Should I Save My "Fast" Mercedes Diesel

"Chris Clarke" (shiftsandgiggles)
12/09/2019 at 12:53 • Filed to: mercedes, diesel, manual, w123, rust, project, brown

In the not-too-distant past !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for a meager $900 (no extra charge for the patina). Paying sub-$1k for a running, driving vehicle might seem like a fair deal, but did I just take a hit of the proverbial crack pipe?

What sold me on the deal was the standard 4-speed transmission paired with a turbo-charged diesel from a later model station wagon. With a measly 230,000 miles it runs like a top and loses less oil than any benz I’ve ever owned. And !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! gains 40 horses over the original naturally aspirated five-cylinder. The interior is fairly well sorted too and the B-pillar delete on this coupe and the Euro headlights add a little styling flair to an otherwise dull albeit classic design.

In the few months she’s been in my stable I’ve only ponied up approximately $100 in fixes. Cheapest brake pads I could find on rock auto (front and rear), glow plugs, new window switches, blower motor, one window motor, and a dome light. The exhaust is a little loud and the suspension is a little soft but overall the driving experience is excellent.

If you haven’t already gathered, her fatal flaw is an excessive amount of body rust. Multiple holes in all four fenders and the bottom door sills are so far gone I can reach my hand up and grab the window regulator. Just about every piece of rubber is cracked and rotted, all four tires need replacing and there is no stereo.

I’m certain both doors and probably the front fenders will need to be replaced. That means sourcing a donor car. Maybe an expert body shop could work some magic. Either way the dollar signs are racking up. I love the color, but a new coat will be in order. Is this car, with a swapped motor and rotting steel, worth dumping several thousand dollars or should I just drive the doors off? Would anyone be interested in a following the continued saga? Or should I cut my losses and see how much I can offload this thing for?

DISCUSSION (26)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:00

Please save this poor baby. And if you don't, well, I'm interested. I have wonderful memories from high school in my friend Big John's W123 300D. It was a non-turbo but boy, we made some memories doing dumb shit in that car.

Nibby > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:10

SAVE PLS

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:12

How much would it cost to repair the rust on the rear fenders? How are the rockers? Would it be possible to pull some fenders and doors from a car in a pick-n-pull yard that would be less rusty?

sony1492 > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:12

Not worth several thousand in body work but why not keep it around to enjoy? Slap a set of cheap tires on and run it, the interiors nice even without the stereo.

Or depending on how much you care to modify things; bolt up some generic fender flares, a set of wider amg 17's, and lowering springs

Sovande > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:18

Wh at year is it? I had an 85 that was a turbo and was pretty fun. It was also a heap of rusted shit.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:19

This is a really cool car that deserves to be saved, whether it's by you or by the next owner.

fintail > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:19

Save it as a labor of love, but financially, restoring something like this never runs in the black. Donor car will be a lot easier than doing rust repair, although if you’re in the rust belt, finding a non-rusty donor probably won’t be easy.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:22

My heart says “save it”

My head says “drive it until until something major breaks... or cut your losses”.

It would make more financial sense to find a rust free example like this one from somewhere in the south. Then take the best bits like the Euro headlamps and the manual transmission out of your rusty example and swap them in to the rust free example .

Chris Clarke > fintail
12/09/2019 at 13:23

That’s the thing. Finding doors for a w123 coupe is not an easy task.

Chris Clarke > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
12/09/2019 at 13:24

Fenders might not be a huge effort. Finding or repairing them is probably within the realm of possibility . The doors are the real challenge. The coupe is pretty rare and I think they are beyond repair and finding a set might be expensive.

Chris Clarke > Sovande
12/09/2019 at 13:26

Its an ‘81. It shipped with the N/A 3.0 liter and an auto. Swapped drivetrain with an ‘84 300TD.

Chris Clarke > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
12/09/2019 at 13:28

That’s not a bad idea... but I’m really fond of the coupe. Might be still something to keep an eye on.

fintail > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:33

If you love it, i n the long run, it’d probably be a lot easier and likely even cheaper to find a nice car from a gentle climate, and just swap the manual and any other non-rusty bits you like , maybe use the rest as a parts car.

Otherwise, just drive it. I fear the rust will be a never-ending battle.

Grindintosecond > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:44

If you really love what it is, save it the most economical way you can. I’m re shelling an old mini. If I sell it, I give half to my brother in law. That was the deal for a free mini. So I’m already upside down if I sell it after this. But it’s a car I won’t be selling. Find a nice coup e shell, have a shop make it right then plop your parts in it and sell leftovers. If you love it that much, then make it happen.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:45

Is the turbo original? If so, that probably won’t last much longer, I would think.

As much as it would be nice to keep this alive, the right move is to simply drive it until it dies, and enjoy it while you can, I think.

Chris Clarke > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
12/09/2019 at 13:47

I assume its original. I drove a w126 with the same motor and the turbo was still going strong when I sold it with 400,000+ miles.

Sovande > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 13:49

I replaced the door bottoms and all the floor pans. I also had a rusted shock perch on the rear passenger side and I had to fix that. It was not easy, I didn’t know what I was doing and it looked it. I loved driving the car though. It was like a freight train. I also had an 86 300D with the 6 cylinder and a 190e 2.3. Cool cars, but rust was a concern in all of them.

Chris Clarke > Sovande
12/09/2019 at 14:00

The door bottoms are my biggest concern. Glad to hear to tackled that. Might give me the confidence to try to repair them myself.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 14:09

Huh. When I sold a 1984 Volvo 740 turbo to a scrapyard (wayyyy back in 1997) , the guy short ed me $50 upon finding that the turbo was original at 215,000 miles. (It had problems that were more costly to fix than it was worth.)

Since then I have assumed that the lifespan of early ‘80s turbos would be about 200,000 miles . I stand corrected.

Jim Spanfeller > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 14:12

If it was a wagon, it would be absolute perfection, but it’s still really cool. I say save it, but then again that’s what I always say.

Chris Clarke > Jim Spanfeller
12/09/2019 at 14:14

A wagon would’ve been awesome but I think a coupe is the next best.

Chris Clarke > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
12/09/2019 at 14:16

In general I’d say that’s probably correct, Mercedes must have dipped their turbos in liquid bullet proofing or something like that.

Sovande > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 14:28

Like I said, I didn't do a good job. I just cut out the rust, formed up patches and welded them in. I probably wouldn't do it again,but I was younger and more gung ho back then.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 15:10

“but I’m really fond of the coupe.”

Like this one or this one ?

:-D

And one of those is in California.

Granted they cost nearly $10,000.

So can you get the body work fixed up for less than $10,000 plus the cost of swapping over the manual, the lights and any other good bits?

And I mean fixing it up properly with new metal welded in and having it painted nicely so it looks at least as good as that one I linked to in California.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Chris Clarke
12/09/2019 at 21:00

I am keeping mine, but I found a clean CA car. I would go for a wagon if I did anything else.

Kinja'd!!!

pip bip - choose Corrour > Chris Clarke
12/10/2019 at 02:44

yes, save it!