1981 Mercedes-Benz

240D Sedan

2.4 L 4-cylinder

Manual

WDBAB23A2BB273414

Clear

Diesel

1981 MERCEDES BENZ 240D 4SPD DIESEL W123 Body 116K Original Miles This Mercedes Benz 240D with a 4-speed manual transmission, is a rust free, low mileage vehicle that has been well cared for. I'm the 4th owner. The vehicle is in excellent condition, looks great, drives well, has excellent fuel economy, and will provide many years of dependable service if properly cared for. I purchased the vehicle in June, 2009 from an independent shop owner who serviced it for a relative of the original owner. I use this vehicle as my daily driver and would not hesitate to drive it cross country. The car was originally purchased in Farmington, New Mexico where it has spent most of it's life prior to 2006. Why am I selling it? I purchased this 240D because of it's elegant simplicity. With a non-turbocharged engine, manual transmission, and manually controlled climate control system, I wanted a vehicle that was easy to maintain. Having previously owned a 300DT automatic, I really missed the turbo performance on the highway and discovered that I don't really like shifting gears around town. Last month, I purchased another 300DT so I have one too many cars. My intent is describe the vehicle as accurately as possible to assist potential bidders. You may use the "Ask a question" feature to request my phone number via email if you have additional questions. This vehicle is in great overall condition. The simplicity of the vehicle will allow you to save a lot of money in maintenance costs if you're willing to perform basic maintenance. The lack of complicated electronic controls (pretty much everything is either mechanical or vacuum controlled) really makes repairs much simpler to perform. Excellent on-line forums will help you keep your Mercedes diesel in top running condition. These vehicles were built to last and have a great safety record as well. The vehicle is available for inspection in Chandler, Arizona about 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. Here's the Good: Features standard on this model: 4 wheel power disk brakes, power steering, air conditioning, AM/FM radio (original Becker radio works great), electric windows. All original tools and first aid kit are included. All lights, running lights, fog lights, interior map and dome lights work. All seat belts work All gauges work Parking brake works Windshield wipers work, including all speeds Rear defroster works Factory emergency jack works The diesel starts up on the first crank and shifts smoothly through all 4 gears. It drives straight down the road and does not pull during breaking. It will cruise at 65-70 mph all day and give you 28-29 mpg around town. The engine does not smoke and does not require any oil between changes. It is solid. The body is free from the usual dings and dents you find when living in a city of small parking spaces. The dry New Mexico and Arizona climate has been kind to the car which explains the rust free condition. The exterior paint is original with except for the left rear fender which was damaged in an accident (see additional comments below). The interior is in very good condition. The seats and carpeting are not faded and have no tears or rips on them. The seats are very comfortable with good springs. Mercedes was famous for the quality of the MB-Tex material used on the seats. The headliner is clean and is in very good condition, no rips or tears. I have the original MB maintenance book with 23 recorded oil changes from new until 99,0000 miles. Changing the oil frequently is the most important maintenance task performed on these diesels. When I purchased the vehicle last year, I changed the oil and other fluids. I've used Delo 400 oil on 3,000 mile intervals. Like New Michelin X tires with 5,000 miles on them. New front windshield (had a crack when I purchased it), replaced the manual transmission and rear end fluids, 4 new glow plugs replaced when one plug went bad over the winter. Climate control works well with great heat in the winter and the AC works well also. The air flow options are controlled with manual levers which is part of the elegant simplicity of this machine. It was converted to R134A sometime in the last three years. The vehicle has a clean title. I've run a Car Fax report and did not pick up any unpleasant surprises. Needs Work: The vacuum actuated door locks do not work. This is a typical problem on older diesel Benz vehicles. One of the door actuators likely has a torn diaphragm which makes the system inoperable. Haven't had time to fix it. The vacuum actuated cruise control unit does not work. Haven't had time to work on it. The dash does has two cracks in it which is also pretty typical. It has a nice cloth dash mat on which looks great. There is an engine oil leak of a drop or two per day, just enough to be annoying but not enough to do anything about it yet. After not using the AC all winter, I had to add 134A to the system when we had a little warm spell here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago. This tells me that I have a small leak somewhere. Imperfections: The left rear fender was involved in an accident with one of the previous owners. (I didn't know this when I purchased the car). I discovered evidence of this (see photos) when I waxed the vehicle for the first time and noticed a 1 inch long hair line crack in the recessed area where the trunk lid fits in the body near the rear window and another small hairline crack on the left rear door jam (see photos). Upon detailed inspection of the inside of the trunk, it appears a new left rear wheel finder was welded to the body and the damaged area was painted to match the rest of the vehicle. They did a good enough job that I didn't notice it before I purchased it. Summary: I looked at quite a few 240D's before finding this one and you would be hard pressed to find one in better overall condition. Terms of the Sale: I'm selling the vehicle as is without any warranty with pick up required by the winning bidder. A $500 deposit is required within 24 hours after bidding closes with the balance due in 7 days. I will be happy to pick up the winning bidder from the airport or make other reasonable arrangements. Good luck bidding!