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Mercedes-Benz > 300-Series

1980 Mercedes 300td Wagon * Low Miles * Lots Of Recent Work Done on 2040-cars

Year:1980 Mileage:152681 Color: greenish blue metallic /
 dark blue
Location:

Encino, California, United States

Encino, California, United States
1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 1 1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 2 1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 3 1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 4 1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 5 1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 6 1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon * low miles * lots of recent work done, image 7
Advertising:
Transmission:Automatic
 Body Type:Wagon
 Vehicle Title:Clear
 Engine:diesel
 Fuel Type:Diesel
Condition:
Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ...
Year: 1980
Number of Cylinders: 5
Make: Mercedes-Benz
Model: 300-Series
Trim: factory original
Options: Sunroof, Leather Seats, CD Player
Drive Type: automatic
Power Options: Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows
Mileage: 152,681
Exterior Color: greenish blue metallic
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Interior Color: dark blue

1980 Mercedes 300TD wagon

I spent months of tedious labor working on this wagon so please take the few minutes to read my laborious description.


This is a very nice low mile, rust free and accident-free example of the early W123 Diesel wagons which has undergone quite a bit of restoration work both mechanically and cosmetically including new paint. This is a very tidy, clean and straight, economical classic Mercedes W123 station wagon ready for envious on-lookers.



EXTERIOR

When I bought the car from the 2nd owner, it was still in its original paint. The paint was faded and had no life left, so I stripped the car of all the trim, bumpers, door handles, grille, lights etc. to get a thorough paint job. I did not paint the door jambs since they were still original paint and looked good.
 The paint was painted by the original mercedes code ( 906G- "grey blue metallic" ) to match in two stage paint.

But before painting the car, I put it on a rack then de-greased the entire undercarriage and engine compartment then steam and pressure washed all of it. Then I drove the car a hundred miles or so to find if there are any leaks in order to address them first. After this, wrapped the engine in plastic then masked off the undercarriage before painting the car.  I either repainted, thoroughly cleaned, repaired or replaced each piece of trim or bracket as it was re-assembled, so even when you look behind, say a bumper or bracket, it looks nice and properly done. As I will mention later, much mechanical and detail work has gone into the engine compartment as well ( see photos).

All the glass is original Mercedes except the windshield and is in excellent condition with no scratches or cracks or etched water stains. The  windshield has one small stone chip. The aluminum trim which borders each window is in very nice condition with very little hazing. When these W123 Mercedes sit out in the sun for years the clear annodized  trim begins to turn milky and oxidizes. An accurate sign of a car which has spent most of its time indoors, is that this trim, some of which can not be replaced, is clear or mostly clear, as seen on my wagon.

The belt line trim is the original trim removed before the paint. IT was re-dyed black before installing it. All of it is straight with no cracks or dents except for the rear right corner piece has a very small ding in the moulding. Both plastic headlight doors are original Bosch ones NOT reproductions. Both the fog lights are still yellow and have not faded from the sun.

The chrome on both bumpers is in excellent condition with no pitting or gouges, and both rear, wagon-only back up lenses, are in great shape. The turn signals are the original Bosch ones removed before painting.  Both tail lights are nice with no cracking or fading, often common on these lights. 
I removed the door handles and dyed the base seals black then cleaned and re-greased each door handle before re-installing them. They are all keyed alike as per original with one key- including the ignition.

The rear license light housing was removed and re- painted before re-installing and both bulbs were replaced. This always gets overlooked when painting a W123 wagon since it is not easy to remove.

I also replaced both rear hatch struts/ shocks with German Stabilus ones, so the hatch opens and stays up as it should.

I sandblasted the correct, original  matched set of rims, powder-coated them satin black as per original, then put new Hankook Optimo white walls tires on. The hub caps are in fairly nice condition with a few curb scratches, but no dents and the run true with no wobbling. The centers of the hubcaps should be painted to match the body color but I stopped at this step because it would be wasting good money. Here is why. I restore these same sets of hub caps for restored show cars and the process is expensive to do it correctly. Find a complete set of nearly perfect with no scratches or dents or buy 4 new ones. I then strip them, sand, then polish and buff each one till they are a mirror perfect finish, then with a factory Mercedes hub cap tool ( no masking tape is used ) have them painted two stage, then color sand and buff. The result is absolutely perfect, so to just paint the centers of these hubcaps that are not perfect, can be a waste of money since they should be polished perfect before painting.

I removed all three wiper arms and re-painted them satin black as per original. The air intake grilles were replaced with new Mercedes ones.

As for the undercarriage, there is ZERO rust. ... not even any in the rear wheel wells below the spare tire, these wagons are notorious for rusting here. There is no rust even behind the plastic splash panels in the back of the fenders. The undercarriage is in immaculate condition even having some of it detailed by myself. The exhaust is still the original Mercedes muffler with NO dents or holes. I replaced all four of the exhaust hangers too.

The rear window seal is in excellent condition with no rips and does not leak. The front seal is also in good shape but I believe should be replaced since it was not removed before painting and has some small green paint on the edges, this is annoying but merely cosmetic.





INTERIOR

Overall the interior is in very nice condition... now.  The interior has had much work done, but no modifications, only work to make it better, yet keeping the original materials and colors.  

I removed both the front seats, rear seats, door panels, quarter panels, b-pillars, first aid kit panel and c-pillar panels to gain access to all places behind in order to clean or restore items underneath. Each door received an overhaul.  I either replaced or repaired whichever window motor needed it in order to get the electric windows working properly. I re-greased the window tracks, window regulator hinge points as well as the window regulator gears themselves. The result - windows that open and close properly and reliably for years to come. If they needed adjusting or the stoppers replaced, I did it. These windows often fail just from not being greased or serviced regularly, now they are ready to enjoy. 

I also replaced both front door check straps so both front  doors stop at both positions without the door swinging back against your leg- another common but annoying occurrence typical on these W123 Mercedes.

I replaced both front door seals with genuine Mercedes W123 seals not the cheap reproductions which will leak within a year, thank you China. 

The driver's and passenger door inside handles were replaced as well. When all four door handles were removed for painting, I greased/ serviced the actuating or connecting rods in the doors which operate the locks. The doors lock with the key and with the individual door locks.  I did not repair the vacuum door lock system, there must be a stopping point.

While the door panels were removed, I unglued the edges of the door panel vinyl and heated the material up, then re-stretched the vinyl back over the door panel backing thus making something very special- a set of NO WRINKLE door panels. Very proud of this achievement because if you look around, you will see that it is nearly impossible to find one of these W123 Mercedes without wrinkled door panels, go ahead look. While the panels were apart, I also re-dyed the door panel pockets the correct dark blue. These plastic door panel pockets have NO cracks and have the correct, non-butchered, mounting tabs-  which is another anomaly. Yes, you may dive your sanitized hand inside the door panel pockets and not come up with filth or dried food, but will retrieve  your tidy mobile device icky free.

I installed a moulded dash cap ( which I painted to match )  to cover the cracks which were in the dash. The dash cap fits pretty well except around the speakers. I removed the glove box door and had it dyed the same blue as the dash top so as to not have a mis-match in color. At this time I replaced the inner glove box door so it would shut and lock properly- another often broken item on these cars, which is finicky  to fix properly. I removed the steering wheel and dyed it black as well as the steering column plastic cover. The shifter console was replaced with a very nice non-cracked one which was re-dyed black too. Both window switches were also replaced with proper 1980 Mercedes chrome ones. I also replaced the non-functioning hazzard switch- these are expen$ive. The shifter bushings were also replaced so the shifter is crisp and dedicated. The shifter box was also replaced as well as the bulb which lights up the selector. 

When both front seats were removed, I cleaned the seat tracks and re- greased them so they slide and adjust well. I removed all the plastic parts and re-dyed them blue to match ( these were all blue to begin with just some had faded from the sun). The seats are in remarkable condition, both cosmetically and mechanically. Nothing broken or missing or ripped. The rear seat, however is not so nice. The rear seat is not the usual MB Tex ( or vinyl ) but genuine Leather. The rear seat has cracks so I found another very nice set of 1980 seats which could be re-dyed blue to match. I gave them good cleaning after I took the photo. The seats go with the car in the sale. 

All the carpet throughout the car is original and in good condition except for a few areas. I tried to remove and carefully clean and re-clean each piece then re-install it where I could. Its dry and threadbare back by the rear right tail light, some small wear on the right front door sill area, and  the rear two mats are brittle which is why I had custom coco mats made - to protect the original 1980 carpets. These handsome coco mats are a matching black background with blue dots. The large cargo carpet is in pretty good original condition with no fading. I put a lighter blue carpet mat in the back which has a couple stains but better than having the 33 year old carpet vulnerable to potting soil, kids toys, trendy puppies or a whole rough-edeged set of Manly P. Hall's teachings.

I replaced all the screws on the panels in the back of the wagon with similar matching stainless ones which I polished before installing. I kept the odd Mercedes only screws where I could and polished and buffed them before re-installing them, they give quite a bit of sexy detail to this area.

The b pillar and c pillars were removed, re-dyed blue, stretched and re-glued as well. They proudly have no wrinkles or cracks in them. I removed the rear hatch catch on the sill plate and buffed it on a polishing wheel then re-installed it with proper original Mercedes screws. These are always corroded or rusted and often leave some stain on whatever you slide into the cargo area if it comes in contact with this eyesore. 

To make it brief(er) , I properly restored, with copious detail, the two areas  behind the ( correct, matching ) spare tire and the first aid kit. You can change a tire with all the necessary bits ( including a dirt-free, re-painted jack ) and not get your hands dirty- promise. Look at the photos, many hours were spent here;  and you don't even see these areas unless you open their cover panels. The original first aid kit is included as well as an original Mercedes Benz lug wrench. There is no warning triangle included.

The gauges were removed and professionally restored and calibrated. Yes the ( never working )  clock works. Yes the ( always broken ) gas gauge works. I also polished the gauge cover with a special plastic rouge before installing it.

I installed some decent Planet Audio speakers up front and a new AM/FM CD,removable face, stereo  with aux input for your iPhone, etc.

The headliner would fall into the category of "whats not so good" on the car. Its the original 1980 one with the correct, larger perforation holes. There is  a rip around the sunroof handle which could be repaired by replacing the whole piece which slides back with the sunroof. I did not because I like its originality more than the rip. There are also two more rips in the headliner further back but amazingly there are no sagging parts nor are there any stains. Without the couple holes it would be perfect and taught.

As for the sunroof, I thoroughly cleaned then serviced and greased the sunroof mechanism and the rails which the sunroof slides on. It locks tight and does not leak water or air, with no pesky sunroof whistling.



ENGINE/ MECHANICAL

The car has 153K miles on it and has had much recent work done.

As mentioned before, I de-greased, then pressure washed the engine and entire under carriage before doing any work to it. 


Alternator belt replaced with correct German Conti-tech belt.
Power steering pump replaced with correct German Conti-tech belt.
Fan belt/ water pump belt replaced with correct German Conti-tech belt.
Power steering pump replaced.
Radiator and block flushed and coolant replaced with Mercedes coolant.
Upper radiator hose replaced.
Fuel lines replaced.
Injector return lines replaced ( after photo).
Throttle linkage w/ rubber block replaced.
Throttle linkage removed then re-greased before installing.
Air cleaner re-painted. 
Air cleaner element replaced ( MAN german) 
Air cleaner rubber suspension blocks replaced. 
Transmission serviced, flushed and adjusted.
New oil change with German filter.
Injection pump linkage modified to increase power.
Alternator replaced ( rebuilt German).
Voltage regulator replaced ( German ).
Glow plug relay was replaced with the correct $$ German one, so the car starts right up after the timer goes off.
I replaced the almost NEVER working idle control cable, and now you can adjust the idle from the knob on the dash as originally intended back in 1980. THis is always a cool feature to show off since NO modern cars can control the throttle from a simple knob on     the dash, unless you drive a tractor. 
Brake booster replaced.
Brake booster/ vacuum hose replaced.
"Cigar" fuel hose replaced.
New deep cycle, proper Diesel rated battery.
Upper control arms and bushings were replaced.
The car is fitted with Factory A/C but is not working.
Oil cooler lines were replaced before I owned it so they do not leak.
Replaced the radiator fan.
Positive cable from starter to battery is new.
I also found a pair of original Mercedes battery hold down clamps which are ALWAYS missing.
Fuel tank was cleaned and the fuel tank screen cleaned as well.
Fuel sending unit was replaced too. $$$
Both rear hatch shocks were replaced with Stabil Geman ones so the rear hatch does not fall or sag.
New hood pad.
The hydraulic self leveling system was flushed and the fluid was replaced with a new reservoir hose. There is NO bouncing in the back end due to faulty accumulators, and NO the correct original suspension was NOT "converted" ( to save money ) to a shock/spring set up. It has its factory SLS rear suspension.
Steering box was adjusted so that there is little lash or play in the steering wheel now. 





CONCLUSION


This wagon is a good clean example of the robust, early Mercedes Diesel wagons with no accident history and no rust in an unusual factory color. It drives well and has plenty of power for a non-turbo wagon. It does not shake at freeway speeds and gets between 25- 30 mpg. There is always room for more work and improvement on an old car and my description should be clear enough. The California title is clear but last registered in 2009. If possible, come inspect the car before bidding/ winning. It is located in San Fernando @ 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Understand that this is a 33 year old car which should be realistically thought of as such. Ask me any questions before the end of the auction. I will store the car up to 10 days after the end of the auction, after that it will go into storage and you will be responsible for the storage fees. A $750 deposit is to be made via Paypal within 48 hours of the end of the auction. Full payment must be made within 5 days from the end of the auction. Do not bid if you can not pay.
No zero feedback bidders. No Nigerian millionaires please.

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