The mail thing (IMO) is the rust . you *MUST* get dirty and unload the ENTIRE trunk and remove the filthy old spare tire or you might miss a bad surprise , this is critical no matter how clean the rest of the car looks .
Underneath & behind the hood hinges is also a serious rust area , and battery tray etc. holes are a no - no , light surface rust can be halted by you in your driveway , DO NOT neglect to address any rust you find .
Unless you have a trusted local Diesel Mechanic , I'd not bother with a compression test as it requires special tools only Journeyman Diesel Mechanics will have .
Much easier is to go look at it as early in the day as possible and tell him you don't want it to have been started before you get there , if you touch the engine and it is warm , you'll walk away .
Then , when you get there and ascertain the engine is indeed cold to the touch , have him start it whilst you stand behind it and observe the exhaust ~ it'll smoke some but the smoke should stop as soon as it revs up .
If he's tricky and the engine is warm no worries , just look closer and suspiciously .
Once you've done the walk around as it's warming up , tested all the lights, wipers , horn , radio & heater , hazzard lights , doors for easy opening and closing etc. , take it for a test drive and don't spare it ~ it should shift fairly firmly ~ if the engine revs up as it upshifts , this indicates a problem that might not be terrible , it *might* need a $1,000 +/- tranny job , just make a mental note and finish the test drive with the lights and heater all going , when you stop , leave the engine running and pop the hood , take your clean rag out of your pocket and remove the oil cap as the engine is idling ~ loosen it but leave it sitting there on the engine ~ it's O.K. for the oil cap to dance and shake but if it jumps off , the engine has fairly serious blowby and needs some sort of attention ~ once again , if you otherwise like the car and are handy with tools , you might be able to make it *much* better in time as you tune and service it back to robust health .
The dirty intake screen isn't a deal killer , it should just be used along with bald tires , slippy tranny and visible smoke after it warms up , to leverage a good deal .
If it starts easily and runs / shifts / drives acceptably , you can make good use of it even if it drinks up oil every 1,000 miles .
For your use it sounds very good .
Best of luck , let us know how it went .
-Nate
Daniel wrote :
>
> Thank you Nate, this is really good info. I am going to go see it some time this week.
> On Dec 23, 2012, at 11:29 AM, "Nate" wrote:
>
> >
> > Yes , it's actually fairly commn to find these with passably low mileage , also be aware the odometers often break so go test drive it and ensure it logs a few miles , not just the speed you're going .
> >
> I will def. test to make sure that it is logging miles.
> >
> > *_IF_* it's legit , _AND_ you find NO RUST HOLES after COMPLETELY unloading the trunk and spare tire well , and looking closely in the corners underneath the hood hinge pockets , and , the oil filler cap doesn't get blown off if you loosen it with the engine idling , then it's prolly a very good deal indeed .
> >
> Good tips -- I will check the trunk, and the hinges, and the drain valves. I would want to have it inspected by a 3rd party mechanic. Would it be worth it to have the compression tested?
> >
> > BE AWARE : you cannot just jump in and go in these cars ! they need regular service and maintenance else it'll become unreliable and a money pit .
> >
> Yes, I realize this -- I know these w123s need to have the valves timed yearly. Is there any other routine maintenance (other than oil changes) that I need to watch out for?
> >
> > If you ever had an old VW Beetle and tuned it and adjusted those vlves a few times a year , this car will be easy and dirt cheap to maintain .
> >
> That is my hope.
> >
> > I see the fuel intake screen is dirty so I'm betting they didn't service it much , just cleaned it up really nice .
> >
> That makes me a bit scared.
> >
> > These cars are fairly slow and if you insist on flooring it to keep up , it'll die soon .
> >
> My commute is about 10 miles, mainly 45 MPH tops roads. This is to get me to and from work, no highways.
> >
> > 65 MPH MAXIMUM on the open Highway else it'll chug fuel and drink oil like crazy .
> >
> Yes.
> >
> > I have one of these and I love it for filing jamb packed with kids and SWMBO hen long distance travlig in it out of state but I also don't go batshitdriving 6 hours @ 60 MPH in the killing desert heat or feezing cold winter…
> >
> Great to hear. I'm in NC, so pretty easy climate on the car.
> >
> > I'd say give it a good close look but be aware , these cars are not for everyone .
> >
> Agreed.
> >
> > If it looks good and everything (AC !!) works O.K. but you find the usual rust holes underneath the spare tire , offer them $1,800 ~ $2,000 for it including tax and tags , this is the WORST time of year to sell cars so they'l proly jump at it .
> >
> That sounds like a fair offer, depending on condition. Anything else I should look for?
> >
> > -Nate
> > --- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, Daniel Valente wrote:
> > >
> > > Does this look too good to be true? Miles seem super low...
> > >
> > > http://www.cardinalautosales.com/vehicledetails.aspx?VID=165390001
> > >
> > > Dan
> > >
> > > Sent from my iPad
> > >
> > > On Dec 20, 2012, at 12:45 PM, "J.O." wrote:
> > >
> > > > I have a 1991 300D with 285K miles that I drive locally daily and on 500 mile trips periodically. It is a great ride and gets 31+MPG on the road trips and 28-29MPG aroulocal driving.
> > > >
> > > > I've had a 1984 300CD and a 1987 300D as well and prefer the W124 series (87-95) for dependability and comfort.
> > > >
> > > > --- In diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com, "danvprod" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi Folks --
> > > > >
> > > > > Looking forward to your help. Here is my situation. I am currently driving a 2003 Honda Element with 125k. I am looking to acquire either a w123 300d Turbo or w124 300d 2.5 turbo diesel to become my daily commuter to and from work.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
