1981 Mercedes-Benz W123 240d from Nicaragua - Comments

Nothing.

Mercedes Benz. The name of a prestigous car maker from the cold mountains of old Germania. Well in this case Mercedes Benz didn't just make another car. They made a legend.

If you want to know why this car is so great as to the production method. Well, let me tell you, before car engineering and design was stolen from true engineers and handed over to sleazy accountants. Making a car was about giving a person a car that was worth every cent of their hard earned money. Now cars aren't made for that purpose, they are made to make profit. A lot more profit. Tons of more profit. To the extent of making a shoddy vehicle just for the money. No more is good workmanship and quality inherent to the company policies. To make money is their only purpose. How low have we sunk.

Well this car was proudly designed and made by engineers and not accountants that would cut costs with less than good quality materials. This car is a old school Mercedes Benz. The best of the brand. This car had no limit to the price so that a certain piece of the market would buy it. This car was made with not many expenses left out. So be not afraid of this car it is a realible one, yes it is.

Mercedes Benz 240d.

D for Diesel. Why is this a diesel car?You ask?It is not a truck? Well, my friend, be grateful it is graced by a diesel engine and not a gasoline one. For within said engine lies the car's heart, a heart worthy of pumping thousands and thousands of gallons or liters of diesel through its lines and igniting the passion of your destiny.

This car is a dream to drive. I mean in suspension. The car has awesome soft suspension. It feels different and better than going over a speed bump in this car than in another car.

The engine is immortal, mythical, mysterious, eternal, undestroyable, uncommon, etc. Take your pick. The 616 engine is supposed to go 400 k to 500 k miles with out opening the engine and rebuilding it with good care of course. The same engine is used in powerplants and trucks.

The diesel engine is more efficient than gasoline, don't explode on impact, and it runs on biodiesel or heated waste vegetable oil.

Low maintenance and low running costs are what the 240d is all about. Give it an oil change and a valve job and she is happy.

Fuel economy is great: say 35-40 mpg is how much fuel she burns.

Safety. Unless your planning to crash head on with another car or run off a small cliff and kill yourself, do not buy this car. You will most likely survive. Get another kind of car to suicide yourself.

The metal is strong because it is thick and will take a licking. The comfort is great, very sofaesque like seats that make you feel at home and a smooth soft ride like your riding on tires full of jell-o instead of air.

This car is slow by today's standards.

If you are an important person, people will wait for you.OK.

You are not only buying a car you are buying a family member that will not leave you until you put it up for adoption.

Easy to repair and diagnose is what this car is all about.

If you want to own a car that is owned by presidents and generals of the United States, Kings of Europe and Sheiks of the Middle East, it was owned by a rich, young, and sucessful artist, maybe you have heard of him: John Lennon of the world famous Beatles.

This car has many surprises, it works with out an alternator, has a hand pump so when you run out of diesel fuel you can start it back up yourself without bleeding the fuel lines.

This is a great car and will not let you down.

I'm an accountant... and I'm NOT sleazy!! I recently purchased a 1982 240D "project car". Now...I'm not very mechanically inclined, but these cars don't require all that much either. I'm really enjoying the ride, which is exceptional... not to mention the fact it's a 23 year old vehicle.

I didn't mean all accountants! just the ones who make cars that rips hard working honest peoples money off!nice addition to the car stable. they don't need that much anyway right. like constant maintenance etc. they are very care free generally speaking.

It's true. the 24od is the best car ever built. I've had my '83 since 2000 and it has helped make me a better person. I've learned to slow down and appreciate life at 68 horse power. I paid $3k on ebay for it and have probably put another $12k into it over the past 4 years. so, I'm certifiable. but, I just love the ride. it's got a big roomy trunk a becker analog stereo, great air conditioning and a sunroof. I love the understated styling. and it turns over every time. I just wish I could get biodiesel (or even better natural gas based clear diesel) for it. and yes, it does get 27 mpg.

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Let me tell you one thing- we had 1981. Mercedes 240D standing in a garage for 15 years (it was still with the old USSR license plates) without moving it. Recently we decided to repair this car- it needed only minor renovation (although there are still some problems left), but its engine runs like a bee, and the suspension is really great!

But it's not all of it- we have another superb Mercedes 240D (special order!) car standing outside in rain for more than 10 years, of course it is pretty rusty now, but overall it is in good condition, and I am pretty sure that I will be able to renovate it too.

Mercedes 240D is a great car, that was created by true masters of this legendary factory.

I have a 1981 240D. I purchased this car about 3 years ago and absolutely love it! It is slow, but great on fuel like this site says. It has about 290,000 miles on it and all service records since new.

The alternator recently quit working and I looked through the all the old records and it was never replaced!!! Try doing that with any car.

Most people now days do not care about keeping a car for more than 5 years. It's a throw away society. Mercedes-Benz just fell into what the typical consumer today wants.

If they built and engineered automobile like the 240D today, it would cost over $100,000 to build and no-one would buy it because they would not believe it would last 40 years and because the price tag would be unaffordable.

I have a 81 300d and I really appreciate the thought and honesty that the engineers put into this car. In todays world of throw-away soap bar styled junk this marvel stand out proud. I have had one muffler no shocks two batteries and two starter motors in 25 years simply AMAZING!!! It has over 600000km and only let me down once. One winter in the frozen praire the alternator siezed.. no problem I just backed off the pulley so that the water pump still turned and drove the 150 km home!!! I want to be buried in this machine!!!

I have a 82 240 D with 150,000 miles. All four brakes rusted out along with the master cylinder and power booster. But it is a great car overall. Commands respect on the road and very minimal rust.

I have a 1980 240D with a stick shift. I rode in the back of it when it was new (I was only 12). Now it is 28 years old, and still runs like a top. This is *the* family car.

I drive 140 miles to work on the highway, round trip. It gets 29-30 mpg, but I have hit 31-32 mpg on road trips.

Tips: replace your fluids and adjust your valves on schedule.

The clutch was just replaced for the first time last month at ~200,000 miles. The clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder, brake booster, water pump, alternator, and starter have all been replaced in the past 11 years. I have also replaced the injectors myself, a fairly straightforward task.

I was rear-ended pretty hard once in a freeway pileup... the car behind me was badly damaged. All I needed were new bumper shocks... bumper was fine.

People are always amazed that I am driving a 28-year old car with a 67hp motor. The car rocks. I plan to drive it for at least another 20 years.

Van in Iowa.

Hi: good comments. I drive a 78 240d. Original owner. The car has 150k miles. We've replaced a few things, new timing chain, 1 exhaust system (diesel doesn't corrode exhausts like gas engines do so the last a long time). Think we put an alternator or two on it, relay switch for starter and flasher for turn signals. Also valves jobs and oil changes and that is about it.

After 25 years we put antique vehicle license plates on it so only costs 8 dollars a year for registration. I used to tell people I was ageing the car, because it was going to make a great, funky old car some day. Well, now it has reached 30 years of age, and I just tell people it has been getting an honest 28 mpg for over 30 years.

This car was purchased new for 16k, when a more standard domestic make was running about half of that. Now you don't see many of those less expensive cars on the road these days. Guess the 240d cost twice as much but has lasted well past twice as long.

I generally use the car now to go to the golf course, enjoy the ride!!!

Very good car. There seems to be a mystic to how durable the 240D engines really are. The bottom ends are almost bullet proof, but the worst thing that seems to go as the engine ages are the valve seals. These are easily replaced when you do your 12,000 valve adjustment (you do your 12K valve adjustments don't you?). Wonderful ride,30 plus MPG, enough power to pass, but not enough to get a person into trouble.

Hello.

I recently encountered a woman who owns a early 80's model 300 Turbo Diesel and I was very impressed with the condition vehicle, given its age. I was equally impressed with her bio fuel conversion (the car burns veg oil, as well as diesel). As I contemplate purchasing my first diesel, I was wondering if anyone had any comments on the differences and, or similarities in these vehicles: 240D/300D/240TD/300TD.

Purchased my 81 240D in 2000 with 142,000 miles on it. It now has 367,000 miles and runs far better than when I purchased it. Adjusting valves are a must. Have the chain replaced. The engine will warn you sometimes. Assorted parts have been replaced. I love this car. Oh, even Redline synthetic will fine a way out of the engine. I went back to standard 15-40.

Rick.

Just spent 3.99 on a pre filter for the fuel line. running pure recycled veg. oil with one gallon diesel to a tank. car runs better than before. would not trade it for a sack of gold. '80 240-d 34 miles to a gallon.

I read with interest that you bought a filter, and then mix veg oil with a gallon of diesel. Do you not need a pre heater for the veg oil?

From the archeologist's perspective, one might say that this vehicle - the 240D, is kin to the single-cell organisms that first emerged from the primordial ooze.

I recently acquired a 1981 240D with 311,015 miles on it and I am simply perplexed on how it still runs... I purchased it to not put miles on my new ML500 and while coming home from work yesterday, I heard a loud pop and then it sounded like the mother of all exhaust leaks... Well, I wasn't too far from home and since I wasn't losing power or any lights came on, I went on home. Come to find out that a glow plug had blown. Not just broken, the pencil part was completely gone, along with the copper coil. The end just fell off. I replaced it, but the car wouldn't start. So upon closer inspection of the relay, I noticed the filament had melted. I put a small 30A fuse to provide a sort of "bridge", and the car started, but then stopped as the fuse blew. Problem identified. The closest thing I could find to that was an IRON NAIL. I bridged the gap with it, the car started right up. I drove it like that to a junk yard and found a replacement filament.

It's true folks. This car must have been built by an ancient race of super humans thousands of years ago.