1985 Mercedes Benz 300D, Diesel, gorgeous survivor car, very well cared for.

Description

Please scroll down below this description for tons of detailed pics of the car. Depending on your internet speed, they may take a while to load.
I have the listing set up to accept bids only from US bidders in an effort to prevent scammers from ruining the auction. If you are a legitimate bidder outside of the US and you have a way to have the car picked up in Chicago, contact me through ebay and confirm that you can arrange international shipping, and I will add you to the list that allows you to bid.
I'm listing this car for a friend of mine. Please read his very detailed description below:

I am reluctantly selling my 1985 300D to help fund a new project on an '80s Porsche 911 that I just picked up. I consider myself a “value add” collector of '80s & '90s German cars that are drivers. These were the cars on my wall posters or the ones that I got to ride around in when I was growing up, and now I have the opportunity to buy them. Because I travel a lot for work and selling on ebay is not my business, I always ask my buddy Chris to help me. He, like me, is a straight shooter and I think he does an amazing job to show every last detail and imperfection of the vehicle before you buy. That way there are no surprises. I say “value add” collector because I don’t buy pristine collector cars. First, I can’t afford them. And second, I really enjoy the process of taking cars with a good base and making them great cars that can still be used as drivers. The cars I typically buy and restore are passed over by collectors because of mileage. I like the fact that they have some miles on them because then I don’t feel bad when I use them. I think this car fits that description perfectly. I have spent the last 2.5 years giving her whatever she needs and then some. Detailed service records will be included with the vehicle and I would welcome any buyers to speak directly with the various shops that have done my work. That’s also something that I should point out. I am not a weekend mechanic figuring it out in my garage. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But the buyer should know that all of my work was always done by professional shops with solid reputations. I have always enjoyed the process of getting to know my mechanics and putting a plan together of what we are going to do and when.

I think this era of MB was truly exceptional. This gets into "the way it feels" conversation that so many of us modern vintage collectors talk about. With its bed spring bouncy seat springs and oversize driving wheel that would be more suitable for a school bus today, this car is just a pleasure. I have taken this car on several 400-mile road trips and she just loves to gobble up the highway miles. She looks the part of the '80s with a color combo that I promise you MB will not be replicating any time soon! IMHO these are some of the finest automobiles ever produced in the world. I found this car a bit by accident. While conducting a PPI on a different car, I noticed a remarkably clean 300D sitting in the shop. I inquired about it and was able to buy it. This car is clean… not perfect by any means but really, really clean. It has definitely never seen winter driving in the Midwest. It was originally a California car. You can tell this by the location of the turbo mounting and the location of the air cleaner. I have all the original paper work from the original owner along with all the early service logs that were in the car. And of course I have all the service records since I have owned it. I have spared no expense in maintaining the car during my ownership. The one major item in the service history under my care that stands out as odd is the new motor. The original motor over-heated in the summer of 2015 and the block cracked so I had to replace the motor. The new motor is the 49-state motor without the California emissions items on it, and the power difference is noticeable. It cranks right over even in 15F-20F degree cold Chicago weather without the block heater being plugged in. My old motor would not do that. It needed to be plugged in. I know it’s unusual for these motors to fail as they have earned a reputation for lasting 300,000-400,000 miles without issues. Because of this, we decided to do a minor tear-down of the old motor once it was out of the car to see why it failed. We think that it overheated earlier in its life and that there was damage done that eventually resurfaced. If anything, I think it’s a testament to how strong these motors are that my original motor still ran well for several thousand miles despite being compromised. Regardless, the new motor is a big upgrade. We replaced some minor parts to get it dialed in and it’s been perfect. I have put 1,000 miles on it since the swap. I would not hesitate to drive this car anywhere.

Here is a list of everything I've done to the car:

Replaced the engine with a good used engine that had 90,000 miles on it.

New Radiator.

New Viscosity Clutch.

New Brakes 1,100 miles ago.

New fuel injector primer pump.

New brake master cylinder.

New motor mounts.

Refinished the body work in several places where rock chips and minor dings had occurred.

Repaired some minor wear points and tears on the upholstery (driver’s seat bolster).

Detailed paint correction service and sealing using only German Modesta products at one of the most reputable detail shops in the country ($1,000).

There are many more pages of service history and I’m happy to go over as much detail as you like, but those are some of the big ticket items that I think make this car stand out.

And here is a short list of some minor issues that can't be seen in the many pics below:

The front passenger side door lock does not lock with the power lock system. It works fine directly with the key.

The cruise control doesn’t work.

The driver’s seat springs are worn, so the seat over compresses when you sit in it. It never bothered me but it’s a relatively easy fix for $250-$300.

The rear driver’s side window roller wheel is worn so it skips over the window when rolling up and down and it makes a rubbing sound.

The rear driver’s side door has the closer removed because it was worn and making noise when opening and closing the door.

There are 412 pictures below detailing the condition of the car. Please look at all of them carefully and ask any questions you have before bidding. You can call Chris at 773-474-1744 or contact him through ebay.
It's located in the city of Chicago. If you are local and would like to see it in person, please call 773-474-1744 to set up an appointment.
Shipping a car can be expensive, so be sure to look into it before bidding.
Winning bidder picks up in Chicago or arranges for/pays for all shipping. $500 deposit via PayPal due within 24 hours of auction close. Remainder via one of the standard payment methods within seven days. No PayPal for remainder unless you contact us first. The car is to be picked up within three weeks of auction close. $25 per week storage fee after that.