Bid for your chance to own this 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TD Wagon only on The MB Market! Finished in Light Ivory (154) over Palomino MB-Tex (154) and powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-five cylinder, this S123 includes thorough documentation, two keys, and a clean WV title.
83TDT said:
@W123S123 As anyone reading the comments in the listing will surely know by now. I really like facts. You can most likely guess what I don't like. Namely: anecdotal accounts, and untrue statements. Unfortunately this last comment has both. I'll keep it to the facts: 1. The sky isn't falling. 2. I have slot 147, (around 3pm) Thursday, in the Mecum Indianapolis Fall Auction on October 3, 2024. (less than 2 months).
Next stop, the real market Mecum Indy.
@Dutch2002 There is no doubt in my mind the actual mileage is what appears on the odometer. (a tick less than 109,500) There are quite a few details, and it can be confusing. I will recap: From the Purchase invoice that it was purchased new on 12/15/82. (Why that's not on the car fax, I don't know). Next are the various service records that are very consistent with mild use for 15 years until it was sold to the daughter (as per the executrix) in 1998 (as per car fax). These owners did not register it for use on the road for 15 years (2009, as per the car fax). So, it's quite unlikely many miles were put on it during that time. After that, there isn't much documentation: In 2010 we have an Ecklers receipt for some parts (the door lock diaphragm was indeed installed). Then in 2020 new tires, at 108,500. Previous from that we have a tire Kingdom receipt for new tires as “7027” mi. But thankfully a receipt one month later shows the milage to be 73,138 when the front end was checked. So, from there to the next tires in 2020, at 108,591 would be 35,453 mi. which makes sense. Finally, there is the condition the I purchased the car in. (See my comments below.) So, to sum up this car as been in the ownership of one family, it’s not been through dealers. I’m a retired Chemical Engineer that as Tyler Hoover would say, “Has a car problem.” That is to say I like to work on cars, especially ones that has such an incredible history, and condition of this one. As to why the car would have sat for 15 years, I can tell you that the estate also contained at least 6 other vehicles. One was a diesel pusher motor home from the late 90’s early 2000’s, with 33k mi., anther was a 1999 Cadillac with 2,500 mi. Yes 2,500. A low mileage dart from the 70’s, etc. So, it made perfect sense to me that this car was as you might say, unplanned?
I just noticed the picture of me holding the broken off part of the hood hinge maintenance position latch. That was laying in the place where the left (driver side) hood hinge goes when the hood is closed. Looks like someone forced the hood shut and broke it off. It's used to latch the hood in the maintenance position. The other side is used to get it into the maintenance position, and that works. This side (driver, left) is for locking it there. So long as there is not wind, like being inside, I've had no issues with the hood staying up in the maintenance position.
How do I rate the performance of the engine? I've not had one of these before, but, It feels like it has good power, and it sounds good doing it. The cruise control will easily maintain highway speeds on hills. There is a 0-60 and cruise control video. You can get an idea of the 0-60 time from the time elapsed in the video.. Also, there is the oil fill cap blow by video (you can see the cap rotating, due to the vibration, but it doesn't lift).
Is this car ready to run long distances? I would take this car across county tomorrow. I can literally not think of another thing that I would do before that. In fact, I would expect that it would not be a very eventful trip. Click and Clack of Car Talk have been asked that very question at least 3 times that I can recall. Either it was a mother / daughter, Father / Son, Husband / wife, whatever, They always gave the same answer: "Do nothing, let it break, it will be an adventure of a life time." That's why I say it's not likely to be a very adventurous trip.
Next question: Picture of completed D pillar repair? No, I do not. Sorry, but I can tell you a small patch was welded in, seam sealed, and painted. The is a picture before the welding. (It's has text in it the called it the "C" pillar).
I've been asked a few good questions. I will share the answers here: Given the gap in the history, how do I know the mileage is accurate? I spoke with the executrix of the estate. I was told that this was the owners mothers car. That's how they came to own it. I also know that they had at least 6 other vehicles, some had very low mileage (one was a 1999 Cadillac with 2,500 mi.). So the fact they did not register it for a license plate for many years made sense. Then there was the car it's self.: My Initial inspection: Initial check of fluids showed all fluids present and accounted for. The car started, shutoff, ran, stopped ok. By ran ok, I mean it would suffer fuel starvation on full or near full throttle (due to bad check valves in the lift pump), the SLS was not functioning, (low in the back, and very bouncy), the steering had a bit of play at near highway speeds, the A/C didn’t work, the seats didn’t want to adjust, the clock, and the tach didn’t work, and it had a significant exhaust leak. I tell you this so you can see how it was clear that this car had not been used much since the 2nd owner acquired it. As for the interior, it was a bit dirty, but no indication that it had been smoked in, also, no unusual smells, and no signs of mouse/rodent damage.
Regarding the wood. I've sent in 3 pictures to be added. One shows the wood in the console fairly accurately. The other 2 are of the ash tray, and the lighter. I took many many pictures under different lighting. I could make the wood look better, or worse. I wanted something accurate. It turns out that was hard for me to do. What I would say about it is, that the wood presents well, not perfect, but quite nice. None of the wood is delaminating, it all lays flat, and there is a consistent gloss, and depth of the clear coat., and the color and grains vary by an amount you would expect for wood. In the pictures you can nit pit some details, but they really don't show up in normal use. What is noticeable is on the main piece around the shifter, and the switches, the clear is starting to crack. I think I captured the essence of what is going on there. Again, It is possible to take pictures that make this look a lot worse, and ones' that don't show it at all. So I went with one that shows it about how you might notice it in real life.
@W123S123 I mounted them in the exact locations that they were in prior to me acquiring the car.. I did not want to make any new holes,, which I didn’t. I did need to trim the corner off the passenger side holder. It does not need to be open to operate the door handle. It is close. But doesn’t interfere. They are in different locations. I think this is due to glove box, head light switch etc.
@Daniel75 The bottom 2 are, (around the shifter, and the ash tray). The upper 2 were restored from the bare aluminum base plate. Zambino veneer was glued to furniture grade plywood , which was previously glued to the original base plates. Then stained, and polyurethaned.. I meant get more pictures of that area.,. Unfortunately I Won’t be able to do that until later on Sunday. (tomorrow). I will say the ash tray, nor the cigarette lighter show any signs of being used for smoking, or for much of anything, for that matter. That is to say that they’re in excellent condition.
@cebogs00 Ii don’t know about that. I think they all get like that eventually.
@cebogs00 You are correct. The 2 keys that came with the car are not MB brand. I ordered keys, and paid for them, at my local MB dealer, based on the VIN. 2 weeks later they called and said,, MB Classic stopped doing that:-(. They refunded my money. I purchased a lock cylinder with a VIN based key for the rear hatch. So I have a key for the hatch from MB, but it doesn’t match the VIN! On the bright side, I have been inside the hatch, and all the mechanisms are in perfect order, well lubricated, and absolutely no rust or corrosion to be seen!
I wanted to say something about the radio and tape deck. The tape deck works fine, the tape deck has new belts, and the rollers aha d even cleaned. All the buttons on the radio work, however the reception is a bit weak. You can here how the radio gets loader, , and clearer as the antenna goes up in the video.
I’ve mounted the cup holder in the holes that were there. Need to figure out how to add pictures.
Thinking of smells, regarding this car, that’s why I changed out the injectors. It wasn’t until I had the suspension , brakes, and SLS sorted out, that I stared to drive it a bit. I went into the garage one day, and smelled diesel fuel. That was the first time I smelled that, and not been working on bathe fuel system Turns out it’s a common problem. The fuel injectors are make of 2 half’s, (top and bottom), the joint is an interference tapered joint, and they weep after many years. Turns out 3 of them were seeping,. so, I went ahead and replaced all 5., as well as all the rubber fuel lines in the engine compartment. That fixed the odor. You do of course smell diesel exhaust if you back up, or are in a garage. With the motor running , but otherwise, as I said, no smells, not even diesel fuel.
@GregF I agree, some like the history that the patina portrays. Others like everything perfect. I like to focus on the functionality, and making what’s there as nice as possible, within reason.
Some, probably most, of you have noticed the holes, and indentations in the front door cards. These were from cup holders. Apparently MB sold these as an accessory. They were, broken, and missing parts. However, I have, received new ones that are exactly like the ones that were there, except there not broken. I didn’t want to say anything until I had them in my hands.. Now I do, and they are of excellent quality. I will post a picture once they are installed.
@GregF Thanks, that was my intention. I have bought a few cars sight unseen, and one was as expected the other had an Oder that was not disclosed. Who does that? So, yes it is as presented, not perfect, but very nice in all respects. No odors in this car!
Thinking about all of the typical issues that these cars have, it occurred to me, that I hand not taken pictures of the seats when they were out. However, I can tell you that I inspected the springs in the seats, and none were broken, or even repaired. Also, these have the round springs in the corners (which was a running change MB made).
I've been asked to elaborate on the damage sustained in 2020. I don't have any first hand information about that, as the owners had passed before I became interested in the car. However, the paint work seems to be older than that, and the report references the right rear corner. To me, the doors would be described as right side. However, when I went to look at the car for the first time, the right rear tail light was broken (see picture). This matches the description better. I'm assuming they reported it, collected the money, and never got around to fixing it. So I purchased a used tail light, and installed it. I also took pictures of the area behind the tail lights that show that area to be as it left the factory. Meaning, there is no sheet metal repair in that area, and the damage was limited to the plastic tail light. Back to the doors: Looks like there was a light scraping along that area. I say that because I've been inside the doors, and there is no signs of the sheet metal damage on the inside. So the damage must have been very minor. However there is a small dent in the passenger front door, which can be seen in the pictures. There are also 2 dents that are under the right rear bumper cover. The paint isn't cracked or even scratched in those 2 dents (see picture). So, was that part of the damage in the report? I just don't know. The only parts of all this that you actually notice, by walking around the car, is the small dent in the passenger front door. The other issues, you need to get down low, and look very closely to see that it's not perfect. Hope that helps. The remainder of the paint, and sheet metal is clearly original, and in great condition.
Feel free to ask questions, comment or send a message. I have a large amount of information to share. I didn't want to overwhelm anyone. I've made an effort to show any of the issues, and show any repairs, and all the maintenance , so there would be no disappointment after the sale. Bottom line, it is a really nice car.
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1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@W123S123 As anyone reading the comments in the listing will surely know by now. I really like facts. You can most likely guess what I don't like. Namely: anecdotal accounts, and untrue statements. Unfortunately this last comment has both. I'll keep it to the facts: 1. The sky isn't falling. 2. I have slot 147, (around 3pm) Thursday, in the Mecum Indianapolis Fall Auction on October 3, 2024. (less than 2 months).1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Next stop, the real market Mecum Indy.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@Dutch2002 There is no doubt in my mind the actual mileage is what appears on the odometer. (a tick less than 109,500) There are quite a few details, and it can be confusing. I will recap: From the Purchase invoice that it was purchased new on 12/15/82. (Why that's not on the car fax, I don't know). Next are the various service records that are very consistent with mild use for 15 years until it was sold to the daughter (as per the executrix) in 1998 (as per car fax). These owners did not register it for use on the road for 15 years (2009, as per the car fax). So, it's quite unlikely many miles were put on it during that time. After that, there isn't much documentation: In 2010 we have an Ecklers receipt for some parts (the door lock diaphragm was indeed installed). Then in 2020 new tires, at 108,500. Previous from that we have a tire Kingdom receipt for new tires as “7027” mi. But thankfully a receipt one month later shows the milage to be 73,138 when the front end was checked. So, from there to the next tires in 2020, at 108,591 would be 35,453 mi. which makes sense. Finally, there is the condition the I purchased the car in. (See my comments below.) So, to sum up this car as been in the ownership of one family, it’s not been through dealers. I’m a retired Chemical Engineer that as Tyler Hoover would say, “Has a car problem.” That is to say I like to work on cars, especially ones that has such an incredible history, and condition of this one. As to why the car would have sat for 15 years, I can tell you that the estate also contained at least 6 other vehicles. One was a diesel pusher motor home from the late 90’s early 2000’s, with 33k mi., anther was a 1999 Cadillac with 2,500 mi. Yes 2,500. A low mileage dart from the 70’s, etc. So, it made perfect sense to me that this car was as you might say, unplanned?1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
I just noticed the picture of me holding the broken off part of the hood hinge maintenance position latch. That was laying in the place where the left (driver side) hood hinge goes when the hood is closed. Looks like someone forced the hood shut and broke it off. It's used to latch the hood in the maintenance position. The other side is used to get it into the maintenance position, and that works. This side (driver, left) is for locking it there. So long as there is not wind, like being inside, I've had no issues with the hood staying up in the maintenance position.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
How do I rate the performance of the engine? I've not had one of these before, but, It feels like it has good power, and it sounds good doing it. The cruise control will easily maintain highway speeds on hills. There is a 0-60 and cruise control video. You can get an idea of the 0-60 time from the time elapsed in the video.. Also, there is the oil fill cap blow by video (you can see the cap rotating, due to the vibration, but it doesn't lift).1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Is this car ready to run long distances? I would take this car across county tomorrow. I can literally not think of another thing that I would do before that. In fact, I would expect that it would not be a very eventful trip. Click and Clack of Car Talk have been asked that very question at least 3 times that I can recall. Either it was a mother / daughter, Father / Son, Husband / wife, whatever, They always gave the same answer: "Do nothing, let it break, it will be an adventure of a life time." That's why I say it's not likely to be a very adventurous trip.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Next question: Picture of completed D pillar repair? No, I do not. Sorry, but I can tell you a small patch was welded in, seam sealed, and painted. The is a picture before the welding. (It's has text in it the called it the "C" pillar).1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
I've been asked a few good questions. I will share the answers here: Given the gap in the history, how do I know the mileage is accurate? I spoke with the executrix of the estate. I was told that this was the owners mothers car. That's how they came to own it. I also know that they had at least 6 other vehicles, some had very low mileage (one was a 1999 Cadillac with 2,500 mi.). So the fact they did not register it for a license plate for many years made sense. Then there was the car it's self.: My Initial inspection: Initial check of fluids showed all fluids present and accounted for. The car started, shutoff, ran, stopped ok. By ran ok, I mean it would suffer fuel starvation on full or near full throttle (due to bad check valves in the lift pump), the SLS was not functioning, (low in the back, and very bouncy), the steering had a bit of play at near highway speeds, the A/C didn’t work, the seats didn’t want to adjust, the clock, and the tach didn’t work, and it had a significant exhaust leak. I tell you this so you can see how it was clear that this car had not been used much since the 2nd owner acquired it. As for the interior, it was a bit dirty, but no indication that it had been smoked in, also, no unusual smells, and no signs of mouse/rodent damage.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Regarding the wood. I've sent in 3 pictures to be added. One shows the wood in the console fairly accurately. The other 2 are of the ash tray, and the lighter. I took many many pictures under different lighting. I could make the wood look better, or worse. I wanted something accurate. It turns out that was hard for me to do. What I would say about it is, that the wood presents well, not perfect, but quite nice. None of the wood is delaminating, it all lays flat, and there is a consistent gloss, and depth of the clear coat., and the color and grains vary by an amount you would expect for wood. In the pictures you can nit pit some details, but they really don't show up in normal use. What is noticeable is on the main piece around the shifter, and the switches, the clear is starting to crack. I think I captured the essence of what is going on there. Again, It is possible to take pictures that make this look a lot worse, and ones' that don't show it at all. So I went with one that shows it about how you might notice it in real life.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@W123S123 I mounted them in the exact locations that they were in prior to me acquiring the car.. I did not want to make any new holes,, which I didn’t. I did need to trim the corner off the passenger side holder. It does not need to be open to operate the door handle. It is close. But doesn’t interfere. They are in different locations. I think this is due to glove box, head light switch etc.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@Daniel75 The bottom 2 are, (around the shifter, and the ash tray). The upper 2 were restored from the bare aluminum base plate. Zambino veneer was glued to furniture grade plywood , which was previously glued to the original base plates. Then stained, and polyurethaned.. I meant get more pictures of that area.,. Unfortunately I Won’t be able to do that until later on Sunday. (tomorrow). I will say the ash tray, nor the cigarette lighter show any signs of being used for smoking, or for much of anything, for that matter. That is to say that they’re in excellent condition.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@cebogs00 Ii don’t know about that. I think they all get like that eventually.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@cebogs00 You are correct. The 2 keys that came with the car are not MB brand. I ordered keys, and paid for them, at my local MB dealer, based on the VIN. 2 weeks later they called and said,, MB Classic stopped doing that:-(. They refunded my money. I purchased a lock cylinder with a VIN based key for the rear hatch. So I have a key for the hatch from MB, but it doesn’t match the VIN! On the bright side, I have been inside the hatch, and all the mechanisms are in perfect order, well lubricated, and absolutely no rust or corrosion to be seen!1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
I wanted to say something about the radio and tape deck. The tape deck works fine, the tape deck has new belts, and the rollers aha d even cleaned. All the buttons on the radio work, however the reception is a bit weak. You can here how the radio gets loader, , and clearer as the antenna goes up in the video.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
I’ve mounted the cup holder in the holes that were there. Need to figure out how to add pictures.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Thinking of smells, regarding this car, that’s why I changed out the injectors. It wasn’t until I had the suspension , brakes, and SLS sorted out, that I stared to drive it a bit. I went into the garage one day, and smelled diesel fuel. That was the first time I smelled that, and not been working on bathe fuel system Turns out it’s a common problem. The fuel injectors are make of 2 half’s, (top and bottom), the joint is an interference tapered joint, and they weep after many years. Turns out 3 of them were seeping,. so, I went ahead and replaced all 5., as well as all the rubber fuel lines in the engine compartment. That fixed the odor. You do of course smell diesel exhaust if you back up, or are in a garage. With the motor running , but otherwise, as I said, no smells, not even diesel fuel.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@GregF I agree, some like the history that the patina portrays. Others like everything perfect. I like to focus on the functionality, and making what’s there as nice as possible, within reason.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Some, probably most, of you have noticed the holes, and indentations in the front door cards. These were from cup holders. Apparently MB sold these as an accessory. They were, broken, and missing parts. However, I have, received new ones that are exactly like the ones that were there, except there not broken. I didn’t want to say anything until I had them in my hands.. Now I do, and they are of excellent quality. I will post a picture once they are installed.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
@GregF Thanks, that was my intention. I have bought a few cars sight unseen, and one was as expected the other had an Oder that was not disclosed. Who does that? So, yes it is as presented, not perfect, but very nice in all respects. No odors in this car!1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Thinking about all of the typical issues that these cars have, it occurred to me, that I hand not taken pictures of the seats when they were out. However, I can tell you that I inspected the springs in the seats, and none were broken, or even repaired. Also, these have the round springs in the corners (which was a running change MB made).1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
I've been asked to elaborate on the damage sustained in 2020. I don't have any first hand information about that, as the owners had passed before I became interested in the car. However, the paint work seems to be older than that, and the report references the right rear corner. To me, the doors would be described as right side. However, when I went to look at the car for the first time, the right rear tail light was broken (see picture). This matches the description better. I'm assuming they reported it, collected the money, and never got around to fixing it. So I purchased a used tail light, and installed it. I also took pictures of the area behind the tail lights that show that area to be as it left the factory. Meaning, there is no sheet metal repair in that area, and the damage was limited to the plastic tail light. Back to the doors: Looks like there was a light scraping along that area. I say that because I've been inside the doors, and there is no signs of the sheet metal damage on the inside. So the damage must have been very minor. However there is a small dent in the passenger front door, which can be seen in the pictures. There are also 2 dents that are under the right rear bumper cover. The paint isn't cracked or even scratched in those 2 dents (see picture). So, was that part of the damage in the report? I just don't know. The only parts of all this that you actually notice, by walking around the car, is the small dent in the passenger front door. The other issues, you need to get down low, and look very closely to see that it's not perfect. Hope that helps. The remainder of the paint, and sheet metal is clearly original, and in great condition.1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT Wagon
83TDT said:
Feel free to ask questions, comment or send a message. I have a large amount of information to share. I didn't want to overwhelm anyone. I've made an effort to show any of the issues, and show any repairs, and all the maintenance , so there would be no disappointment after the sale. Bottom line, it is a really nice car.