. The suspension is tight, the steering crisp and the acceleration is strong. It also gets an excellent 30+ miles per gallon the highway. Along with the specialized mechanical work to make this into a four speed 5 cylinder turbo car, the owner spent a lot of time and money on making it a solid car to drive. This car is simply a lot of fun and great to look at. It is currently being kept under a cover and inside a heated garage. If you would like to come see it, (as we said earlier) then contact us and we can arrange to show it to you. We recommend this if you are serious about the purchasing the car. This car was recently checked by a mechanic and had full service including: Oil, filter and fluid changes, new rear brakes and rotors, new air cleaner element, both fuel filters and lube the chassis. During the restoration it had updated paint on the alloy wheels, new radial tires, a new radiator, front brakes, all new belts and hoses, new oil cooler and oil cooler line. The owner also replaced anything else that appeared worn or damaged. This car looks great and drives like a car with 50,000 miles on it. Everything works (even the A/C blows ice cold) and the car is amazingly smooth as well as squeak and rattle free. :Like most of the 123 cars, it also averages 31 mpg or more on the highway and 25 in the city. Its top speed is 90 mph and it cruises very comfortably at 70 mph. If you are close to Bethesda, Md. (and the D.C. area in general) then we encourage you to come see the car in person. As we said before, It is currently located in an inside parking garage under a cover and driven only a few times a week. This is a 25+ year old car and in most states it will qualify for very inexpensive antique or vintage vehicle tags. Insurance for this car (according to the current owner) is less than $120.00 per year (from Hagerty) and we estimate under current fuel prices that it costs about 17 cents a mile to operate. This is also (obviously) a prime candidate for bio-diesel conversion and information about this is available on the internet everywhere. Good luck with your bidding and we are confident that you will not be disappointed with the condition or the mechanical soundness of this classic Mercedes.