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Video and additional pictures available at photobucket. Just contact me with your email and I will send the link to you or take a look at the last pic.

1983 Mercedes-Benz 300CD Turbo Diesel. This is a 123 series turbo diesel coupe with spectacular orient red color paint. This car will take your breath away. I get compliments every time I drive it. The paint is as close to flawless as you can get. This is the only orient red color CD coupe I have ever seen and was told by the Mercedes-Benz dealership that it's very rare and was only obtained through special order from Germany. Coupled with the magnificent palomino interior it looks like it belongs in a museum. This car would fetch a small fortune in Germany.

As you may know, these vehicles are known to run 700,000 miles or more if taken care of. It's not very often you find one this nice with low miles that has been so well cared for and restored. One recently sold on Ebay for nearly 25k. I have owned several of these 300's diesels over the years and have driven a bunch more of them. This one is by far one of the nicest I have ever seen or driven.

This vehicle is here in Southern California and spends it's life covered up in my garage. If you run the vin on this car, you can pull up the history. There is no rust on this vehicle that I can find anywhere. Everything on this vehicle works like it should. You can drive it from Los Angeles to New York and back without any worries. It drives very, very nice. It's close to showroom condition. There are no leaks, drips or oil build up under the vehicle like you see with so many of these old diesels.

The positive elements of the vehicle:

Paint - Amazing orient red color, MBZ 501 - painted several yeas ago in Los Angeles and looks amazing. Vehicle was done professionally and everything was taken off the body; repaired or replaced. Even the glass was taken out and replaced back to original specs after paint was done.
Tires - New Yokohama rubber all the way around with the spare tucked away nicely in the trunk, with all the tools and emergency triangle right where it should be.
Interior - Look at the pictures and judge for yourself, just beautiful.
Dash - Stunning - again, just look at the pictures.
Carpet - Outstanding, no rips, stains or anything worth mentioning.
Seats - Solid, firm and comfy. Belts work real well.
Vacuum system - I recently went through the whole system looking for a door lock leak that drove me crazy. Fixed it and replaced many of the connections trouble shooting. Works brilliantly now.
Engine - Running very strong. Like I said before, I have seen a bunch of these - you can tell in a second the owner(s) who just drove them and drove them. I recently went through the engine and adjusted the valves, performed a diesel purge, changed all the fluids/filters and inspected everything. It does not smoke; starts and stops immediately, and cruises nicely on the highway.
Transmission - Shifts like it should. Re-buit several years ago in Los Angeles. I also just completed a full transmission service, filter and fluid as well as linkage adjustment.
Rear Differential - Solid as a rock. No leaks or problems.
Suspension - I have receipts for new Bilstein shocks, and a whole host of other things related to the front end suspension. Most of the suspension was gone through and you can tell by the ride immediatly.
Brakes - New pads, fluid and rotors - stops on a dime with no pulling or surging of any kind.
Electrical - Everything works like it should. Even the dash lights were replaced and you can see the gauges nicely in any lighting conditions. The window switches are new and have no wear.
Sound system - It's really nice. The old Becker is long gone but they were terrible anyway. If you want one they are all over Ebay.
A/C - 134a conversion a few years back - Nice and cold on 100 degree days and blows out the center vents as well.
Sunroof - Opens and closes as it should with no wind noise or water leaks.
Rubber around the car - Virtually no wear, really nice rubber.
Glass - No cracks, chips or dings.
Underside - Pristine, no rust.
Windows, horn, wipers, headlights, turn signals, defrost, cruise, antenna, gauges, heater, mirrors, etc. - all working - even the rear windows go up and down and rear defroster works.

Receipts for repairs - I have a stack of receipts - over $14,000 in repairs and maintenance have been done, in addition to paint, on this vehicle over the years, plus a ton of sweat equity - and it shows. The pics are hard to see, but I can provide a complete list of all the repairs and maintenance records.

People say these diesels "run forever". Well they do, but you have to maintain them. This one could be parked at a dealer to show what the "pursuit of perfection" looks like after 30 years.

In short, this vehicle will not disappoint. I have a ton of money invested in it. I wanted it perfect. Now, I am over my head and the wife is fed up, so it has to go. I have too many cars and not enough money to support them all.

Whatever you end up investing in this vehicle, you should get it all back as these coupes are sky rocketing in value.

The negative elements of the car:

You may want to adjust the steering wheel play - It still has some adjustment left on the spindle, so you should be ok with a simple adjustment. The steering wheel play is not enough to bother me, but if you want it perfect, it's there for you to play with.
Aftermarket dash cover and rear speaker shelf covers, (the fuzzy carpet kind) - If the vehicle was going to be driven and left outside, I would invest in those aftermarket covers to keep the dash and rear shelf timeless.
Cruise control - You may want to invest in a getting that checked out if it acts up on you. It was working intermittently awhile back, so I put it on my list to investigate. I tested it the other day and it was working fine. I may have fixed it inadvertently when I was cleaning all the connections and replacing vacuum lines. Keep it on your list until you investigate further.
Lube the antenna. It was sticking a little awhile back, I lubed it and it's fine now. Something you may want to stay on top of as they easily stick when dirt and dust get in there.
Stereo - It has a really nice Kenwood stereo, but the original Becker is long gone. Some people like the nostalgia of having the Becker. They are all over Ebay, so it's easy to procure one if you want that.

Special elements to consider:

Please contact me if you have any questions. If you are outside the United States, I will work with you to get the vehicle shipped. I will take a PayPal deposit of $500 USD within 48 hours after the close of the auction and require the remainder in cash or bank wire within 7 days. The vehicle is being sold "as is" without warranty, expressed or implied, with no returns or refunds. I have done my best to describe the beautiful vehicle accurately. I reserve the right to end the auction at anytime for any reason.

Thank you,

Auto blog

Mercedes-Benz S-Class presentation leaked, debuting in May

Fri, 22 Feb 2013

WorldCarFans was reportedly sent what looks like a dealer presentation on the coming V222 series 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. There have been hints for years as to the kinds of technology the world's best-selling large luxury sedan will contain, and it appears those hints had some foundation. To be shown in Germany on May 15 before a launch window that runs from September to November this year, the evolutionary design will be built of aluminum and steel, using that lighter material for the front end, roof and "detached body parts."
Among the new options buyers will be able to choose are the Rear Seat Package with rear seatbelt airbags and active buckles that extend, a Warmth and Comfort Package with heated seats front and back, heated armrests and side panels, and power rear seats with active ventilation and memory function. There's a chauffeur seating option that comes with 10-way adjustable rear seats, an extendable footrest and folding tables in the front seatbacks.
Blatant technology will be on display via two 12.3-inch screens, one for the dash cluster and one for the COMAND infotainment screen on the instrument panel. The third generation of Nightview Assist Plus will be able to detect animals as well as humans, and the next generation of Surround View will provide high-res views all around the car. A touchpad and a color head-up display will arrive in 2015. It will be the first Mercedes-Benz to utilize LED lighting everywhere, inside and outside the car.

Mercedes-Benz releases US-spec 2014 Sprinter details

Mon, 06 May 2013

Last week, Mercedes-Benz released the details for the updated 2013 Sprinter intended for global markets, but this week it has announced what changes are being made to the US-spec version of the van for the 2014 model year, including the Freightliner model. As expected, most of the changes made to the European model will be present on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter when it goes on sale in the US, which is expected to be this fall.
The biggest difference between the Sprinter announced last week and the one headed to our shores is what is found under the hood. While European Sprinters will come with diesel engines and offer the availability of a supercharged four-cylinder gasoline or CNG engine, US Sprinters will still offer the 3.0-liter V6 BlueTEC diesel. This year's Sprinter now comes standard with a new base engine, the 2.1-liter four-cylinder BlueTEC diesel. This smaller engine will produce 161 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, and will be paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission; the optional 3.0 V6 puts out 188 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, and will be mated to a six-speed auto.
Fuel economy for the new Sprinter has not been announced, but Mercedes-Benz has made numerous changes with the goal of improving efficiency. To this end you'll find a new, low-friction rear axle and the optimization for the generator, fuel pump and power steering pump.

BMW expects China to pass US as its top market in 2013

Thu, 11 Jul 2013

When you combine two billion citizens, 100 cities with more than a million inhabitants and an economy that's as unrestrained as Jim Cramer on an Adderall binge, China's explosive auto industry growth shouldn't be a huge surprise. Audi already lists the communist country as its largest market, while Mercedes-Benz is expecting it to be there in the next few years. Now, according to a report from Automotive News, BMW is expecting the People's Republic to overtake the United States in sales by the end of 2013.
We already discovered the extent that BMW is going to in establishing a dedicated Chinese stronghold, when we explored BMW's Shanghai-based DesignWorks studio ahead of April's Shanghai Motor Show. And while we argued that DesignWorks Shanghai hasn't really borne fruit, it isn't due to a lack of sales.
BMW China has seen a 16-percent jump in year-over-year sales, lead by a 28-percent gain in 5 Series sales. Part of BMW's growth strategy comes from an ever-expanding dealership network. Remember those 100 cities we mentioned with over one million people? According to Karsten Engel, CEO of BMW's Chinese operations, those 100-million-plus city dwellers don't have access to a premium dealership.

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Auto blog

Mercedes-Benz S-Class presentation leaked, debuting in May

Mercedes-Benz releases US-spec 2014 Sprinter details

BMW expects China to pass US as its top market in 2013