As a new LT in the Army in Germany, I bought an 82 230E in 1986. I drove it for four years, brought it back to the U.S. and drove it for another 14 years. I then sold it in 2004, and regretted the decision ever since. This past February, I received an email, 16 years later, from the person I sold it to asking if I wanted my old baby back. I jumped at the chance and I am now restoring it to former glory! Morale of the story, if you have one, DON"T sell it!
Excellent reporting style and review! My father has his 300D Turbo Diesel custom built in Germany back in 1983, and it still looks and feels like brand new. It was transported from Germany all the way as a brand new car to our home town of Fairbanks, Alaska. My Dad has kept it garaged all these 36 years. This has allowed the superb preservation of it special Mercedes blue paint: “Biscayne Blue”. These cars were built to last for several generations of a family. ~ Dr. Sanjay Kumar M.D.
Love your car, I bought my dream car two years ago, a 1979 Mercedes Benz 450 SL..a 40 year old car, very clean and 48,500 original miles. And I totally agree with you, I love the sound when the doors close.. "Bank Vault"
These cars are amazing. The comfort, that huge steering wheel, engines. Probably a top 3 contender for best car ever along with Volvo 240 and some toyota.
400,000 miles are nothing for them. There are many of these Mercs out there around africa and so on with about 1-2 million miles with their first engine and they are running great. Same with the 1.9 TDI from the vag group withOUT the commonrail system. Or the 2.5 liter straight 5 zylinder diesel, 68 horsepower, also vag group. My friend owns one with 900,000 miles, original engine, original gearbox, original head gasket, second clutch (manuell gearbox), turbo not changable because it doesn't has one. Greetings from Germany :)
The engine with 68HP is the 1.9TD, the 2.4D (naturally aspirated) delivers 78HP. Only the TDIs have a displacement of 2.5L. However, very good engines...
I sold one of my beloved w123's... yes I have many Mercedes models. 8 at last count and buying more. Gunther was his name, kind of a brutus looking Benz, sold it with a mere 397k on it and the fellow that bought it sent me the photo of it turning the 400k mark. Very cool, also sent me a photo of it doing over 110MPH- uh not sure what to make of that picture... Loved the video and keep 'em ROLLING!
752K on my 1984 300SD. Original engine lasted 703K. Just cant beat those engines. Just bought a 1983 SD with 132K original miles, mostly restored, and expect it to outlive me!
YES! this has been my dream car for a while. I never thought in a million years I’d see it on this channel. Love the beautiful design and the rattle of the old timeless engine!
In 1977 I got to go with my mother to Mercedes' Sindelfingen factory to pick up our new 240D with four speed manual. As part of European delivery, we got a complimentary tour of the factory before our new ride came out for us to depart in. I have always been a car person and for an 11 year old, that was a thrilling day. Just last week my mom gave me the key chain that she received that day, it says "Mercedes-Benz European Delivery Program - Stuttgart Germany," in the center an image of the original Mercedes with year 1886. Great video, congrats on your purchase! p.s. if you see these models from the 70s the headrests were more indented than your model
When I moved to Cape Town, South Africa I bought mysel a 1988 Merc 200 petrol - a slightly younger sucessor to this one. And although it likes to drink a little bit more of fuel, I would not change it for any other car. 31 years old and everything is still working!
@@tharwatlondt8492 Hi, have you tried getting the carburettor serviced? That should definitely help. Also, try checking for any leaks in the fuel lines (just a precaution), fuel filter should be clean... In my experience, even tyres and wheel alignment makes a huge difference. But it is unlikely to get better consumption than 10 - 11 liters per 100kms.
I drove a 190D for 12 years and still would be driving it had I not gone into motorhomes. Undoubtedly the best car I ever had. You certainly do not need diesel - I ran mine on vegetable oil when there was a big difference in fuel prices!
@@johnbradford6875 I put a film on my TH-cam channel in 2008 to make the point. I don't think there is any significant loss of power and it has a nicer smell than diesel.
those who didn't own this model don't know what we talk about, in the video we can't hear how it actually sounds. my dad had a 280se 1974, white, full red leather interior, red carpets,, wood detailing
Tommy. That´s your best buy ever. Period! Some background trivia on the W 123. Early production models suffered from really, really bad steel quality & rusted out upon delivery. 1975- 77 Models that is. Mercedes & Volkswagen forged out a deal with GDR Officials at that time, to receive cheap steel, with catastrophic consequences. Problems got solved with the 1978 model year and late Models (80-82) are the best of all.
I also have a W123 my baby is a E230 i love it dearly cant see me ever parting with it. 1982 230.000 km one owner who is a personal friend of mine she never drove it over 120 kph. Just had it resprayed getting it back tommorow can hardly wait. Great video keep up spreading the word. All old Mercs of this age deserve restoration.cheers Ian
Yes, you are one lucky guy! I wanted one of these when I was in high school while everyone else wanted a Trans Am or a Camaro. The 300 D is one of THE greatest cars ever built. The 208 CE (2 door coupe) was also an amazing car. Whoever owned this car before you took great care of it. Congratulations on your sweet find!
Big classic turbo diesel kicks on high rpm(3000/3500) not like now a day small variable geometry turbos that start boosting from 1700 rpm ! A million km engine, a precise hydraulic steering wheel , a well designed suspension , a bullet proof Manuel transmission makes this car became an *Heritage* from generation to other . Thank for this video and this beautiful piece of art that Mercedes will never ever built it again.
You are 100% correct, I have owned several Mercs over the years and currently have a 2014 CLS550, and your statement about maintenance is spot on. Many people are under the impression that Benzs are money pits, and while that can certainly be true, if you perform the maintenance as directed by MB they are as reliable and trouble-free as any other car. Congrats on the 300D, a truly well engineered automobile and yours appears to be in remarkable shape!
BEST CAR EVER MADE! Congratulations, you picked a wonderful car, backed up with a great community of enthusiasts. Solid buy, not too expensive for the milage and condition. You should have better acceleration off the line, so I'd say a tune up is in order. Also, yes, it's real wood covered with a thick layer of lacquer.
never let her go! I sold my 300E w124 and regret it! love the sound of the door closing, awesome build quality. I hope I can find mine again, last time I saw her on CL was on Meeker. Congrats for the car, she's a beauty!
Double timing chains, double water pump, factory skid plates, factory transmission cooler, huge transmission fluid and oil capacity. Look closely at that speedometer and you will see your maximum shift points for each of the four gears, indicated by multiple dots per gear. These motors perform most efficiently, and return better mpg, at higher rpm/mph. They love it. Mine is straight piped, suspension lowered a bit, performance intake, and the turbo turned up just a bit above factory specs. Pulls like a freight train from 2800 revs on. 240K Killer cars for sure.
Great car. Had an elementary school teacher that had the coupe version of this. But my favorite is (and don’t laugh) is the 300TD wagon. Don’t know why but I think they’re cool.
@@spacegreycoralred I just rebuilt the SLS pump, flushed the system with new fluid and changed the filter for less than $150. Not expensive since I won't have to repeat that for at least 10 years. Next I'll replace the rear accumulators and rebuild the rear suspension valve. Expected cost is $280 for all the parts. I am not a mechanic and I don't have any special tools.
I used to drive a very similar 300TD wagon for work and I absolutely loved that car. I've never owned a car (including new cars) that I enjoy driving nearly as much as that of 300TD. It was so slow but I didn't care. Loved it. Thanks for bringing back good memories!
Plus you can bring this MB series to a repair guy in literally every country on this planet and will get the job done seamlessly with an extra smile for free. The mechanics and electrics are simple and of such a good quality you can disassemble everything, fix everything and further use almost everything unless it has rusted to dust.
My first Mercedes was a 1982 300D (well used). Over time, I kept buying newer Mercedes. E300 TurboDiesel, E320 CDI, E320 Bluetec, and finally I had a 2012 S350 Diesel 4-Matic. I came to realize that the best driving cars were from the 1980s. I sold the 2012 and now have an 87 300SDL. These cars are awesome and you will thoroughly enjoy driving it. As my partner says...the sounds of that engine is telling you to not worry. It will not let you down. We lost the voltage regulator in his 82 300SD, battery went completely dead and yet the car continued on unfazed by the lack of a charging system. Have fun!
Their beautiful cars that will keep going and I love the way that diesel sounds too. Thank you for reviewing it was an amazing experience seeing this video
My parents bought a 1984 300D TurboDiesed back in 1984 brand new. Antrhacite Gray over Palomino MB Tex. Car looked exactly like this. I inherited it from them in the late 90s. I sold it in the Mid 2000s and now I Want it back. What a comfortable car. Very high quality. Reminded me of a German tractor. Interesting story: the turbo on ours was not functioning properly for many years and the car was a dog. We didn't even realize it, but when it was repaired it felt like a rocket ( to us). Watching your acceleration run transported me right back into our 300D. Good luck with it, enjoy!
The interior wood is veneered to thin aluminum so it doesn't splinter off in a crash. Beautiful car. I worked on those cars, they will last forever. The engine is strong but should run better than that at lower rpm on acceleration. If is still runs like that after filters and a valve adjustment suspect the throttle linkage is in need of adjustment. It wears normally with time and doesn't throw enough fuel. A good adjustment can make that car accelerate a lot better from low rpms. Also you're right about the trans. It isn't down shifting sometimes. Make sure to test the kick down switch mounted on the floor under the gas pedal. They go bad sometimes.
Very nice. I drive an ‘82 240D. Old Mercedes diesels are my favorite cars of all time. You can put much more than 400,000 miles on these cars. There’s quite a few with nearly a million miles on them. Also quite rust proof.
Welcome to the w123 community! I have a 85 in the same color! The transmission on mine is slipping and jerky upon cold start, and wasn't suspecting a vacuum issue. Let me know how fixing the vacuum works for you!
My Dad has an 82 240D and when he brought it home from the dealership our neighbor came by to check it out. He looked inside and said, "Wow, it's like a spaceship in here!" My how times have changed.
I am a MB two car owner W124 87 300D turbo and E300 95 non turbo. Never had the privilage to drive a W123. From what I have read, it seems MB W123 & W124 were among the best cars MB ever made. I love both my W124s. 87 has over 400K and 95 has a little over 200K. Yeah, I am addicted to the solid thunk of the doors also. I was blessed both times that the previous owners took great care of them. They are long distance, heavy cruisers. My 87 is white just like yours. Thanks for the video.
That W123 is in outstanding condition!!! GREAT job! The W123 is my all time favorite as well. And MB Tex because it was the backbone of the German taxi fleet in its day.
NO car is more faithful than a W123 diesel. You become one. I had nearly 400,000 miles on a 1981 non-turbo 300D. The body was badly rusted, but I always started and took me where I wanted.
I had two, 300D, not turbo, my first was a 1977 car, that I bought in 2003, white, just like this one. I had no vacuum problems since it didn't have cruise control, automatic transmission, AC and central lock. I had to stop it because it was to rusty to be a secure car. After it was stopped for 3 years I sold it for parts. The buyer tried to start it and it started like it was nothing, after a 3 year stop. I used it to pull a trailer with a racing car on it. The car was 1500kg, the trailer was 1000kg and the racing car was 700kg. After 30 years, the car pulled double is weight like it was nothing. The most reliable car ever!
Here in Malaysia, we have the non turbo version. My dad owned one when was in the logging industry in the late 70s using it to go into the logging camp running on dirt muddy roads. It's reliability & versatility really amassed me. The only thing is that it lacks power when overtaking on the trunk roads. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful TD version of this beauty.
Yea Kent is bright but frustrating. Most of his special tools are ridiculous. And those smeary gloves he wears in all his videos somehow bug me. The videos are teases too, well engineered to sell iffy mechanics videos and special tools really not needed. But I bought a turbo rebuild kit from him and am very satisfied. He spent a ton of time in the instructions explaining how to remove the turbo cartridge leaving the nautilus in situ. Requires his torch bent cheap wrench’s to accomplish. Why? I pulled the whole assembly off in 45 minutes, got it on the bench and did it right.
@@Guzzi_Cali2 His channel is a godsend to Mercedes owners. There is a lot of information offered on his channel for free that I have not been able to find anywhere else.
He's smart and filling the gap between the training for professional vehicle mechanics who lasts here 4 years to complete and the tinkering of many addicts who want to fix their own Benz.
My best friend's dad bought this car several years ago. It was AMAZING! Yes the engine sounds horrible from the outside, but from the inside the engine purrs like a tiger! It's also pretty powerful. It only got beaten by a bad mechanic, which was a shame.
I own a w123 79 280e and I share your enthusiasm. This car was considered the most over engineered car in the world at the time and it feels and drives every bit of it. Not sure what the addictive nature of this car is but I get that same excitement you described.
The Skoda Octavia Type 1U is basically the modern day equivalent to this car. I drive one with 400.000 kilometers already on it and it is working as if it was new.
I think the lag you notice below 2500 rpm is a bit unusual. Mine doesn’t have that much. Could need valve adjustment, injector purge, fuel filters. Regular maintenance items.
Bingo. It does need a valve adjustment and he said it smokes. it shouldn't do that and I suspect the injectors are overdue for a service .Sometimes even a dirty air filter will cause the OM617 to smoke. I have also had to fix accelerator cables on a lot of them when the owners complained about lack of guts. they weren't getting full throttle. 😀
Those injectors at least need to be re balanced. Also, those turbos can suffer from carbon build up and it can act as a brake. This will reduce power significantly. A friend of mine has one and it suffers from both of these issues. I have a w126 380se so I don't have to worry about turbos or anything. I just have to worry about the plastic timing chain guides and plastic oiler caps (I replaced the oiler caps, but the timing chain guides snapped).
I would argue that a ~150,000 mile 300D IS a low mileage example. At least in my area they hardly ever pop up with less than 230K. My '82 sits at just over 267000 miles, perfect cars all around. Good buy 👍 Don't convert it to bio-diesel and it will outlive us all.
@Ken Lee Over time it tends to gum up the lift pump and injection pump, ultimately leading to premature failure. Running wvo from time to time has been shown to actually help with low compression though, but it shouldn't be a regular thing. Nothing will happen to the engine as a result of veggie oil, but the fuel system will suffer. Injection pumps can be a bit pricey to replace.
@@kenlee9874 I beg to clarify something WindozeCS said.. you MUST make a distinction between the number of "garage mixed" formulas using vegetable oil and some kind of "magic" juice someone is selling you to *allow* you to run on WVO. These are NOT, repeat !NOT! good for diesels long term. Vegetable oil has all kinds of bad stuff in it that will give you troubles. The high-viscosity oils, fats, and other solids will eventually lead to problems with injectors, pumps (perhaps), pre-chambers, and gunk in the fuel tank if allowed to sit any length of time. However, ASTM certified biodiesel made from oil seeds such as soybeans, rap seeds and others will perform wonderfully very long term in diesels. This involves a precise chemical treatment of the raw oil (called transesterification) that produces quality fuel. After this process (which separates glycerin, long-chain fats, & other substances from the oil) the product (mostly methyl-esters) goes through a titration process then chemically filtered to produce the pure fuel. I have been running 100% biodiesel (B100) in two Mercedes cars for 23 years with zero issues. I've run hundreds of thousands of miles on it and coincidentally just yesterday decided to pull the injectors and replace the nozzles in my 1990 350SDL after 25 years and 250,000 miles in the engine just because I figured it was "about time". Well, it was probably a wasted effort. Every injector was identically clean, with good spray patterns, not a scintilla of wear on the nozzle heads, no burning, pitting or damage of any kind. Biodiesel is of much higher lubricity than modern diesel, so pumps love it. Studies have shown that even as little 5% mixture of biodiesel added to regular diesel improves pump life and reduces wear. There are a few caveats in switching to B100. Purchase two fuel filters and carry them with you. The bugs and algae that loves to grow in diesel tanks will quickly die when bathed in biodiesel and make their way to your filters which will cause fuel starvation a week or two after switching. You may have this problem two times at the most over the following few weeks. Once these are gone you probably won't have to purchase another fuel filter for 20 years (I'm at 22 years on the same filter). Also, biodiesel eats rubber. I've had no problems with fuel lines (since they're not pure rubber) but the "donut" seal around you fuel tank filler is rubber and if you spill fuel on it it will quickly turn to mush. Also, if you spill biodiesel on the ground around the tire below the filler tank it will destroy the tire in a few days (ask me how I know this! LOL). The other cautionary note is that biodiesel will gel at a higher temperature than conventional diesel. So if you live in an area where weather gets below around 25 degrees F in the winter (I certainly do) then you should run about a 50/50 mix of regular diesel and B100 in the winter. Now for some good news... it's a GREAT fuel. It emits much less particulates, smoking is greatly reduced or eliminated, engines run quieter due to it's much higher Cetane number, and I've been able to extend my oil change intervals by approximately three times the normal number of miles due to reduced soot production. I determined this by sending oil samples off for chemical analysis which gave me exact quantities of soot, wear metals, TBN numbers, and other pollutants., Besides all of that, it smells delicious, LOL. Until recently I would have said that it's more expensive than regular diesel, but currently it costs less. There is more to this story, but I'll wind it down here. There is virtually nothing that needs to be done to the engine, just start putting the fuel in the tank but don't forget to have some filters handy at first. You'll notice it right away in the way the engine runs. Finally, I feel it's important to note that none of the diesel car manufacturers sanction using any more than about 5% biodiesel in their cars. They scare you out of it by threatening to void your warranty and warning of damage. I can only conclude this because of the many veggie-oil scams, garage shops making the stuff, etc. that are out there presently. I've seen college kids setting up co-ops where you bring in your waste oil and they convert it to biodiesel for you... however these produce pretty sketchy fuel and are short on exacting titration and filtering needed to produce a quality product. If I was building diesels I'd probably say the same thing. The only other thing I might add is that B100's energy content is about 10% less than regular fuel so you might notice a slight power reduction if you're lead-footed. Finding B100 (or B99) can be challenging. Many places offer B20 (20% biodiesel), but B100 is not as common. BTW B20 will also kill the bugs in your tank. Cheers, Dennis
That's why I dump in MMO and 2 stroke oil and any kind of other oily substance like 40w aircraft oil(I've got 5 cases for free). Anything to help keep that fuel system lubricated with the low sulphur diesel we have now. Oh, and cetane boost because most stuff at the pumps in the US is like 40 cetane. That's like using 87 in a Corvette,the fuel needs more cetane for these guys to run properly.
Nice review. You can still find these 123s on a daily basis here in Germany. Especially taxi drivers loved them for their simplicity and robustness. 300D versions were rare even back in the day, not to mention the ultrarare 300 Turbodiesel. Most of them were 200D, 240D, 200 or 230. We used to call them the "last real Benz" (which we do with the 124 nowadays, too... ;-) ), but there were indeed some crucial issues with the 123. 1.) It was and is absolutely hopeless in winter. No traction at all. You had to put some sandbags into the boot to make it tackle the slightest snowy slopes. 2.) Miserable seats. They always felt like a wooden plank with some extremely soft stuff under it. Very hard surface but very weak springs. I f*cking hated it. 3.) Not too much space inside. It is not as spacious as it looks. With my 1,96m at the wheel it is absolutely impossible to sit behind me. 4.) They are slooooow. Except for the 280E and perhaps the 230E they are free from any sort of temperament. In the diesel versions you need a calendar to measure 0-60. 85 mph Vmax in the 200D, a bit over 90 in the 240D. On German Autobahns, what a joyride... 5.) Fuel consumption. European fuel is expensive. Not like in the US with their 3 cents for a Gallon. Even the "small" diesels take between 8 and 10 litres for 100 kms (dunno what that is in your currency ;-) ), the 300D is good for more than 12. The ultimate gas-guzzler was the early 250 carburettor, slurping around 15 litres, the 280E is slightly below that, the 230E is around 11. 6.) Rust. This may not be an issue in countries without a real winter, but here we throw shitloads of salt on the roads when it's freezing. Some cars could bear that, 123s couldn't. Some of them started to disintegrate after 10 years and fell apart after 15. But that happend to many cars at that time. But you know what? Despite all these flaws we still love our mighty old 123s. They have become true classics, we don't beat the crap out of them on a daily basis anymore. No sandbags in the boot, no flat out driving, no 2-ton-trailers anymore. Just sheer driving pleasure in perfect weather conditions. It was a life full of hard work but now it's time for the nice things...
I agree with nearly all of your assessments. I have a 1985 300DT. (I'm in the USA) İt's so much fun but yes inside is tight. Fuel consumption is high. I have the 2.88 rear end. So it is actually ok for long trips. You definitely need a good Michelins or winter tires and some weight... Otherwise yep not good... lol I also have a w124 300TD wagon. W124 is much more refined, more specious, better fuel economy, faster... I love both of them very much! W123 has an incredible character. W124 is a whole different experience.
I drive a 240d with a 300d turbo engine and I see another 123 at least every day in California, it easily maintains 140kmph up a steep mountain slope. Because of USA CAFE fuel economy laws they sold only diesel models on some years and the 300d is shockingly common here. A 280 is a special treat and the 250 a special rarity. There was no manual 300d even though it is so common which is why I put my car together.
I drive a 1983 240D with 4 speed manual transmission that i have owned for about 16 years and a 1977 280E that I have owned about 4 years. Both are 123s and I have 1995 124 E320 wagon. The 123s are solidly built cars and I prefer to drive them. The wagon is great but doesn't hold up as well. There is no rust on my cars but I believe rust is the biggest downfall of the 123s. As they disappear from the roads i see the values of mine going up every year.
Like most European cars in those days, bigger engines were slated for the North American, particularly USA market, to compete with big engine American cars. Most 300D and 300F Turbo-Diesels were sold in the USA. same goes for the 280 E gasoline edition.
Great car! I had an '85 300D. Only reason I sold it was it was black. If I had a white one like yours I'd probably still be driving it. And, they drive and ride really nicely, especially the steering and brakes. I agree the door sound is like nothing else - very satisfying.
Ah, the harsh 1-2 shift point...You'll almost certainly want Part #: 126-270-92-79-M22, shift modulator valve, as yours will have a cracked rubber diaphragm. Set the vacuum pressure with a vacuum gauge, which you'll have to attach to the bottom of your gearbox. You'll find instructions online and the precise pressure. Don't trust any dodgy youtuber who tells you to do it by shift feel, and you're unlikely to need any of the aftermarket spring kits, Mercedes engineered things magnificently in the first place. Much better interior than my W201. www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/3389/MBZ_3389_TRAUTO_pg4.htm#item15 (I don't work for them, I'm sure other suppliers have the part too. MercedesSource will prob have everything you need, though he does seem to charge a bit.) Cheerio!
My dad just got a client who brought this Mercedes from California,USA to Poland for renovation. 300 CD W123 with only 70,000 miles! It's a rare version of W123. This one is 197X year, 3.0 TURBO Diesel COUPE with sweet extras like climatronic, electronic sunroof and electronic windows, wood interior details, banana leather seats. I will repeat, 3.0 TURBO Diesel COUPE from 197X year. Since coming out from factory this one has still original rims and car battery and i love that when this car is so old and you can just even today start the engine with a single touch. My dad loves Mercedes and he is so surprised that he can work with such a classic old one W123. There isnt any rust on this car, but anyway my dad is going to renew chromes and renew colour on a whole parts.
I am 17 years old and live in Norway, i just bought myself a 86 5speed manual 300td wagon. Sorry to the purists but im lowering IT and swapping to a om606 with 7mm dieselmeken pump.
It's fine I have that setup with compound turbos and a myna, but you will likely be happier with an om648, larger vnt and some big injectors and the 400cdi fuel pump.
put it in use is not an ofense to the purists, at least it shouldn´t be, how many cars designed in the mid 70´s catch the interest of younger generations and it delivers pleasure drivin´it with great quality, if well taken care off,regards . My self when younger adapt a 3.0L turbo mercedes engine on a 70´s mesaratti four dour ,if didn´t it was impossible for me to drive it due to the gasoline comsumption
Congrats on finally getting the car you’ve always dreamed of. And thank you for sharing. Nice to see and hear enthusiasm for these older cars from a young guy. I can see you are completely enamoured by it, and rightly so.
I’ve been looking for one of those for years! Be happy that you have 14 inch tires so you don’t have to pay a lot of money for tires! Car looks great!!!!
Deepblu dude hi here in Morocco we change many think and if you want to do that u need many things if u intrest to know just tell me and I see what can I do for you
Agreed!!! This was when Mercedes was well built....my cousin has a fleet of old Mercedes, ranging from s-class with air suspension problem, to a red w124, a venerable w123 similar to yours, we were shocked that he drove my dear old auntie back in that as the air conditioning was out as well as the power windows, the whole car load nearly suffocated during their journey back home and lastly an sl, same as yours but in far worst condition, but we still felt glamorous as he drove us back to our hotel in it and we felt like superstars from the 80s like Dallas, dynasty and hart to hart tv series...:)
Ive owned many many gm, chryslers, lincolns from 60s to later models. I just got a 77 240d recently for 600 bucks. needed a brake job and tires. now its my daily. it is slow. but im falling more in love with it every day. I also noticed to sound as i shut the door! Seemed so quality. I love the interior, and am starting to love the diesel clatter. its at 228k. everything on it works except cruise control. Its less rusty than my 05 dodge stratus. im in minnesota though, so wont be driving it in the winter with the crazy salt they put down. great vid. great car
Love your 300D. I have an 81 300CD with 96000 original miles. Got it's issues but still runs well. Taking it out of a 3 year slumber this summer and can't wait to fix it twice and drive it once! Diesel Purge Injector Cleaning Treatment. All filters and fluids will be changed. New CV boots and Drive shaft disk's and center bearing. Pads and rotors. Have fun and drive the crap out of it. Love to go...hate to sit!
Tommy, A few points to say. Firstly - I love the fact that you cherish some of these early model cars... Its quite endearing. Now regarding that Mercedes, over in the UK and Germany I've seen these (as taxis) with well over a million miles on the clock. As for fuel, you know that engine will run on svo right? (yes straight vegetable oil) only needing a couple of fuel filter changes as it gets rid of the million year old dinosaur crud fuel. This looks in great condition and can't wait for an ongoing series with this... Also - did you know older mercs did well in the depth of winter... I'm sure you'll figure some exciting stuff to follow... Pressing play again... :)
Great Cars! I have had 3 of them in my life and wish I still had my last one. Built like tanks... Love the sound of the diesel and the way it floats down the road. Enjoy and congratulations!
@@edwinheintjes9285 no it uses the same engine as a Nissan the 4 cyl look it up. But I'll tell you this. Benz really really hid this fact good. They don't want people to know their is a Nissan engine chasis and what not
@@edwinheintjes9285 no it's more than that. Hell the cla is a fucking front wheel drive platform. Where do you think they got that from. Nissan!!!! And that mercedes pick up truck is a fucking Nissan frontier type underneath. They just out a "Benz" body on top of the Nissan platform. Same with the cla. That's why I have always loved bmw. Because it's pure. When you buy a bmw you truly get a bmw
Back in the 90s we have had Mercedes like 90% of all cars in Our Country ..More than Germany too...😉..This car war a symbol of strength..Greetings from Albania..✌️
i think it is not true i went from corfu to sarana by boot and when i arrived there was a car park with lets say 500 cars and there was only 1 car that wasent a mercedes and by the way it was a bmw that was 2003 and i saw alot of x5 and porsch cayene but the 99% of cars are mercedes 123 and 124 models or bigger so much to albania i hope your country is doing better no after all the shit they did to your country best wishes a. from phuket
I recently bought a 2001 C220 Cdi estate for just £490 and apart from a little rust around the rear wheel arches its fine. It has covered 231,000 miles and drives beautifully, it has a 6 speed manual gearbox and will return 60+ mpg on the motorway.
Love it Tommy keep up the good work on the channel. Do you still off-road with you boys from the older videos? Thanks again for the great content form the flat lands of Virginia.
Have fun with your new ride! These were great! I had purchased a 1982 300TD Wagon, with 200K miles on it, drove it 100K, then sold it with 300K. The ride was great. Wagons had hydropnuamatic system for the rear. Many times had a vac leak, and had to pop to hood to shut off engine. Or leave the car unlocked. Eventually you would find the vac leak. Also note that the climate control for it's day used PID logic, for fan speed [in auto] and temp control mixed heating valve and cool outside air to regulate the temp just where you set it. Also mechanical access was also engineered to be able to service parts. Mine had issues with a few glow plug not function over time. Sometime really difficult to change because of unlike metals. The transmission with the vac line to modulator to shift, had an adjustment. But always shifted like slam at startup. To this day Mercedes Trans are wierd until up to operating temp. Have fun!
Yes without a doubt these Mercedes was the best Mercedes ever built in their time and era they could quite easily do 3 to 400000 miles with regular servicing no problem I was in the motor trade for 30 years back in the day when people use to drive these cars all the time I regularly servest one of his Mercedes that reach 250k and no problem it sounded like a car that done 30000 miles there was always noisy and I think that's how they got away with it but they really was amazing cars Mercedes god bless let's make some more cars like this that lasts a millennium
Well the first W123s were made in 1976 I believe, they made this model and improved it with the turbo etc.. until 1985. But the earliest ones are not 47, maybe 43 in my head.
not one or the other, they were developed in the early 70´s only released in 76 ,there´s 4 years diference not 10 and they didn´t came out earlier because of the success of the w114 and w115
@@415s30 right ,but till they added the turbo in diesel engines in 1980, there were at least 2 diferent gas engines and 3 diesel engines, they came out with the 230 c,280c ,200d,220d,240d,in 76 ,only later the 300d and even later the 240TD and the 300TD, or 44 years old in the market not 33 ,that were the w124.
the guy don´t know the car it´s the tiny version of the w123 ,normally they came with the 200D and 240D, the body where they use the 300D engine is doble the size of that one, regards
I've got a 1985 300D, her name is Felicity, and I adore her. Yours is so clean and the interior looks so good! My previous one made it almost to 500 thousand, but blew chunks on a mountain pass. Old Benzes forever!!!
This was our family car from about 1983 until my dad traded it in about 2003. Ours was blue and it had over 300k when we got rid of it. Lots of memories of trips in that car. I took my drivers test in that car.
That rib on the tail lights also makes them show in bright angled sunlight because the valley areas are always shaded by the rib above. Have owned a 74, 79, 82, and 1983 in this car.
Probably why I see nice-looking, shiny, newer Mercedes ( and Audi, BMW, Volvo) in junkyards now, with no body damage. The recent models are money pits after the warranty ends!
As a new LT in the Army in Germany, I bought an 82 230E in 1986. I drove it for four years, brought it back to the U.S. and drove it for another 14 years. I then sold it in 2004, and regretted the decision ever since. This past February, I received an email, 16 years later, from the person I sold it to asking if I wanted my old baby back. I jumped at the chance and I am now restoring it to former glory! Morale of the story, if you have one, DON"T sell it!
My grandma still has her light blue Mercedes with around 1 million km or more
BEST MERCEDES EVER MADE.. BIG RESPECT
Do you still have your 300D?
Excellent reporting style and review!
My father has his 300D Turbo Diesel custom built in Germany back in 1983, and it still looks and feels like brand new. It was transported from Germany all the way as a brand new car to our home town of Fairbanks, Alaska. My Dad has kept it garaged all these 36 years. This has allowed the superb preservation of it special Mercedes blue paint: “Biscayne Blue”.
These cars were built to last for several generations of a family.
~ Dr. Sanjay Kumar M.D.
The W123 E300D ....
The Best Mercedes Ever Made
Best Regards from Germany
Е300D?
"Best Mercedes ever made"
"Car I can't even name"
@@худой_Бердыев the e class is the wagon, the wagons are the most durable of the models.
@@Tiffany-qf6sj e class is not the wagon at all
Who agrees that the Cars today are just overprised pieces of plastic
Some are pretty good. My wifes lexus is pretty solid.
Not to mention the so cool IT functions
true. plastic computer shit! long live w123, w201, w124
Yep.
@@ianboard544 Ok anything Toyota doesn't count.
We owned an '82 300D...same color, even! It had 318k miles when we traded it. Best car we've ever owned. Congratulations, it is a great looking Benz!
Love your car, I bought my dream car two years ago, a 1979 Mercedes Benz 450 SL..a 40 year old car, very clean and 48,500 original miles.
And I totally agree with you, I love the sound when the doors close..
"Bank Vault"
These cars are amazing. The comfort, that huge steering wheel, engines.
Probably a top 3 contender for best car ever along with Volvo 240 and some toyota.
I'll add old Citroens, like a good old CX, so smooth to drive and so quirky
400,000 miles are nothing for them. There are many of these Mercs out there around africa and so on with about 1-2 million miles with their first engine and they are running great.
Same with the 1.9 TDI from the vag group withOUT the commonrail system. Or the 2.5 liter straight 5 zylinder diesel, 68 horsepower, also vag group. My friend owns one with 900,000 miles, original engine, original gearbox, original head gasket, second clutch (manuell gearbox), turbo not changable because it doesn't has one.
Greetings from Germany :)
The Curry heftig! :)
The engine with 68HP is the 1.9TD, the 2.4D (naturally aspirated) delivers 78HP. Only the TDIs have a displacement of 2.5L. However, very good engines...
So true! The 1.9 is absolutely insane. You forgot to mention, that it only needs 5 litres to 100 km. :)
I sold one of my beloved w123's... yes I have many Mercedes models. 8 at last count and buying more. Gunther was his name, kind of a brutus looking Benz, sold it with a mere 397k on it and the fellow that bought it sent me the photo of it turning the 400k mark. Very cool, also sent me a photo of it doing over 110MPH- uh not sure what to make of that picture... Loved the video and keep 'em ROLLING!
752K on my 1984 300SD. Original engine lasted 703K. Just cant beat those engines. Just bought a 1983 SD with 132K original miles, mostly restored, and expect it to outlive me!
YES! this has been my dream car for a while. I never thought in a million years I’d see it on this channel. Love the beautiful design and the rattle of the old timeless engine!
Jkjoshua567 it was a really nice surprise
Adib BehrooziTV yeah! I hope they do some test with it like mpg runs and stuff. It would be cool to see.
In 1977 I got to go with my mother to Mercedes' Sindelfingen factory to pick up our new 240D with four speed manual. As part of European delivery, we got a complimentary tour of the factory before our new ride came out for us to depart in. I have always been a car person and for an 11 year old, that was a thrilling day. Just last week my mom gave me the key chain that she received that day, it says "Mercedes-Benz European Delivery Program - Stuttgart Germany," in the center an image of the original Mercedes with year 1886. Great video, congrats on your purchase! p.s. if you see these models from the 70s the headrests were more indented than your model
When I moved to Cape Town, South Africa I bought mysel a 1988 Merc 200 petrol - a slightly younger sucessor to this one. And although it likes to drink a little bit more of fuel, I would not change it for any other car. 31 years old and everything is still working!
Hi
I've also just bought a w123 1986 200 manual, also live in Cape Town, and ja it's definately heavy on juice, any advice on better fuel economy?
@@tharwatlondt8492 Hi, have you tried getting the carburettor serviced? That should definitely help. Also, try checking for any leaks in the fuel lines (just a precaution), fuel filter should be clean... In my experience, even tyres and wheel alignment makes a huge difference. But it is unlikely to get better consumption than 10 - 11 liters per 100kms.
Wow, this car is immaculate. Congrats on the purchase
I drove a 190D for 12 years and still would be driving it had I not gone into motorhomes. Undoubtedly the best car I ever had. You certainly do not need diesel - I ran mine on vegetable oil when there was a big difference in fuel prices!
Really? I did not know that could be done
@@johnbradford6875 I put a film on my TH-cam channel in 2008 to make the point. I don't think there is any significant loss of power and it has a nicer smell than diesel.
@@VanlifewithAlan smells like fried potatoes, or french fries wich in france they call it pommes frites
Yes, I put my old French fries oil in the Benz, instead delivering it to the waste department. Mixed with diesel in the tank, it runs great.
I'm addicted to the door noise too!
1985 126 and my 1980 123.
those who didn't own this model don't know what we talk about, in the video we can't hear how it actually sounds. my dad had a 280se 1974, white, full red leather interior, red carpets,, wood detailing
Dan Hentes the camera microphone just can’t pick up the visceral THUD the doors produce, it’s like a vault closing!
Tommy. That´s your best buy ever. Period! Some background trivia on the W 123. Early production models suffered from really, really bad steel quality & rusted out upon delivery. 1975- 77 Models that is. Mercedes & Volkswagen forged out a deal with GDR Officials at that time, to receive cheap steel, with catastrophic consequences. Problems got solved with the 1978 model year and late Models (80-82) are the best of all.
I have one of these with 420,000 miles on it with an engine that runs like new. You’re right these cars are amazing! Thanks for posting this video!
The W123 was truly engineered to last forever.
I also have a W123 my baby is a E230 i love it dearly cant see me ever parting with it. 1982 230.000 km one owner who is a personal friend of mine she never drove it over 120 kph.
Just had it resprayed getting it back tommorow can hardly wait. Great video keep up spreading the word. All old Mercs of this age deserve restoration.cheers Ian
Drove a 1980 240D in high school. My dad still owns it and it runs like a top.
Ian Gilbert how many miles
Yes, you are one lucky guy! I wanted one of these when I was in high school while everyone else wanted a Trans Am or a Camaro. The 300 D is one of THE greatest cars ever built. The 208 CE (2 door coupe) was also an amazing car. Whoever owned this car before you took great care of it. Congratulations on your sweet find!
Big classic turbo diesel kicks on high rpm(3000/3500) not like now a day small variable geometry turbos that start boosting from 1700 rpm !
A million km engine, a precise hydraulic steering wheel , a well designed suspension , a bullet proof Manuel transmission makes this car became an *Heritage* from generation to other .
Thank for this video and this beautiful piece of art that Mercedes will never ever built it again.
You are 100% correct, I have owned several Mercs over the years and currently have a 2014 CLS550, and your statement about maintenance is spot on. Many people are under the impression that Benzs are money pits, and while that can certainly be true, if you perform the maintenance as directed by MB they are as reliable and trouble-free as any other car. Congrats on the 300D, a truly well engineered automobile and yours appears to be in remarkable shape!
BEST CAR EVER MADE! Congratulations, you picked a wonderful car, backed up with a great community of enthusiasts. Solid buy, not too expensive for the milage and condition. You should have better acceleration off the line, so I'd say a tune up is in order. Also, yes, it's real wood covered with a thick layer of lacquer.
It's an automatic 😑
never let her go! I sold my 300E w124 and regret it! love the sound of the door closing, awesome build quality. I hope I can find mine again, last time I saw her on CL was on Meeker. Congrats for the car, she's a beauty!
Double timing chains, double water pump, factory skid plates, factory transmission cooler, huge transmission fluid and oil capacity.
Look closely at that speedometer and you will see your maximum shift points for each of the four gears, indicated by multiple dots per gear.
These motors perform most efficiently, and return better mpg, at higher rpm/mph. They love it.
Mine is straight piped, suspension lowered a bit, performance intake, and the turbo turned up just a bit above factory specs. Pulls like a freight train from 2800 revs on.
240K
Killer cars for sure.
You did a manual boost controller on yours?
I had a 1979 240D manual transmission and sun roof when I was 21 and I loved that car! I really wish I had that car again! Very, very reliable cars!
Great car. Had an elementary school teacher that had the coupe version of this. But my favorite is (and don’t laugh) is the 300TD wagon. Don’t know why but I think they’re cool.
Good choice.
@Theodore Marakas #SaveTheWagon
The TD wagons are nice, but you have the hydraulic rear suspension to deal with, and that gets costly.
The 300 TD is a sweet ride, Will B. I have always wanted one of those, too.
@@spacegreycoralred I just rebuilt the SLS pump, flushed the system with new fluid and changed the filter for less than $150. Not expensive since I won't have to repeat that for at least 10 years. Next I'll replace the rear accumulators and rebuild the rear suspension valve. Expected cost is $280 for all the parts. I am not a mechanic and I don't have any special tools.
I used to drive a very similar 300TD wagon for work and I absolutely loved that car. I've never owned a car (including new cars) that I enjoy driving nearly as much as that of 300TD. It was so slow but I didn't care. Loved it. Thanks for bringing back good memories!
Salute !...you get it. There are many who don't. Great purchase.
Plus you can bring this MB series to a repair guy in literally every country on this planet and will get the job done seamlessly with an extra smile for free. The mechanics and electrics are simple and of such a good quality you can disassemble everything, fix everything and further use almost everything unless it has rusted to dust.
Had a brand new 200 1979.
Best drive ever. Biggest mistake of my life is that I sold it after 23 years to bye a new Merc.
My first Mercedes was a 1982 300D (well used). Over time, I kept buying newer Mercedes. E300 TurboDiesel, E320 CDI, E320 Bluetec, and finally I had a 2012 S350 Diesel 4-Matic. I came to realize that the best driving cars were from the 1980s. I sold the 2012 and now have an 87 300SDL. These cars are awesome and you will thoroughly enjoy driving it. As my partner says...the sounds of that engine is telling you to not worry. It will not let you down. We lost the voltage regulator in his 82 300SD, battery went completely dead and yet the car continued on unfazed by the lack of a charging system. Have fun!
Their beautiful cars that will keep going and I love the way that diesel sounds too. Thank you for reviewing it was an amazing experience seeing this video
Jc C "they're" not "their"
My parents bought a 1984 300D TurboDiesed back in 1984 brand new. Antrhacite Gray over Palomino MB Tex. Car looked exactly like this. I inherited it from them in the late 90s. I sold it in the Mid 2000s and now I Want it back. What a comfortable car. Very high quality. Reminded me of a German tractor. Interesting story: the turbo on ours was not functioning properly for many years and the car was a dog. We didn't even realize it, but when it was repaired it felt like a rocket ( to us). Watching your acceleration run transported me right back into our 300D. Good luck with it, enjoy!
The interior wood is veneered to thin aluminum so it doesn't splinter off in a crash. Beautiful car. I worked on those cars, they will last forever. The engine is strong but should run better than that at lower rpm on acceleration. If is still runs like that after filters and a valve adjustment suspect the throttle linkage is in need of adjustment. It wears normally with time and doesn't throw enough fuel. A good adjustment can make that car accelerate a lot better from low rpms. Also you're right about the trans. It isn't down shifting sometimes. Make sure to test the kick down switch mounted on the floor under the gas pedal. They go bad sometimes.
Very nice. I drive an ‘82 240D. Old Mercedes diesels are my favorite cars of all time. You can put much more than 400,000 miles on these cars. There’s quite a few with nearly a million miles on them. Also quite rust proof.
Welcome to the w123 community! I have a 85 in the same color! The transmission on mine is slipping and jerky upon cold start, and wasn't suspecting a vacuum issue. Let me know how fixing the vacuum works for you!
fixing the vacuum on my 1980 123 solved the problem.
Hello fellow white ‘85 W123 owner!
@@300DBenz hi! My 123 is an 80, but my 126 is the 85
@@300DBenz nonetheless, still fellow white 123 owners!
My Dad has an 82 240D and when he brought it home from the dealership our neighbor came by to check it out. He looked inside and said, "Wow, it's like a spaceship in here!" My how times have changed.
I've always loved this generation Mercedes-Benz. I remember when Mercedes-Benz cars looked like those in this video.
I am a MB two car owner W124 87 300D turbo and E300 95 non turbo. Never had the privilage to drive a W123. From what I have read, it seems MB W123 & W124 were among the best cars MB ever made. I love both my W124s. 87 has over 400K and 95 has a little over 200K. Yeah, I am addicted to the solid thunk of the doors also. I was blessed both times that the previous owners took great care of them. They are long distance, heavy cruisers. My 87 is white just like yours. Thanks for the video.
You're the future of TFL. Well done! A good review and you delivered your insights well.
That W123 is in outstanding condition!!! GREAT job! The W123 is my all time favorite as well. And MB Tex because it was the backbone of the German taxi fleet in its day.
NO car is more faithful than a W123 diesel. You become one. I had nearly 400,000 miles on a 1981 non-turbo 300D. The body was badly rusted, but I always started and took me where I wanted.
A fellow Benz enthusiast. I love it, man. Amazing car. I have (almost) the exact same car with almost double the mileage. Awesome!
My dad had one of those back in 83 up to 86 ...
Great car , I was a kid back then and I had great time riding in it 😉
Couldn't agree more. Love these machines. The best car ever made, the W123 Mercedes.
I agree; it's perfection on wheels.
I had two, 300D, not turbo, my first was a 1977 car, that I bought in 2003, white, just like this one. I had no vacuum problems since it didn't have cruise control, automatic transmission, AC and central lock. I had to stop it because it was to rusty to be a secure car. After it was stopped for 3 years I sold it for parts. The buyer tried to start it and it started like it was nothing, after a 3 year stop. I used it to pull a trailer with a racing car on it. The car was 1500kg, the trailer was 1000kg and the racing car was 700kg. After 30 years, the car pulled double is weight like it was nothing. The most reliable car ever!
When you showed the panel gaps I just thought of the Tesla from new. FROM NEW, AND THIS IS 37 YEARS OLD!
The sound of the door and the sight of the seats brought back lots of fond memories of my Dad's '73 250 sedan. Thanks
Hi , love your mercedes but I don’t like your calculations ... let see , the car is 1982 and today is 2019 tha should be 37 NOT 47 😂😂😂
production started in '75, so, pretty much close...
I shore agree with you must be 37 years old.
Here in Malaysia, we have the non turbo version. My dad owned one when was in the logging industry in the late 70s using it to go into the logging camp running on dirt muddy roads. It's reliability & versatility really amassed me. The only thing is that it lacks power when overtaking on the trunk roads. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful TD version of this beauty.
Kent Bergsma would be proud.
The guy who talks a lot and says nothing and only wants to sell his products?
@@Guzzi_Cali2 find fault with that. Nothing is for free. It's called making money in which what we do in America.
Yea Kent is bright but frustrating. Most of his special tools are ridiculous. And those smeary gloves he wears in all his videos somehow bug me. The videos are teases too, well engineered to sell iffy mechanics videos and special tools really not needed. But I bought a turbo rebuild kit from him and am very satisfied. He spent a ton of time in the instructions explaining how to remove the turbo cartridge leaving the nautilus in situ. Requires his torch bent cheap wrench’s to accomplish. Why? I pulled the whole assembly off in 45 minutes, got it on the bench and did it right.
@@Guzzi_Cali2 His channel is a godsend to Mercedes owners. There is a lot of information offered on his channel for free that I have not been able to find anywhere else.
He's smart and filling the gap between the training for professional vehicle mechanics who lasts here 4 years to complete and the tinkering of many
addicts who want to fix their own Benz.
My best friend's dad bought this car several years ago. It was AMAZING! Yes the engine sounds horrible from the outside, but from the inside the engine purrs like a tiger! It's also pretty powerful. It only got beaten by a bad mechanic, which was a shame.
THUNK!!!! love the heavy feeling sounds and look of all the textures even the steering wheel look so satisfying! great find and awesome car..
I own a w123 79 280e and I share your enthusiasm. This car was considered the most over engineered car in the world at the time and it feels and drives every bit of it. Not sure what the addictive nature of this car is but I get that same excitement you described.
The 123 series is a true classic , I owned a 230 E 1984 model . It was the best car a man could own 😘
The Skoda Octavia Type 1U is basically the modern day equivalent to this car. I drive one with 400.000 kilometers already on it and it is working as if it was new.
I have had an 83 for many years, I won't sell it! The Volvo 240s are in the same ballpark for longest lasting cars.
Amazing, I daily drive a 1981 300SD (W126) same motor as yours (OM617) It has 277,000 on It and runs great.
I think the lag you notice below 2500 rpm is a bit unusual. Mine doesn’t have that much. Could need valve adjustment, injector purge, fuel filters. Regular maintenance items.
Blake ONeill it’s turbo lag
Bingo. It does need a valve adjustment and he said it smokes. it shouldn't do that and I suspect the injectors are overdue for a service .Sometimes even a dirty air filter will cause the OM617 to smoke. I have also had to fix accelerator cables on a lot of them when the owners complained about lack of guts. they weren't getting full throttle. 😀
Those injectors at least need to be re balanced. Also, those turbos can suffer from carbon build up and it can act as a brake. This will reduce power significantly. A friend of mine has one and it suffers from both of these issues. I have a w126 380se so I don't have to worry about turbos or anything. I just have to worry about the plastic timing chain guides and plastic oiler caps (I replaced the oiler caps, but the timing chain guides snapped).
+Larry Queen learn how to read dude, he said clearly "Mine doesn't have that" he has one so he would know that it's not normal.
My dad had a 1969-70 220D when we were living abroad. Now, that, was indeed a tank.
I would argue that a ~150,000 mile 300D IS a low mileage example. At least in my area they hardly ever pop up with less than 230K. My '82 sits at just over 267000 miles, perfect cars all around. Good buy 👍
Don't convert it to bio-diesel and it will outlive us all.
Hey man just wanted to know what kind of damage does biodiesel does to engines?
@Ken Lee Over time it tends to gum up the lift pump and injection pump, ultimately leading to premature failure. Running wvo from time to time has been shown to actually help with low compression though, but it shouldn't be a regular thing. Nothing will happen to the engine as a result of veggie oil, but the fuel system will suffer. Injection pumps can be a bit pricey to replace.
@@kenlee9874 I beg to clarify something WindozeCS said.. you MUST make a distinction between the number of "garage mixed" formulas using vegetable oil and some kind of "magic" juice someone is selling you to *allow* you to run on WVO. These are NOT, repeat !NOT! good for diesels long term. Vegetable oil has all kinds of bad stuff in it that will give you troubles. The high-viscosity oils, fats, and other solids will eventually lead to problems with injectors, pumps (perhaps), pre-chambers, and gunk in the fuel tank if allowed to sit any length of time. However, ASTM certified biodiesel made from oil seeds such as soybeans, rap seeds and others will perform wonderfully very long term in diesels. This involves a precise chemical treatment of the raw oil (called transesterification) that produces quality fuel. After this process (which separates glycerin, long-chain fats, & other substances from the oil) the product (mostly methyl-esters) goes through a titration process then chemically filtered to produce the pure fuel. I have been running 100% biodiesel (B100) in two Mercedes cars for 23 years with zero issues. I've run hundreds of thousands of miles on it and coincidentally just yesterday decided to pull the injectors and replace the nozzles in my 1990 350SDL after 25 years and 250,000 miles in the engine just because I figured it was "about time". Well, it was probably a wasted effort. Every injector was identically clean, with good spray patterns, not a scintilla of wear on the nozzle heads, no burning, pitting or damage of any kind. Biodiesel is of much higher lubricity than modern diesel, so pumps love it. Studies have shown that even as little 5% mixture of biodiesel added to regular diesel improves pump life and reduces wear. There are a few caveats in switching to B100. Purchase two fuel filters and carry them with you. The bugs and algae that loves to grow in diesel tanks will quickly die when bathed in biodiesel and make their way to your filters which will cause fuel starvation a week or two after switching. You may have this problem two times at the most over the following few weeks. Once these are gone you probably won't have to purchase another fuel filter for 20 years (I'm at 22 years on the same filter). Also, biodiesel eats rubber. I've had no problems with fuel lines (since they're not pure rubber) but the "donut" seal around you fuel tank filler is rubber and if you spill fuel on it it will quickly turn to mush. Also, if you spill biodiesel on the ground around the tire below the filler tank it will destroy the tire in a few days (ask me how I know this! LOL). The other cautionary note is that biodiesel will gel at a higher temperature than conventional diesel. So if you live in an area where weather gets below around 25 degrees F in the winter (I certainly do) then you should run about a 50/50 mix of regular diesel and B100 in the winter. Now for some good news... it's a GREAT fuel. It emits much less particulates, smoking is greatly reduced or eliminated, engines run quieter due to it's much higher Cetane number, and I've been able to extend my oil change intervals by approximately three times the normal number of miles due to reduced soot production. I determined this by sending oil samples off for chemical analysis which gave me exact quantities of soot, wear metals, TBN numbers, and other pollutants., Besides all of that, it smells delicious, LOL. Until recently I would have said that it's more expensive than regular diesel, but currently it costs less. There is more to this story, but I'll wind it down here. There is virtually nothing that needs to be done to the engine, just start putting the fuel in the tank but don't forget to have some filters handy at first. You'll notice it right away in the way the engine runs. Finally, I feel it's important to note that none of the diesel car manufacturers sanction using any more than about 5% biodiesel in their cars. They scare you out of it by threatening to void your warranty and warning of damage. I can only conclude this because of the many veggie-oil scams, garage shops making the stuff, etc. that are out there presently. I've seen college kids setting up co-ops where you bring in your waste oil and they convert it to biodiesel for you... however these produce pretty sketchy fuel and are short on exacting titration and filtering needed to produce a quality product. If I was building diesels I'd probably say the same thing. The only other thing I might add is that B100's energy content is about 10% less than regular fuel so you might notice a slight power reduction if you're lead-footed. Finding B100 (or B99) can be challenging. Many places offer B20 (20% biodiesel), but B100 is not as common. BTW B20 will also kill the bugs in your tank. Cheers, Dennis
That's why I dump in MMO and 2 stroke oil and any kind of other oily substance like 40w aircraft oil(I've got 5 cases for free).
Anything to help keep that fuel system lubricated with the low sulphur diesel we have now. Oh, and cetane boost because most stuff at the pumps in the US is like 40 cetane.
That's like using 87 in a Corvette,the fuel needs more cetane for these guys to run properly.
I had an '87 300 SDL. Inline six turbo-diesel. 18 feet long. God, what a monster! And 30 highway mpg. Absolutely phenomenal.
Nice review. You can still find these 123s on a daily basis here in Germany. Especially taxi drivers loved them for their simplicity and robustness. 300D versions were rare even back in the day, not to mention the ultrarare 300 Turbodiesel. Most of them were 200D, 240D, 200 or 230. We used to call them the "last real Benz" (which we do with the 124 nowadays, too... ;-) ), but there were indeed some crucial issues with the 123.
1.) It was and is absolutely hopeless in winter. No traction at all. You had to put some sandbags into the boot to make it tackle the slightest snowy slopes.
2.) Miserable seats. They always felt like a wooden plank with some extremely soft stuff under it. Very hard surface but very weak springs. I f*cking hated it.
3.) Not too much space inside. It is not as spacious as it looks. With my 1,96m at the wheel it is absolutely impossible to sit behind me.
4.) They are slooooow. Except for the 280E and perhaps the 230E they are free from any sort of temperament. In the diesel versions you need a calendar to measure 0-60. 85 mph Vmax in the 200D, a bit over 90 in the 240D. On German Autobahns, what a joyride...
5.) Fuel consumption. European fuel is expensive. Not like in the US with their 3 cents for a Gallon. Even the "small" diesels take between 8 and 10 litres for 100 kms (dunno what that is in your currency ;-) ), the 300D is good for more than 12. The ultimate gas-guzzler was the early 250 carburettor, slurping around 15 litres, the 280E is slightly below that, the 230E is around 11.
6.) Rust. This may not be an issue in countries without a real winter, but here we throw shitloads of salt on the roads when it's freezing. Some cars could bear that, 123s couldn't. Some of them started to disintegrate after 10 years and fell apart after 15. But that happend to many cars at that time.
But you know what? Despite all these flaws we still love our mighty old 123s. They have become true classics, we don't beat the crap out of them on a daily basis anymore. No sandbags in the boot, no flat out driving, no 2-ton-trailers anymore. Just sheer driving pleasure in perfect weather conditions. It was a life full of hard work but now it's time for the nice things...
Screw Mercedes, none like Allan 😉
I agree with nearly all of your assessments. I have a 1985 300DT. (I'm in the USA) İt's so much fun but yes inside is tight. Fuel consumption is high. I have the 2.88 rear end. So it is actually ok for long trips.
You definitely need a good Michelins or winter tires and some weight... Otherwise yep not good... lol
I also have a w124 300TD wagon. W124 is much more refined, more specious, better fuel economy, faster...
I love both of them very much!
W123 has an incredible character. W124 is a whole different experience.
I drive a 240d with a 300d turbo engine and I see another 123 at least every day in California, it easily maintains 140kmph up a steep mountain slope. Because of USA CAFE fuel economy laws they sold only diesel models on some years and the 300d is shockingly common here. A 280 is a special treat and the 250 a special rarity. There was no manual 300d even though it is so common which is why I put my car together.
I drive a 1983 240D with 4 speed manual transmission that i have owned for about 16 years and a 1977 280E that I have owned about 4 years. Both are 123s and I have 1995 124 E320 wagon. The 123s are solidly built cars and I prefer to drive them. The wagon is great but doesn't hold up as well. There is no rust on my cars but I believe rust is the biggest downfall of the 123s. As they disappear from the roads i see the values of mine going up every year.
Like most European cars in those days, bigger engines were slated for the North American, particularly USA market, to compete with big engine American cars. Most 300D and 300F Turbo-Diesels were sold in the USA. same goes for the 280 E gasoline edition.
Great car! I had an '85 300D. Only reason I sold it was it was black. If I had a white one like yours I'd probably still be driving it. And, they drive and ride really nicely, especially the steering and brakes. I agree the door sound is like nothing else - very satisfying.
Ah, the harsh 1-2 shift point...You'll almost certainly want Part #: 126-270-92-79-M22, shift modulator valve, as yours will have a cracked rubber diaphragm. Set the vacuum pressure with a vacuum gauge, which you'll have to attach to the bottom of your gearbox. You'll find instructions online and the precise pressure. Don't trust any dodgy youtuber who tells you to do it by shift feel, and you're unlikely to need any of the aftermarket spring kits, Mercedes engineered things magnificently in the first place.
Much better interior than my W201.
www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/3389/MBZ_3389_TRAUTO_pg4.htm#item15 (I don't work for them, I'm sure other suppliers have the part too. MercedesSource will prob have everything you need, though he does seem to charge a bit.)
Cheerio!
My dad just got a client who brought this Mercedes from California,USA to Poland for renovation.
300 CD W123 with only 70,000 miles! It's a rare version of W123. This one is 197X year, 3.0 TURBO Diesel COUPE with sweet extras like climatronic, electronic sunroof and electronic windows, wood interior details, banana leather seats. I will repeat, 3.0 TURBO Diesel COUPE from 197X year. Since coming out from factory this one has still original rims and car battery and i love that when this car is so old and you can just even today start the engine with a single touch.
My dad loves Mercedes and he is so surprised that he can work with such a classic old one W123. There isnt any rust on this car, but anyway my dad is going to renew chromes and renew colour on a whole parts.
I am 17 years old and live in Norway, i just bought myself a 86 5speed manual 300td wagon.
Sorry to the purists but im lowering IT and swapping to a om606 with 7mm dieselmeken pump.
Flink gutt!
well ,you keep them alive why do not change a engine with millions of km´s, the purists can piiithemselves
It's fine I have that setup with compound turbos and a myna, but you will likely be happier with an om648, larger vnt and some big injectors and the 400cdi fuel pump.
put it in use is not an ofense to the purists, at least it shouldn´t be, how many cars designed in the mid 70´s catch the interest of younger generations and it delivers pleasure drivin´it with great quality, if well taken care off,regards . My self when younger adapt a 3.0L turbo mercedes engine on a 70´s mesaratti four dour ,if didn´t it was impossible for me to drive it due to the gasoline comsumption
Congrats on finally getting the car you’ve always dreamed of.
And thank you for sharing.
Nice to see and hear enthusiasm for these older cars from a young guy. I can see you are completely enamoured by it, and rightly so.
Congrats...
Yes, yes, that' it. You did maje the right & the most sound decisions choosing this beautiful, one of a kind, everlasting, vehicle.
I’ve been looking for one of those for years! Be happy that you have 14 inch tires so you don’t have to pay a lot of money for tires! Car looks great!!!!
Great car for me I work on it in morocco as taxi driver it’s n 1 she keep going all and all road in any weather
Hey Moreno is yours set up with higher suspension? a lot of taxis in ME and Africa had taller suspension I wanna do that to my 240D?
Deepblu dude hi here in Morocco we change many think and if you want to do that u need many things if u intrest to know just tell me and I see what can I do for you
In Maroc good roads ?
Agreed!!! This was when Mercedes was well built....my cousin has a fleet of old Mercedes, ranging from s-class with air suspension problem, to a red w124, a venerable w123 similar to yours, we were shocked that he drove my dear old auntie back in that as the air conditioning was out as well as the power windows, the whole car load nearly suffocated during their journey back home and lastly an sl, same as yours but in far worst condition, but we still felt glamorous as he drove us back to our hotel in it and we felt like superstars from the 80s like Dallas, dynasty and hart to hart tv series...:)
i have 280se 1968 strigt six with 600k and drive like dream.
Ive owned many many gm, chryslers, lincolns from 60s to later models. I just got a 77 240d recently for 600 bucks. needed a brake job and tires. now its my daily. it is slow. but im falling more in love with it every day. I also noticed to sound as i shut the door! Seemed so quality. I love the interior, and am starting to love the diesel clatter. its at 228k. everything on it works except cruise control. Its less rusty than my 05 dodge stratus. im in minnesota though, so wont be driving it in the winter with the crazy salt they put down. great vid. great car
Are you Doug DeMuro's younger brother? You sound just like him. It's a bit unnerving but a great review.
Love your 300D. I have an 81 300CD with 96000 original miles. Got it's issues but still runs well. Taking it out of a 3 year slumber this summer and can't wait to fix it twice and drive it once! Diesel Purge Injector Cleaning Treatment. All filters and fluids will be changed. New CV boots and Drive shaft disk's and center bearing. Pads and rotors.
Have fun and drive the crap out of it. Love to go...hate to sit!
Tommy, A few points to say. Firstly - I love the fact that you cherish some of these early model cars... Its quite endearing. Now regarding that Mercedes, over in the UK and Germany I've seen these (as taxis) with well over a million miles on the clock. As for fuel, you know that engine will run on svo right? (yes straight vegetable oil) only needing a couple of fuel filter changes as it gets rid of the million year old dinosaur crud fuel.
This looks in great condition and can't wait for an ongoing series with this... Also - did you know older mercs did well in the depth of winter... I'm sure you'll figure some exciting stuff to follow... Pressing play again... :)
Great Cars! I have had 3 of them in my life and wish I still had my last one. Built like tanks... Love the sound of the diesel and the way it floats down the road. Enjoy and congratulations!
I want a 300TD. A wagon. It just seems cool. 300CD would be nice too.
...you got to get one soon for good ones are tougher to find. I absolutely love driving mine
This is the literally best sedan ever! Wait even station wagon,coupe this is the best car EVER!
Hand built and a well made car. Before Mercedes switched over
Uhmm, no. The W123 is not a "hand built" car, it is an assembly line car.
I would prefer a W123 coupe
Jason Buis good luck finding one...
Are these Mercedes better than the 1990s Toyota camrys
@@Wolverine-ky9gk toyota from 70-90s are same like this tank. I own both at the moment
I'm happy I'm not the only one who loves the sound when you close the door. I show people that and I get looked at like I'm crazy
this is when Mercedes meant something. benz quality started to go down in the late 90s. hell today's Benz are nissans underneath!!!!!! like the CLA!
Uhmm no. The CLA is a Mercedes. The "nissan" you are referring to is a Mercedes underneath. Duh.
@@edwinheintjes9285 True.. The Infinity Q50 uses a Mercedes turbo 4
@@edwinheintjes9285 no it uses the same engine as a Nissan the 4 cyl look it up. But I'll tell you this. Benz really really hid this fact good. They don't want people to know their is a Nissan engine chasis and what not
@@xavierramirez330 No, infinity uses the merc. petrol engine. The only "nissan" engine mercedes uses is a small diesel from Renault.
@@edwinheintjes9285 no it's more than that. Hell the cla is a fucking front wheel drive platform. Where do you think they got that from. Nissan!!!! And that mercedes pick up truck is a fucking Nissan frontier type underneath. They just out a "Benz" body on top of the Nissan platform. Same with the cla. That's why I have always loved bmw. Because it's pure. When you buy a bmw you truly get a bmw
Mine is now around 670000 km and still is working perfectly. The best Car ever.
Back in the 90s we have had Mercedes like 90% of all cars in Our Country ..More than Germany too...😉..This car war a symbol of strength..Greetings from Albania..✌️
i think it is not true
i went from corfu to sarana by boot and when i arrived there was a car park with lets say 500 cars
and there was only 1 car that wasent a mercedes
and by the way it was a bmw
that was 2003
and i saw alot of x5 and porsch cayene but the 99% of cars are mercedes 123 and 124 models or bigger
so much to albania
i hope your country is doing better no after all the shit they did to your country
best wishes a. from phuket
sorry saranda
Don Desperado Today in albania our roads still have mercedes w203 w204 w211 w210 is full
I recently bought a 2001 C220 Cdi estate for just £490 and apart from a little rust around the rear wheel arches its fine. It has covered 231,000 miles and drives beautifully, it has a 6 speed manual gearbox and will return 60+ mpg on the motorway.
Love it Tommy keep up the good work on the channel. Do you still off-road with you boys from the older videos? Thanks again for the great content form the flat lands of Virginia.
Have fun with your new ride! These were great! I had purchased a 1982 300TD Wagon, with 200K miles on it, drove it 100K, then sold it with 300K. The ride was great. Wagons had hydropnuamatic system for the rear. Many times had a vac leak, and had to pop to hood to shut off engine. Or leave the car unlocked. Eventually you would find the vac leak. Also note that the climate control for it's day used PID logic, for fan speed [in auto] and temp control mixed heating valve and cool outside air to regulate the temp just where you set it. Also mechanical access was also engineered to be able to service parts. Mine had issues with a few glow plug not function over time. Sometime really difficult to change because of unlike metals. The transmission with the vac line to modulator to shift, had an adjustment. But always shifted like slam at startup. To this day Mercedes Trans are wierd until up to operating temp. Have fun!
Yes without a doubt these Mercedes was the best Mercedes ever built in their time and era they could quite easily do 3 to 400000 miles with regular servicing no problem I was in the motor trade for 30 years back in the day when people use to drive these cars all the time I regularly servest one of his Mercedes that reach 250k and no problem it sounded like a car that done 30000 miles there was always noisy and I think that's how they got away with it but they really was amazing cars Mercedes god bless let's make some more cars like this that lasts a millennium
My uncle had one. He drove it then my cousin drove it then his son drove it. They had over 300,000 miles on it. Enjoy your new ride 👍🏻
6:08 it's actually 37 years old, not 47.... unless this video time travelled from 2029.
I wondered if anyone else notice that!?!
Well the first W123s were made in 1976 I believe, they made this model and improved it with the turbo etc.. until 1985. But the earliest ones are not 47, maybe 43 in my head.
not one or the other, they were developed in the early 70´s only released in 76 ,there´s 4 years diference not 10 and they didn´t came out earlier because of the success of the w114 and w115
@@415s30 right ,but till they added the turbo in diesel engines in 1980, there were at least 2 diferent gas engines and 3 diesel engines, they came out with the 230 c,280c ,200d,220d,240d,in 76 ,only later the 300d and even later the 240TD and the 300TD, or 44 years old in the market not 33 ,that were the w124.
the guy don´t know the car it´s the tiny version of the w123 ,normally they came with the 200D and 240D, the body where they use the 300D engine is doble the size of that one, regards
I've got a 1985 300D, her name is Felicity, and I adore her. Yours is so clean and the interior looks so good! My previous one made it almost to 500 thousand, but blew chunks on a mountain pass. Old Benzes forever!!!
What, only 150,000 miles? Good one. Vacuum, eh? Oh me, I've never had good success with vacuum stuff. But I love that Mercedes.
This was our family car from about 1983 until my dad traded it in about 2003. Ours was blue and it had over 300k when we got rid of it. Lots of memories of trips in that car. I took my drivers test in that car.
So glad you got what you wanted. Enjoy every mile. P.S. The 450SL was always my dream car.
That rib on the tail lights also makes them show in bright angled sunlight because the valley areas are always shaded by the rib above. Have owned a 74, 79, 82, and 1983 in this car.
Fun Fact, Mercedes admitted building it too good and promised never to make that mistake again...
Just like Saab and Volvo did.
Probably why I see nice-looking, shiny, newer Mercedes ( and Audi, BMW, Volvo) in junkyards now, with no body damage. The recent models are money pits after the warranty ends!