1983 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Wagon

5 cylinder diesel

Automatic

WDBAB93A1DN014763

Clear

Diesel

1983 Mercedes Benz 300TD wagon – 42,170 miles VIN: WDBAB93A1DN014763 Ascot Gray over Blue MB-Tex OVERVIEW I don’t have any service records to prove the mileage, and Carfax shows no entries before 2012, but I do know the car’s history and I know the condition is exceptional and consistent with a low-mileage w123. It certainly runs and drives as tight as a 42k-mile Mercedes. I’ve owned more than a few of these w123s and this one is quick, tight, and in excellent condition. I was planning on cashing out of my old Porsche 911 and keeping this wagon (more usable for the city), but the value of my 911 keeps skyrocketing, it’s a blast to drive, and I guess I’m not quite ready to let it go. I have a four-car garage and five cars – one has to move along, and this wagon is it. HISTORY This car was originally sold to Margaret Sanders of New Orleans in 1983; I know this because (a) the warranty plate is in her name, (b) the service manual is in her name, and (c) she was listed as the previous owner on the title before I transferred it in my name (I have a copy of that title). She owned the car from 1983 to 2012, and when she sold the car to owner #2, she told him that the car had only left New Orleans once in its life. In 2012, owner #2 bought it because he had seen it at her house for years and been asking to buy it all that time. She finally called him and said “yes”, so he bought it and kept it about two years and did quite a bit to it. He had a three-car garage and four cars, so he had one that had to go. I bought it from him last year when it had 40,630 miles on it. RECENT WORK When the second owner of the car got it, he did a bunch of work: · Changed all fluids (even the differential) · New Michelin tires · K-1 shift spring kit to soften the 2-3 shift · New battery · New belts · Valve adjustment · Vacuum pump rebuild When I got the car, it needed more to be a great driver. I have receipts for all of this below; work was done by my two excellent Mercedes mechanics. · All new brakes front and rear: o Master cylinder o Booster o All brake hoses o All calipers o All pads with new sensors · All new suspension front and rear: o New front Sachs shocks o New rear hydraulic shocks o New spheres (accumulators) o New SLS leveling valve o New rubber hydraulic lines o Rebuilt hydraulic pump · New rear axles (boots were torn) · Vacuum system gone through: o Removed the dash and replaced ALL the bellows and connectors o New bulbs behind center console dash since the dash was out anyways o Replaced the connectors in engine bay to fix the locks and smooth out the transmission shifts · Installed bypass for AC fuse in fusebox because the original fuse had melted – this a Mercedes-made kit. · Went through AC system – used a “sniffer” and found no leaks. Added a can of R12 (still an R12 system) to get the AC colder. Was cold before, but is freezing cold now; still no leaks. · Removed gauge cluster o New bulbs in instrument cluster o Hardwired the rheostat o Regrounded the cluster · New Mercedes hood pad · New Mercedes floor mats · New speakers in dash and rear roof and replaced the broken original Becker with a euro-model working Becker (had one lying around). MECHANICAL This car is excellent in two areas – the mechanical and the interior. Mechanically, the car is well-sorted – all new brakes, all new suspension, new fluids, very cold AC, doesn’t run hot, and the turbo has a lot of power. I realize it’s a turbo-diesel, but this one runs very fast. The turbo spools quickly and smoothly. The transmission has the K-1 shift kit installed, and it makes the shifts smoother and it really smooths out the 2-3 shift even when cold. When the transmission fluid warms up, it shifts as good as a modern car. It’s a fantastic drive – the best driving w123 I’ve ever owned. It doesn’t wander (it’s been aligned) and stops quickly and straight. No odd vibrations. It’ll need the steering redone in the future. It’s not sloppy now, but if you get the car on a lift and put a pry bar on it, you can tell the 30-year old steering bushings are getting loose. Motor mounts will need to be redone too; I hadn’t got to them yet. The rear main seal was lightly dripping when I bought it (it’s a rope seal), but since driving it more often now, it seems to have disappeared. I did not put any additives or leak prevention in the oil. My theory is that the car had been sitting too long; now that it’s being used, the seal swelled. INTERIOR The seats, carpets, and headliner are like new – love these old Mercedes. MB-Tex seats and not leather; seats are still firm. The dash only has one very minor crack near the defroster vent – you have to look closely to see it. The dash wood is good, but the AC surround wood has a crack in it (see pics). The switches in the center console are original, and they show no wear. All switches work; everything works. New speakers front/back – Boston Acoustics front and JL Audio rear in factory mounts. No third-row seat. The door seals are pretty dried; they could all stand to be replaced at some point – water does not come into the cabin, however. AC-surround wood could be replaced/repaired. Otherwise, interior fantastic. EXTERIOR The paint is original, and it has the usual scratches, some remaining oxidation, and a few dents, etc. from 31 years of use. It’s never been repainted anywhere. Panel gaps are factory-perfect. Original glass all-around. This wagon has no rust under hood, under the body, in the jack holes, or in the floors. The only place there is rust is the rear drain holes next to the rear side windows (see pics) – my guess is that leaves clogged it and made the paint bubble while it was sitting. If you open the cargo-area side hatches, they are totally rust-free (see pics). There are dents in the tailgate, a long dent in the passenger rear door, a dented fender well that goes with the rear door scrape, and some door dings (see the last few pics). Driver’s rear door is missing a trim piece. The car looks pretty damn good but up close you’ll find imperfections/stains here and there in the paint. And maybe I’m being picky… Clear title in my name; car is located in West Houston. I won’t reveal the reserve, and I won’t sell the car outside of the auction. I’ve put 1500 miles on the car since October last year; it’ll take you to Alaska without issue should you want to do that. It’s ready to go. You’ll get my files on the car – my service records, copies of the old title, a Carfax report from when I bought it, etc. If you want more pictures of something, send me an email. I’ll try to accommodate. Zero-feedback bidders MIGHT be bumped; if you’re concerned about that, please shoot me an email first. Thanks.