1983 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Wagon

3.0 Liter 5-Cylinder Turbodiesel

Automatic

WDBAB93A6DN017402

Clear

Diesel

Well preserved, all original, 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TD 304k mi, 2-owner, 7-passenger wagon. (I bought it from the original owner in 1999 with 190k mi, who bought it new in Walnut Creek, CA). Original everything. No paintwork, bodywork as far as I know or can tell (though to be fair, it needs it in places at this point). Original interior, engine, transmission, radio. Self-leveling rear suspension works like it should. Issues: Leaks a little rainwater through the sunroof and rear hatch, and a little oil from the engine. (I've cleaned the sunroof drains many times just to have them clog two weeks later, so I've resorted to sealing the sunroof shut with track tape in the winter, which mostly seals out moisture. The manual sunroof works fine when it's not taped shut.) And the oil leak, some consistent small drips, not enough to top-up between oil changes. Rear differential is noisy, but consistent with age.AC and heat work, but vent switching doesn't (stuck on face-level and defrost vents at all times). Cruise control broken and passenger rear power window currently not working (works intermittently, just not now). Front passenger door needs a good slam to shut, and front driver’s door-check could be re-welded. Some rusty patches on the hatch, but that's it for rust. Some sun and heat damage from being parked outside forever and even a brief stint in Hawaii. Some warping and staining from the rainwater leak, a little cracking in the MB-Tex just from use and age, and the sunvisor mirror doors broke off years ago. The rear interior hatch handle is missing, but I have a complete used unit that will come with the car.Given it's 35 years old and 300k+ with no known body work, the car has picked up a few dents and scratches by now, most of which were contributed by the first owner's teenage drivers in the ‘90s. The Good Stuff: All that said, the car is still fantastic to drive and looks pretty good at a glance or just driving by. Original single-stage paint polishes right up. Chrome is good, but aluminum trim shows typical hazing. I had the wheels refinished a couple years ago. Overall, the patina is wonderful, the ride is amazing, and it's rock solid and rattle-free. Transmission shifts positively with no slipping (I had it rebuilt at 200k mi). I love this car, and have been driving it ~10k mi/year recently. I have some repair and service records, however I mostly do my own maintenance and repairs on my cars (I have a few), so I've have a spreadsheet dating form 2008. I changed the oil and filter every 5k mi. Takeaway:Overall, my view is this wagon needs nothing to enjoy as a decent daily driver, but it could be a good platform for restoration. Special note for those who think this would be a cool alternative to your Corolla: you are right, it would be. But please remember it's 35 years old with lots of miles, and it requires constant tinkering to keep in good running shape. Contact me for a link to a folder of ~100 photos, showing the good and the bad (I may have missed something in the description that you care about, so please study the photos and please ask). Or paste this link in to a browser: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPuXeM-pMsyYEvXs3cGxv0lj8tkuLX7exBGYTdoauUKGcw0RNdb4jvUUyDFpbxsdg?key=OHVCVF9IV2NIUUtTQnpHdlplMFhhT3FCeE5xd1Vn Happy to talk with anyone interested in learning more about this car. Please ask any questions before bidding! On May-13-18 at 10:49:57 PDT, seller added the following information: I meant to list the car US-only, but now that I have international bidders, why not. Of course I'd need to be paid first, preferably by wire transfer, then I'd be happy to deliver to a shipper in the SF Bay Area.On May-14-18 at 15:01:31 PDT, seller added the following information: Added to online photo album: keys, books, brochures, sunroof open, and videos: car unlocking, starting from cold, ventilation and radio working, and then some driving. Please ask and I will take detail photos of anything you're interested in.https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPuXeM-pMsyYEvXs3cGxv0lj8tkuLX7exBGYTdoauUKGcw0RNdb4jvUUyDFpbxsdg?key=OHVCVF9IV2NIUUtTQnpHdlplMFhhT3FCeE5xd1VnOn May-15-18 at 11:30:05 PDT, seller added the following information: Added tracking sheet for repairs since 2008 to photo album. May have missed logging some oil and fluid changes, but the big stuff is there. A note about the car's trip to Hawaii from 2012-2015, mentioned in the main description above: I lent the car to my parents, and they parked it under a sun-proof cover at their condo in Kona. They were pretty diligent but the service and repair records (nothing big) are on paper in the records folder. That folder of records will come with the car if you want it. Also, as seen in the photos, the car will come with the very hard to find original Mercedes factory service manuals.