1981 Mercedes 300D - Immaculate

[Haggis]

Swords right? Nothing like a pommel bash to the face to teach someone a lesson.

I like the way you think sir! Note to self. When dueling Fergie watch for In Close pommel strikes, practice counters. I wonder if he knows about fore hafting and quillion thrusts?

Bump for a great vehicle, and I hope the sale goes well.

I always like the older Mercedes, but instead of a diesel I always wanted to drop a stroker big block Buick in one and go hunt Camaros.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

One more thing about the car and old Benzes.

Low miles and everything works, it even has operational AC (does your Benz have operational AC?)? I've owned 3 of these now and even have a few friends running them in all sorts of variations including one that compared to this one. However, this one (in addition to its price) - Brand new transmission just installed. $2G. Nearly Brand New Vegetable Oil Kit - kit itself $700, installation another $300. Pretty killer sound system, another $500... And lets say the car is worth $6G which I think it is.. Or it doesn't sell. We're at $9500 just there... Yes, it is a losing proposition at $6800, which I'm not expecting to get.

The reason your gasser was 'so cheap'? Because.. Because its not this car. I am sort of into old Mercedes and keep my eye on them as well. Go look on KSL.com and see whats out there as there are tons of great old Benzes. The old gas ones are $1000 to maybe $2500. Good low mileage diesels that aren't rusty or beat to ****, start at about maybe $4G if that...

I drove this nearly immaculate 1968 beauty a couple months ago thinking about getting a fun summer car for my wife. Asking price? $1500, and having trouble getting it... I'd be happy to forward the info to anyone interested assuming its still there which it probably is:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=32824&stc=1&d=1253913530
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=32825&stc=1&d=1253913530

Off.Track. -- Good luck.

 

[gjackson]

off.track please desist from posting comments in this thread. There is a rule on the portal against questioning the asking price of something for sale. You didn't do it overtly, but you sure as heck did everything covert you could.

Everyone now knows your opinion, so lay off.

cheers

 

[kcowyo]

This thread has been cleaned up of all off-topic chat, disparaging remarks regarding the validity of the product and derogatory comments about fellow members.

Questions, relevant comments and bumps will continue to be allowed. Snarky posts will be immediately deleted.


Best of luck with the sale Andre - :beer:

.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

I was gone this afternoon so I missed whatever was deleted other than the earlier posts. Thank you guys for your work (and thank you K.C. as well). This afternoon the light was pretty stunning and I realized my photos of the car weren't that good so I took a few more including detailed interior shots. This is also down at my shop so pardon the industrial/messy background.

http://andreshoumatoff.smugmug.com/Cars/1981-300D-Mercedes/9756249_RDrG7/1/660924638_9mpkR

Here are a few samples:

I also forgot to mention all work has been done by MJ Auto in Salt Lake City which is the best vintage and vintage diesel specialist mechanic in Utah. It's not that I don't trust my own work but I've literally had to do nothing to it since I've owned it, not even a fuel filter. It will also come with a full tank of professional B20 biodiesel that smells like french fries.

Thanks,
Andre

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

How easy would it be to convert this to a manual from automatic?

I haven't done it but I have driven a non turbo 300D that was converted using a 240D 4 speed manual. This is the most cost effective solution as the non-USA 5 speeds are very expensive. You have to pull the old flex plate and your new flywheel and get the flywheels balanced to match as Benz engines are externally balanced. I have to say the manual transmission really woke up the engine but that said even non turbo 300Ds are particularly zippy and cruise very well on the highway to the point I never actually did it though I prefer manual 9 out of 10 times. This afternoon I hit 80 with no problems though you can hear its pushing the engine a little high on the revs. But the manual is very nice - the biggest thing is these engines also put out a lot of torque but it is sort of lost in the old style automatic transmission, unfortunately. You would also have to source all the of the pedals and master cylinder setup (I believe its hydraulic) also out of a 240D and I suspect it will also probably need a custom driveshaft.

 

[upcruiser]

Great car Andre. This is going to make someone super happy. Wish I was in the market as most of them that you see for sale have a gazillion miles. I am still holding out for a cherry wagon. My dad had a 240d when I was little and it was a fantastic, if a bit pokey, lite car. Good luck on the sale.

 

[kerry]

I currently own a W116 SD with the 617 turbo and a 123 wagon and I've owned a fair number of others. Not all conversions to a manual require the flywheel to be balanced. Some 617's had flywheels balanced to the crankshaft and some were neutrally balanced so it depends on what you have. You do need a custom driveshaft and all the shift linkages need to be modified if the transmission comes from a car with the 616 engine (240d). Lots of people have slight vibration problems after the manual conversion. MB put a large vibration damper on many of the 617 manuals from Europe. Those dampers/driveshafts are very hard to find. The clutch is hydraulic.
The turbo versions are a far superior engine at altitude having owned both in Denver.

 

[Scott Brady]

Andre,

What is up with the nice series truck in the background? Holding out on us

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Hey Scott,

Thanks for asking. The series isn't mine though I've actually had it for the last two or three years. It's also sorta for sale as well except the owner can't get what he thinks its worth (close to $20G) which completely makes sense considering you can get decent RHD diesel 110 imports on coil springs these days for $15G or less, so it's basically sitting waiting for us to sort of bring it back to life and if he decides to finally get rid of it maybe he'll get something like $13G some day. It's a really neat specimen that was a clean RHD '68 IIa that is a little of a sad story. My friend sent his beautiful almost immaculate 1984 HJ47 Land Cruiser 2H diesel 5 speed troopie to a local shop (that I also worked at briefly for a few months, before it imploded) for a frame off restoration. Well, they completely took it apart, all nuts and bolts, switches, etc for the frame off... And poof, it was gone, the last he ever saw of it (again, really sad). In the meantime the owner built this truck for himself reasonably well but with some halfass stuff like the wiring and an unpainted custom dash that has since had some decent surface rusting and all aftermarket gauges (slightly ghetto in my opinion). He installed a 1998 Vortec V6 4.3 Liter with a nice custom exhaust and the famous H55F Land Cruiser non-USA 5 speed. So it is actually a pretty nice modern Series Rover that gets about 22 mpg and had been well in excess of 90 mph in the past (which I think is scary considering its original Series bits, drum brakes, steering, etc). It was also wrecked at the time so insurance basically paid for a new body and paint and resto though it had already been restored before it left England which is why it looks so good. It also has the stock Salsbury rear axle of course, but an ARB as well. Beefed up springs, 33 x 9.5 R 15 on steel wheels. After a few years karma really started to get back to the owner and addition to just feeling guilty, so he gave the guy this Rover in exchange (also thinking it was worth way more than the Troopie - which it is not) but at least the guy has some neat vehicle as a result of it all. He is a pro mountain biker so when it runs he takes it to races and all sorts of neat events so it does get around to some pretty cool places.

I was thinking this fall some time finally if we're lucky we'll get it back running. It basically needs a clutch. It also needed a fuel tank and some cooling additions as it ran a hair hot with the Vortec. I have the parts, just need to put them in....

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Had a chance to ride in the Benz today, the thing is stylin', can't beleive what a comfy ride it is. Now I know what you guys were saying about the seats. Good luck with the sale Andre!

I didn't realize the old Rover was still up there. I remember when that showed up at a Wasatch Cruiser event in 00' or 01? when I was working for Darrell, it had just been finished (RC Autobody did the rollover repair and did a phenomenal job as I saw it in the stages of repair when stopping by DJ's old place). Flashback.

 

[mcneil]

That's a beautiful 123, Andre. Don't see many of them like that anymore.


The 617 series diesel benz (123 or 126 chassis) are awesome expedition vehicles. My '82 300SD has 326k on it, and it's gone coast to coast twice and seen just about every state in the nation.

Features and vulnerabilities of the benz diesel:
Feature: Good ground clearance - done a lot of dirt roads in mine
Vulnerability: Oil pan is the lowest point - I'm on my 3rd
Feature: Oil pan can be replaced in car with a 6mm allen key and a tube of RTV

 

[1leglance]

sounds like there is a market for either a "expo oil pan" with a welded on thick plate or a bolt on bash plate

I really dig these cars, my son's first car was an 83 300 turbo and it rocked. Until someone totaled when they pulled infront of him. Insurance gave us $2700 and it was a real beater. Your is well worth 2x+ that money.

Good luck with the sale, I hope you are posting it on veggie oil sites, benz sites and other places so people can find out about it.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Insurance right now is saying its worth $11G believe it or not...

thanks for the idea Lance I definitely need to get it out there... I have it on craigslist and some other classifieds. I've had a couple test drives. I was thinking ebay next week if it didn't sell which I haven't used in years to sell a car at least...

 

[datrupr]

Andre, it is beautiful and in what looks to be perfect condition. If I had the money I would buy it. I have a true love and respect for the old Benz's. As I mentioned before, my dad had a '78 300D that went for over 500,000 miles. It finally gave up in '91. I would love to have one again, but it is not in my budget at the moment. That looks like it would be a great daily driver for someone.