1985 Mercedes-Benz

300d Sedan

3.0L 5 Cylinder Diesel Fuel

Automatic

wdbab33c6fa240208

Diesel

Just added photos- sorry for delay Selling my 1985 Mercedes Benz 300d (TURBO DIESEL) 123 series chassis. This is my personal car and I have owned it for about 15 months and have driven it daily during that time including numerous trips around the state. I have owned several Mercedes Benz diesels over the last 20 years but this one is by far the best driving one I have had. Car has very good power, allowing you to easily merge into fast moving freeway traffic or pass on 2 lane highways. Transmission shifts well, car does not wander or pull- brakes are excellent as I had new calipers/rotors/pads installed during my ownership. Car starts immediately and easily, engine runs in normal temperature range even in very hot weather - thermostat is new as when I bought car it would not heat up to operating temperature and had poor heat output until thermostat was replaced. Climate control works- nice heat and defrost- ac does not work and I never had it checked. If you know diesels you are familiar with checking to see if a 'worn out' engine exhibits signs of 'blow-by' when you remove the oil filler cap with the engine running- this motor seems to be in very good condition with many many miles remaining. All windows and central locks work including the trunk- sunroof worked the last time I opened it but I never use it. All electrical equipment works (lights/horn/etc.) . Work done since I owned it: just installed 4 brand new correct size tires September, 2011. Front end work done early 2011, new Sears 'die hard' heavy duty battery less than 1 year old, brakes as mentioned above. Car has been extremely reliable- the only time I have had any issue at all was when the fuel pump failed- that was replaced this summer by a MB dealer, although had I known that's what it was I could have easily done it myself. Many people seem to feel that the 123 chassis cars were the best engineered, the most durable, and the most reliable ever made by Mercedes Benz. I like them, and old (rear wheel drive) Volvos because they are uncomplicated cars, parts new and used are readily available (and cheap), and they lend themselves well to the 'do-it yourself ' home mechanic tasks if you enjoy that. Lastly, if low cost auto ownership is a goal, they are cheap to insure and maintain. These cars have a large following and some very good repair and tech help resources online including mercedessource.com, and benzworld.org. Parts are massively discounted from the MB dealer at many places- I buy all my stuff for my Benz's and Volvos from FCP Groton or autohaus AZ. Although I have sold nearly 400 items on eBay with 100% positive feedback to date, this is the first car I have sold here. I think when buying a car sight unseen, the more information I can provide as a seller, the better. I would not hesitate to jump in the car and drive it anywhere, but in the interest of full disclosure I will list everything I know about the cars 'faults'. The inside hood release cable is missing and I replaced it with an external one- the new 'official' ones are cheap. These cars use a mechanical oil pressure gauge with a plastic line that runs from the block to the back of the dashboard- the plastic line broke in back of the dash, so currently the oil pressure gauge is not working- the new line costs about $60 I believe as long as you don't buy from the MB dealer. Odometer stopped working a few months after I bought the car- its at 169000 currently. The key does not work in the passenger side front door- not sure why. although all doors do open and close using the key in the drivers door. The clock is not working. The drivers door 'check strap is missing so if its windy you have to make sure wind doesn't whip the door back, I replaced the radio with a newer CD/stereo and replaced the old front shelf speakers with far upgraded ones that sit a bit taller than the originals so the grills do not sit flush on top of the speakers. I replaced the diesel fuel return lines this summer (the cloth covered rubber ones that return excess fuel back to the tank from the injectors) - easy to do, but I ran out of line to do the last one, so you'll need about 1 foot more, cost maybe 2 or 3 bucks, that one drips a small amount of fuel - should take 5 minutes to replace. The left door pocket is loose at the front. The MB- TEX seats are in quite good condition and this stuff is legendary for its longevity. I have plastic floor mats that will be included. The air cleaner bracket should be replaced (very simple and cheap) part available from mercedessource.com. The floors and underside of the car and the floors are very solid without rust issues. If you are looking at 123 series cars, you must check that even in Arizona or California cars as if rain gets in around the windshield or through the cowl- it can sit under the floor mats for years if the owner doesn't realize that can occur. These floors are solid. The right rear fender looks like it has been repainted in a non-stellar fashion, and the trunk is very slightly offset at the right side- see photo. There is some rust through in the trunk in the spare tire wells at the side. I have repair manuals both aftermarket and official mercedes Benz that will come with the car, along with 2 or 3 keys. The 'hood star' is missing (again, pretty cheap if you don't go to the dealer). I just replaced both under hood fuel filters 2 months ago (a 10 minute piece of cake job), and I changed the oil in the last month using a high quality diesel specific full synthetic ( I use synthetic oil in all my cars from about November through February- then non synthetic the rest of the year). There is some rust bubbing visible under the logos on the trunk, an the base of some doors, and in the rear wheelwheels. The left rear taillight lens is cracked but can probably find a nice used one pretty cheaply. Thats about it, everything I mentioned as a 'fault' is in my opinion pretty insignificant, and easily and cheaply rectified. I firmly believe that a 123 chassis diesel Mercedes (along with any rear wheel drive Volvo) is one of very few cars remaining that can keep one out of 'automotive repair expense no-mans land' ;which is that time where you don't own or lease a nearly new car fully covered by warranty, and you don't want to (or can't afford to) own a nearly new car that is no longer covered by warranty- but is so ridiculously complicated and expensive to fix that it makes long term ownership unbearable from a cost standpoint. As I mentioned, I would not hesitate to drive the car anywhere- if needed, I will consider delivering the car within a 100 mile radius inside Wisconsin, or as far as the Illinois border for my fuel cost to drive the Benz and a friends car to bring me back after delivery. I will happily answer all questions