1978 Mercedes 300CD Diesel Coupe W123

  • Price: Ask a price!
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
  • Condition: Used
  • Make: Mercedes-Benz
  • Model: 300-Series
  • SubModel: 300CD
  • Type: Coupe
  • Trim: 300CD
  • Year: 1978
  • Mileage: 117,000
  • Color: Black
  • Engine size: 5 cylinder diesel
  • Number of cylinders: 5
  • Transmission: Automatic
  • Drive type: RWD
  • Interior color: Blue
  • Vehicle Title: Clear

1978 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series 300CD Description

I bought this 1978 W123 Mercedes 300CD Diesel Coupe (non-turbo) last year with the intention of doing some basic maintenance on it and using as a semi-daily driver but I started a new position with a lot of travel and have concluded that just don't have the time for it right now. This is a pretty solid project car and would be a great daily driver with some basic maintenance and is a good candidate for a full restoration. These W123 coupes are becoming more and more collectible and getting harder to find. Here are some candid observations about this car:
PROS:
- 117k on the engine, so very low miles for a car this age.
- 2 long-term owners prior to me
- Minimal rust in the important places (floor pans, jack points, battery compartment). The bottoms of the door panels need to be replaced.- Body is straight, doesn't appear to be any previous damage or body work.
- New battery. Starts easily and idles fine.
- Lots of spare parts and service manuals included.
CONS:
- Vacuum leak which impacts power locks and transmission shift points. Should be easy to fix but I haven't had the time to find it and sort it out.
- Sunroof is stuck in closed position. Motor seems to work.
- Small oil leak which I believe is coming from valve cover gasket.- Dings in both front and rear windshields.
- Air conditioner doesn't work but heater does. I have a spare climate control module.
- Interior is okay but dash is cracked and drivers seat has a tear in the vinyl.
- Car has been resprayed at some point and will need paint at some point, particularly the trunk lid. The previous owner swore the car is black but it looks like a very, very dark graphite gray.
Despite the above, the car gets admiring looks when I drive it. As the saying goes, "they don't make them like this anymore" holds particularly true for these W123s. Let me know if you have any questions. Local pickup/delivery in and around Atlanta, GA, however, I will consider facilitating buyer-paid shipping.