my neighbour has one for sale/180k miles,i was thinking about the veggie oil conversion but have never worked on a mercedes....and only sometimes get lucky with my 240's...comments?..kris

I just sold my 82 300sd.
Loved the car, ran and drove great , that big tuna boat would take curves faster than my 93 940 turbo with IPD sway bars on it, but for working on it, you have to be able to bend better than than I can these days. I would have liked to keep it ( my kids loved the AC vents in the back seat ) but that darn thing was just too painful to work on.For most folks it would still be easier to work on than anything out of detroit or japan in the last 20 years.
I like my *new* 86 740 turbo diesel better, everything is easy to reach.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD for sale

I'm not certain of what years were what, but if it's got the Standard diesel engine, GO FOR IT! The Standards run BETTER on biodiesel than on dino fuel!

They're long lived engines, but parts can sometimes be hard to find and pricey.............. BUT, there's an alternative.

My last MB had the Standard (wish I still had it, but a drunk killed it) and when I went to the parts store to get engine parts, I got a bunch of "that's gonna cost a ton to import" comments.

The thing is, I had just rebuilt the engine in my old Massy (tractor) To35, and it was the SAME Standard engine. Dropped by the discount tractor supply store here in town and bought everything I needed, cheaper than ONE injector kit would have cost from the parts store.

Have fun,
Frank

I have had a 300 SD Turbo diesel and a 300 TD diesel wagon, the former 500,000 k and running, the latter 450,000 K and running, amezing cars, just superior quality, from the seat stiching to the cam shaft, the turbo, the rear axel and evereything in between. Andrea

buy it. The diesel equivalent of the 240.
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Stef -- 1981 245 B21A SU M46 322000km my volvo pages

My buddy has one and he loves it... calls it "the little german tank that never runs out of gas".
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80 262C Coupe- (FSO black, M46, original) 82 244GLT- (auto)

Funny you should mention that, one of my clients has an '82 300CD (turbo diesel) with just over 300k miles that he just took out of storage. He said his mechanic had the head off a year ago to do head gasket & there was no visible wear, cylinder wall wear was about halfway from new specs to recommended rebore/rering measurement - figured it would go to 500,000 before overhaul. Not sure about turbo lifespan but I've heard it's very good unless overheated. Some of the mid-80s 5cyls were abominations though, with the cylinder bores actually warping around 70k. I think those are now the subject of a class action lawsuit against Mercedes in the US.
-Chris

we've had an 82 240d for ten years - four cylinder non-turbo but otherwise similiar. very good car.
somewhat more difficult to work on than a 240 volvo. parts can be more expensive. holds the road better than a volvo 240. everyone i've talked to says the turbo unit itself is very reliable.

maybe the owner has been reading the brickboard ;he has not called me back!thanks for all the feedback,Kris