Das Benz

[@SolamenteVees]

My grandfather, the late Keith Black, bought new in 1974 a MB 450 SEL. He drove this car daily until his passing in 1989. Thank you for the education and stirring up some fond memories, Steve.

[@SteveMagnante]

Hello SolamenteVees, great to hear that the grandson of The Reverend Black is a viewer! I'm a Mopar fanatic at the core and never met Keith but did meet his son KEN Black (your Dad?) when I worked for Roland Osborn at Chrysler Power magazine in 1992. We visited KB Racing Engines in South gate and I was shown the dyno cell with the scarred CEILING from where some wayward Hemi tossed a bunch of parts. I also remember Matt Dean who worked at KB before I visited but who had moved to Glendora Dodge by 1992 where he was Parts Department honcho. I recently read Don The Snake Prudhomme's autobiography and he fondly recalls Your Dad in many passages. Thanks for watching and writing! -Steve Magnante

[@SolamenteVees]

@@SteveMagnante Ken is my uncle… you might have met my Dad at some point as he was an early employee at Direct Connection. Love your content and breadth of knowledge across all brands.

[@UberLummox]

Too cool!

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Car in video looks worth dropping a SBC into...

[@johnblood3731]

The greatest hemi builder of all time. I wonder how many engines he built? Take care.

[@chuckselvage3157]

Those Diesels are still going with a million miles on them. Brilliant engineering.

[@obywatelcane6775]

Exactly. Here in Poland old Mercedes 115/123 cars were used as taxis even in the early 2000's. And even their bodies rusted out beyound repair that engine was still good and under the hood of some Uaz, Warszawa or Volga. Sometimes even Żuk or Tarpan 🙂Polish Fiat 125p or Polonez engine was good for 150.000 km. Old Mercedes engine? Mileage in Germany? Unknown. Plus 500-600.000 km after it came to Poland as a 10-15 year old car. It would burn everything. Kerosine, vegetable oil, heating oil. No turbo or electronic sensors. Their only problem was rust.

[@chuckselvage3157]

@@obywatelcane6775 Yes my friend rust was the problem for sure the engine is bulletproof.

[@SpeedRacer-pz9jn]

I had 220D as a surf car back in the 80's. Paid 300 bucks for it. Over 500k miles shown. My foot stayed on the floor when I drove it. Mine would goven out at 83 mph - with a/c, 4 people, and 4 surfboards on top. And 35 mpg. If you got it in deep sand, just floor it & hold. The independent rear axles would start to bounce from side to side, and it would walk right out of sand. Loved that old dog lol 🚗

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

@SpeedRacer Great Surf Cars. Saw many of them living here in Imperial Beach and been a Surfer Myself. That was the 5 cylinder right. I had a 1987 300D which was the six. They definitely got great MPG.👍

[@cam3002]

Ahh, thanks for the memories. My Dad had a 74 white 240D with a 4 speed manual. Very well build and very slow. I drove it for a short time while in collage, I raced everyone on the street but no one knew it!

[@theloudamerican2193]

I’m consistently finding myself going on duty at 03:00 pacific; heading to the train yard, and heading off to whitefish Montana. I’m thankful to have another episode of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SHOW!!!! Good morning from Spokane WA.

[@SteveMagnante]

Chooo Chooooo! Thanks for watching and writing. I'm also a train fan and wish I could be an Engineer in another life! Speaking of diesels.....-Steve Magnante

[@dannyschoolcraft5984]

I saw a news clip on U Tube a couple of days ago that showed pictures of a railway bridge that collapsed over the Yellowstone. A freighter was crossing at the time. The train was about 15 feet above, it looked like to me. Really scary crash. Stay Safe!

[@localcrew]

I knew a lady who was a flight attendant living in Louisville Ky but flew out of Cincinnati Oh, about ninety minutes away. She had one of these 240D Mercs and absolutely loved it. I think it was blue but it has been a long time. Her eyes were blue. That, I will never forget.

[@jeffreycarleton1535]

You really do Rock the hell out of that Chef’s hat, Steve! Never gets old!😊

[@W33DwasherME]

Had a 79 300d. Great car, excellent build quality. Slower than molasses however 😂😂

[@vintage76vipergreenBeetle]

Sounds like your 300D needed a tune up.

[@charlesduboise5198]

I had 1972, 220D it had a 4 speed you may not believe it but it got about 40 miles to the gal . And it would start if it was 10 below 0 with no problem it was the best riding I ever had it was governed to only go 80 mph it weighed over 4000 pounds I drove it one time to Branson Missouri and in those days the roads were a lot steeper than they are now and it had no problem staying at 65 to 70 miles an hour going up those hills I passed a VW beetle and it was really having a hard time making it up the incline

[@speedfreak8200]

I don't believe it ...... internet says 26 MPG, Chuck

[@marcusdamberger]

Interesting observation you should say roads back then were steeper inclined etc. This makes more sense why this 240D worked so well in Germany. The Autobahn from the very start was always designed less steeply inclined by law than the American counterpart. So going up hill in Germany with this slow diesel wasn't as much of a challenge as we had stateside. But I think you're right, over the years roads have gotten less steep and gentler curves to deal with vs 50 years ago.

[@charlesduboise5198]

@@marcusdamberger Branson is a resort town it generates a huge amount of tax money for the state of Missouri so they have completely rebuilt the highways going there over the past 25 years or so much wider and less steep than they were then , they are still steep but not nearly as bad as they were then

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

Yes those Diesels get great mileage I had one and you could mix cooking oil 50 percent mixture and diesel. And they could run off that.

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

@speedfreak Believe it they get close to what Chuck is saying.

[@rekord1969]

In my youth in the ‘90’s I owned both a 240d and a 300d which were old cheap cars at the time… I used to drive from Belfast to Dublin and use the carpet as my ‘cruise control’, 85mph ….ish flat out!! Optimistically!

[@ktm42080]

I had an 83 300D turbo car, the speedometer went to 125 and it was no big deal to bury the needle. The nicest handling and feeling car i think i ever owned. Silver with black leather.

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

@ktm I had a 1987 300D lots off power. 👍

[@drz400sm5]

83 300d silver with blue interior. Great car.

[@docsaaab]

On the dash under the Speedo is not a buzzer, you pull the lever left to it, after that it starts to glow ! Then you pull the lever fully, and you pray that the thing starts. Here in winter time in Germany you have to do it many times, until your Finger freezes off. My father uses many cans of Starte fluid that time. I have the same OM616 engine in my 3 Ton camper van , Putting out 72 HP !

[@grizzleypeak]

My uncle had a white 240D like that one. He lived in Alaska and would let it idle 24/7 in sub-zero conditions when he couldn't plug in the block heater. He drove it daily, and all over the country. I don't know what became of it after he died... Probably still running somewhere... Most durable cars ever made.

[@onemoremisfit]

I used to notice how the interiors of those cars were made to be more durable than comfortable, as opposed to the plush pillow seat interiors in some of the American upscale cars they competed against. The diesel engine was not quiet or smooth, just reliable and efficient, and there was a lot of that old diesel clatter under the hood. The chassis didn't have the soft ride quality of American big cars, being tighter, harsher and tuned more toward handling than comfort, and the power steering required more effort, what they call "road feel".

[@samholdsworth420]

Now look at German cars!

[@burthenry7740]

I've been wanting to own an old, pre-1989 Mercedes for a while. But, living in the rust belt the pickings are pretty slim!!

[@seed_drill7135]

Hemings or EBay and a road trip.

[@mexicanspec]

A road trip is the best part of buying an old car.

[@seed_drill7135]

@@mexicanspec I did it ass backwards. Went from NC to Long Island to buy my antique!

[@mexicanspec]

@@seed_drill7135 You should go from NC to Mexico to buy your antique. We have no rust in most of the country.

[@speedfreak8200]

Rewatching videos to help Steve, get well soon buddy, thousands of your fans are pulling for you!!

[@deanstevenson6527]

York Air Con compressor in Das Trunk. So let's raise the bar , and our cups to the 3 pointed ✨'s

[@jeffreycarleton1535]

German Taxi cabs! I rode in many of these! They were a cream color, if I remember correctly! With a kind of brown colored interior! Noisy as all get out! They sounded like they were going to blow up at any second, And the stink from exhaust, whew! They must have been dependable, as I don’t recall seeing any other kind of Taxi cabs over there!

[@SuperOperator4]

Doors close like an old Frigidaire.

[@michaelwitas9482]

One of my grade school teachers had a 1971 Mercedes 220 which was the gasoline version of the 220D, which he bought new and continued driving for over another 10 years. I remember driving it in the 1980's. It ran well and still looked good. It was not fast but felt powerful enough. There was no wood trim inside, as there was in some of MB's more expensive models. It had a column shifted automatic transmission and a vinyl interior. I remember the all black dashboard. The radio was the same Becker unit as shown in the video.

[@thomashenniger2070]

Had an old 200d and a 220d loved them, had one during the 73 oil embargo! Great cars

[@LongIslandMopars]

During the OPEC oil crisis my dad wanted to swap a 240D powertrain into our 66 Coronet......

[@aa64912]

The 300D was an excellent car. My favorite was the 1977.

[@ilikequiet6474]

Both owners of the company I worked for bought Oldsmobile diesel wagons when first introduced. They had nothing but trouble from day one literally with the transmission failing leaving the dealership. They sold both cars in less than a year.

[@burthenry7740]

GM set diesels back 20 years with those engines. But they did lead to diesel fuel becoming widely available at a lot more gas stations. At a much higher price! Diesel went from cheaper than gas, to more expensive. 😉

[@SteveMagnante]

@@burthenry7740 Road Tax is a major add-on expense most diesel buyers eventually learn to despise. Why does the driver of a 4,000 pound diesel passenger car have to pay the same "road repair subsidy tax" as a 40,000 pound Big Rig driver? He just does! Poof! Gone goes the diesel incentive....Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante

[@dannyschoolcraft5984]

​@@burthenry7740It sure did. Steve said diesel was .38¢ in 1974. I worked at a Union 76 truck stop in 1978 and #2 diesel was .63¢. It was climbing every year. I guess not to bad though since he did mention that it had raised to, I believe.53¢ because of the oil embargo. Today gas is 3.49 in W.V. Was 2.10 early 2021. Diesel I think, it's 3.99. now.

[@dannyschoolcraft5984]

​@@SteveMagnanteThose truck drivers, or companies, also pay taxes on the trucks and to each state they drive thru. They get stickers to apply to the doors or tanks to show the D.O.T. that their compliant if they have one for that state and it's not expired. As for miles per gallon, I guess diesel is better, if driving bigger vehicles.

[@garyszewc3339]

​@@SteveMagnantebig rigs pay less taxes than gasoline or diesel cars. Diesel cars pay the same taxes as gasoline cars. Diesel price varies whether it is more expensive or cheaper than gasoline, by season. Also, in 1972 it was hard to find any stations that sold diesel. It's like electric cars now, you had to plan your trip to be able to refuel.

[@angeloavanti2538]

I owned 2, 300's. An 80 and 85. Turbos. I made my own diesel fuel for 4 years so my daughter and I drove gorgeous cars for less than a dollar a gallon. They drive quieter and faster than on store bought diesel. Next to no smoke on hard acceleration. In fact I could chirp first and second gear, so much torque. It was a fun time.

[@LongIslandMopars]

Biodiesel. I did my thesis on that.

[@angeloavanti2538]

Yes. 100% bio from a reactor and used straight used cooking oil and mixed some diesel fuel. Found the golden ratio. Turn others on to it as well.

[@LongIslandMopars]

@@angeloavanti2538 I was going to make a setup in my garage but never got around to it. Looked into greasecar kits but those are a mess. Last thing was actually trying to find an older diesel Benz but at that time prices for a 300TD wagon were nuts so I abandoned the plan. Still did my thesis, though.

[@chriscarlson3700]

I remember Ford running commercials comparing the Granada to the Mercedes, and the tag line was “Can You Tell The Difference?” I’d wager a lot of people could definitely tell the difference.

[@xqqqme]

At the age of maybe 30, I made the same point to the man who was an exec with the company I worked for at the time and he replied "Ford is not talking to you...or anyone else who knows about other brands of cars and can easily tell the difference. They're talking to Ford owners who want to feel better about their purchase." Oh, and BTW, the company was an ad agency in Boston and the man was, at the time, its Creative Director.

[@mexicanspec]

I bought a 1973 220D 4 speed manual in the '90's. I was surprised by the build quality and how the doors closed. I also liked the option of flooring it when going up a grade on the highway to clear out the traffic behind my car.

[@Mercmad]

I've had a few W114 W115 Mercedes and I just finished work for the day,sanding one for a client . The trans is Mercedes own ,not ZF's 😊😊. The Boss of Rayjay turbos in the 70's , turboed his wifes new 240D. In Hot Rod mag (I think) there was a pic of it launching with the head lights aimed skywards. Today i have a 300D with after market turbo and manual trans and a W201 2.5 diesel . Not fast ,built to Last ..and They have.

[@quicksilver462]

I remember when these where still on the road, and getting behind one of these was nightmare, they belched hideous smoke that would choke you out while driving behind them, and they where pitifully slow to accelerate.

[@googleusergp]

I'd take one. These were built like tanks. Even the "MB Tex" interior fabric wears like iron for decades. I agree with their statement---while many 1974 cars gave up the ghost decades earlier, these would soldier on. No VIN, can't win, but might be something like 115.117 and then some other digits with qualifiers for gas or diesel engine, LH or RH drive and transmission type. The engine numbers might have been something like 616.916. There were 126,148 240D models produced between 1974 and 1976. This is considered a W115 chassis. No tag, can't brag, but possible code 717 Papyrus White exterior paint.

[@tomwesley7884]

I'll pass, those early diesels were noisy and couldn't go quick enough to get out of their own cloud of black smoke.

[@googleusergp]

@@tomwesley7884 Wouldn't be my pick, if you had me choose between a GM diesel (1978 and up) and one of these, I'd choose the Benz hands down. The GM diesels were heaps, and only got "better" with the introduction of the "DX" series blocks.

[@xqqqme]

At the time that model was new, I remember reading that the purpose of those taillight lenses (called ribbed, not fluted) was to channel moving air from the side of the car to the back and help keep dirt and road film from clouding them. In essence, they were to be "self-cleaning."

[@debbiebermudez5890]

Mr. B. Here ! ☕️☕️🍩🍩. 👍👍👍👍 Thanks Steve !

[@tomwesley7884]

Morning

[@corvairjim1]

1) The "arrowhead" door cutline was necessary to be able to open the back door without binding against the front door. 2) I never knew the reasoning behind the "fluted" taillight lenses. What a great idea! I worked at a Chevy agency around 1990 and thought the new fluted taillight lenses on the Corsica looked so much worse than the original flat ones. Now I know that there was a reason for them. 3) I remember laughing at a Ford TV commercial showing a Granada parked at the curb somewhere in NYC. The owner took a parking ticket off the windshield and saw that, under "make of car", the policeman had written Mercedes-Benz. Yeah, right. Was the cop blind or just completely ignorant about what cars looked like. Plus, he must have been illiterate, since the car said "FORD" in chrome letters right ther on the trunk lid in front of him while he was behind the car to get the license plate number!

[@marcusdamberger]

Not so fast! What if he had gotten a ticket in a state that has both front and rear plates required! Hmm?? Kidding aside, if you're considering the Mercedes, your considering a whole other class of cars and not even the Fords. If you were, you would have looked at the Mercury brand of Ford with it's higher trim levels. But still the poor sap trying to convince themselves they had a similar quality car as the Merc is fooling themselves. Thinking they saved themselves a ton of cash. In a few winters they will see the rust and wear showing through soon enough if not some flaw that Ford had will be self-evident but that time.

[@marcusdamberger]

Also, the fluted tail lights became all the rage through the 80s on other brands mimicking this look that was actually for practical reasons that Mercedes had done, while everyone else was just going for the "look". I remember the Corsica well, as that was my driver's Ed car in high school, a 90' or 91'. I hardly ever see them and the stablemate Beretta around anymore. They were just throwaway cars in the end. Not like this 240, still see them around here and there.

[@mcqueenfanman]

I think the fluted lenses and body side moldings (1975 up?) were more for mud/slush flying up instead of snow falling down.

[@Drmcclung]

Fun fact, the 2nd little paddle switch there on the dash between the buzzer and ignition key, that's how you raise & lower the idle from inside the car, to get a little more engine speed in cold weather, help warm it up faster. They really, really had absolutely 0 power and did not like to idle when they were still stone cold!

[@alexinnewwest1860]

Fun fact That “buzzer” is not a buzzer. It’s a “salt shaker”. There is a small element that is tied into the glow plug circuit and when that element is glowing bright you know your glow plugs are hot and your good to start

[@Drmcclung]

@@alexinnewwest1860 That's funny, I completely forgot the really old ones didn't even have a glow plug light, just an actual filament to go by

[@jasonwaltrowski2315]

When I was a teenager in the 80's mom had one of those, but gas engine, later in life I was a flat rate tech for Mercedes and I worked on those old diesels man they could not get out of their own way😂

[@stuborowski5301]

I took my drivers license test in 1984 with my dads 1974 240D it was a manual 4 speed and the state cop was impressed that I could drive stick like a boss. Sooooo easy to drive and slow as the day is long but rode and handled really nice. He sold it when it rusted out with 450k miles running strong.

[@jimmartin735]

Always thought these cars would be great small block chevy swap candidates

[@charlesdalton985]

In the 70s I knew a family that traditionally bought Mercedes. One exception? A Ford Granada.

[@DGillyy]

I used to work on these, what a great simple but high quality car. Mostly I worked on the later chassis, 124, 126, 201 and up through the 210, 220, 203s. But works on these older 115s and 123s as well. A couple people have noted the "buzzer" is actually a glow plug indicator. Nicknamed affectionately the "pepper shaker". There is a glow plug inside, the holes are for viewing it. You'd pull that start knob out partially and watch the pepper shaker. When the glow plug was glowing bright red, you'd pull the knob out fully to engage the starter. After this manual glow system they went to the relay controlled start system, where you'd simply turn the key on, and wait for the glow plug light to go out on the dash, then turn the key to start. I do remember one of these coming in for a complaint if poor performance (!). NO WAY, not a 240 "Dog" with low performance, say it ain't so! First thing to check though: had a coworker put the pedal to the floor (engine off) and the lever on the injection pump was about an 1/2" to an inch from hitting the throttle stop! Adjusted up the throttle linkage (all mechanical rods and adjustable ball ends) and got it tapping the stop on the pump and back up to 70mph (top speed!) it went. Fun times.

[@john_barnett]

300 bucks in scrap? Those plastic rear light lenses would be worth more than that. Not to mention the rest of the intact parts on it!

[@pokemonprimed]

Are old Merc parts like this valuable? 70s and 80s mercs are some of the most common "old cars' in Florida junkyards.

[@davidcollver6155]

@@pokemonprimed since no one produces anything in this country anymore China has pretty much shut us off from everything that we became dependent on them for. All those cars in the junkyards are parts cars, all keepers. The parts are all priceless even now.

[@seed_drill7135]

Mercedes isn’t made in America and continues to support old models, though I’m sure it’s a lot more expensive than pulling something off a junker.

[@LongIslandMopars]

I have that in a Corgi diecast replete with the "caravan" that hooks onto the trailer hitch. Played with it as a kid; now its a collectible sitting on a shelf.

[@nonamesplease6288]

Not surprised by the DOD sticker on this car. I grew up in the Washington DC area and these stickers were ubiquitous. The house next to my parent's house was in the military housing system. When one military family got transferred out, another moved right in. I noticed a theme in that most drove European cars. Mercs, Volvos, etc.. many of which came with them from European stations. The truth was, the ones who had driven European cars got a taste for them and kept buying them.

[@DanKirchner5150]

this car was the only car i owned even slower than a 66 lemans i had with a ohc 6 in it . just unimaginably slow .i tried selling and nobody bought it thinking something was wrong with it ,but it was like that from day one lol

[@markchelak]

That is too funny, I was going to buy one just out of the curiosity but a friend of mine told me the same thing he said you would not have the patience.......

[@DanKirchner5150]

@@markchelak rubberband powered

[@hotroddinwillie2364]

My dad's 78 240 was mint green with tan interior. Top speed 77mph. Great directional stability with suspension geometry that had iirc 9.75 degrees or more of positive caster. Great brakes too, 4 wheel disc. I forget if they were Girling or ATE.

[@marccaruso9789]

In the late 70's sfter college I had a '70 220 ...standard gas engine ...4 spd on the column...it was part tank...unstoppable...even during Chicago winters...got rear-ended by a yellow cab leaving a Bulls game ...

[@joshsos5541]

I love my 05 CDI!! It’s 18 years old and still one of the best looking cars on the road. I can make it almost 2 weeks on a tank of diesel and it’s still easy to work on.

[@daveditcher4059]

My late father-in-law, who immigrated to the US from Europe after WWII, had a ‘67 200D with a 4speed stick. To say it was slow would be an understatement. But it was reliable and was his daily commuter car, ironically back and forth to the local Ford Plant. An unexpected plus was it NEVER got stuck in the frequently tough winters in Buffalo….not enough power to spin the wheels. Lol.

[@sombra6153]

One of my uncles had a 74. 280. I seem to recall it had some initial bugs - I was a kid and never understood whether it was due to the “Americanization” of the six cylinder or European quirks. Never these, once he got it sorted out, it ran great and he drove it for several years before deciding to buy an Eldorado. I remember that Mercedes of that era had a solid feel about the whole car compared to American cars, some of which did have decent qualities of their own, just seemed cheaply screwed together. That 74 seemed like it was regularly driven well above the 55 mph speed limit plaguing America at the time, and always felt a cut above anything else at pushing triple digits. I would equate the overall build feel of the Benz of that era to my two year old Tacoma - satisfying solid.

[@truckladders4104]

Those dash buzzers were even stranger! They are connected to the glow plug circuit and actually heat up with the glow plugs When you could burn your hand it was ready to fire! Bosch had the same feature on Farm tractors that used their fuel system !

[@ScottDLR]

An older co-worker of mine had one of these back in the day. He traded it in after only a few months because it had a hard time just maintaining the speed limit.

[@pdennis93]

During the 79 oil crisis my dad wanted a diesel Mercedes. My mom said it was too expensive so he bought a 79 Oldsmobile custom cruiser. Worst car he ever owned lo. The engine blew in 1982 wuth 50k miles. Olds fixedjt sbd he traded it for a gas regal 4 door. l. Years later my mom said "had I known how bad the olds would end up being, I'd have let him get the damn mercedes"

[@chriscarlson3700]

Those old GM diesels were junk. My dad had an ‘86 Chevy 2500 with a 6.2 diesel that was so awful, he yanked it out and replaced it with a 454. That’s when it became a respectable truck.

[@pdennis93]

@@chriscarlson3700 yup. My dad later tried again in 1987 with an "updated" 1984 Caprice diesel. It blew the headgaskets in 1990 and he gave the car away.

[@nathanbarden9709]

I know an old mechanic who says he used to replace those GM diesels with gas engines. I forget if it was Chevy or Olds pattern or what, but a regular gas engine was an easy bolt in.

[@pdennis93]

@@nathanbarden9709 olds 350

[@N2YTA]

In 1970 a new Mercedes Benz 220D sold for about $5,500, ten years later in 1980 the equivalent model, the 240D sold for about $20,000. If you had a nice condition, low mileage 1970 220D in 1980 you could possibly sell it for a profit. The same sort of thing happened to other cars. A mid-seventies Buick Skylark sold for about $4,500. By the mid-eighties the equivalent Skylark was over $10,000. Inflation effects car values as much as anything.

[@SteveMagnante]

Especially imported cars where fluctuations in the exchange rate can magnify inflation. I'm glad I was an English major instead of a Finance major! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante

[@N2YTA]

@@SteveMagnanteIn those days Mercedes diesel owners would ask each other “do you glow in the summer?” Referring to the glow plugs

[@mexicanspec]

I must have been asleep during those days in the '80's where any '70's car was worth 10K.

[@stevehenderson2571]

Get well Steve. We miss you buddy.

[@charliemiller3854]

Those diesels with their smoke and noise always amused me.

[@tomwesley7884]

Yes, that's how I remember them, NOISY, then putzing along in a cloud of black smoke

[@dale5495]

My friend's dad had one he kept in the garage we used to seek it out in the early 80s when we got are listens though we were cool 😎

[@richdorak1547]

Drove one of those as a designated driver at a family wedding in the late 80s. 4 cly diesel was a real slug but the ride and handling were excellent . Very impressive.

[@jeffclark2725]

Those weee q little brick car,solid transportation car, thumbs up great car surprised to see it sitting there

[@snoopy5736]

My dads daily is a 1986 190e. Pretty reliable

[@daviddavid5880]

Slow, comfy, and tough.

[@youtruckrek5121]

I am 65. Do not think I want you to stop no. When you show me what I remember well it makes me feel so old. A car show where everything is still alive I am fine. You wondering through my past in what is truly a grave yard is strikingly a taste of death.. The shortness of 40 or so years becomes so clear that I can see the end from here . Cool videos keep then coming !

[@TimGrimes-q2q]

I stuck a potato in the exhaust pipe of one of these when i was a wee lad and it got towed away at night, i was way too afraid to say anything

[@dennisgallear409]

Thanks for your company. I depend on you fellas.

[@danielleclare2938]

I never remember bumper shocks coming back out we always pulled them back. Maybe when new they would recover themselves but my cars were all older by the time I hit something.

[@debbiebermudez5890]

Mr. B. Here ! ☕️☕️🍩🍩 Morning Mags ; internet 🛜 issues !

[@drrick8839]

My late little brother (I still say I love you to the sky every day, his passing left an indelible mark on me) bought an identical one of these in the early 1990’s. I was still driving Corvettes the time so when he brought it to my house to show me, my first comment was “why’d you buy this? I raised you better then this! It was half a joke, but I had raised him. Our parents both died when we were young, so the “I raised you better” part was true but it was a long running inside joke. I was very impressed with the build quality, it made my 2 year old Corvette look like it was cobbled together in a barn! The thing looked nearly brand new both inside and out at 12 years old! When I drove it he warned me that you have to get used to driving it. He was right. It accelerate so slowly that I thought there was something wrong with it and it scared the hell out of me! It had 100K miles on it which he said was nothing on one of them. I took that with a grain at salt at the time, but when he sold it 2.5 years later with 250K miles on it it still looked and drove like the day he bought it! The thing that scared me was pulling into traffic. I always felt like I was going to get rear-ended. That was back when “Right on red”had just became legal in NJ, a dangerous change in traffic laws given the way people drive here in NJ. I made him promise me that he wouldn’t make rights on red unless there were no other cars in sight. I even paid for him to take it to one of the few “German car specialists” nearby to see if it accelerated the way it should. It did. To this day that car amazes me. Eventually he sold it (to the German car specialist!) and bought a VW Diesel. I think it was a “Fox”? Another car of Amazing quality that he drove several years, again selling it for what he paid for it.

[@kwashelby2010]

Deisel should be half the cost today, but those dang regulators!

[@ricksaint2000]

Thank you Steve

[@krevo6c]

Love that you review junkyard cars. Cool Unique Content. Subscribed 👍.

[@davidp2888]

Very cool as always, Steve.

[@speedwack]

Steve said the 240D “is very good on gas”. Yes it consumes zero gasoline.

[@quahog9180]

My Dad bought a brand new 1973 220D just like in the brochure. It was Tobacco Brown with MB Tex interior. It had a 4 speed and A/C. It was somewhat older powered, although it had plenty of torque. It would cruise all day at 75, however to pass other cars or going up hill, you had to turn off the A/C. After buying the 220, he had a 250 gallon tank filled with heating oil and ran the 220 for 150k miles on heating oil.

[@Nunyabusiness87]

Loved my 78 240d 4 speed ac cruise dual climate sunroof car 278k miles and still got 26 mpg

[@UberLummox]

Love The Bends. Had five from '66 to '82, not in that order. Amazing cars!

[@cwie2968]

Steve: The 1970s had a huge jump in gas prices. Joe Biden: Hold my beer

[@madmike2624]

FJB

[@jefflilyea4669]

I used one of the electric fans on my old jeep for many years

[@zoefaith120]

My uncle gene. Had a 1984 300 td... The diesel sound was sweet. Very slow....it has a pretty light blue color.

[@nathanbarden9709]

Owner was probably an Airman from Westover AFB. I would have chosen a Dart. Even the slant six would leave this thing in the dust and you didn’t need earplugs. I rode in a similar Mercedes once, a few years newer. Loud and slow!

[@DGillyy]

He could very possibly have taken European delivery of it when stationed overseas and had it shipped back. For the price is the car, I would almost bet not enlisted personnel.

[@ericvandomselaar8420]

That's my car.... Thanks.

[@vlady8me]

My 2nd car was a lovely 77 merc monarch. Had that magical fomoco tranny that would drop into reverse if you didn't slam it into park! My first car was a 71 rustang. Nearly the exact same car underneath the shitty skin.

[@meh-canics9628]

I always wanted to Demo Derby one of those

[@fishgeralding9224]

Guten mMorgan, Das ist....one trippy trans!

[@EvilTwinRC51]

Impressive, that car was on the road till 1998.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Merry Christmas Steve. Hope to see you soon

[@williamjoyal3553]

Speaking of dodge darts, any word on the police car

[@mikefed]

A friend of mine had a 220d. It was the slowest car I’ve ever had the (dis)pleasure of riding in. It was sad.

[@Wooley689]

Actually, at the 8:16 mark, the engine start pull knob had to be pulled halfway out and held, then that Buzzer was actually a glow plug light, you waited for that to glow red and then you pulled the starter knob out all the way to start the engine. After car was warm the process was not that long for starts. Our Pop had one of these brand new when we were kids. To shut engine off you had to push the knob in.

[@randyauer7303]

Somebody's ringing the bell

[@truckladders4104]

Steve Your in diesel alley! That Diamond Reo deserves a video and the GMC Brigadere are both pretty cool! Keep up the great content

[@bobbbobb4663]

Never driven a W115 but my 1979 240D 4 speed manual will cruise at 80 mph all day. Top speed 90 ish.

[@jmsjms296]

What's the speed limit on US highways?

[@bobbbobb4663]

@@jmsjms296 65 mph in most areas but traffic typically moves at 75 mph

[@jmsjms296]

@@bobbbobb4663 Thanks.

[@alexinnewwest1860]

Wow a 240d auto With AC. That would be one slow car Pretty sure those autos were 4 speed and 4th gear was direct. Fun face also. You could push start these autos. They had a rear pump. I’ve done it my self with a 300D

[@greggc8088]

I want to find a decent low mileage if possible Mercedes DSL. Those things would probably run on anything. Probably even zombie blood which will come in handy when the soon to come zombie apocalypse arrives.

[@christopherwrenn4933]

After almost 4 years of dailying a car with an OM616, I can confirm that they are nigh indestructible. Some genius used a huge 7/8 NPT plug when he federalized mine back in the day, so the oily vapors all went into the intake ports for cylinders 3 and 4. They were 50% blocked and the manifold runners looked like the ads for cholesterol medication. The car didn't care. It still ran. An OM616 can get a 240D above 80, but 100 is definitely impossible with a stock 240D. My '83 240D hits its mechanically limited top speed of 96 with no issues. Becker Europa Stereos are worth a pretty penny. They were installed in Porches and Ferraris as well. I bought an engineless 1978 300D parts car for $300 that had a Becker Europa II in it, and the Europa II was worth $200 more than the sale price of the car. I ended up netting a little over two grand on a three hundred dollar car, and I still have the stereo. What Mercedes meant to say was "If you maintain it right, your 240D will need to make end of life plans for you."

[@Henry_Jones]

The car that sunk cadillac

[@josephstanger873]

If you notice, the dots for your max speed in each gear, there is a single dot over near 80. On old Mercedes that is your theoretical maximum speed. Your mileage may vary.

[@MBSLC]

Great cars! I had a 300D 1979 non-turbo W123. Great to drive 25 years ago but now with more and faster traffic you would be risking life and limb just to merge on to the freeway!

[@kroge007]

My Dad leased a 78 300D and it was a lemon. The car would never start when it got real cold even with an engine heater. An old mechanic told him to put kerosene in with the diesel and that helped in upstate NY winters

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

amazing video... Steve knows more than google...I learn something from each one of his awesome videos.... I am still waiting on an Oldsmobile diesel video.... viewing from Arkansas..

[@marktimberlake4493]

you may have a long wait I don't think there is one up there , but maybe, former Hoxie resident

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

@@marktimberlake4493 Thank you, yes not much in Hoxie....glad you was able to leave for a better life!!

[@vintage76vipergreenBeetle]

Great video Steve.

[@erikbratt684]

I'd love videos on the blue and red semi's in the background of this video. I think the red one might be a Brigadier.

[@shoominati23]

I love the European automatic transmissions from the 70s, they give a vague feeling of the engine being connected to the tyres - but not much. Sorry, but they got it right the first time in Dearborn when the first Hydromatic was invented