82 Mercedes 300TD Turbo Diesel Wagon 300TDT

1982 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

For auction: 1982 Mercedes 300TD "Hildegard"
Original paint except noted below
W123 is the body designation.
A little over 229.6k miles.
Good Original Condition
Smells like a leather equipped Mercedes inside.
Does not smoke to excess on cold start - one of the cleanest startup 300 Turbodiesels I have been around.
Manual sunroof
All the orig paperwork that was in the glove box is still there - manual ect.
My understanding is the TD stands for Touring Diesel
You will also see these listed as 300TDT
These diesel engines do not have computer controls. They are very basic in operation.
It is also our understanding these wagons were 'Coach Built' by Mercedes
These are very heavy cars built with safety in mind. They have 3 point safety harnesses front and back.
There is no 3rd seat.
Where there were approx 45,000 sedans built per year but only 6000 wagons built per year - so since there werelots of the sedans built and still in use parts seem easy to acquire. I was able to tackle the repairs as they came up.
Has great acceleration
Cruises at 60 - 65 with no issues.
Shifts well (Transmission was rebuilt at some point by MB transmission specialists Nye's Automotive in Indiana - I don't remember the year.I would guess this was done around 210k?) I pulled the transmission out and shipped it to them, it was very reasonable at the time.
Please note the previous owner had (at around 170k) had put a used transmission in it. That is the same transmission I would later on have rebuilt. So it doesnot have the original transmission which is why I mention this. Functionally they are identical but the number would not match for the transmission.
Parts always seemed to be available when they were needed. Much info for these cars is on YouTube.
We want to provide all the good and not so good details of this car to you. Our goal is for you toarrive to pick up the car and not be surprised or disappointed. Anticipate the need for various repairs as they arise - known defects listed below. We want the new purchaser to be informed as much as possible.
More pics are available upon request.
We did not power wash the bottom or the engine due to the potential risk of pushing water into the seams or components, so the bottom looks dirty and has cob webs. We did de-grease the engine bay with low pressure water. Also please note we did not douse the car with armor all.
As far as driving it a long distance - I would be OK with doing so - but the car is a 1982 - and it has been sitting a lot. That being said I do notknow of any current issues that would keep it from making a longer trip.
Fresh oil change.New battery - starts very wellGlow plugs all work - so when cold the engine starts evenly. Does have a block heater for bitter cold operation.
Brakes system works good - all of the calipers were replaced although not at the same time.
Car does have the European headlight/foglight combo. There is a chip in one - shown in the photos.
Car history: Originally delivered in TX in 1982Original delivery price was approx 33k in 1982 dollars.We purchased it in Dallas TX area.We brought the car to Ohio and it was our faithful daily car from 2001 to approx 2006So that is the number of winters the car was used in Ohio. After 2006 it became a summer only occasional use car.The last few years it has been mostly in dry storage - but driven very little each year.
Current condition:Many would say this is in great condition, but again we want to be realistic about it's condition.We would call it good condition. There are some issues listed below.
Car has very good Original paint - nice and glossy.
Brightwork is very shiny and not pitted
Rubber seals around windows and trim is in very good shape
There is one notable rust spot that I repaired several years ago. It was an very amateur job but it involved a very small area.
There are Other smaller spots shown in the photos.
Doors underneath are very cleanFloor and under panels are VGC
Interior is relatively clean - headliner is nice. Carpets still look nice.
The Hydraulic leveling system is operational - and maintains the rear elevated height for several days after the last operation of car.
More pics of the bottom of the car are available upon request.
Rides very smoothly and comfortably. No shakes or vibrations.
All window motors work
Brakes work well.
Steering is decent - drives well and straight - does not pull. As far as I know ball joints are OK but these cars eventually need them replaced. Anticipate the eventualneed of replacement front end parts.
Known Issues:Front seat back is very worn.
Vacuum is good - but door automatic locks are inoperable. There is a master door lock vacuum assembly in the driver's door - I would start there with replacing it.
Rear axle boots are worn and dry cracked. Although the axles currently function well they will need to be replaced because the boots can't be replaced by themselves. New axles available from O-Reillys ect. for a reasonable cost. They are not hard to replace. Please refer to youtube.
A/C is operational - cold but not Ice cold. Anticipate repairs will be needed to be improve A/C. Was converted to r134a. In recent years it wouldneed a very little charge to get the A/C very cold - and it would last all year. This year after putting a small amount in it got only fairly cold.
Cruise is inop
Rear tailgate lift shocks need replaced
Dash mounted oil pressure gauge inop - replaced by very functional under dash oil pressure gauge.
Climate control was temperamental so I added a manual temperature control knob and cable. All orig components are in place - and the manual control I added does not affectthe original system, it just makes it easy to get the perfect temperature you want. Manual control is fully removable - no holes were drilled.
Radio works but needs replaced - power antenna inop
Dash is in good shape
I tried the rear wiper and it did not work - it might just be a fuse. I don't remember any prior problems with it. The reason I say fuse isthat the fuse blocks on these cars are known for needing cleaning and fiddling with from time to time.
The engine runs very well, but the car has been mostly sitting for years, so anticipate the need for servicing fuel filters and other related components as the need arises.
The engine does seep oil around the front of the engine, nothing major as far as I know. Anticipate eventual repairs to better seal the engine. Rear seal seems OK
Front windshield is just OK - there is a chip in it.There were two occasions when someone backed slowly into the passenger front (on two separate occasions) each time very minor damage was done, thatis why the passenger side headlight is nicer (because it was replaced twice). There was some paint work on the hood if memory serves - but I cannot see any difference.
Sold As Is
Local pickup only
Car is for sale locally so we reserve the right to end the auction early.
Buyer must make contact within 36 hours of auction end
Port Columbus CMH is closest airport
Clear Ohio title
Sold As Is
Local pickup only
All information is to the best of my knowledge

• Make: Mercedes-Benz
• Model: 300-Series
• SubModel: 300TD
• Type: Wagon
• Year: 1982
• Mileage: 229,600
• VIN: WDBAB93A3CN011300
• Color: Gray
• Engine size: Diesel 5 Cylinder Engine 3.0L/183
• Number of cylinders: 5
• Power options: Air Conditioning
• Fuel: Diesel
• Transmission: Automatic
• Drive type: 4dr Wagon 300TD-T
• Interior color: White
• Options: Leather Seats, Sunroof
• Vehicle Title: Clear
Want to buy? Contact seller!