1983 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Turbodiesel Sedan

3.0

Automatic

WDBAB33A5DB030026

Clear

Diesel

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this listing in it's entirety. What? You just want to look at pictures? Well, if you're a serious buyer consider this description time well spent. I didn't get 100% positive feedback on Ebay just because I'm good with a camera (but it helps an awful lot),. To make everyone's life easy I write too much. Way too much. Part of this is so that I can thresh out those buyers who are better off buying something else like a 15 year old Chevy Malibu. So please read this listing from beginning to end and if you are serious about owning an older diesel Benz, ponder what I am about to tell you. It seems like every auto enthusiast I know these days has this wonderful fantasy about buying an old Mercedes diesel that is as tough as Commandant Rommel, and requires nothing more than diesel fuel and a few choice German phrases to stay on the road. Well guess what. This one ain't it. It's 31 years old car engineered before Jimmy Carter had the chance to ruin our country. This means that if you want to enjoy the ownership experience you're going to have to either pay a lot of money to a Mercedes repair shop at some point, or get your hands dirty. There are no compromises when it comes to keeping up a vehicle that was engineered by old school Aryans. So now let me warn you right now.... ACHTUNG! HALT! NOTE! If you are a cheapskate, parent, or grandparent that is trying to find a 31 year old car for your progeny because you heard these things are reliable, stop! Read no more. Don't buy this 300D or anything else made by Germans. There is a special place in hell for all those terrible people who buy old Benzes that run perfectly well, and then give it to a teenager who turns it into a junkyard relic within a year. I can't tell you how many old Benzes I have seen over the years that nearly died thanks to some misguided soul who thought that a diesel Benz was nothing more than the early-80's version of a modern day Toyota Camry. These cars take time, care, and a willingness to take care of little problems before they get big. This particular 1983 Mercedes 300D is rust free. As in you're buying a Mercedes that has been driven on and off for 31 years in the bucolic South. It has obviously spent most of it's time inside a garage and with prior owners who kept it in good working order. Paint chips, small dents on the undercarriage and other areas (please see pictures) may have resulted in little chips of brown in various areas underneath. This Mercedes offers the real world version of "no rust" where a vehicle has been driven on roads that are salt free. Again, please look at the pictures. Do it now before you get the urge to email me about something pointless like ash trays. All windows raise and lower fine. Sunroof works fine. There is no radio. The blower works but the a/c is not cold. Seats are in great shape, and the dashboard has the usual array of cracks that can be commonly found in warm temperate climates. There is minor sun fade on the hood, roof and top of the trunk, and the car was painted once due to the fact that 31 years is long enough to wear out any 1980's era paint job here in the South. The chrome is gorgeous and I usually receive a compliment or two. Unfortunately this car is more attractive to older men than younger women. Mileage is showing 194,533. The odometer works about half the time now which really means it hasn't worked for several months. It used to work all the time during the first year I had it, but then it became a jerk about it and now the odometer just stares at me and says nothing. I would guesstimate the mileage right under 200k. As for maintenance, I had all fluids and filters replaced when I got it in 2012 and have done routine maintenance since then. This Benz also has Bilstein shocks, 2 new tires, and yes, it does leak a bit of oil. I typically add a quart of oil every couple of months. It preferred Pennzoil 15W40 Long Life Gold early on and now takes Rotella. Please look at all the pictures before you bid. I do this to make your life easy and to avoid a long list of questions like, "Is it a diesel?" and "Would you let your daughter drive it?". I told you to read my ad damn it! Also, I don't know how to convert it to WVO or whatever fashionista technology suits your random Google searches. Sorry. I have enjoyed this vehicle and want to give it to a Mercedes enthusiast. So if you are not one now, go forth and visit all the classic Mercedes enthusiast sites that are out there. I have owned well over a dozen diesels at this point and I have to say that the W123 is probably the most worry-free one to own if you're willing to learn the basics of DIY maintenance. So do it, and thanks for reading this all the way through.