Golden Oldie: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300D
The W124 (1986-1996) generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class is in an interesting place in the automotive lifecycle. They are firmly between desirable classic and used car that a normal person might drive…but that shouldn’t stop you from considering one as a daily driver. They come from the early era of fuel injection and the early gasoline powered versions are equipped with KE-Jetronic fuel injection, which is basically an O2 sensor hooked through a Ouija board into a Bosch designed Rube Goldberg system of levers and pulleys. When it works, it works great, but when it doesn’t…you’d better know some prayers to the ancient German gods or be really handy with multimeter and pliers. The diesel versions are much more straightforward in their purely mechanical system to force fuel into the engine and can get to/from work with a variety of things out of tune and broken. An added plus for residents of California is they don’t need bi-annual smog inspections, but they can be slow if not turbocharged. Find this 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300D offered for $3,200 in Newbury Park, CA via craigslist.
From the seller:
1990 mercedes benz 300d turbo
VIN: WDBEB28DOLB226517
condition: good
cylinders: 5 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: diesel
odometer: 175000
paint color: silver
size: mid-size
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: sedan
1990 Mercedes Benz 300D$3,200 Or Best Offer; Cash Only!
Clear Title and Registered until February 2024Good MPG
No Smog
Low Insurance Costs
$139 Annual Registration Costs
Mercedes Model W124 is considered to be “Best Built Car”
No Yellowing/Foggy headlights ever.
New tires in 2021
Full Repaint in 2014 – “Smoke Silver” Factory ColorI have owned this car since 2014 and am selling to repair my SUV that broke down on the freeway while towing my trailer. This car is 33 years old and has normal wear and tear. Among the wear items are: steering wheel stitching is starting to come apart, driver’s seat headrest does not go up (but motor runs), I am not sure if the low fuel light is working anymore, I have touched up some door dings and clear coat failure areas, exterior trim needs a clip, there is some valve lifter noise, 2 vacuum pods in the A/C system have small leaks and I have plugged their lines off (although the A/C cools well and has been converted to R134a), the transmission shifts harder in first gear due to low vacuum condition.
See a better way to drive a cool old diesel? tips@dailyturismo.com
This car has the 94/95 headlight conversion which is a big plus. Google superturbodiesel to see what an upgraded mechanical pump and turbo can do on these old diesels.
Am I the only one that likes the older headlights with the wipers? At least before they start to degrade and turn into an opaque yellow mess.
Excellent cars. The 2.5 turbo diesel scoots, gets great fuel milage, and is very reliable. MB-tex seats are looking a bit weary, but throw on some sheep skin seat covers and go.
The 94/95 hood & headlights are a nice touch as well.
Ticking that might be a valve lifter or might be something else. The something else possibilities are kind of intimidating. Bad big end bearing? Broken ring? And on a car that sounds like it has been owner maintained for a while. And the owner doesn’t want to try replacing the lifter. Or maybe he has and the noise persists.
Hmm.
I wouldn’t yoink a perfectly happy MB diesel W124 engine and chuck a fire breathing LS in, but I know someone who did and wow is it an interesting story:
https://youtu.be/rTYf_yKmZKA
Oh yeah, that’s cool.
I had to smog inspect my 2016 535d this year ( I was hella surprised when I got my CA Registration notice).
Are older diesels still exempt from smog and therefore good candidates for gas engine swaps?
As a resident of the highly intellectual state of Florida I’d be hard pressed to know. Literally the opposite of CA, cars here are often in a state of active self destruction while still on the road.