Mercedes 300D Review!

If you were looking for a guy rambling about his car for 10 minutes on a poorly edited video, then you've come to the right place. -Upon further inspection, i've realized that I left out a huge part of the history of the Mercedes that will be covered in an upcoming video.-
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[@vwestlife]

Having owned a 1981 240D (which was actually rated at 68 HP, not 50) with the 4-speed manual and a 1985 300D turbodiesel with the automatic, I can say that the 240D was actually more peppy off the line and in city driving, due to its lighter weight, manual transmission, and lack of turbo lag. But with its numerically higher rear end ratio and lack of a fifth gear, the 240D revs really high at highway speeds, while the 300D is a much better highway cruiser. I also had the chance to drive a 300CD turbo coupe with the 4-speed manual swapped in and it is the best of both worlds, and is really fun to drive!

[@russhaig4116]

The '85 specifically, has the lowest rear ratio of them all. Attempt done for better highway cruising at expense of off the line.

[@yousseflahbil9573]

That car has huge respect around the world

[@coolyprice4730]

The reason you love the car so much is character. Also you said 80 mph is cooking for this car at 3500 rpm. I have an 84 with 550k miles on the all original drivetrain I held 85-95 for around a good three hours on the 240 mile trip home besides having to stop to use the facilities the car never ran hot, never sputtered or shuttered or any hint of any trouble. These cars are insanely tough. But getting up to 90 takes a good bit of road.

[@bilalahmed2123]

What are you taking about ? W123 cars are beautiful !

[@johannobee4976]

Great video - I have own 28 of these cars all the way from 190D2.2 300SD, 300CD, 240D 300TD, 300D only 1980-1985 and they are Superior cars well made and simply bad ass rigs.

[@SBoyd1996]

I own a 240D and I love it to death. IT IS SO SLOW. She doesn't like the highway much past about 60MPH but that is a gearing issue. It actually gets better MPG in town versus highway. Mine needs a lot of work and thinking I'm probably gonna drive it until I can buy a nice one. Love the video. Glad there are more young W123 lovers out there.

[@samosaarts]

Hah! Just today I was driving my 300d and its sound reminded me MB 1017 I drove in the army. And today I saw this video, brilliant.

[@MrRebman62]

hi I used to own a 240d and you're absolutely right "gutless" 0-60 in 7 minutes but you love every second. I do own a 85 TD now wouldnt trade it for anything.

[@brad5150able]

James, You are 100% correct! You are not alone, I to have been flipped the bird a time or two.My 87 turbo has 380K and still runs like a top! The 95 has 196K. I test drive it Saturday. He replaced the wire harness, locks, ball joints, and new tires. He is a retired army test pilot and so it well cared for. 3000 bucks for it. I really enjoyed the video!

[@sanderslotsvik7801]

Gearbox problems occur if the vacum lines are bad, it has gearshifts controlled by vacuum

[@JamesCooperider]

Oh yes, I've been through the vacuum system many times. I actually bought my 300D under a notion that the transmission shifted really hard... Well all it turned out being was a split vacuum boot!

[@oms6661]

My transmission still shifts pretty hard even though we filled it with transmission fluid which it didnt have

[@oms6661]

Its automatic and it wont shift unless you take the foot off the accelerator is that normal.

[@JamesCooperider]

+Om Shrinivas What year/model is the car?

[@sanderslotsvik7801]

vacum lines basically control the car so always chech them, if that doesnt work get the transmission checked

[@unimogman404]

Great video , keep them coming ! I have the same car in dove grey , a 1985. One thing for your knowledge : The OM 617 was first fitted to the W115 series in 1974. The auto transmission in the 300D is known to be excellant and can outlast the car if you are doing the proper maintenance on it with proper adjustment. I played a bit with the ALDA and the road on top of the valve cover that goes to the transmission and when I take it easy, it shift at around 1800 to 2000 rpm. Keep driving this old Benz. Mine has 350,000 km and I hope to keep it a long time. Something to help you with maintenance also; a group on Facebook called : Mercedes Maintenance and another one called : Mercedes W123. :-)

[@Pentagon21]

I'm from Germany an live near Bremen, where the W123 T-Modell was built. The 240D had about 65 HP There was a 55 HP engine, the 200D and a 60 HP one, the 220D. The Taxi of my childhood was the W123. There have been so many of these cars here in Germany. One of our neighbours hat a 230CE, another one had a 200D. I loved those cars. Nice video. Thank you for that and a German sentence for you: "Ich wünsche dir allzeit gute Fahrt!" ;)

[@davidcordyceps6308]

Not cool, that's from one of Hitler's most famous speeches.

[@cheftipp]

That's not true. It's a common saying without a reference to hitler.

[@davidcordyceps6308]

Chef tipp No way bro, we all know the saying "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ich wünsche dir allzeit gute Fahrt!"

[@Philip.Magnusson]

My first car was a w123 240D -83 (72hp) did 65000kms with it, i also had a 1977 300D automatic (80 hp) and i can tell you there's a noticable difference in tourque despite the small hp difference, but the "nippyness" of the 240D with a manual gearbox made it feel a lot quicker at set off and more direct power at acceleration input.

[@brad5150able]

I have a 1987 300D turbo and am planning to get a 1995 E300 diesel non turbo and so both are rust free. Most people I have spoke with would prefer the 1987 300D turbo over the W123 non turbo. The W123 is solid, I just can't imagine driving a car that slow and people flipping you the middle finger when you go to merge in traffic. The W123 is/was, for sure, a work horse.

[@JamesCooperider]

I commend your decision on the 1995 E300! If I'm not mistaken, the 1995 would be the W124 chassis with the OM606 I-6 rock-solid diesel. I think the W124 was replaced with the W202 in either 1996 or 97... either way, I prefer the W124 (just personal preference) and that with the OM606 would be a winning combination. As a guy who drove a non-turbo OM617-powered 300D for two years, I can say... yes... I was no stranger to the bird.

[@russhaig4116]

Hi fellow MB dieseler. As someone who used to have a '76 non-turbo om617 w115, I comment I had no problem keeping up with modern traffic and driving 80 as a DD. The big difference is turbo motors can be driven with partial throttle 80% of the time. NA needs 100% throttle, 100% of the time :) I've owned a 95 E300. So which do you prefer, that or the 87 turbo?

[@jetstream454]

Just don't merge if you're not at speed. Surely it can't be that slow, just give it some 😆

[@Pirate1391]

My first car was also a 1980 300D! My Dad has it now. I love that car so much, the ride, the look, it really has personality. Great video! Subbed for sure

[@dieselbenzi]

Nice review. And I agree; there's more to these cars than meets the eye. With the W123, you get an honest, faithful car that is built to last, provided of course it is treated well. Happy dieseling!

[@dieselburner4461]

After this review I am definitely going to buy one . I've been looking for one and found some neat ones here in south California . Didn't know which car to get the parts for a manual swap but after seeing your review now I know which car to pull it out from. Thanks man hope you come down to cali one day n take a cruise bro. Lots of cool benz over here by the surf spots

[@alexisgonzalezsoto8565]

Carlos Ayala yo man I'm from South Cali and I just bought a 83' 300d turbo diesel very clean body but I took it to Tijuana to a trusted mechanic and friend to get the transmission fixed! Little did I know I could have swapped the manual from a 240D to my 300D Definitely a car to cruise along the coast

[@bwc1976]

I had an 81 300D, and loved it! Although swapping in a manual transmission would have been awesome. Before that I had a 79 240D, and it was dangerously slow. Even the non-turbo 300D was way better. I'd love to have a W123 again, especially if I could find a turbo 300 that someone swapped a manual into like you said some were doing.

[@MrRebman62]

If you have never driven a 240d a good overview is 0 to 60 in 7 minutes but you love every second of it especially the manual transmission

[@masongutke6217]

Yes I got a 1984 300d and I love it first car. I'm so in love with it

[@adventurousairman]

Great video, my 83 turbo diesel automatic is great, but my 82 turbo diesel with a 4 speed is a much better combination, 36 + on the hwy , make sure you use a 300d flywheel. LOVE IT.

[@JamesCooperider]

Thank you! I've never driven any Benz (240 or 300) with the 4 speed. I know of a couple guys on the web who have done the swap and seem to be really happy with it. That's pretty cool yours will get 36+... The absolute best mine has ever gotten is 31. However, It usually gets between 28 and 30.

[@JoesGoldenGarage]

I have had two 240ds and three 300ds. One wagon. I have a couple of freeway vids of my 249ds on my channel. One is 30 min long. I easily ran my 240 at 80mph. But the engine is screaming. Check it out. Yours looks clean. Love the white on blue

[@sanderslotsvik7801]

Your w123 300d is so beautiful😍 the w123 is my favourite car and in soon buying a w123 230e myself❤️ A thing you need to do if you want to change it to a manual you should change the rear differential to a lower ratio👍🏻

[@JamesCooperider]

Thank you! It's very much appreciated. Even-though it's far from perfect, I still "rub it with a diaper" and maintain it like its brand new. I've actually thought about putting a lower ratio in it with the auto... 2nd gear is ridiculously short! Haha

[@Train9a]

This is really good! I have a 1980 300SD, a 1988 300sel, a 89 300e, and a 90 300se

[@suj241]

correction 240d is about 75bhp and 200d is about 50bhp

[@robmastro8620]

those mercedes diesels will go a couple hundred thousand miles easily. yours looks to be in pretty good shape

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

I own 1972 220D and 1977 300D. Both was very good cars. TODAY, back in American car. Enjoy yours. 🚘

[@cobrasvt347]

These were the last 100 percent reliable Mercedes ever built. They are tanks and they will run forever. I installed compound turbos on mine with some fuel mods and euro lights. Has over 300 on it and it's in perfect shape thanks to living where there is minimal rust in vehicles. It had been garage kept since new and everything is original except what mods I have done. I will never get rid of my tank because I can hop in it and go anywhere without worrying about a single thing happening. I have a brand new trans to go in when this one quits but I doubt it will ever need it as it's working as good as new. As long as you keep up the maintenance on these cars and fix any vacuum leaks or problems with hoses rotting the trans and climate control will last forever. As will the door locks too. They run on vacuum

[@thiemokucharczyk]

Good review and congrats on that car! I think it has indeed a robust beauty to it😎 Though the Euro spec bumpers and headlights bring out its design better in my opinion... Have fun with it👍🏻

[@jimswan3741]

Great car, You could put the high stall torque converter from the 85-123. I find that my 85 is much more nimble that my 82.

[@brianvieane3907]

I want one as a second car in about a year to keep the miles low on my 2015 gti and be a daily commuter and a low but slow car. I live in so cal so just isn't an issue. Could anybody give me advice/info about cost to maintain and how much the car is generally worth? I'm thinking about 3k-5k range for the car and it's a diesel so prob with about 150k-250k miles on a used one.

[@JamesCooperider]

Hey Brian, I would spend towards the top of your budget and get one as nice as physically possible. These cars have the potential to nickel-and-dime you to death. However, as long as you come by a 300D that has been well cared for and that has extensive maintenance records, you'll be in great shape. As far as driving costs are concerned, it' inexpensive to drive every day. Oil changes will run you about $60-$80 (depending on the oil / filter, given you do it yourself) and as mentioned in the video, my car averages 28-30MPG so fuel consumption isn't an issue. Stuff like tires (if you stay with the stock wheels) and brakes are all quite cheap. For kicks, I had a couple of service shops give estimates on replacing ball-joints and LCA bushings and they were outlandishly expensive. If you can do this sort of work yourself, you'll be REALLY far ahead, trust me! Anyways, I'm actually looking to sell my car. It'll be up on BringATrailer.com within a few days so maybe watching that auction will give you an idea for what these sell for. Thanks!

[@LightSaber83]

My father''s very first car was this.Great car with such great personality.It'' slow but never let''s you down.Like a dog.Men''s best friend.It''s like a tank.The only problem that may occur is the air filter or the oil filter.

[@joseabrantes7216]

Gosto muito do seu carro e da forma carinhosa como fala dele!! eu também tenho um w123 é um 240D adoro-o também é branco. Força amigo!! isso são carros que nunca mais acabam foram feitos para durar e devorar estrada.

[@GeorgeSemel]

No problem one of the greatest cars ever built, I drive a 300 SD 1982

[@lbowsk]

Great car! Hideous intro music! Better check for leaks in the cabin. Those wrinkles in the door cards are the tell tale. AC Evap and sunroof drains are the usual suspects. Keep on stinkin!

[@JamesCooperider]

Steve Lindemann Haha, copyright issues are a royal pain... if I could use music from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, I would in a heartbeat. Actually the cabin is totally dry! Ive had leaks in my prior 300D's, but I caught the spot that rusts beneath the battery in time and slathered it in sealer. Otherwise, the AC has been deleted --(trust me, I wish I didn't do that)-- and the sunroof, as far as I know, doesn't leak!

[@declanoneill9108]

Great Car, Awesome video! I am looking at a 1984 Turbo for sale near me (NY) with no rust and 190k miles - its in great condition. Do you think that (with inspection, ofc) this would make a good first car for drives to school (just local)?

[@vincemolin8645]

still an awsome car man! i own one 200 w123. my grandfather gave it to me already.

[@hedope6175]

Love this car man. Timeless

[@kgillmore1]

Great car!! Love my 1982 300d.

[@JamesCooperider]

Hey, thanks! I absolutely love anything W123. Something about these old Mercedes are really awesome...

[@user-lr4id9pf8y]

hey man! first of all nice video. and the 240d drives fine lol! it's not that slow....after you get off of a stop that is. i picked up a 300d and a 300td. thinking of taking the manual out of the wagon and sticking it into the 300d. wagon needs a new block, may have a bent frame, door lines are all off. still drives nice but needs a rehaul. i love these cars. never give up on these beauties! i can't wait to have my 300d as a daily driver. waiting on some oil cooler hoses, might need a transmission mount but she's almost there! maybe once they are set i'll drive over to ohio :) i haven't been to the firework warehouse in years.

[@slavplotnitsky3572]

Swapping 4spd from 240d will work , but you don't want to use 240d flywheel , so many people who did it are not happy with result ,

[@JackpodyDK]

Is it too light?

[@slavplotnitsky3572]

yes its way to light for OM617 motor, best way is to find a flywheel out of euro OM617 with 4spd , it 39lbs other ways i wouldn't even bother with the swap,

[@JackpodyDK]

Ah, makes sense.

[@JamesCooperider]

Slav, I actually have a couple of friends that have had decent success with the swap. Now, I have heard of people having varying issues with it but overall the consensus seems to be fairly positive. Then again, I don't plan on doing it unless my trans goes out, haha

[@MartinEquities]

Great video, I was reading your above post about editing... btw your editing skills are a lot better than mine. I'm still using a tutorial, lol.

[@JamesCooperider]

Thank you very much! Once you learn the ropes of your software, it's pretty easy. Like anything, the more practice you have the better you'll be!

[@pedrammaelstorm7051]

Im interested in developement of chassis and suspension. Would u make a video of some slalom driving on fat radial tires like 205 or above?

[@jggarage5584]

hey man I absolutely love the video I saw that you have a turbo gauge I was wondering if there's any special way of possibly installing one I just purchased my very first 300D a couple days ago... and I was wondering if there's a certain way of going about it... keep up the good work

[@JamesCooperider]

J&G Garage Yeah, there are actually a couple of ways you can go about it. There is a little plug on the outside of the intake manifold that you can take out and thread in the fitting that comes with your boost gauge. Otherwise, you can tap into the line that comes out of the back of the intake manifold that goes over to the injection pump for the compensation. I recommend option A. Thank you for the compliment, though!

[@jggarage5584]

okay cool thank you very much!!

[@cdw904]

First of all, you are adorable and that captivated me. Then I listed to your discussion on the W123. You are spot on and you are correct on the technical details. Beautiful car!

[@wernerdanler2742]

Hey James. Do you still have this car? Have you done anything with it. I had an 85 300d in 2001-2005. It had 280k miles when I traded it for an Audi A6. What a dumbass. It did not burn any oil or leak any either. Keep the valves set every 12,000 miles and oil changed regular as clockwork and it will hold up well. I did used to drive 80 on the freeway, what can I say, I have a lead foot, but there is considerable noise difference from 70 to 80. Now I have a 2001 e320 sport and I just can't get my foot off the gas. Good luck with that car.

[@dcsjustforfun7437]

I respect the designer who built this engine. It is so looooooooong lasting

[@sarahdell4042]

Really solid review!

[@shyamkrishnamenon]

What an intro! what a classic automobile! Can somebody please give me the link to the intro music?

[@johnc8304]

Hello there Mr James haha...... Hey I love these mercedes diesels. I've had several over the years and have few now. Most younger guys aren't into these for some odd reason lol... I bought my first mbz diesel at 17 it was a 220D automatic had to turn A/C off to climb hills on highway. My next was a 84 300SD which I hounded my aunt an uncle for years till they finally gave in and sold it to me. I'm in Ohio as well. Cool to see fellow mbz diesel lover so close. Hit me up sometime we can talk it up.

[@martinhaagenstad8441]

Agreed

[@lehem7034]

- Ne može se vidjeti stanje motora, mehanike i limarije ovoga Mercedesa ako se nevidi u živo. Procijena njegove vrijednosti zavisi u kakvom je stanju i u kakvim je rukama.

[@qwertyui90qwertyui90]

please tell me you have done the EGR delete

[@captainwendell]

Great review! Your mostly right about the Automatic transmissions, except the transmission is actually pretty bullet proof. They are just tricky to adjust and they don't work like grandma's Buick. There is an excellent forum for all Diesel Mercedes on Facebook, look for us. Also, Mercedessource.com has some great videos out on adjusting the transmission shift points. Great work and thank you for sharing

[@yogib37]

are you with mercedessource.com? I always watch Kent's videos and then I run to my mechanic and test him or ask him about my car. Love this site and Love Kent's videos. :)

[@captainwendell]

No, just a loyal fan of Kent and of these cars

[@mikishqip3909]

I fuckin love the intro

[@XxDirtyXxXSanchezxX]

That is a very cool car!

[@deciusvarus]

30MPG? Mine gets 22-26mpg... much worse with the AC running. But mine also has 444,500ish miles so that may have something to do with my fuel economy. Mines a Florida car so rust is minimal. Also I've driven a 240D with bad fuel filters, couldn't get it over 40mph lol.

[@JamesCooperider]

Yeah, man. Sometimes if I really get into it on a tank, it'll drop down to roughly 27 but that's the worse it's ever gotten. My car also has always had new injectors, too and I know that makes a huge difference. The engine has had (newish) Bosio nozzles in it the whole time I've owned it but they weren't balanced properly so it shook at idle. I actually just replaced them with brand new Monark nozzles and balanced them at 2,000PSI. Car runs phenomenally and is actually quieter with the Monark nozzles

[@AZNowners]

italian tuneup

[@applebottomantalope]

Dude where in Ohio? My first and current car is an 85 300D south of Cleveland and it seems like no one has them here in the snowy/salty states

[@JamesCooperider]

Andrew Johnson Around 25 miles East of Columbus! Right and the ones you do see are half-running and just about rusted in half, haha.

[@mouadsaadi6092]

u don t show the engine and the interior of it !!!!

[@natehollingsworth1927]

My neighbor had a wagon when I was growing up and was a terrible driver, so I can hear one from miles away

[@rudijames9688]

nice video

[@kobelopez4451]

is it good on gas ?

[@philzambo]

30 MPG according to the video

[@marcusfrostenson9959]

Were they w126 or w123s also what state is that

[@JamesCooperider]

My car is a W123. I'm in Ohio

[@marcusfrostenson9959]

Like were your first cars w123s

[@JamesCooperider]

Oh yes, all of my cars have been W123s. They've all had the OM617 diesel, too.

[@Tihi1972]

I have three of these cars: 230E, 240D and 300D turbodiesel

[@rokstrojin7440]

I'm thinking about buying a 300d for $2500

[@SimonXEvans]

@juul jesus except around 2k for me in Portugal! no turbodiesel around here tho, nevertheless.

[@nasarazam]

Does the AC works in this car?

[@tampolux9146]

سيارة رائعة

[@carconnoisseur4615]

Great Video! Im new to youtube I am a huge Mercedes fan its just something about the nostalgia of a vintage Mercedes I just love Hey if you got time Please check out my Mercedes Diecast Car Collection Keep in touch!

[@the99tv82]

fighter ..المقاتلة

[@lbowsk]

Pull the carpets after a heavy rain. Front and back. Then you'll know. Those wrinkles didn't come from the factory.

[@jamesberlo4298]

No they are "Good looking" the are not extravagant , lavish or radical , they are kind of austere but unique and beautiful with a classic style that doesnt get dated.

[@petrisimila1965]

Daimler benzin valmistama auto

[@trixie9867]

i barely recognize you here for some reason.... different hair? sunglasses?

[@JamesCooperider]

This was filmed like 6 or 7 years ago!

[@jabbejokker]

Get rid of that hot air intake and go back to the original cold air.

[@svenlazic]

Americans they think diesel is wierd

[@rivermonsoon7009]

Excellent review brother. Couldn't have said it better. Keep that car. It will be worth a lot one day. My 240d is my baby. Check out a 1990-1992 300d. An amazing car and the next Classic to side the one you have. Much rarer car and MBZ museum now has one in its collection. Fast and still sounds like a rough truck. Subscribe to my channel and I'll put some of mine up in the next few days. Btw they made that care until 1986 actually. They were still in production in South African plant until then. Juvilee!

[@shaourkhan9367]

Someone explain him meaning of review

[@ezrabegin8234]

i just save one from the junkyard!

[@ezrabegin8234]

with 95,000 km on it

[@zinbrahim8161]

😥😥😥😥😥😥😍

[@Sirikazy]

waste of time... review? xD right

[@gregb7595]

Nice guy but blathers on and on about whatever. Looking for good data man....not ramblings.