If you are looking for a timeless classic that can be driven for the next 100,000 miles with minimal maintenance, THIS is your car!
The sale of this car will be the end of a 33 year love affair with the 70’s and 80’s Mercedes Diesels. I have owned 14 different ones ranging from a 220D, several 240D’s, 300D (both naturally aspirated and turbo), 300 SDL, 350 SDL, and a lone 560SEL Gas car. I am intimately familiar with these cars as this is all I have driven since the age of 18! This is the LAST year Mercedes made the 240D for the USA.
Maintenance and upkeep have been my #1 priority with this car under my ownership, both mechanically and cosmetically! This my daily driver so it has to be reliable. My daily commute is currently 55 miles, which is the shortest I’ve had since owning the car.
This car has a 5 Speed Manual Transmission! That’s right you read it correctly. Anyone familiar with the 240D knows it’s only downfall was that it needed another gear. This care will cruise at 80 MPG with very low RPM’s. Mercedes made them in Germany but never imported them into the USA. I am only aware of two other ones in the entire country. The transmission came out of a car I owned that was brought here from Germany by the original owner. ALL of the mounts are built into the car so the swap was easy and bolted right in. This was done in 2006 at approximately the 195,000 mile mark.
***NOTE – Approximately 10,000 of these miles come from flat towing the car behind my motorhome.
Car is tight. Runs and drives 100%, is quiet, handles well and rides amazing with 4 wheel independent suspension and 4 wheel disc brakes, which was way ahead of it’s time. Many people who ride with me express that it rides better than their brand new car!
Interior is a 9/10. Seats show almost NO WEAR at all! Front seats have been covered under my ownership. Burgundy interior was a special order and I have NEVER seen another one. Most 240D and 300D cars of this period had the ugly brown or palomino with the occasional black or blue. Interior color goes very well with the metallic silver exterior.
Exterior is an 8/10 with a few small spots of surface rust or bubbling. Undercarriage is completely clean and solid! 98% of these cars are rusted out both on the body and worse the undercarriage. Inside of moon roof is clean and has NO RUST (this is a common area of rust that most people overlook or are unaware of to look for)
Car has been on MANY long trips to Myrtle Beach and up and down the east coast. Car has NEVER left me stranded (except when I allowed it to run out of fuel, lol).
· 5 Speed MANUAL Transmission!
· 2nd Owner. Purchased from original owner in 1997 with 93,000 miles
· Garage kept it’s entire life
· I have every maintenance receipt since the car was new
· Oil changed religiously between 3-5,000 miles (depending on season)
· Only ever used Chevron Delo or Rotella 15W/40.
· ALWAYS used FACTORY Mercedes Oil Filters
· Only uses about 8oz of oil between changes
· Timing Chains have been done in accordance to Factory recommendations
· Vacuum system works 100%. Most do not!
· AC is ICE COLD! The compressor is new within the last 5 years. No leaks
· Car is unmolested; no aftermarket junk installed, with the exception of the stereo system which was professionally installed around 1999.
· 21.1 gallon fuel tank installed the first year I owned it (stock tank is only 17.5)
· Car gets 30 MPG in summer and 33 in winter
·Professional Installed window tint
Recent Maintenance:
· New Battery 1/19
· Air Filter @ 318,000
· Timing Chain & Vale Adjustment @ 280,000
· Fuel Filters (both) @ 329,000
· ALL Belts @ 324,000
· Valve Adjustment @ 330,000
· COMPLETE Brake System (rotors, calipers, pads, brake lines, master cylinder) @ 310,000
· New Bilstein Shocks @ 310,000
· New Radiator @ 330,000 (original one was leaking at the bottom drain plug)
EXTRA PARTS that will come with the car include:
· Studded tires on Factory Mercedes Alloys (like NEW)
Other parts that will come with a full price offer include:
· Factory fuel tank
· Factory 4 speed transmission
· Approximately 24 FACTORY Mercedes Oil Filters NIB
· Several factory alloy wheels and lugs
· ALL parts Mercedes related (have doors, deck lids, steering columns, etc from old cars that I have scraped over the years.
The BAD:
· Dash clock has never worked under my ownership (Only 1/14 that I have ever had worked, lol)
· Cruise control is intermittent (another very common issue with these cars) I do not use it as the car must be driven strategically and is more efficient to drive manually.
· Very small crack in dash (shown in photos)