1981 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

300sd Sedan

3.0L 5 Cylinder Diesel Fuel Turbocharged

Automatic

WDBCB20A4BB000620

Clear

Diesel

Some cars were built to last. Some cars were built to last longer. This car has out lived most horses. 30 years old and still running strong. Mercedes was the first car manufacturer to put a diesel engine in a car in 1936 and by 1981 they had almost perfected it. For more information go to Wikipedia and search W126 or 300SD. There are some issues with this car, as you may have guessed, since I've started the bidding at 900, with NO RESERVE. I've seen these cars in pristine condition going for 8,200 to 11,500. Original MSRP $34,185. I used a CPI inflation calculator, which says in today's money that is worth $85,150. The point is high, high quality construction. Right now I have 3 cars and that is one too many for me and that is why I am trying to sell this car. The odometer has stopped at 283,000. I can only speculate the mileage but from my investigations into the paper work it hasn't been driven a lot since 2003, stating it had 263,740 miles. I only drove it as my primary vehicle for 3 or 4 months, short trips and around town. The gas tank is 21 gallons and it gets about 30 mpg (which is impressive, since it's as big as a Cadillac De ville) so it'll go approximately 600 or 700 miles on one tank. or the equivalent of a trip from Little Rock, Arkansas to Chicago, IL. The paint is starting to crack and there are some scratches. There are however, few to no dents or dings. I had the seal around the head re-sealed. The rear main seal may leak a little oil. The transmission flares up from time to time but these transmissions are controlled by a vacuum system instead of a complex electrical system. Once it properly warms up, this issues is negligible. They are easier to fix than modern transmissions, hopefully cheaper or so I've been told. The springy leather seats are still somewhat springy but have been sat in many times. The main complaint with this car is the ignition and when the key is removed, the engine does not turn off. The engine has to be turned off manually with the fuel stop lever right above the engine. This is a hassle but it is definitely repairable. I have removed the gauge box to gain access to the ignition to try to alleviate this problem. I can hook it back up if need be, but the only gauge that works is the speedometer. Both of the driver side electrical windows don't work. The slide away moon roof works with a little manual help. Basically, all of the fancy electrical amenities are starting to fail but thre solid mechanical things are still hanging around. The heater still works but the a/c doesn't. Thanks for stopping by, happy bidding. I will include a pair of jumper cables in case it sits around too long and can't be started. Also a set of brake pads for the front brakes, which are okay but will eventually need attention. Thank you for stopping by, happy bidding. Here is a video of it being started after a month of sitting. Original Video - More videos at TinyPic Original Video - More videos at TinyPicOn Dec-15-11 at 22:56:00 PST, seller added the following information: Original Video - More videos at TinyPic