1983 300tdt

[artpb]

Grey Ghost - Here is the info you asked for regarding my wagon. Before I start, this car is not for sale.

My winter car is a 1983 300TDT in Orient Red with Palamino trim. Power everything except sun roof.

I was in Greenwich RI last summer and decided to take a trip over to Newport and discovered this vehicle for sale in Jamestown. Checked it out and was amazed at the condition of the car. No rust anywhere including underneath. However the interior was baked.

Found the car had been in RI for abt a year and had spent the rest of its life in AZ. Original owner had it until 2002. The current owner should not have owned a Diesel and his mechanic should not have worked on them. Decided to buy the thing and drive it back to Buffalo. Only problem returning was that all the injection return lines blew off. Someone had put windshield wiper hose on them. Easy fix and it logged 29 mpg over the 450 mile trip.

Since then I did the standard things. Valve adj, Clean up boost lines/switch and degrease the engine bay. Replaced wiper arms (3), blades, backup light lenses, two window switches and straightened some wiring that had been crossed up. Also replaced all vacuum lines and fittings.Used the car last winter and it started at below zero temps without plugging it in. Lucky I guess.

Need to track down some vacuum leaks and check valve problems and then start looking for interior trim parts. Need c-pillars and other trim pieces to start with. Took it to the dealer today for an alignment and will put snows all around next week. It was a great handling car in the snow last year without winter tires.

all for now - art

[Grey Ghost]

Art - what a great find! we'd all love to hear further progress on your machine...all of these TDTs are KEEPERS, in my opinion. With regard to winter driving, there's no reason these cars shouldn't be fine in snow: they've got narrow-gauge tires and weigh almost 5,000#

it's so sad to learn that incompetent mechanics had the nerve to use shortcuts on these fine machines

I bought my 300TDT for $7,000 from a rich man who owned SIX cars and wanted to find a good home for this one. He had spent $20,000 over 14 years servicing the car at the local Mercedes dealer. I've since spent another $4,000 (details are listed in threads in this forum). My car runs like a top now. I've got to get started on the interior as the seats are very soft and most of the wood trim has become delaminated due to the moisture in the air around here.

Looking forward to more posts from you...you engineers are an invaluable resource!

[Stutsman]

Forgive my Mercedes ignorance, I am new to them. What is the tdt? I have an '84 300td. What is the other 't'?

[Grey Ghost]

Stutsman: "TD" is a MB acronym for station-wagon (or "touring sedan" as they say in Euroland)

the final "T" is for Turbo-charged

[Stutsman]

Oh-- I always thought 'td' stood for "Touring Diesel" Touring being Euro's word for 'wagon', 'd' obviously for 'diesel'. :eek:

[clavos]

This is interesting. My father is the proud owner of a 1983 300 TD which has the turbo engine but not the second "t" in the badge.

[mbzjag8090]

Usually, on the car, the 4-door is a 300 D, even if it is turbo. The wagons usually say 300 TD, I believe. The TD and TDT are our own terms, I think.

[Tom Hanson]

TD and TDT are internal techincal references to the models and not indicitave to what the badges say on the back of the car.

[Richard Jordan]

Just add to the alphabet mix here. MB in the 123 series made a 300D, 300D Turbodiesel. These are sedans. They also made the 300TD, then the 300TD Turbodiesel. These being the forementioned "touring diesels". These are the offical model names. Some people use the "TDT" to identify their car as one of the turbo models vs. non-turbo model of the wagons. Just as some use 300D TD, to say that their sedan has the Turbodiesel engine.

[zak]

The 123 wagon is my favorite 123 model. I would trade my 124 turbowagon for a nice 123 wagon.
My 1979 wagon was the best built car I ever drove. It just rusted away because it lived outdoors in NJ.
A nieghbor of mine has a 1985 wagon he bought new and I have first dibs on it.

[Grey Ghost]

Zak -

Let me know when your neighbour yields his '85 300TDT & I'll look at your 87 300TD. You know I want one of those for my (timid) wife...she needs the power & can do without the rock & roll at idle

Your pal in SW Conn.

[zak]

You know, my euro 300D does not rock at idle at all. But my other 5 cyl's did.
I recall Tom H. had a maintenance tip to eliminate it. Am I hallucinating Tom ?

[Tom Hanson]

I carry the rack pin that goes on the back of the pump. Very common part.