1981 Mercedes-Benz

300TD Wagon Wagon

3.0L 5 Cylinder Diesel Fuel Turbocharged

Automatic

WDBAB93A1BN003730

Clear

Diesel

This is a great 1981 Mercedes Benz 300TD Wagon which was an impulse buy by me. Wanted to do a quick, light restoration and run it on veggie as a work vehicle...because free gas is good! For those who don't know, these older Mercedes diesels can be run on vegetable oil without any kind of expensive retrofitting. There is a minimal amount of effort in straining veggie oil and you do need to clean your filters more often and cut the fuel mix in the winter, but it is well worth the savings of thousands or these days tens of thousands of dollars a year. That said....here is the deal with the car: The car is all original with no repaint or body work. It runs and drives. This car is what I am going to call a shame. Why? This car was owned by a well-off violin maker from New York who now lives in Vermont. This person and their family loved this car and treated it very well for most of its life. A recent list of what they put in to the car includes: New vacuum pump installedNew injectorsNew glow plugsNew electronic glow plug moduleNew under hood insulation panelNew hood release mechanismNew plastic engine coolant reservoirNew motor mountsNew exhaust pipes and mufflers (everything behind exhaust manifold)New brake rotorsNew brake drumsNew brake calipersNew brake padsNew brake shoesNew window switchesNew window regulatorsNew window motorsSteering and front end rebuilt BY MERCEDESVacuum door lock system redone BY MERCEDESNew rear hatch latch and locking mechanismNew pneumatic struts for rear hatchNew Blaupunkt Heidelburg stereo CD player New power antennaNew cargo nets behind rear seats! (who does that?!?)New Mercedes Benz alloy wheelsNew Michelin all-season tires And who knows what else in its life. This was just recent work that the old-timer told me about. The car has the original books, two sets of keys, and the interior is extremely clean. Dash is good for the year. Wood grain is good. Glass is good. Chrome is good. Transmission shifts properly and tight with no lag. So here is the downside in a nutshell...it sat for too long. The rockers are starting to goBoth driver and passenger floor pans are starting to goDog legs are starting to go And the big weird kicker...there is a knock in the engine...I know...it's a diesel, they are knocky. And it does it sporadically. And only at certain RPM's. I have been told it could be a clogged injector or just bad fuel. This car has basically been sitting for 6 years in a barn with 3/4 of a tank of rotten old diesel fuel. I ran some out of the car and added fresh but if it is a bad fuel issue, then there is still enough bad fuel in the system to make it knock. The knock sounds like it is on the top end towards the rear of the head. NOT A LOW END NOISE. To be very frank an honest... I just don't have the time to diag an engine noise and do the pans and rockers. So... it is basically being sold as a very good parts car. You can try to drive it home if you wish...you must be brave...and would be wise to have AAA. Best to be trailered. I've only driven the car up and down the road a few times trying to diag with fresh fuel and whatnot. It is very low on power, but turbo is spooling up and working. Best bet would be to e-mail along questions or feel free to give a call to 802-258-1550. It is what it is.