What Mercedes would you buy?

[C36fan]

I drove the best 300d I think I've come across today (and many times before), but you'd need a significantly larger budget. It's bodywork and suspension that now need a lot spent on most cheap 300ds. I've been in a £1000 300d. It was beyond horrible.

I bought a 210 wagon 300td for a grand 5 years ago and was a good mota !
Sold it a year later for £1500.

 

[StuartK]

Stuart Jay is being very generous to offer this at that sort of money in that condition too,I'd snap it if I needed something like this.

I agree. I'm back at work tomorrow but I need to try and nip over to look. It fits the bill

 

[StuartK]

I just thought for curiously sake I would up the budget and cannot believe you can get a W211 for £2000!!!

 

[John Jones Jr]

http://mercland.com/car.html?id=3108

Maybe something like this.. if you prefer more rust then go for a w210

If it's any good at all that's one to buy for sure.

 

[John Jones Jr]

I just thought for curiously sake I would up the budget and cannot believe you can get a W211 for £2000!!!

Buying is the easy part.

 

[John Jones Jr]

double post.

 

[tanuie]

http://mercland.com/car.html?id=3108

Maybe something like this.. if you prefer more rust then go for a w210

That looks a bargain.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

I drove the best 300d I think I've come across today (and many times before), but you'd need a significantly larger budget. It's bodywork and suspension that now need a lot spent on most cheap 300ds. I've been in a £1000 300d. It was beyond horrible.

I don't know why the 300d is so revered, I've had two and loved both of them, one went on to 340k miles, BUT they're not economical, I think low to mid 30 mpg as an average iirc. It's also expensive to buy

If going for a w124 I'd head for a 230e at that budget, not much less economical and you can turn up some surprising bargains at the £1000 mark.

 

[John]

Could sell that plate to someone, seems a nice buy that for under a grand

Yup - might sell to an Alpina B10 owner...

I would go for Jay's car over an older W211 at £2k!

For not much more, you are into some higher mileage estate oilers for sale on this site.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I don't know why the 300d is so revered, I've had two and loved both of them, one went on to 340k miles, BUT they're not economical, I think low to mid 30 mpg as an average iirc. It's also expensive to buy

If going for a w124 I'd head for a 230e at that budget, not much less economical and you can turn up some surprising bargains at the £1000 mark.

I love the ride on a well sorted one - it (as someone given a lift in the one I mentioned who'd owned 3 multivalves remarked) rides like an S class, and at speed is really refined. Never got on with petrol 4s, which unlike a 300d whether 12 or 24v can't be run on veg oil.

My attraction is the mechanical simplicity, ride and refinement. Shame the turbo-charged OM606 is only to be found in a W210.

 

[Sorry Pete]

I don't know why the 300d is so revered, I've had two and loved both of them, one went on to 340k miles, BUT they're not economical, I think low to mid 30 mpg as an average iirc. It's also expensive to buy

If going for a w124 I'd head for a 230e at that budget, not much less economical and you can turn up some surprising bargains at the £1000 mark.

I think the attraction of the 300d experience is their rugged simplicity, more so than a same-era petrol 124, without the electrics and injection side to cause a headache. I said goodbye to mine 18 months ago after 7 years' ownership, and it was utterly, totally reliable, always starting immediately. They just get under your skin somehow.

I very soon realised what a mistake I'd made in changing my ride, and have since been on the lookout for a good 124, toying again with getting a 126, but London street parking practicalities will probably douse that flame.

I got 36mpg, this was worked out over 20k miles, a light foot and 50/50 town/motorway.

I looked at a 1994 multivalve and though the mechanicals were good, the waterbased paints post 1993 facelift meant far more rust than I'd be happy with. I wouldn't go back to a 12v 300d now, they are slow.

A 230 isn't much more economical than the 6 cylinders are they? With £1k I'd take a whack at the best condition pre-92 car with a long ticket.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Good to see you back Sorry Pete!

 

[Sorry Pete]

Good to see you back Sorry Pete!

Good to be back Charles, and great to see the old names around here.

Sparodic lurker in the interim, and now MB-less.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

A 230 isn't much more economical than the 6 cylinders are they? With £1k I'd take a whack at the best condition pre-92 car with a long ticket.

No, a 230 and 300 are pretty similar I think, although my old 200te manual was very economical.

I would agree about the ore facelift too, much more durable in my experience, I only thought 230e as they seem unloved and therefor cheap compared to a 6 cylinder

Any w124 is a treat, my favourite car of all time

 

[grober]

For folks used to punchy TURBO diesels they will find the 300d glacial in progress. Performance is a power to weight thing. That big 3 litre straight 6 is a heavy old lump not producing much power in return for amazing longevity. The 230 petrol has a much better power to weight ratio at the expense of increased stress but they are pretty sound engines despite this. Weakness of CHG aside [ a manageable repair ] with the later twin timing chain they are good for up to 200,000 miles

 

[a111r]

Try a w123 240d, the later models made 72 BHP.

No more C63 upgrade$ needed.

 

[moonloops]

Try a w123 240d, the later models made 72 BHP.

A snail pulling a boat anchor up a rather steep hill comes to mind

 

[StuartK]

No, a 230 and 300 are pretty similar I think, although my old 200te manual was very economical.

I would agree about the ore facelift too, much more durable in my experience, I only thought 230e as they seem unloved and therefor cheap compared to a 6 cylinder

Any w124 is a treat, my favourite car of all time

W124 is a dream to drive and practically bullet proof!

 

[Charles Morgan]

I have very recent experience of a W124, properly maintained and serviced, looked after by caring owners that has needed new springs, new wings, cylinder head gasket (fortunately the loom was done a few years ago), new ECU, new kickdown cable and various other niggly things. The convertible I bought last year had had numerous major things done by the last owner. They are a minimum of 20 years old, and just getting into that territory when a lot of things need doing. I love them, but I now assume all will need a lot of suspension work, bodywork and mechanical work to keep them running, and parts (if available - many are not) are becoming very expensive. The number of specialists with experience of them (and fault finding without access to easy on-board diagnostics) is diminishing.

 

[Charles Morgan]

For folks used to punchy TURBO diesels they will find the 300d glacial in progress. Performance is a power to weight thing. That big 3 litre straight 6 is a heavy old lump not producing much power in return for amazing longevity. The 230 petrol has a much better power to weight ratio at the expense of increased stress but they are pretty sound engines despite this. Weakness of CHG aside [ a manageable repair ] with the later twin timing chain they are good for up to 200,000 miles

I agree on the 12v 300D - that makes glaciers seem C63 like, but the 24v can lift its skirts if driven hard - it is perversely very satisfying to rev a diesel like an Italian car. I find a good one much more fun to punt around than the 220s. Of course a turbo would help, but driven with determination they reward you. One of the many reasons I love them!