Mercedes 240D - Still Fit for Daily Use? 

I am wondering, can you do little modifications to these cars (like exaust) and make them % wise a lot better for environment?

My parents had a 1980 W123 240D with a 4 speed manual, they bought brand new in Santa Barbara CA. Boy was she a snail. They sold it twelve years later, it ran exactly as it did when new, the only part that failed was the spedo cable, which broke at about 3K mikes and the repair was covered under warranty. 200K mikes, one repair, covered by MBZ. Some say this isn't the best Mercedes ever made, its the best CAR ever made. I'm inclined to agree.

My 1980 300TD has been my only car since 1995. I maintain it myself.

Excellent video, it's way better to extend the life of a car than junk it and go for a plastic/disposable new one!

I own (and daily drive) a 300TD. I drive it approximately 25,000 miles per year. I appreciate that you have broken down the environmental impact of the full life cycle of a vehicle. Owning and maintaining a classic car mitigates a lot of the impact at the creation and disposal ends of the cycle, especially when you keep it for significantly longer than most people tend to keep vehicles. I've got 341,000 miles on mine now, and I fully expect to make it to at least 500k. I'd have needed two or three other vehicles inside of that span of time/miles, with the entire creation/functional lifespan/disposal numbers factored in.

I grew up in a family of taxi drivers and mechanics, they appreciated these cars because they were expected to run 10 to 20 years, doing millions of kms, paying the bills and bringing food to the table with substandard maintetance. And in the 'developing countries' they used to cost more than a house, so yeah, reliability was a big deal. The prestige of the "3-pointed star" was just a bonus.

My 1981 240D is my main car. I commute to work in brutal Silicon Valley traffic and I take in on road trips on the open highway. Around town and in heavy traffic it doesn't matter that it has so little power. It's only an issue when accelerating onto the highway in light traffic--sometimes people honk. Once up to speed, I cruise at 75-80 mph in the fast-lane for hours. The speedometer stops at 85, but my GPS indicated 87 the other day. The seating position and ergonomics are more comfortable for me than new cars. The visibility is superb--far far better than new cars. The air conditioning no longer functions, and while it can be repaired, it will probably cost more than the car. The main issue he did not mention is that replacing vacuum and evaporator hoses on W123 cars is getting almost impossible--I'm having hoses custom fabricated now. Nevertheless, it is a superior piece of machinery compared to most new cars--including Mercedes. It doesn't have as many creature comforts, but when I replaced my 2019 Acura TLX with this, I didn't miss parking sensors. (I do miss A/C, but I manage). What he isn't talking about is that over the lifetime of the vehicle as it has moved from owner to owner, possibly 10 more cars have not been built or junked because of this (and other older) car. Over a time frame this long, I think driving a W123 chassis is better for the environment.

I really enjoyed the breakdown of environmental impact. It's definitely something I think about daily driving my 1979 W116 Turbo Diesel, but it's not the only thing that matters in the decision to drive it. These are wonderful cars and it's a pleasure to keep one on the road.

Great video! I run my 300TD on “renewable diesel”, which is biodiesel that has been sent to the lab to act more like petroleum diesel… It has better emissions than petroleum diesel and better cold start and fuel economy than biodiesel… and it is plant based and derived from a recycled product (vegetable oil). It is often blended with biodiesel to improve the lubrication of engine components but unfortunately it is only available in a few select fueling stations. Biodiesel and renewable diesel blends are becoming more common on fleet vehicles here in California and the west coast states of the US however, so it slightly improves the metrics of sustainability, or at least that is what I like to tell myself.

Keeping an old car is always better for the environment, since one less new car has to be built which takes huge amounts of energy.

I’m driving a 76 240D to work. Only 40 min. Not exactly efficient but I love it! I bought it for $1250 from a friend of mine. His kid didn’t like it….I did lots of repairs on it so now it’s a very reliable machine! Also have a w107 what I used to drive to work before this Racing Turtle came about 😂

Benz is the greatest...greetings from Jamaica 🇯🇲

The OM616 is currently sold in India by Force Motors. I have it new.

Great informative video! I currently drive a 1983 S123 240TD that has clocked 930 000kms (old taxi) I've done basic maintenance and fixed a few bushings and tie rods to make it smooth and drive properly, does 6,5 L/km ~ 43 MPG. Also soon getting a 1973 W115 220D.

I have a 250 turbodiesel (W124) daily driver. NEVER let me down, even when the battery completely died : a good push and I was able to get to the shop without the battery in the car, I left the battery home and drove right to the shop and put a new one in there. No problem. (no indicators, no brake lights eighter😂)

"Still fit for daily use?" I laugh at that question. When you've got over 300K miles one, get in front of anyone not driving a hybrid or an EV and then, when you are going up-hill, just floor the damn accelerator and cover the offender with soot and whatever diesel manages to make it out of the tailpipe without having been oxidized. While this technique does not contribute good mileage, it is highly, emotionally satisfying.

Hello from Azerbaijan. I have 1985 first production W124 with M102 engine, still running and good condition. Oldtimer Mercedes-Benz models are always the best because they have soul and not like plastic and electric scrap which produces now. Best regards.

I’ve got a 1982 300D . I love it!

I had a 1980 300SD. It was super grand in build quality and ride. But it was the slowest car I've ever owned. I still have fond memories of that car

Great video! I learned to drive in A37XMD which was a 240D saloon in the same spec as your estate (white paint, blue interior and 4 speed manual). You really learned to plan ahead with only 70hp. Now I have a 1983 380se and it feels like a flying machine! Wish you many years of safe and happy motoring in, what I say, are some of the best cars ever made.

This has to be one of the best videos I've ever seen in RU-vid. So specific and informational.

Thank you for an excellent video. Not only was the content well researched, but also your delivery and articulation is excellent. I took down notes for my reference. I am hooked to your channel and look forward to more educative content.

Great thumbnail, cars I wanted as a kid and still want as a responsible adult.

Very interesting video, especially the bit on the environmental impact of the car. I drive a 2011 Peugeot 308 SW (SW designates a station wagon). It consumes about 5 liters of diesel with a 50/50 motorway and city driving mix. I plan on keeping this car until it literally falls apart, which it doesn‘t seem to want to, luckily. It saddens me that the diesel got such a bad reputation since VW got caught with fraud. I think it‘s way more sensible to drive a diesel at 5L/100km than a petrol car that will consume probably around 9L of fuel. Hopefully we‘ll watch videos about cars from the 2000s and 2010s in 30 years time.

Really been enjoying your videos. Thanks for uploading 👍🏼

Thank you for the video. It’s very well done. I have a 1975 240 D that is my daily driver (but only in good weather). I absolutely LOVE these cars. What I love most about my car is the 4 cylinder diesel engine. The sound is pure music to me.

This was an exceptional report. Insightful, balanced and well delivered. Thank you

Great video! It’s wonderful to get the environmental data about these cars from so many angles compared to newer vehicles.

Those cars could also be run on used cooking oil (of course filtered), which would change the answer on the environmental point. Works also on the 124 Diesel engines. However, although not required in all cases, I‘d recommend a two-tank-setup when you use it regularly on shorter distances.

A thoroughly interesting and enjoyable video. The lifetime environmental impact analysis was excellent. Many thanks

Superb video, I've read a lot about diesels over the years and a fair amount about the W115 and W123 because they're great. I learnt a lot in this video. Many aspects covered too.

My previous comment was tongue-in-cheek, but, having taught environmental science myself, his maths work for me. When I was a tiny part of a medical health center staff and one of the physicians would buy a new car, I'd challenge them to race me: their new car and my 20 or more year old 300D, round trip, Sioux City, IA, USA to Mexico City, Mexico and back. I never had a taker.

My 1983 240D 5speed manual is used as one of my daily cars. It cruises comfortably at 120kph/75mph and Goes up to +165kph/+105mph.

Another fantastic video, the production value just keeps getting better and better.

So happy to hear information I really always look forward to get more knowledge on The old Mercedes Benz Thank you sir

Thanks for the insightful and thoughtful video 427MS; we need more considered enagagement with the issue like this.

These old diesel M-Bs are charming and anachronistic, and that's part of what drew me to them in my younger years. That was well before environmental considerations weighed on my mind at all, quite in contrast to the present, and I watched this video solely because you were addressing the environmental portion of the equation, which I have never seen anyone elsewhere address with respect to classic cars (let alone these particular vehicles). Thanks so much for doing so; the figures were eye-opening and interesting.

Brings back fond memories. Way into the years 2000's there were still 240d w115/8 taxis in Brussels, let alone how many 124's. When i was on holiday in Morocco in 2006, at least 90% of all cars were those Mercedeses. Mechanics simply had plates "240/300" and that was it. You saw young boys doing welding jobs in the middle of the night. Awesome! By the way, thanks for the extensive info 👍👍

Our family still owns a W123 diesel estate that primarily is our farm vehicle. Barely anything goes wrong (though we do actually inspect it ourselves), the torque is excellent for the rough roads and it’s just an overall great ride when we take it to down to enjoy the coast. Hope we can keep the girl going for decades.

It's a very interesting and rare study of the ecological impact of a classic car. I've been into classics for a few years now and it's the first time someone look at them from an ecological point of view, let alone that precisely. Thank you

During 1990 and 2000, I owned many 123s and one 126(the S class) all diesels. There is something about their road behavior that is so different from all cars, it’s almost addictive. I was living in Romania at that time and the roads were an absolute mess, they were so comfortable. I considered them the best cars ever made. I would still buy one in good shape out of nostalgia and to still admire the mechanical simplicity.

What a great video, really enjoyed it and lots of food for thought.

Great video lads. Keep it up!

No punches held! Great video.

This is certainly one of the most beautiful and well made vehicles ever.The opening brought me to tears.

21 years daily driving my 190D 2.5L

Great work really enjoyed it

Just cranked up my 300SD! 😂

i lived in Germany but learned to drive on 50hp diesels. I survived :)

I visited Germany in 1979 and noticed , on the autobahns ( motorways) it seemed like almost every other car was a W123. I’ve loved them ever since.

0-60 in under 10 minutes, guaranteed! I have a 90mile daily commute round trip in my 83 240D and it can get a little hairy especially going up hills, but its a true Spartan of a car.

I drove a w123 from London to Cape Town. It was however a 2.8 petrol. Big fan of the m110 engine.

Excelente informe, El Mercedes 300 SW es el vehículo que quiero tener desde que lo conocí en 1981. Es el auto eterno. Saludos desde Argentina

We had a 1978 240 yes it was slow but it had style and was a tank . Always wanted a 300 TD wagon.

Good Video!

Great video clip. I looking forward to buy 240D estate like yours. At the moment we had Mercedes 1.8 kompresor Estate auto. Also nice car. Lol. 😊. Big hello from Swindon.

The diesel engine in my Grandma's Burgundy W124 sedan could barely pull it up a hill keeping 80 km/h after 30 years. But that thing sure was long lived. Just kept on going, and still is as far as I know, wherever it is these days. Part of me almost wish I could have bought it of her when she had to sell it even.

Northern Ontario, currently drive a '90 Jetta TD (1.6l) with 405,000 km on the clock. Retired, but live rural, 5-6000 km/yr. Found your discussion of environmental fooprint very interesting. Drives well, keeps up with traffic, but age-related maintenance in an area where salt is used extensively is time-consuming. Spouse's 2017 Elantra gets similar mileage (Atkinson cycle 2l). Am currently thinking about15 y/o Honda, mostly to get away from extensive maintenance Volks now requires. I have the underside of my car sprayed commercially each fall with an oil-based solution to keep rust at bay, a not uncommon practice here. Diesel is significantly more extensive than gas here now, negating much of the mileage advantage (currently $1.84/l Cdn vs $1.50/l for gas). A 16 y/o student down the road from me has just bought himself an '80's MB diesel to get himself to secondary school, an uncommon sight here.

So doing a burnout in one of these is like really bad? Really enjoyed the video. Well researched/presented.

Excelente vídeo! mi opinión es que va a depender de si vives en un entorno urbano o en un área rural, y de los kilómetros que recorras y con qué frecuencia, de cara a plantear si el uso es o no ambientalmente reprobable. En mi opinión, poca gente conduce clásicos, por una cuestión de comfort y prestaciones, pero siempre quedaremos aquellos a quienes nos gusta conducir un pedazo de historia.

👍Great video, thanks! Have you looked into any comparative studies on environmental impact when these cars are run on WVO (waste vegetable oil)? I have an ‘84 300TD 🚙 (possibly for sale) & an ‘81 207D 🚐 (Campervan), thanks!

Thank you for a very informed and well rounded video. Very interesting when looking at vehicle tail pipe and total life emissions. For a long while now I've held the view that the internal combustion engine isn't quite the devil that some environmentalist's make it out to be, but that the fuels that we are filling our tanks with, are a lot of the problem. We can use cleaner fuels, in some countries we do, but others are slower to adapt to them. We could also look at retro fit exhaust emissions systems for older vehicles like this. It won't make it as clean as a modern diesel, but it also consumes a lot less resources to retro fit an old, good condition car, than to scrap it and build a new car. Which would give us a gain in lowering pollution two ways. First, lower tailpipe emissions. Second, lower total life emissions. That's a win for the environment. You can always turbocharge a non turbo diesel to improve it's performance to keep up with modern traffic better, without major modifications to the engines fuel system, and quite possibly improve it's fuel economy. Older toyota diesel owners that fit aftermarket turbo systems find not only increased performance, but increased mileage too. Better mileage equals lower exhaust emissions.

Thank you for video and great sound of durability motor

Service life = green. I just got home in my 1988 Volvo 245. The resources to make it are still right there for you to drive. They can continue to be used for decades. Show me a 50 year old Tesla.

Very well done. For someone who owns a 2004 VW Jetta TDI Estate, I have been thinking about the exhaust. I too studied Environmental Science. Currently, the Jetta sits beside my garage. I love the thing. But....

I know a guy with a W124 300D that has done almost a million km and hasn't had it's oil changed in 10 years (it's more of a thick black goo than oil). It still runs and drives. You just have be careful not to touch the thing in the wrong places because you'll create a new hole if you lay a finger on it, it's that rusted through. But it drives. Not on the road mind you, it hasn't been road legal for those 10 years, but it works when absolutely needed for one reason or another. It also tries to kill your spine every time the transmission decides to shift lol. Personally, E39 528i/530i are the best daily drivers you could buy used for a reasonable (albeit climbing) price today. Dead reliable if you aren't the average American who thinks reliability is when you can use horse manure instead of oil without any downsides. Replace the cheap water pump every time you do belts, keep an eye on the old hoses and replace as needed and replace anything else that goes wrong instead of letting it simmer until it turns into a raging boil. Plenty of comforts, none of the stupid electronic drivers "assists" that try to kill you, easy to work on, comfortable interiors with great ergonomics, heavily modifiable if you want to go down that route, and they get FAR better fuel economy than equivalent engine models from Audi at the time. Rust is an issue with salty winters, but it's managable if you take care of it. Had a 528i with spark plugs 40k km overdue replacement and a broken cam pos sensor start in -35C reliably and still drive fine as long as you kept the engine load low. Plus, they handle really well for a softly sprung heavier sedan, very nice in winters where most FWD cars struggle to accelerate, brake or turn because of the awful weight distribution they have. If you wish to stick to diesels, most BMW's with any variant of the M57 engine are incredibly reliable and have good power. I'm convinced there's not a single Nissan Patrol or original Land Rover that's still actively driven and hasn't been M57 or OM606 swapped. Also, for the lower CO2 emissions of diesels, that's not really the case. If you look at equivalently powerful engines, both modern and old. Diesel's emit the same amount of CO2. CO2 emissions are directly correlated to the amount of fuel burned, but equivalent performance diesel/petrol engines are usually roughly the same when it comes to fuel consumption, since the extra thermal efficiency from diesel engines in something as small and light as cars is easily offset by the extra weight of the engine components and emissions equipment. The reason diesel's produced less CO2 at the time was because they were far, far less powerful than petrol models, meaning they burned much less fuel. It was never a real advantage in cars for the reasons listed, but the very slow burning nature of diesel has it's uses in large, commercial engines where you could never get the RPM up high enough to get useful power out of a petrol engine because of the very high stresses on the internal components. The one thing you also didn't mention about electric cars is that they're very heavy. Heavy vehicles put much more strain on the road resulting in more road damage which means more frequent road maintenance/repaving. It really doesn't solve any of the problems related to cars, especially in cities. There just isn't any winning in a car to car comparison, because public transit blows them all out of the water. Just stick to public transit if or when you can and roll your weekend warrior out when you want to have some fun. Remember: personal cars really aren't that large of an emissions issue unless you drive tens of thousands of miles per year. The bigger problem is industry and commercial vehicles that could very easily be replaced with electric trains if capitalism wasn't too busy milking the commoners for it's own benefit.

Underrated video! What environment comparing the smile and the joy in the w123? (yes I'm blunt and I said it !!) I own a 84 200D w123 with no muffles on. The happiness in it is beyond imagination. I personally wouldn't affect the environment much if I keep my car. Honestly? As a man you can't go electric, you need to own a manly car .. a DIESEL car. Think about it :)

This is a great video, especially the segment on ecology. I semi daily drive a W123 200D and can attest to the feasibility as long as you're driving with that "it has its own pace" mindset. What about mixing WVO to diesel fuel, does that reduce CO2 emissions ? What about future prospects of synthetic fuels for old diesels ?

I have an '85 300D. I'd be interested in your doing the same environmental analysis of the W115 and W123, but with biodiesel (true biodiesel, not just veggie oil. i.e., glycerine removed).

Fantastic video

Modern cars wear out huge tyres far quicker than the smaller harder tyres on classics.

Nice usage of Robin of Shetwood music 😊

I had one in 1979-86. Seats gave permanent back injury. Rear suspension fishtailed with rear passengers and their luggage. Would not start at 16 degre.Valve guided and steering gear plenty worn by 65.000 miles.

If you run your old diesel on GTL Fuel, you can reduce emissions. Thanks for a uplifting video.

Gread and informative video, watched it 2 times already :) Can you tell me what's the name of the music that plays at the intro section beginning at 1:37? That sounds so cool and looks great with the video of the Merc driving :)

Well thought out video! With facts and data

Great video. I've been tempted to get one of these, as a practical reliable classic that I can drive in London, although I'm not sure I could live with how slow they are. The figure on lifetime emissions of a BEV vs. equivalent diesel were fascinating, I didn't realise quite how bad electrics still are. Makes you wonder what the point is really.

If I recall, our 78 300D had a top speed of 93 mph, but it would run all day at 80, and so long as the speed was constant, it never seemed to effect the fuel economy - though I am assuming wind resistence says this can't have been absolutely true. Felt like a tank, very secure - though again absolute handling limits were taut family sedan vs. any sporting aspirations. But you wouldn't get yourself into trouble and speed bumps ceased to exist. Rediculously epensive parts even back then.

I'm fairly certain no w123s were sold in the US with airbags. I was always told they were a Euro option like ABS and I've only seen them here in grey market cars. It's also worth considering that electric vehicles have exponentially worse tire emissions. Here in the US, the argument isn't new diesels (because we don't have many) vs old diesels, it's diesel vs gas. The production of the actual gasoline is usually completely overlooked.

W123 are becoming a bit antique pieces to be thrown around like this.I drive a 190d daily, with excellent reliability and fair fuel consumption considering is a 1988 4 speed car. It can totally keep up with modern traffic, and i don't go much into town with it. Also have a W124 250d that i bought used 12 years ago, and 230000km after it still pulls strong. The 190d being smaller uses less fuel, obviously. I mostly drive over a low density region where transit unavailable. Inside cities, mass transit should always be preferred over private car, and long trips the train will be cleaner, but old cars can have a chance for little expense compared to buy a newer option that will be much more expensive and pollute just a little less over the same driven distance. I had an electric car, and was not overall impressed, plus some of those are designed to fail and require costly repairs over the years.

82 300d daily drive. Adelaide South Australia

I've been driving a VW Golf mk2 1.6 Diesel (54 hp) or 2,5 years as a dailydriver (180 km/day .... about 40.000km/year). Must say more fueleconomical than my current brandnew Peugeot Hybrid. More easier to work on. Only problem when driving a 'old' diesel : people just bluntly call you a polluter and curse you off the road. The Golf 2 diesel thow, has been my most reliable and easy to work pn car I've ever owned ..... and still own.

You are the coolest DUDE. Thank you.

Not only informative, but balanced.

@427 - would be great to see how different diesel engines/platforms stack up for environmental impact. I drove a A4 ALH and I've often wondered if I'm doing better or worse in comparison to electric vehicles

What a brilliant video!

Great video

sweet engine sounds for the ears

Really Great video and Great work Man. Keep it up Great content

The lack of lithium mining that's involved in modern batteries for electrics, plus the long lifespans of these makes me think they're plenty environmentally friendly. Also the fact that it's not clearcut whether gas or diesel particles are truly more environmentally friendly. Diesel takes less refining, the weight of the particles takes them out of the air faster, and their CO2 emissions are lower.

Nice informative video. I will buy a brand new Ertiga for my wife then target a w115 diesel and a w124 5 cylinder 20 valve diesel if finances will permit and I hope they do. Thank you for your video.

I remember Benz talking about only producing diesel cars back in the 90’s.

Also I ran my L407d on a 50/50 diesel vegetable oil ,I only ran it on new veg oil rather than filtered oil for, a chip shop,,,it went well for two years u til the timing cam decided to leave its mounts ,,I’ve no idea if this was anything to do with it but I ended up going for a reconditionedengine supllied by Crewe engines ,,they had engines on the shelf ready to rebuild ,,after a failed attempt to put another secondhand engine I got for 200£ in ,I opted for the rebuilt engine ,,this was back in 2007 and cost 1200£ with the other engines being sold back to the company for rebuilding .

I still remember the diesel sound of thee old w123 diesels from my childhood, every time when we came home from a family trip we got out from the DC9 or DC10 and then took a taxi from Helsink-Vantaa airport home. There were a lot of these diesel Mercedes-Benz cabs here, the rest were Volvo's and some Chevy Caprice's, Buick's, Oldsmobile's and some drivers had Soviet made cars but I dont know who the hell rode in them.

i was wondering wouldn't the emission rating go down if you install a high grade disel particle filter on the car?

Good subject. The fundamental message is to reduce "consumption" which in turn reduces all emissions. This is job N°1 for humanity. This means avoiding E-cars which involves thousands of tons of CO2 to be made (the equivalent of 70,000 miles in a ICE car), taking public transport and using a bicycle for all local tasks. The ONLY positive of E-cars is to reduce local particles (other than from the tyres and brakes). I have driven a 240D (4 speed) manual) and for me the main difficulty is with overtaking ;-). There are some quite good runners up to these cars.

When it comes to the Emissions, I can't help but wonder if you fitted them with an EGR Valve and Diesel Particulate Filter, would it make enough of a difference in Emissions to where you could drive around 20,000 Kilometres per year and not be a net-polluter? I was planning to Diesel Swap my 2005 Toyota Corolla (Replacing the Stock 1.8 Litre gas engine with a 1.9 Litre VW TDI) and I was planning to counteract the emissions with an EGR valve and a DPF, as I desire good fuel economy (Current engine gets around 550 to 600 Kilometres out of a 50 Litre Tank, but the 1.9 TDI could get around 1000 Kilometres to a 50 Litre Tank) but I am concerned over my emissions, as the Gas Engine (even with a fake Catalytic Converter) is a relatively clean running engine with relatively low emissions (The cats are fake because I had to cheap out as at the time my cats were cooked but couldn't afford the 2+ thousand dollars to replace them properly)

I lived in a Mercedes l407d long wheelbase campervan,which shares the same engine as the 240d car,,,,I spend a lot of time in Morocco and these old mercy’s are everywhere both Delhi very vans and taxis ,,,a mate had a l608d that had been a service bus then a live in truck and it had done over a million miles when he bought it ,known as derek it’s still out there plodding along

W123 is a eternity machine💪🇩🇪

Fantastic video!