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FS: 1981 Mercedes 300 SD $2900 firm


Doc1647545523

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I bought this car four years ago through Crossle, who was brokering the car for an elderly physician who had owned the car since 1984. Here was the thread: http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83296&highlight=mercedes She and her husband bought the car off lease from another physician friend, who took European delivery on this U.S. only model and drove around Europe before shipping it here. I have extensive records. Info on the W126 series of MB: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W126

 

Almost all the service that's been done on it during my ownership has been done at Northend Wrench or by Paul-Michael (FyrhzrdGT). Feel free to speak with them for a frank assessment of the condition of the car.

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1169_zps4a85ad43.jpg

 

I bought it with the intention of either converting it to waste vegetable oil (it's one of the best cars for that), or for using homemade biodiesel. However, gas prices never got high enough to motivate me to do that, so I used it to split up some of my commuting miles. I put 40k miles on it in four years, and it never broke down or failed to start.

 

Good:

dependable

27-30 mpg on the highway

runs strong right up to 90 mph

light smoking (no thick black smoke, regardless what you do)

interior very good, only one small tear on rear door leatherette

good A/C, power accessories all work as they should

working non-original radio

trailer hitch with electrics

soft ride, tracks straight down the road

chrome and paint are shiny, wood is perfect

 

Bad:

tires have worn well, but will need replacement in next 5000 miles

rust bubbles at bottom of door

cruise works fine at lower speeds but has some surging occaionally above 55 mph

paint has a jagged scratch on roof about 2-3" long

3 drop oil leak after 30 minute run--more if you run above 70 mph--seems to be from fuel pump gasket. average usage 1 qt every 1000 miles.

needs block heater to start below 20 F

driver's armrest removed, but comes with car

rear end collision last year, Kevin Clifford did the repairs to bumper (looks better now than before the collision)

 

PM for more details. Clear title in hand. Car will go to eBay auction next week if there's no interest here.

 

Photobucket images: http://s355.photobucket.com/user/martyr65/library/300%20SD?sort=3&page=1

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1167_zps3febcd4e.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1171_zps4b1411fc.jpg

 

that's shiny chrome (most of these cars are rusted here)

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/Dscn1149_zps26032a73.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1253_zpsb1d45bd0.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1206_zps1e16f98c.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/Dscn1201_zpsc36bb03d.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/Dscn1185_zpsd8dddaee.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1251_zps797ddd17.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1191_zps37770dd2.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1159_zpsded8cec3.jpg

 

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1146_zpsc55d5ba4.jpg

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that is a great looking car.

 

Hey Doc, what's the mileage?

 

My bad for not including that in the description. It's in the photobucket pics (213,000). As Paul-Michael said in the original sale thread, these usually run into the 300,000 - 500,000 mile range with just routine care.

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/300%20SD/DSCN1186_zpsdda14944.jpg

 

Although I also love the S-class Benzos from the later two generations, those cars can be very expensive to repair because of the high cost of the electronic components. By contrast, the W126 is a very mechanical beast and for most things is much cheaper to repair.

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I'm not on CR very often anymore, but as doc has mentionned I did a good bit of work to the car when he got it to make sure it was up to the task of daily commuting. We did brake hoses, rotors, front calipers, changed the transmission fluid and filter etc. I have the list of stuff I've put on the car somewhere. I could tell you how good of care doc takes of his cars but there is no sense in telling you all things you already know.

 

For those of you doing some googling this car has an OM617, more specifically an OM617.951 3.0l 5 cylinder engine. It is a great motor that is easy to work on, this car has the updated primer pump already done on it. It has a 722.3 4speed automatic transmission. No overdrive but they are very robust. They take dex/Merc and filter from the dealer is under $25, making them cheap and easy to service and they will last a very long time when serviced regularly.

 

The usual issue with Mercedes diesel sales is the mpg, no it will not do 35-40mpg. Doc has already posted his numbers which are what these cars get. Now if you looked up a 1981 380SE gas car fuel economy, in context 27-30 is pretty phenomenal. They get good fuel economy even by today's standards and how little maintenance they require makes them a good value even today. But if you are expecting a VW TDI, go buy a vw TDI.

 

Parts for these cars are very reasonable, even at the dealer. Online diy support is also easy to find and I can direct you to some owners forums for these cars. If anyone had any questions about the car, or if the new owner needed a little guidance I would be happy to talk with you. I will be at C&C Saturday if you wanted to talk diesel in person. My dad has an 85 300D with the same motor and I've had a few cars with 61X series motors and I've had a couple diesel S classes.

 

 

I posted this from my iPhone please excuse the grammatical errors.

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Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. It's now listed on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Benz-S-Class-4-door-sedan-1981-Mercedes-300-SD-diesel-sedan-/131272465223?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1e9072db47&item=131272465223&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

 

feel free to visit, watch, and bid -- it all helps keep the posting live. reserve is set at $3000, so don't bid that high unless you really want to own it. :)

 

Don't be surprised if it goes much higher than the CR price; my bike trailer just sold for over a grand higher than I listed it on CR.

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