kicsiultra Exactly! My dad is still looking for his first car, which he sold in the 90s! It’s a 1973 Cutlass Oldsmobile with a green interior! He beats his self up over this!!
I never regretted selling mine. Relieved was more like it. I had a 300SD. Was driving on a snowy day and while crossing a bridge the rear end spontaneously broke traction and practically spun out. Only being an experienced winter driver (Colorado, New Mexico) saved me. I put the car up on sale the next day. Total death trap.
This is the most passionate I have ever seen you be about any of your cars. If you can afford to keep it as a reminder of who you are and where you came from, I think you will regret selling it.
Update 7/23: Car sold to a viewer for $9000. Thanks Spencer! Previous Comment: For those wondering how much I will sell it for, I don't have a clue. Most likely I will auction it off unless I get a good offer.
IElRedI you're obviously not a true car enthusiast that car is in better shape than any other of its kind who cares about the garbage stock transmission
Here in Germany, it's almost become impossible to drive old diesel, because we have bans for under euro 3/4 diesels in the most bigger cities, in combination with horrible taxes (about 500€ a year just to have an old 250-diesel just stand there doing nothing)... We are killing our legacy purposely. A shame!
Chiclone- Tests €500 euro is a bargain. In the stupid Netherlands you pay more for an Astra a year. An old 200D costs €1350 just to have it insurance excluded xD
I vote to keep it. Mercedes diesels are like a faithful old friend, they can sit years and start up and go like you just parked it 10 minutes ago. IMO That is the last of the true quality Merc diesels and finding one that isn't ratted out is hard. Plus I think no matter how low the flame for it is now, you will miss it later on. I love my S600 but still miss my SD and kick myself everyday for getting rid of it.
great video hoovie, ive been driving Mercedes diesels for the past 10 yrs and just acquired a 2006 e320cid I love it, way faster than the w124s I owned. keep up the great videos.
We got into the Mercedes diesels about the same time and I remember following your posts back in the day on the shop forum. That was certainly epic when your oil cooler line busted on the road. Love the look of that SD!
As an idiot who made the decision of selling his old car, I strongly advise you to keep the damn thing and enjoy it for as long as you can. Have a good one!
The struggle is real. I'm glad someone else has the same disease I have...buying Mercedes diesels. I've owned fourteen W123s, one W126 and one W121 Ponton in the last 8 years. This is my favorite car in your collection, and I wish I could buy it.
My first car was an '83 300SD! Silver with dark blue leather. They are the absolute best and they were tanks. I blew out my radiator and drove it home the next morning with nothing but the a few bottles of water dumped into the system and it made it all 25 miles! Once i fixed the radiator i apparently didn't tighten the transmission cooler lines and all of my tranny fluid drained out, again when i was 25 miles from home. I drove it all the way home in first gear at about 35 and 4000 rpm. Once i tightened the lines and filled it with fluid i never had a problem again. I remember doing the valve adjustment on mine with the specialty bent wrenches and the vacuum system being a complete nightmare, and the window regulators... ahhh good times.
Magnificent piece of engineering. I don't know how much you will price this jewel but if against all odds I am the lucky one to get it, I'll promise you to love it. And keep it as spotless as you have, I will also offer you to visit her anytime you miss it too much and want to take it out for a drive or shooting a video! I've enjoyed your videos for a while now and I can relate to you a 100% , in fact spending money to convert the transmission of this particular car is exactly what I have done. I'll keep my fingers crossed to have a shot at owning it
Tom Wessel the best car Mercedes made in that era was actually a 1995 300diesel. that was the last year of the golden age before the accountants took over and engineers were downsized :(
omnipotentum Sure the drivetrain is reliable. The pain in the ass comes from everything else breaking. Things like power windows, leaking sunroof, Climate control, door seals, and I have literally never come across a W123 that has a working odometer. Also remember that you have to put premium octane fuel into it all the while knowing that you’re only getting 15 mpg out of it if you take it easy.
omnipotentum funny you should mention the fuel pump. My mechanic quoted me $300 to replace the fuel pump two weeks after getting $200 to replace the alternator on my ‘88 560 SEL. Plenty of cars will cross the million mile mark if they’re maintained properly. I wish you were there to buy that car from me. Since you’re such a fanboy, you probably would have paid me 10 times what I sold it for.
Someone there with no clue about German Cars? You know why they are such money pits? Because you live in fucking NA and not in Europe where you see old Benz cars everyday and they run fine because the parts here are dirtcheap.
I have an 85 300SD bought it seven years ago second hand. Am still using it as my daily driver... not to mention the great fuel economy!!! I travel 50 km a day!! For sure I'll never sell my Blue Bird!!
My father bought a 2003 e220 cdi in 2004...THAT CAR IS UNKILLABLE.Never broke down in 14 years. He ll buy a new one soon and I ll continue to drive the 2003.Meanwhile a friend of his bought a tuareg,flagship peugeot, passat, a8 , q7 and all broke down.
I totally relate to your first story... just bought a W116 for $850 with a broken hood latch handle. I then accidentally broke the door lock actuator so I ran into the same problem you had. Top tip: if you rev the engine and then turn the key it will shut off. Magic!
This was an expensive video. You said that the 2006 e320 cdi was the ultimate mbz diesel. So I found one in LA and am now the proud owner of a loaded metalic black one.
Wow..I wish I would have found your channel years ago...I bought from a relative his 1978 300D in 1996 with 74K original miles...He had bought it from a highschool buddy back in Beckley,WV who bought it new in 78 to avoid the long gas lines then....after the gas shortage was gone he let it sit in a garage for years,,well until 1988 when my uncle bought it from him with 28K miles..I had a showroom condition 300D even down to the original first aid kit in the back ledge....I wish I had made videos back then...I owned it from 1996 until 2002...before I even had a digital camera...I sold on E-Bay for $5300.00 $1K more than I paid for it and it had 276K miles showing but the ODO cable broke 3 times on my watch and I made many trips from Tampa FL to Philly Pa in her...It came new from Lewis Chevrolet Mercedes in Beckley WVa..Sorry for this novel but had to share with you since you a fellow 123 fan would appreciate...
In 2003 I sold my 1980 S-Class 300 turbo diesel to a young father who lived up the street. Every five years or so it gets sold again but always stays in the neighborhood. I am happy the owners appreciate it and seem to take such good care of it.
I love these diesel Mercedes. One of my dream cars. I wish I could afford it but until that I will be keeping a eye out for a cheap wagon. Good luck with selling it man.
I'm planning to buy a 240D soon, if all goes well. It's an older 1981 and these old diesels don't require any electronics, and that makes the prepper in me happy.
The 2017 E350D I have goes 5.9 seconds to 62mph its a V6 Diesel. Its faster than the E320 that you showed. Also the new inline 6 Diesel in the S class (coming soon to E class) is also much faster (340HP) 5.2 to 62mph.
All while costing less to run than a gasoline engine. Electric is much cheaper and faster but for how long? You cant keep an electric car floored it will overheat the battery and before soon you'll end up stranded by a charging station.
Diarmuid Marsden For the most part, especially with the more expensive cars, that is true. If they're not serviced frequently, things will go wrong. However, my uncle has owned a 2004 E320 since he bought it new, and now uses it as a beater pretty much. Mechanically, nothing has gone wrong. Just normal maintenance. These days, it's the damn electronics that kill these cars
My mum had a W123 300D in the early 80s which I went on to have it totalled - twice. It was a tough car. After getting it totalled the first time, it was repaired perfect. The second time round wasn't so great. Finally sold it maybe 2008/9.
Have same colour and interior combination, but SDL version, 1987, bought on ebay back 9 years ago and imported form sunny Florida. Absolutely love it. Registered as "classic car" so the insurance/tax package costs just 100USD per year. Here in Poland those restriction for old diesels in cities does not apply to classic cars, so I can drive it wherever I want. (thought it is the same in Germany with "H plackett"). The one thing I do not understand is, how you could convert it into manual, instead automatic...
señor Hoovie, I owned an E320CDi for many happy years (same gen as the one in the video - so quicker than the later model) while what you have said is true for Mercedes, I have since moved on to better things in the way of diesels. Sadly Mercedes have a limit to the power outputs they want to offer with their diesels, BMW on the other hand does not. Give the BMW 535d/740d a try (current gen if pos) and then, after that one has shocked you about how much quicker it is than the Mercedes, get hold of a much less common 750d and prepare to be absolutely astounded. The 750d is quad turbo and as such also has crazy ECU tuning potential as it already has more than adequate airflow and fuel delivery. There is just something about the insanely instantaneous boost you get from a quad turbo diesel, that no petrol car can even get close to
Totally random, but I've lived in Dallas awhile. That phone # on that business card now goes to Park Place Motors (one of their brands is still Merc, others include Bugatti, McLaren, Maserati, and.... Volvo?!), and the address of the former dealer is now an Eddie V's Prime Seafood. That's still a very expensive neighborhood; borders Highland Park and the Gayborhood today.
Hopefully you come up to Chad's in your 300SD, I'd love to see it in person! I hear ya on moving on from MB Diesels. I'm getting to that point with my 350SDL. Owning an electric car, I've been bitten by that bug. Instant torque, no transmission to get in the way, and being able to "re fuel" at home are huge plusses. Add to that the quietness and it's a great package.
I even won't sell it, because they don't make them anymore like this. I have a very basic W123 200D (no electric windows, central locking, etc) but it's still more comfortable and relaxing to drive then any other modern car. And they are solid as well. In 2008, a Ford Mondeo t-boned my front. The Ford was for the scrapyard, I only need to fix my fender, new turnsignal and a bumper, and re-aligning my steering. And with the new parts, I've got a central armrest, witch makes its more relaxing. Plus with an old Merc with chrome bumpers, you have less problems on the road. People are letting you pass more often then driving with another more daily looking car. It's remind me to make an appointment to the bodyshop for making it like new again, but first fixing my gaspedal after standing still for 5 years now.
i owned this chassis for over a decade in 560sel form. keep it as a comfy passenger hauler - it's the best ever made for taking 2 or 3 friends somewhere in total comfort and old world charm!!
the adblue tank isnt exactly that big though, they mostly removed the spare tire to remove weight, since you still have a big storage space where the tire used to be
Mercedes diesels already had their day, 10 years ago with the veggie oil craze. Mine is not a low mileage original car, so I doubt it will ever be worth big money.
Hoovies Garage I live in Europe and i am a Mercedes benz enthusiast and collector. I dont think that the 300SD will ever worth a very signicant amount of money, but it will outlast every thing new that you buy at a new car dealer today if you dont chrash it and take care of it ( and you know that as much as me ). I am a Younger than you but i will advise not to sell your "dream car", sometimes when you fell that the "flame" is gone it's just before the moment when the fire burns in a more intense way. P.S: Don't sell the w123 240D either because you will never find a better built car than that, not even a very nice built rolls royce. Greeting and Stay well
I scored a deal on a white on blue 1980 300TD for $1100 in early March. So far, so good! It’s a little crusty and super slow, but I absolutely love it!
hey man. clean it up like the day it was built, drain all the fluids, and store it. you can show potential buyers the car like that and they'd think they're buying a museum car, and having it out of commission as if it were gone will show you if you'd miss it or not. I'm posting this strange comment because I have a 93 500sel that I swore I was gonna sell but I just decided to keep because I love it so much. keep up the great videos
I worked as valet a couple years ago, a lady that lived in the apartments above the parking had one of these. It wasnt perfect, but the car sure looked like it ran well.. I still lust over owning one of these, but the 100hp diesel seems like a pain lol. Watching your vid made me wonder if anyone has dropped an american V8 diesel in one of these.
I also have a w126 with a 4 speed and the same wheels! I haven't driven it in a year. But I have a OM606 and a 6 Speed manual waiting to go into it... when I have time. Your SD is very nice. I hope you got good money for it.
