1985 Mercedes-Benz

300D Sedan

3.0L 5 Cylinder Diesel Fuel

Automatic

wdbab33c4fa253376

Diesel

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300D Sedan, W123 Up for auction is a beautiful 1985 M-B 300D. 1985 is the is the final production year for the W123 body, and is widely regarded as the most desirable production year for this legendary model. This car was delivered to it's original owner in May 1985 in Memphis, TN and remained in the Memphis area until 2008 when I brought it to NJ. It is a Southern car and it shows, even suspension and frame bolts etc. deep underneath the car remain unrusted and unfrozen. Also noteworthy is that the 49state models like this one are free of the often problematic smog equipment that was fitted to California spec. models. 1985 models benefit from the host of incremental improvements made and carried over year after year, with the chief new improvements unique for 1985 being a reduced final drive ratio for lower cruising rpm's and improved economy and improved vacuum control of the transmission by use of a vacuum amplifier for more sensitive transmission control. This car is finished in the original metallic Anthracite grey with the rare black interior. The black interior lends a sleek look that remains stylish today with just the right hint of retro allure......in my opinion you just don't get that same look with the often faded light camel or blue interiors that are so common on these late model year 300D's. The durable MBTex seating is original and all seats are comfortable and supportive. There is some minor surface checking on a small spot of both front seats as you may see in the photos....this is a very small issue but I want to be clear about all I know about this vehicle, good and not so good. These spots have been on the seats since I have owned the car and they are not increasing in size nor severity and the seat material remains supple and flexible throughout. All the authentic wood trim is in place throughout and is rich and glossy. The gear change panel between the seats has a hairline crack or two in the clear coat over the wood finish but otherwise it is also glossy and rich looking. The dashboard is solid with no separation or delimitation, though there is a straight superficial surface crack in the vinyl that runs near the top of the center vents, and also a very short crack near the front passenger speaker grill......both of these have been stabilized with a careful application of adhesive and have not shown any tendency to grow since I have had the car. The original Becker radio, amplifier and speakers work and the sound quality is great.....I use it with a sirius satellite radio receiver with fm transmitter and couldn't be happier with the sound quality. The automatic antenna extends and retracts when you power the radio on and off. A/C does not blow cold but there is pressure in the refrigerant lines so this could likely be fixed inexpensively with a new compressor if you live somewhere that demands A/C. Personally, I love driving with the big sunroof and windows open so I haven't looked into the A/C beyond seeing if just needed a charge. All four windows and the sunroof open and close properly and fully. The great original MB 1st aid kit is on the rear deck behind the rear seats and it is filled with the original MB 1st aid supplies, 1st aid instruction manual etc (rare). The cover and hinges are perfect (another rarity). The cruise control is flaky: some days it works, some days not, other days it engages but won't hold the proper speed.......I never use cruise so I have never bothered to have it looked at. All in all the interior looks great and anybody that gets a ride or peeks in is astounded to find that the car has never been restored but is in utterly original condition. The exterior shines up nicely as you can see in the photos. There are some very minor dings and dents here and there, but I keep the car clean and polished and it continues to get attention wherever I go. It is not a show car nor is that something I aim for, but it is a beautiful 27 year old car in very nice eye catching condition. The original alloy wheels are clean and shiny, and remain round and true and easily balanced and the car runs utterly free of shimmies and shakes even at illegal speeds. The roof finish is the weakest link of the exterior as the clear coating is deteriorating.....this could be sprayed over for a couple hundred dollars as there would be no dents nor surface rust to deal with if you find it is something you wish to improve. The trunk has a couple of sprayed touch up spots but they are nicely done and barely noticeable in the photos. The driving performance of this car is stunning. The turbo inline 5cyl OM617 engine is a mechanical symphony to behold. It has a most soothing, relaxing and satisfying tempo and driving around with the windows open is a joy just to hear the sound, but when you step on it, it means business and it loves to work. This is by no means a slow car but rather a thoroughly German road sedan design for the land of the autobahn. It can cruise 80+mph all day long and return 26-28mpg, the stiff body structure makes twisty roads fun and means potholes and railroad tracks are solidly absorbed with zero quiver nor jiggle. The front brakes have been upgraded to vented rotors so repeated hard stopping remains secure and fade free. Front calipers are also new, along with recent brake pads. The rear pads are less than 5000mi. old. Flexible brake lines on all four wheels are recently replaced as is the brake master cylinder. The front end suspension is recently rebuilt with new lower control arm ball joints, new upper control arms, new tie rods and repacked wheel bearings with new seals. The rear suspension has been adjusted to achieve original ride height....so no saggy rear as you often see on old 300D's. Drive axle shafts are recently replaced with new axle boots and joints. All 4 tires are brand new Firestone performance all-season radials. The power steering pump is new, as is the vacuum pump. Battery and alternator are recent. The engine always starts right up, even on cold days. All glow-plugs are working perfectly. The block heater is also functional which is mandatory if you live in a severely cold climate (say with night time temps below 10F) or find yourself traveling overnight to cold areas. I baby my cars with maintenance overkill as I prefer things to be right. I have always given regular oil & filter changes using only Rotella 15W-40 diesel truck oil and Bosch or Mahle German filters. Same goes for fuel filters, air filter and regular valve adjustments. To get a sense of the incredible level of build quality that went into these cars take a look a the photo of the cam shaft lobe visible through the oil fill hole. It is clean, polished like a mirror and utterly free of any signs of wear, scoring, scratching etc.......absolutely incredible metallurgy that you just don't see even on today's Mercedes', which explains why these 300D's are known to go 500,000miles and more before needing any rebuild work. At the last valve adjustment a few thousand miles ago the timing chain was checked for stretch and found to be perfectly set on the money with no evidence of stretch. The 4 speed automatic transmission shifts crisply and surely with no signs of slip, flair, hunting or other transmission problems. It quickly goes into gear when the selector is moved. The transmission fluid and filter were also regularly changed and the fluid is transparent red with no burnt or troubling odor. The engine/transmission does have a drip here and there and you can see evidence of this in the underside photos. All drive belts are recently replaced. The vacuum system works as it should with all door locks and trunk lock properly actuating from the drivers door lock control, and also if the drivers door interior lock is pushed and pulled. The engine turns off immediately when the key is turned off. If the car sits for a while however the vacuum will dissipate, but will return immediately upon start. All interior and trunk lighting works, the interior lights go on and off properly with the door opening closing....there is even a convenient timing delay in the interior lighting that gives you time to find your keys and start the car after you close the door when getting in. This 27 year old classic can be enjoyed without having to give up all of the modern conveniences! I hope this car will give its new owner years if not decades of as much motoring pleasure as it has given me. This fine example from the "mother year" of the w123 model run represents perhaps the pinnacle of automotive mechanical engineering. At the beginning of the micro-processor age in building this 1985 300D model, MB continued to virtually avoid electronics, but rather through mechanical engineering skill alone achieved a milestone of automotive refinement, reliability and durability that arguable remains untoppled today. Good luck in bidding! This 27 year old car is described in detail to the best of my ability. I welcome a visit or inspection by anyone interested in bidding. The car is being sold as-is with no guarantee nor warranty. $500 deposit is due within 48hrs. of auction end and payment in full is due within 7 days of auction end. Car cannot be picked up until payment has cleared. Please ask any questions you may have before bidding and I will do my best to answer quickly and thoroughly. On Apr-22-12 at 14:53:12 PDT, seller added the following information: April 22 update Had an interested buyer come look at and test the car today. It appears whatever vacuum leak existed has gotten worse. The transmission is doing a rough downshift to 1st gear when you come to a stop which is a common symptom triggered by low vacuum to the transmission (normally low vacuum to trans is present only at heavy throttle position and this signals the trans to firm up the shifting for agressive driving). Anyway, while the potential buyer was here we did some checking and found good vacuum in the main line off the vacuum pump but low vacuum reading at the amplifier. Line to trans holds good vacuum. So somewhere beteen the vacuum main line and vacuum amplifier there is a leak that is preventing full vacuum from being achieved at the amplfier. I want to make all bidders aware of this condition.