Do We Know Anybody Who
 

is into/knows older Mercedes,like the 5cyl,4 door turbo sled?
I have made up my mind(what's left of it) to obtain a 300sd.
I need to know what I need to be careful of on these as in fuel pumps,transmissions,how many miles are too many,in general what are the weak points?Of course there are always going to be issues,but ...[coffee]

I'm not too deep into them, since I've only had it for a week and a half.

If you want a big Benz with a 5 cylinder (617 engine) you need an '85 or older car. The injection pumps are inline and run a long, long time. Transmissions are expensive, avoid ones that don't shift firmly. The 617 engines will run a long time, I wouldn't be any more nervous about miles on one of them than on a Cummins. Rust is the weak point. They have awesome undercoating but leaky interiors, so they rust from the inside out. Look for wet or musty smelling carpets and poke the floors with a screwdriver from the bottom when the owner isn't watching. The vacuum systems can be troublesome, but some quality time with a mityvac will help you fix any problems along those lines. The climate control panels are expensive, so make sure the HVAC system is in working order.

Try benzworld.org and mbworld.org. Lots of information about the older diesel cars. Unless I am terribly wrong the model you are looking for will be a W126. Ed B

I decided to find a good Benz diesel myself. I just love the idea I can fit in it.
LOL I know of one but I need to get more details. I think its a late 70's but not sure.

Scotty

While benzworld and mbworld may be a start, if you want a more educated crowd, read up on Mercedes Shop. Take heed to ForcedInduction's posts.

Hey guys big thanks for the sites,research begins tonite.
Dave,I'm only going for a Calif./Az car,so I'll slide on the rust problems.
Ed,yes I want the big sled.At this stage of my life I owe it to myself,so Panzerwagon it is.
Eventually this is going to run on Bio 100 (homebrew),maby an acilliary tank and filter system for WVO.But gosh I do like the size of the trunk.[coffee]
Dave,have you thought about fuel other than dino diesel in your merc?

Nope. I don't want to deal with the hassles and mess of biodiesel or a veggie conversion.