1981 Mercedes-Benz

300D Diesel -

Automatic

WDBAB30A0BB217255

Diesel

1981 Mercedes Benz 300D diesel with low miles; very original condition. WDBAB30A0BB217255 134,000 miles I bought this car awhile ago from an estate; it’s a great find – one owner, low miles, ALL service records, garaged its whole life, and drives great. I’ve owned a few real good, low-mileage w123s over the years, and this one is one of the best. It’s got mountains of service records, only 134,000 miles, a great-running engine/drivetrain, and best of all, the interior is 100% original and in exceptional condition. Most of the Texas cars have a case of sunburn – this car has no sunburn at all – a tribute to being garaged since 1981. No dash cracks, no faded paint, and an interior that is palamino but not “pinkamino” from the sun. This 1981 is a NON-TURBO diesel; for the sake of simplicity, it’s one of the best w123s – no turbo means less issues/failures, it’s got plenty of power (has an MB 3.46 rear end), and the 1981 was the only year of the non-turbo cars to get the better climate control rather than the troublesome pre-’81 climate system. Certainly the best year of the non-turbos. Exterior – Garaged car from the beginning. The black paint is as good as 25-year old black paint can be – minor imperfections here and there including door dings along the passenger-side door. I have no record of it, but I can tell that the driver’s front quarter were repainted at some point (see photos). No rust on body or frame – Texas car from day one. Chrome impeccable. Original glass. Excellent rubber bits. Like I said, a garaged car since 1981. Mechanical - Always got what it needed as evidenced by the service records. Drives excellent – straight, solid and smooth. AC was converted to R134 (not by me, I’d have left the R12), but it is cold and it does work. Steering is tight. Transmission shifts smoothly – no vacuum leaks. No engine leaks. New tires. When I got it, it ran rough, so I had my Mercedes-only mechanic install new motor mounts, transmission mount, manual control idle cable, and adjust the valves – now the car idles smoothly. Also I put on new fuel filters, a new Behr radiator (the original leaked at the top – this was replaced AFTER these photos were taken), and a new MB hood pad. Of course, I have the receipts for all of this. Interior - A solid 10 – the strongest point to this car. Original Becker radio. Switches look and feel firm. Seats are firm like when they were new. No dash cracks. Carpets look new. Wood excellent. Very original interior – original glass all around. No smells (actually, it still smells like new MB seats); everything works. I’ve left the car out in the rain a few times – tight as a drum; no water leaks to the interior. Excellent; never disassembled, never tweaked, never modified, and completely unmolested by anyone. The interior is Palamino that isn’t Pinkamino; that is rare as heck and more proof that this was a garaged car for the past 29 years. Factory orthopedic seats – also quite rare – and quite comfortable for the lower back. Still Needs – Cruise control doesn’t work; it engages and hangs on for a bit, then it lets go. The front driver’s quarter wasn’t painted to perfect glossiness (see photo) whenever that was repaired. The center AC button has a tendency to pop loose when you turn off the AC – it doesn’t remove itself, it just pops out a little too far to be considered normal. The wheels have some peeling clearcoat but are still very presentable. Car is on west side of Houston; I’d be glad to show it to you. I have a clear title in my name and ready for a new owner. This car can make a drive across country, if you so desire. If you come to get the car, and you find that I misrepresented the car, then we can cancel the deal without issue. I am not a dealer. On Apr-22-10 at 13:52:03 PDT, seller added the following information: I decided to lower the reserve; I didn't think I was being greedy about it in the first place, but after more consideration, I ready to let it go and move on to "the next thing" (whatever that is!). So, lowering the reserve is a good way to accomplish that. Good luck!