1981 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Sedan

om617.951 Diesel, Turbocharged, SOHC

Automatic

WDBCB20AXBB007099

Clear

Diesel

For "aficionado enthusiast?!" I hear you say. Yes, it is. What you see here is my beloved 1981 300SD. The first glance does this car a great disservice. I bought this car as an inexpensive way to get around, here in California, and chose it because I've admired the W126 body from afar for years, but never had a chance to own one. This particular example appealed to me because of its relatively straight body (take a look at the pictures, it's not perfect, but the metal is very good) and because of the 5-cylinder turbodiesel powerplant under the hood. The 5-cylinder is special to me because I have a 1979 300SD and a 1984 300D with very similar engines. From my experience with those two, I knew that a good 617 engine can be unflappably reliable... This one has been no exception, with good, quick, clean starts every time, and smooth, prompt acceleration that makes driving with modern traffic sensibly easy. I could rant on and on about how I love Mercedes Diesels, and how wonderful this car has been for me, but this is an auction, not a blog, right? Here goes: The good: -99% Rust-free California body -Very solid engine, with no appreciable oil consumption (although high-speed runs on the 101 or 405 will send some oil past the filler cap) -Good transmission, with no flaring or unusual shifts -Good interor (Not showroom, but very good. Read "The Bad" section, and take a look at the photos) -Climate control modules function very well (But you should take a look at "The Bad" again for this one) -Good shock absorbers -Good electrics -Non-leaking sunroof -New starter this year -Strong Mercedes/Varta OEM battery -2 recent Kumho touring tires -Good brakes -Never been run on experimental fuels. -Consistent 27-30MPG fuel economy on standard #2 diesel fuel. -Recent Differential oil change -Recent Engine Oil change, with Rotella 5w40 Synthetic. -Recent change of air and fuel filters. The bad: -Driver's seat needs a new cover (springs and pad seem to be good, but the stitching has pulled loose on the base in a few spots) -Passenger side rear window needs a new rack/regulator (motor runs fine, but lacks the grip to operate the window) -Sunroof inoperative (Doesn't leak, but the motor doesn't seem to run, I have not checked to see if it is broken, or whether it's merely disconnected) -Cruise control is present, but does not function. -Vacuum system leaks, but shuts of engine promptly every time. -Auxiliary vacuum pump for door & trunk locks is inoperative. (could be a badly aged wire to the switch in the driver's door, could be the pump in the trunk, I have not had time to diagnose) -Odometer does not function. Mileage shown is not accurate, although the engine runs very well, as though it may have been replaced or rebuilt somewhere along the way. -Reverse lights do not function (Could be the neutral-start safety switch, although the neutral-start function works fine; Just no reverse lights) -Turn signal relay is on the way out; Sometimes it works fine, sometimes the flashers stay lit, requiring "manual" flashing of the turn signals. -2 worn, but sound Michelin tires at the back. -Climate control system works great, but the A/C compressor has breathed its last, and will need to be replaced. -My storage for the car expires at the end of Saturday, so the car MUST be collected by the end of Saturday (8/4/2012). In Summary, the car seems daunting on paper, but I would not hesitate to drive this car just about anywhere. I'd keep the car, but I lack the resources to ship it to Virginia at this time. I will be sad to part with this one, it has GREAT potential. As such, do ask questions, and make offers, but I will not sell for scrap prices. Should you, the reader, be the very fortunate new owner, I offer technical support via phone, email, SMS, or video, should you request it for this car. Since I have the other two old diesels, I can send photos and video to help you with any repair or adjustment you're inclined to undertake. Now for the dirty bits: Payment is by Cash or PayPal only. ONLY. Do not bid if you are not willing and able to complete the purchase by the terms outlined in this ad. If you have 0 feedback, or significant negative recent history, please message me via eBay messages, and let me know the situation. If you have poor feedback, or no feedback, and you do not contact me first, I will remove your bid. If I remove your bid, and you bid again without contacting me, I will block you from this auction. If you just want to look, click on the gallery above. That is free, and requires no commitment. Every bid you place on this car is an offer to purchase it for the dollar amount you entered before clicking the "Place Bid" button, and I fully intend to hold you to that. Shipping, transit, collection of the vehicle, taxes, title transfer fees, and the like are the responsibility of the buyer. I will cooperate with your shipper if you choose to have a transport company collect the car, but you, as the buyer, must make all arrangements to ensure complete payment for the car, and secure delivery of the title to you. If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to ask. I will respond to any and all reasonable questions. ...Reasonable questions? Anything to do with the car, its functionality, or what to expect when buying a car of this type. On the other hand, I probably won't respond to questions about my favorite flavor of ice cream. All the same, thanks for looking, good luck with your bidding, and have fun out there! On Aug-01-12 at 19:06:29 PDT, seller added the following information: In response to questions, I took a few more photos, seen in the slideshow below. I'm pretty sure they will spark questions of their own, so I'll try to answer those ahead of time. The bottom of the engine is a little oily, but only because I haven't cleaned the underside. The turbo oil return line seems to seep a bit, but the oil pan gasket (which was a major leak when I acquired the car) has been replaced. Because of these things, I can't really say that it consumes oil, exactly, but it does leak, in response to your driving. If you get out on the freeway and run 70-80mph with the fast lane traffic, it leaks about a quart per tank. I tend to drive the car around town, and out to Ventura for work. My experience with that kind of cycle is about 2-3 tanks per quart. It never seems to oil up the back of the car, and the exhaust is always clean, so I deduced that the oil loss is all leakage, and no burning. This is also evidenced by small oil spots when I park it. The driver's power seat does not function. I attribute this to the control wires in the door having fatigued over the years, and failing. The previous owner made some sort of switch assembly for it, but that doesn't seem to do much, either (but how would it, with only 2 connections?) As I mentioned in response to a previous question, the door seals have shrunken enough to incur some wind noise, but I've had the car in Santa Paula's version of a downpour, and didn't have any perceptible leaks. The car comes with a new brake master cylinder, as the one in the car is beginning to feel its age. As always, take a look at the photos, and send me any questions you can think of, I'll answer them to the best of my ability. On Aug-02-12 at 11:47:33 PDT, seller added the following information: On Aug-02-12 at 12:43:32 PDT, seller added the following information: