I am in complete agreement with you, once bitten by the W123 bug , we are their servant. I hope you enjoy the next year which will most likely be two years. But you will find lots of support from us all on the web.
Mercedessource on UA-cam will provide anything you need, parts and information, to fix your Mercedes Benz. He knows all about these early Benzs; self-leveling suspension, diesel cleaning and hard transmission shifts. He must have over 100 videos on these W123s. Those rims are not original to that year. Your sedan has the correct Bundt wheels which look so much nicer. The MB tex vinyl in the wagon is indestructible. Can't wait to see more.
ATribeCalledCookies8 DotCom yes I'm subscribed to his channel as well. He is located in Florida. But sadly most of his videos just show himself talking about the repairs and very little actual footage of him SHOWING the repair. I'm not much into his style but he is indeed a great MB mechanic.
Love the car! That's serious miles even for a diesel W123, but this one looks very clean for the miles. As long as the body isn't too rusty it's well worth the effort to fix it. The high miles makes it even more fun to fix up.
So-my 10 yr old son & I just watched your first video. We sure hope you keep that wagon it’s a good one. I did exactly the same thing with my 85 wagon. I am a real moron when it comes to mechanical but lack of money and a pretty good shortlist for the car forced me to learn to do it myself. And I’ve done just about everything except rebuild the motor. We love this car and have about 400,000 miles on it no rebuild. They’re pretty easy to work on and parts are pretty available so stay at it and keep posting
If the sunroof in your sedan ever gets stuck you can manually crank it closed using the tire iron in the trunk to turn a bolt (i think the drivers side?) also in the trunk by the electric motor. I always appreciated how they made that bolt the same size as the tire lugs for peace of mind getting the sunroof closed haha.
Congrats on your 300TD Wagon, I'm slightly Jealous. I Myself own an 83 240D I've had for a little over 2 Years. I'll Keep watching you and see how things go with your cars. I've done some of the things you are planning to tackle. They are simple cars.
1983 is the best year of the '82-'85 W123's. Those 300D Turbo diesel's went through many changes over the model years regarding improving and adding to the complexity of the vacuum control system. With the vacuum system working properly, since it controls auto trans shifting, can turn your car from a snail to a rabbit. 1983 has the right amount of control to get things right IMHO.
Greetings from the UK. Looks like a lovely project, can’t wait to see how you progress with it. These engines should be good for 1m mls so long as they’ve been maintained regularly. There is a wealth of knowledge on Mercedessource.com and Kent Bergsma has his own YT channel of the same name. As mentioned elsewhere in the comments, I thoroughly recommend his advice especially around lubrication which may save you thousands on replacing parts. As long as you have good compression, decent injectors and good condition glow plugs, it should be fine to take on a long drive. The interior wood doesn’t need to be replaced but instead you could probably get away with re-laquering it yourself or get it done professionally. The only issue with that is that it will stand out from the rest of the wood which has a lovely patina and is keeping with the rest of the vehicle. Like you I would leave the interior till last - so long as you can bear it, but having said that it seems to wearing its half a million + miles quite well. Also check out SweetProjectCars channel here on YT for cheap and affordable ways to care for your cars. Hope this helps Having owned a number of w123s albeit petrol versions (gas for you Mercans) I know from experience that a good gearbox flush should cure the lurching and hunting for gears. Lubricants May also help the speedo drive resurrect itself as this is a worm gear and they dry out. A lot of issues you will face on these cars that you won’t see on other cars as other cars usually don’t last anywhere near as long as Mercedes diesels so please reserve judgement as you progress on your journey. Also nice to see you have a saloon (sedan) as a donor vehicle should you need it 😉 Old Mercedes diesels have a bit of a cult following around the world and I look forward to going along with you on this voyage. Take care and God bless
I think you are in for a fun challenge. I too have an 83 300D turbo, and just picked up an 82 300TD in worse shape than yours, these are number 7 and 8 for me. I lost three when my barn burned to the ground in 2018. Have fun! Hal
Concerning the abrupt changing of gears from first to second in the transmission, try the following (it may seem wordy but hang in there with me please). Under the driver side, located just beneath the shift selector area there is a valve on the side of the transmission. This valve has a soft black or gray rubber cup type cover. Gently pry off this cover and then pull out the recessed bar inside. This bar is 'T' shaped, turn it counterclockwise(as if you are slackening a bolt) to decrease or soften the abrupt gear change. Based upon what you have said it may take between five to seven counterclockwise turns. This works for both the car and the estate/wagon. Upon completion slide the bar back inside and place the rubber cap on. Drive and test to see how your adjusted transmission is changing gears. This solution worked for me on my '87 300TD wagon, to stop the abrupt and harsh shifting from first to second gear. Best of success with all of your project work.
The vacuum pump will need replacing and lines also too fix door locks and leveling system, its easy to work on. I own a 1983 240d purchased new, now only 160k, been sitti g forvyrs due to medical. Great cars, Mercedes didnt build junk.
Ck out Mercedes source.com & the UA-cam channel. Kent is a true guru on these cars. I'm getting a W123 from a gentleman who is also a guru. He's got several in a barn, some are daily drivers, some are for parts. Don't know yet if I will keep my 99 W210 E320, depends on just what condition the 240d's and 300d's are in. I've been a auto tech for 4 decades and a Benz nut for all my life. I also have a 74 450SE that I've restored. Now that was a 2 year project, but worth every minute of my time. Good luck, take your time, and keep the video's comming!!!
Hi, I am in Australia, have a 1978 300D exactly same color. Has been in dry storage for 15 years. Has 220,000 Klm showing which from enquirers is genuine, clear coat is milky in parts. Started it up after all usual oil and filter changes. Unfortunately has a blowby in the sump . Either rings are glugged up or it has bore glaze., which I think is the latter problem. Short trips by previous elderly owner. Lots of idling. Interior is excellent . I also had to purchase a 1976 240D along with it as they came as a pair. Owner had inherited them, and put them in storage for which he was paying rent on. My problem is the 240 has a few dings on the body, (belonged to the wife) but has only 160,000klm on clock. Interior immaculate. Motor runs sweet. Horrible yellowish green color, ( baby you know what color) What do I do???? Make one out of two. . I also own a 81 230e. A sweet runner with 350,000 on the clock. It is my club car. So I could also make two beauties out of three. But my conscious of parting out one of the cars is my barrier.
These Transmissions are very sensitive to vacuum leaks. Vacuum as you may know is very important with these cars. Before servicing your transmission, verify that you have absolutely no vacuum leaks. One small we can affect the transmission shifting abruptly as you sayua-cam.com/video/95xoMxU3N_Q/v-deo.html
I’m still watching....and looking forward to how it goes. There are more of people like you out here. You are helping many. Thanks for starting this.
I am in complete agreement with you, once bitten by the W123 bug , we are their servant.
I hope you enjoy the next year which will most likely be two years. But you will find lots of support from us all on the web.
Mercedessource on UA-cam will provide anything you need, parts and information, to fix your Mercedes Benz. He knows all about these early Benzs; self-leveling suspension, diesel cleaning and hard transmission shifts. He must have over 100 videos on these W123s. Those rims are not original to that year. Your sedan has the correct Bundt wheels which look so much nicer. The MB tex vinyl in the wagon is indestructible. Can't wait to see more.
ATribeCalledCookies8 DotCom yes I'm subscribed to his channel as well. He is located in Florida. But sadly most of his videos just show himself talking about the repairs and very little actual footage of him SHOWING the repair. I'm not much into his style but he is indeed a great MB mechanic.
Cheers to you on pulling another one of these automotive masterpieces back into the light! Marvelous machines through and through...best of luck!
Love the car! That's serious miles even for a diesel W123, but this one looks very clean for the miles. As long as the body isn't too rusty it's well worth the effort to fix it. The high miles makes it even more fun to fix up.
So-my 10 yr old son & I just watched your first video. We sure hope you keep that wagon it’s a good one. I did exactly the same thing with my 85 wagon. I am a real moron when it comes to mechanical but lack of money and a pretty good shortlist for the car forced me to learn to do it myself. And I’ve done just about everything except rebuild the motor. We love this car and have about 400,000 miles on it no rebuild. They’re pretty easy to work on and parts are pretty available so stay at it and keep posting
If the sunroof in your sedan ever gets stuck you can manually crank it closed using the tire iron in the trunk to turn a bolt (i think the drivers side?) also in the trunk by the electric motor. I always appreciated how they made that bolt the same size as the tire lugs for peace of mind getting the sunroof closed haha.
Excited for more. I'm a musician too and i got a 1980 240D last year that i love and drive and work on myself.
Very tight classy and not expensive.
Cool project.....wish you many hours of pleasure restoring what looks to be a nice straight car.
Congrats on your 300TD Wagon, I'm slightly Jealous. I Myself own an 83 240D I've had for a little over 2 Years. I'll Keep watching you and see how things go with your cars. I've done some of the things you are planning to tackle. They are simple cars.
1983 is the best year of the '82-'85 W123's. Those 300D Turbo diesel's went through many changes over the model years regarding improving and adding to the complexity of the vacuum control system. With the vacuum system working properly, since it controls auto trans shifting, can turn your car from a snail to a rabbit. 1983 has the right amount of control to get things right IMHO.
Looking forward to ur videos. Non-orginial key and wheels fyi. 500k mile beauty!
Greetings from the UK. Looks like a lovely project, can’t wait to see how you progress with it. These engines should be good for 1m mls so long as they’ve been maintained regularly. There is a wealth of knowledge on Mercedessource.com and Kent Bergsma has his own YT channel of the same name. As mentioned elsewhere in the comments, I thoroughly recommend his advice especially around lubrication which may save you thousands on replacing parts.
As long as you have good compression, decent injectors and good condition glow plugs, it should be fine to take on a long drive. The interior wood doesn’t need to be replaced but instead you could probably get away with re-laquering it yourself or get it done professionally. The only issue with that is that it will stand out from the rest of the wood which has a lovely patina and is keeping with the rest of the vehicle. Like you I would leave the interior till last - so long as you can bear it, but having said that it seems to wearing its half a million + miles quite well.
Also check out SweetProjectCars channel here on YT for cheap and affordable ways to care for your cars. Hope this helps
Having owned a number of w123s albeit petrol versions (gas for you Mercans) I know from experience that a good gearbox flush should cure the lurching and hunting for gears. Lubricants May also help the speedo drive resurrect itself as this is a worm gear and they dry out.
A lot of issues you will face on these cars that you won’t see on other cars as other cars usually don’t last anywhere near as long as Mercedes diesels so please reserve judgement as you progress on your journey. Also nice to see you have a saloon (sedan) as a donor vehicle should you need it 😉
Old Mercedes diesels have a bit of a cult following around the world and I look forward to going along with you on this voyage.
Take care and God bless
It's a wonderfull car! I'm a brazilian guy and i dont speak english very well, but i loved a Mercedes Benz cars...
I subscribed too, another musician here, had an 84 TD sedan, great cars. Check your vac pump and lines. I still watch Kent's vids. Have fun!
I think you are in for a fun challenge. I too have an 83 300D turbo, and just picked up an 82 300TD in worse shape than yours, these are number 7 and 8 for me. I lost three when my barn burned to the ground in 2018. Have fun! Hal
Looking forward to more!
Hope the project turned out successful. I have nearly the same wagon ( color and interior).
Had 2, prone to rust, engine is great.
Check the vacuum lines for the transmission because the transmission on the 123 chassis works off of vacuum
Concerning the abrupt changing of gears from first to second in the transmission, try the following (it may seem wordy but hang in there with me please).
Under the driver side, located just beneath the shift selector area there is a valve on the side of the transmission. This valve has a soft black or gray rubber cup type cover. Gently pry off this cover and then pull out the recessed bar inside. This bar is 'T' shaped, turn it counterclockwise(as if you are slackening a bolt) to decrease or soften the abrupt gear change.
Based upon what you have said it may take between five to seven counterclockwise turns. This works for both the car and the estate/wagon. Upon completion slide the bar back inside and place the rubber cap on. Drive and test to see how your adjusted transmission is changing gears.
This solution worked for me on my '87 300TD wagon, to stop the abrupt and harsh shifting from first to second gear. Best of success with all of your project work.
waiting for your work
Dream car, in a manual God willing.
The vacuum pump will need replacing and lines also too fix door locks and leveling system, its easy to work on. I own a 1983 240d purchased new, now only 160k, been sitti g forvyrs due to medical. Great cars, Mercedes didnt build junk.
Ck out Mercedes source.com & the UA-cam channel. Kent is a true guru on these cars. I'm getting a W123 from a gentleman who is also a guru. He's got several in a barn, some are daily drivers, some are for parts. Don't know yet if I will keep my 99 W210 E320, depends on just what condition the 240d's and 300d's are in. I've been a auto tech for 4 decades and a Benz nut for all my life. I also have a 74 450SE that I've restored. Now that was a 2 year project, but worth every minute of my time. Good luck, take your time, and keep the video's comming!!!
Hi, I am in Australia, have a 1978 300D exactly same color. Has been in dry storage for 15 years. Has 220,000 Klm showing which from enquirers is genuine, clear coat is milky in parts. Started it up after all usual oil and filter changes. Unfortunately has a blowby in the sump . Either rings are glugged up or it has bore glaze., which I think is the latter problem. Short trips by previous elderly owner. Lots of idling. Interior is excellent . I also had to purchase a 1976 240D along with it as they came as a pair. Owner had inherited them, and put them in storage for which he was paying rent on. My problem is the 240 has a few dings on the body, (belonged to the wife) but has only 160,000klm on clock. Interior immaculate. Motor runs sweet. Horrible yellowish green color, ( baby you know what color)
What do I do???? Make one out of two. . I also own a 81 230e. A sweet runner with 350,000 on the clock. It is my club car. So I could also make two beauties out of three. But my conscious of parting out one of the cars is my barrier.
like it ;)
I assume you sold the car as there are no updates
This looks just like my 84 wagon, same color inside and out. Also in Indiana. Do you plan to drive it while you restore it?
These Transmissions are very sensitive to vacuum leaks. Vacuum as you may know is very important with these cars. Before servicing your transmission, verify that you have absolutely no vacuum leaks. One small we can affect the transmission shifting abruptly as you sayua-cam.com/video/95xoMxU3N_Q/v-deo.html
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