I've always been intrigued by turbodiesel Benzes, and I notice that W123s seem to be quite cheap and still running well. As somebody who lives a block from the projects, these might be the most exotic machines I'll ever have access to, and now I've found one locally that looks pretty nice. But, as with any cheap car, there's a catch or twelve.
What I know of the car: It's at a charity car lot in Akron, OH. It looks incredibly clean and well-kept. It's gold with a medium brown leather(?) interior. It's a 1980-something W123 turbo diesel coupe. It's an autotragic. I don't know if it's a 300 or 240.
My Stupid Newbie Questions are as follows:
1. It's True Mileage Unknown. Considering that I'll be paying considerably less than a grand for it, should this even bother me?
2. They don't have keys for it, but say that any MB dealership can make me one based upon the VIN. Is this true? How much does this service typically cost, and how long does it take?
3. The body looks really nice and unrotted. That being said, are there any places that these cars rust beyond the ordinary places I'd check on any older car? (The strut towers, pans, rockers, etc are clean).
4. What are the most common mechanical issues on these cars, and are they easy to spot without the car running (no keys, remember)?
5. What sort of MPG should I expect from it if it's not having any mechanical issues?
6. I'll keep it real: I make $8.30 an hour. Can I afford to drive this daily?
7. How hard is it to find parts or competent repair outside of the stealership network? I'm pretty DIY oriented, but diesels are new to me.
8. It's freakin' turbo! How do I make it faster without screwing up reliability?
What I know of the car: It's at a charity car lot in Akron, OH. It looks incredibly clean and well-kept. It's gold with a medium brown leather(?) interior. It's a 1980-something W123 turbo diesel coupe. It's an autotragic. I don't know if it's a 300 or 240.
My Stupid Newbie Questions are as follows:
1. It's True Mileage Unknown. Considering that I'll be paying considerably less than a grand for it, should this even bother me?
2. They don't have keys for it, but say that any MB dealership can make me one based upon the VIN. Is this true? How much does this service typically cost, and how long does it take?
3. The body looks really nice and unrotted. That being said, are there any places that these cars rust beyond the ordinary places I'd check on any older car? (The strut towers, pans, rockers, etc are clean).
4. What are the most common mechanical issues on these cars, and are they easy to spot without the car running (no keys, remember)?
5. What sort of MPG should I expect from it if it's not having any mechanical issues?
6. I'll keep it real: I make $8.30 an hour. Can I afford to drive this daily?
7. How hard is it to find parts or competent repair outside of the stealership network? I'm pretty DIY oriented, but diesels are new to me.
8. It's freakin' turbo! How do I make it faster without screwing up reliability?