Thinking of buying an old Mercedes Diesel

In My Humble Opinion
1

I need to trade in my old (1986) land cruiser for a car that I could use for commuting (~100mi r/t). I want to go to the other extreme on the comfort scale. I also do weekend jaunts of about the same distance and I find the LC exhausting for long drives It’s big, slow, hard to stop, hard to turn, has no A/C and guzzles gas. Other than that it’s great (anyone looking for a used land cruiser? :D)

I only want to spend <10k and I like older cars anyway. Right now I’ve got my eye on a 1984 M/B 300D 5cyl. I’ve never driven an M/B before but I’ve recently become enamored. Mrs Milo is thrilled :slight_smile:

What are the pros and cons of diesel? Are they underpowered? I want something that will cruise effortlessly at 70 to 80mph. Is finding fuel ever a problem? Mileage?

How about reliability and repair expenses on old M/B’s? I looked for web sites that have reliability and/or expense to own rankings for older cars but could not find any.

That’s a lot of different questions so feel free to go off on any tangent if its about old M/B’s or it helps me decide if this is a good choice for me:)

2

Well, there is a whole site and forum dedicated to Mercedes Diesels.

I’d take the time and read there, and go ahead and register to post. It’s gotta be worthe the 10 minute investment.

Here ya go:

http://www.mb-diesel-cars.com

3

milo, I loved my 84 300D TurboDiesel. I’d buy another one for a winter car (I’ve never seen one with a working A/C) for the right price.

I’d never, ever buy one that wasn’t turbo, though.

4

Mercedes-Benz Diesels are generally decent automobiles and if this example has been maintained properly it should be relatively trouble-free. However, be warned. When it breaks, it’ll break expensively. Parts and service are killers. If you don’t go to the dealership you’ll probably end up at a Mercedes specialist and pay through the nose.

I don’t know how the Diesel MB products are at cruising but they’re probably slower than the equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle.

If you want luxury for around $10K, you might consider an early '90s Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, or Mercury Grand Marquis. Not only will it be cheaper to buy, it’ll be cheaper to repair and maintain.

Other choices might be the '91-96 Cadillac Fleetwood, Buick Roadmaster, or Chevrolet Caprice. They’re large and comfortable with easy parts availability and sturdy enough to last for the long haul.

Another (smaller) choice might be an '89-93 front wheel drive Cadillac DeVille or Fleetwood. They’re relatively compact, pretty sophisticated, powerful and luxurious. STAY AWAY FROM ANY 1982-87 Cadillac product, though. The HT4100 engine is a piece of crap that’s not good for much other than a boat anchor.

Just my $.02,

Zap!

5

Zappo’s right. My Benz was slow out of the box. On the highway, though, she was just fine. Once you got her up to 55 - 60mph, she was a lovely ride.

I miss the old girl and would gladly buy a 300TD TurboDiesel (that’s the station wagon) for about $6000 or so.

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Diesel fuel is less refined than gas. This means that diesel will explode if compressed enough. It does not require a spark.

Diesels must be fuel injected. They only suck in as much air as they need. unlike gas engines which will rev higher and higher if unrestricted.

To get more power from a diesel usually requires a turbo to push in more air.

Diesels require higher compression than gas engines due to the fuel quality.

Diesels engines are generally noisy due to this high detonation pressure.

Diesels are built a lot tougher due to this detonation also. Stronger internal parts, larger oil and coolant capacities,etc.

Getting 250,000 miles from a diesel without any repairs is normal.

Diesels cannot rev as high as a gas engine due to higher reciprocating mass.

Diesel engines make a truck sound tough