what is the best mercedes to look for
#1
what is the best mercedes to look for
Im looking for the right Merc for under 5k but I'm not sur what to look for I just want a basic diesel that gets good milage at least 25+ mpg.
I want a turbo.
I want to be able to tweak and upgrade it for verry little money and make a good amount of power like my first gen.
It needs to be reliable.
I dont care if the paint is in bad shape or if its dented I just dont want a rusty turd.
I dont want any computed controlled bull ****.
What is the lug pattern? because the stock rims are ugly
What kind of MPGs do you guys get?
please school me on these badass old dino burners
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here is the video that inspired me to start the search fo a old merc
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and this
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I just found a 1983 300sd with the 126 chasis in grey with no rust verry nice grey paint mercedes mechanic owned for 10 years primo interior ew tires 244000 miles claims he gets 30-35 mpg old *** ugly rims he wants 3 grand is this a good deal or bad
I want a turbo.
I want to be able to tweak and upgrade it for verry little money and make a good amount of power like my first gen.
It needs to be reliable.
I dont care if the paint is in bad shape or if its dented I just dont want a rusty turd.
I dont want any computed controlled bull ****.
What is the lug pattern? because the stock rims are ugly
What kind of MPGs do you guys get?
please school me on these badass old dino burners
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I just found a 1983 300sd with the 126 chasis in grey with no rust verry nice grey paint mercedes mechanic owned for 10 years primo interior ew tires 244000 miles claims he gets 30-35 mpg old *** ugly rims he wants 3 grand is this a good deal or bad
Last edited by 1993firstgennewbie; 12-22-2011 at 05:55 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
#2
Anyone claiming to get 30-35mpg from a 1983 300SD is either lying or bad at math. Expect 24-28mpg from that car.
If you want 30-35mpg you need to look for a 190D (only available with a turbo for one year, 1987), or a 1990-1993 300D (all are turbos). If you want a fast diesel in stock form, look for a 1987 300D, these will get 26-30mpg or so.
The 1995 E300 was a non-turbo. All 1996-up MB diesels are completely computer controlled, with electronic injection pumps. The 98-99 turbos are awesome but outside your $5k budget.
If you want 30-35mpg you need to look for a 190D (only available with a turbo for one year, 1987), or a 1990-1993 300D (all are turbos). If you want a fast diesel in stock form, look for a 1987 300D, these will get 26-30mpg or so.
The 1995 E300 was a non-turbo. All 1996-up MB diesels are completely computer controlled, with electronic injection pumps. The 98-99 turbos are awesome but outside your $5k budget.
#4
thanks gsxr thats kinda what I figured with his milage mybe his speedo is wrong
I did see a 1987 on craigslist what is different about those as opposed to 82-86 300d s.
I think Im set on the 3 serries I used to have little small honda civics when I was younger now I just look like a gorrilla driving a small car when I get in one So I like the TANK appeal of the 3 serries
I did see a 1987 on craigslist what is different about those as opposed to 82-86 300d s.
I think Im set on the 3 serries I used to have little small honda civics when I was younger now I just look like a gorrilla driving a small car when I get in one So I like the TANK appeal of the 3 serries
#5
The last year of the old-skool iron head OM617 diesel engine was 1985... everything used the new engine as of 1986-up. The W201 (190D) got the new engine two years earlier, in 1984. But it sounds like you want a larger car, not smaller... so check out the W124 and W126, from 1986-up.
#6
I am new to this forum but I thought I might help with the Mercedes discussion. gsxr is correct in his explanation of the Model names for Mercedes. Unlike BMW (and most others) the number is not that relevant to the size of the body.
In fact, the number is a representation of the engine size of each model. The 300D and 300SD are both approximately a 3.0 Litre engine but the 300D is a midsized E-Class, while the 300SD is the "Luxury" (or Saloon) S-Class. The 190D is a Compact C-Class with a 1.9 Litre engine.
However the E-Class 300D is not a small car. I am 6-feet tall and 300 pounds and my 1985 300D fits very comfortably. It is a large sedan in the same class as an older Ford Taurus or a 500-series BMW. While the S-Class 300SD is a Luxury Sedan in the same class as a Lincoln Towncar or a 700-series BMW. I am confident neither will feel like a clown car to you. The biggest size difference is going to be felt in the backseat. While I can comfortably sit in the back seat of my 300D (even with the seat in front all the way back). A 300SD feels like a Limo in the back. It is designed for a luxury feeling in the back so that it can be used by people who "have drivers".
As for you suggestion of a particular model. I cannot recommend the W123 series highly enough. The 1980-1985 300TD Wagon and the 1981-1985 300D Sedan in my opinion are the perfect balance between features and bulletproof design. The famous 617 I5 engine is lauded by many as the most reliable engine ever mass-manufactured and my experience has found that to be true as well. I have 440,000 miles on my baby. And she is running like a champ.
The older 300D models and the concurrent 240D are just as reliable but lack a Turbocharger and you will notice the lack of "get up and go" without a Turbocharger.
After '85 the E-Class lost the cast iron head of the 617 that made it so reliable and was replaced with the 603 which had Aluminum heads. The E-Class did in fact have 300D's starting in 1986 (W124) but there were so many problems with the 603 that few of them have survived to this day. It took a couple of years for Mercedes to get the kinks worked out of this lighter (therefore more fuel efficient but also more unreliable) engine which is why there are far more '87 and later SD's around.
The W126 is hardly a bad car, they just are more likely to have a typical lifespan of dying after 200K or so miles. While it is rare for a W123 to die unless it is substantially neglected or wrecked. I have a good friend who drove his '84 300D from 600K to 750K and sold it for more than he bought it for, still running in fine condition.
There is also an amazing community of DIY-mechanics of W123 Mercedes who have insight and are always willing to give input on any problem you might have. Don't be confused if you decide to drive a 25-year old car you will have to get your hands dirty no matter how reliable she might be. But the W123 is a great car to learn some wrenching on.
I specifically got my 300D so I could learn more about how my car runs and build a more symbiotic relationship with my automobile. After alot of research I decided that a Diesel Mercedes and specifically a W123 would be perfect for this task. 4 years ago before I got her, the most car work I had done was changing the brake pads and rotors and changing an alternator or starter. Since I have been driving Gisele, I have learned to do my own A/C work and re-converted the A/C system back to R12, repaired a broken B2-band piston in the Transmission, Replaced the Upper Control Arms of the front suspension, and last weekend, I rewired the Glow Plug system from the Keyed Automatic Relay to a Manual Relay using a push-button system that can be run as long as needed including after the car has started to help with carbon coking in the Glow Plug chambers.
The W123 is an easy to learn system that I think is by far the best Mercedes (if not vehicle) you can get.
Good Luck,
Aaron
In fact, the number is a representation of the engine size of each model. The 300D and 300SD are both approximately a 3.0 Litre engine but the 300D is a midsized E-Class, while the 300SD is the "Luxury" (or Saloon) S-Class. The 190D is a Compact C-Class with a 1.9 Litre engine.
However the E-Class 300D is not a small car. I am 6-feet tall and 300 pounds and my 1985 300D fits very comfortably. It is a large sedan in the same class as an older Ford Taurus or a 500-series BMW. While the S-Class 300SD is a Luxury Sedan in the same class as a Lincoln Towncar or a 700-series BMW. I am confident neither will feel like a clown car to you. The biggest size difference is going to be felt in the backseat. While I can comfortably sit in the back seat of my 300D (even with the seat in front all the way back). A 300SD feels like a Limo in the back. It is designed for a luxury feeling in the back so that it can be used by people who "have drivers".
As for you suggestion of a particular model. I cannot recommend the W123 series highly enough. The 1980-1985 300TD Wagon and the 1981-1985 300D Sedan in my opinion are the perfect balance between features and bulletproof design. The famous 617 I5 engine is lauded by many as the most reliable engine ever mass-manufactured and my experience has found that to be true as well. I have 440,000 miles on my baby. And she is running like a champ.
The older 300D models and the concurrent 240D are just as reliable but lack a Turbocharger and you will notice the lack of "get up and go" without a Turbocharger.
After '85 the E-Class lost the cast iron head of the 617 that made it so reliable and was replaced with the 603 which had Aluminum heads. The E-Class did in fact have 300D's starting in 1986 (W124) but there were so many problems with the 603 that few of them have survived to this day. It took a couple of years for Mercedes to get the kinks worked out of this lighter (therefore more fuel efficient but also more unreliable) engine which is why there are far more '87 and later SD's around.
The W126 is hardly a bad car, they just are more likely to have a typical lifespan of dying after 200K or so miles. While it is rare for a W123 to die unless it is substantially neglected or wrecked. I have a good friend who drove his '84 300D from 600K to 750K and sold it for more than he bought it for, still running in fine condition.
There is also an amazing community of DIY-mechanics of W123 Mercedes who have insight and are always willing to give input on any problem you might have. Don't be confused if you decide to drive a 25-year old car you will have to get your hands dirty no matter how reliable she might be. But the W123 is a great car to learn some wrenching on.
I specifically got my 300D so I could learn more about how my car runs and build a more symbiotic relationship with my automobile. After alot of research I decided that a Diesel Mercedes and specifically a W123 would be perfect for this task. 4 years ago before I got her, the most car work I had done was changing the brake pads and rotors and changing an alternator or starter. Since I have been driving Gisele, I have learned to do my own A/C work and re-converted the A/C system back to R12, repaired a broken B2-band piston in the Transmission, Replaced the Upper Control Arms of the front suspension, and last weekend, I rewired the Glow Plug system from the Keyed Automatic Relay to a Manual Relay using a push-button system that can be run as long as needed including after the car has started to help with carbon coking in the Glow Plug chambers.
The W123 is an easy to learn system that I think is by far the best Mercedes (if not vehicle) you can get.
Good Luck,
Aaron
#7
In fact, the number is a representation of the engine size of each model. The 300D and 300SD are both approximately a 3.0 Litre engine but the 300D is a midsized E-Class, while the 300SD is the "Luxury" (or Saloon) S-Class. The 190D is a Compact C-Class with a 1.9 Litre engine.
As for you suggestion of a particular model. I cannot recommend the W123 series highly enough. The 1980-1985 300TD Wagon and the 1981-1985 300D Sedan in my opinion are the perfect balance between features and bulletproof design. The famous 617 I5 engine is lauded by many as the most reliable engine ever mass-manufactured and my experience has found that to be true as well. I have 440,000 miles on my baby. And she is running like a champ.
After '85 the E-Class lost the cast iron head of the 617 that made it so reliable and was replaced with the 603 which had Aluminum heads. The E-Class did in fact have 300D's starting in 1986 (W124) but there were so many problems with the 603 that few of them have survived to this day. It took a couple of years for Mercedes to get the kinks worked out of this lighter (therefore more fuel efficient but also more unreliable) engine which is why there are far more '87 and later SD's around.
The W126 is hardly a bad car, they just are more likely to have a typical lifespan of dying after 200K or so miles. While it is rare for a W123 to die unless it is substantially neglected or wrecked. I have a good friend who drove his '84 300D from 600K to 750K and sold it for more than he bought it for, still running in fine condition.
I specifically got my 300D so I could learn more about how my car runs and build a more symbiotic relationship with my automobile. ... last weekend, I rewired the Glow Plug system from the Keyed Automatic Relay to a Manual Relay using a push-button system that can be run as long as needed including after the car has started to help with carbon coking in the Glow Plug chambers.
#8
#10