Picked up the Mercedes this morning. 667k miles on the clock and it shows no signs of quitting. The turbo really makes all the difference. This barge is a racecar compared to my old NA 300TD. Made the drive hoe at 70 mph like a champ. Most everything works. Got the usual old MB problems, steerings is slow and loosey goosey, driver's seat slopes to the left, sunroof doesn't work, etc. Still, I'm satisfied. Can't really complain for $850.
Plans: Get it to stage zero, sell the bundt pans, buy some steelies and mount the hubcaps from my old 300TD.
That looks way nicer than a $850 car has any right to, unless the opposite side is totally different or the interior has been used as a dogfighting ring. Nice score.
cdowd
Reader
4/29/14 3:32 p.m.
Euro headlights really clean up the look of those cars. nice score for $850
667k? That's just broken in. 
Try the old steering box adjustment trick, maybe that will tighten up the steering.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/303379-what-feeling-will-properly-adjusted-w123-w116-w126-power-steering-box.html
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DON'T DO IT!
I sold mine with a junk transmission, ruined paint, and rust for $1k. You got a good deal at $850!
In reply to bgkast:
65 mm wrench required? Cool. 
Tom Suddard wrote:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DON'T DO IT!
I sold mine with a junk transmission, ruined paint, and rust for $1k. You got a good deal at $850!
I take it you had a bad time with yours?
In reply to wearymicrobe:
Thats a lot of miles! Nice score.
That's pretty damn clean for so much on the clock.
Very cool.
In reply to RoughandReady:
Hmm, I don't remember using a 65mm wrench. I guess that link is for a full tear down and rebuild. There is an external adjustment too:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/263579-steering-box-adjustment.html
RoughandReady wrote:
In reply to wearymicrobe:
That is only 72.5 years worth of average driving for me.
JAhmed
New Reader
4/29/14 5:21 p.m.
$850 well spent methinks.
There is an identical car on the local Craigslist for $700. It suffering a minor engine fire and needs new vacuum lines....hmmm
In reply to bgkast:
Get it! My local pull-a-part is swimming in 300sd's if you need anything.
PO was no slouch. New brake fluid, new coolant, genuine Mercedes brand battery. Who buys a battery at the dealership?
Got some more pictures.
Got some body damage and the rear bumper is pushed in on the driver's side. Looks kind of like an impact to the rear might have pushed the whole DS rear quarter in a little bit, as the flush line on that rear door is pretty tight. I had it up on a lift yesterday, and didn't see any obvious signs of damage to the unibody.
Interior is pretty clapped out, but comfortable. I think that dash is a replacement. Either that or it had a cover on it it's whole life.
This has to be the cleanest old MB 5 cylinder I've ever seen. All I can find is a small leak from the valve cover.
OEM goodness.
Vigo
PowerDork
4/30/14 11:51 a.m.
I sold mine with a junk transmission, ruined paint, and rust for $1k. You got a good deal at $850!
I guess this isnt the same car that was bought with a broken transmission and immediately had 2k dumped into it?
wearymicrobe wrote:
RoughandReady wrote:
In reply to wearymicrobe:
That is only 72.5 years worth of average driving for me.
That's like 900,000 autocross runs!
For reference, driving to the Moon and back would only put 504,176 miles on the odometer. (Assuming it was at its furthest point away)
I've always been interested in one of these as a DD.
Tell us how you like it.
Vigo wrote:
I sold mine with a junk transmission, ruined paint, and rust for $1k. You got a good deal at $850!
I guess this isnt the same car that was bought with a broken transmission and immediately had 2k dumped into it?
Nope, same car. The damn tranny case broke in half where the bellhousing meets the body of the transmission.
Also, I'd leave the valve cover gasket. I put a new, OEM one on my car and it proceeded to leak worse than ever
In reply to Tom Suddard:
haha That's funny. I put the cheapest valve cover gasket I could find on rockauto on my old 300d and it didn't leak a drop. Same with my girlfriend's 190e.
