Panzer

1985

Mercedes-Benz

300TD

Classic White (737)

Third facing rear seat (844), Mechanical sliding steel roof (411), Heated front seats (873)

Panzer came into my life in the summer of 2004. My uncle owned it and proceeded to run the engine out of oil. So we spent the summer "rebuilding" the engine so I could finally have a car again (way too many miles put on my bicycle)! It too most of the summer before I could finally buy it for the steep price of a Diamondback Outlook mountain bike. I drove Panzer for 3 years through my senior year of high school, UTI / Mercedes-Benz ELITE, and the first year of my new career before the engine called it quits (80,000 miles later). So that "rebuild" was about as wrong as it could get! Crankshaft was from a non-turbo motor and I had no clue about internal or external balancing at the time, so the bearings eventually just gave out, again 80k miles still passed! So began the 5 year frame up restoration...

Eliminated the Trap Oxidizer and EGR system. Installed non-EGR manifolds from a 1978 300SD, but kept the California emission air box that mounts behind the passenger headlamp. Converted A/C to a Sanden compressor.

Black plastic trim on center console, custom center console cupholder

Factory euro headlights w/ vacum adjustment, euro bumpers, rear fog lamp

Replaced the Becker 612 with a rebuild Becker 754. Rebuilt by Becker Auto Sound with auxiliary input. Retrosound 4" speakers for front and rear power by a hidden Alpine Powerpack amplifier.

Euro specification front springs (A123-321-36-04) with 2 burl spring isolators (A123-321-14-84). Rear springs have USA springs (A123-324-06-04) with upfitted spring isolator (A115-325-24-44) and a "LANG" rear sway bar all set up for towing.

15x7 W126 steel wheels with new 15" hubcaps. 205/55/16 Michelin Premier A/S tires.