Father's Day: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 240D

Happy Father's Day (a bit late maybe...but whatever) to all you fathers out in cyberspace -- this next car is something that looks like a car my dad drove back in the day and brings back a strong sense of nostagia for me.  My old man would get them with about 200k miles on the odo, drive them till 300k and then hand them down to one of the kids.  Yes, if something breaks it was expensive...but most everything could be mended with duct tape or ignored.  The seller says it has manual windows, which is good, but manual locks, which is bad...because it means the vacuum system for the locks is broken...but you can still manually lock and unlock 'em. Find this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $4700 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

Tectonic Acceleration: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D W123

One of my favorite automotive memories was driving a vintage Mercedes oil burner through the hilly streets of San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The 2.4 liter inline-4 cylinder non-turbo diesel engine didn't have much punch, but it did have enough torque to lug up seriously steep hills will very minimal throttle (errr...rack) input. Few cars have a similar ability to be started in first gear without the use of a the go-pedal up a hill...but you could just dump the clutch and go. I don't miss the tectonic acceleration...but I do miss a few interesting details on that old Benz.  Find this 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $3,200 in Sevastopol, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Oil Stain Slow: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D

If "slow and steady" does indeed win the race, then you'll be the king of the trophies with this next featured car, because the only thing slower on the road is the oil that drips from your neighbor's pickup truck -- and why does he always park that thing in front of your house? Doesn't he have space in his driveway? Find this 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $4,250 in Anaheim, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Zombie Ready: 1982 Mercedes-Benz 240D

Do you need a car that is simultaneously the epitome of and antidote for the zombie apocalypse? Yes, indeed this next car is slower than a blue haired octogenarian driving a new Camry, but it'll plow through fields of the brainless undead like a John Deere tractor. Find this 1982 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $3,500 in Houston, TX via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

Baby Blues: 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D

The seller of this next vehicle really knows what he/she is doing and takes some nice photos of a baby blue Benz highlighted against the blue sky...but I really don't care because I owned one of these years ago and I really want this one! Find this 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $6,500 in Noblesville, IN via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

4-Speeds 12-Carbons 24-Hyrdogens: 1974 Mercedes Benz 240D

It doesn't take much to be faster on the road than a Mercedes-Benz 240D with a slushbox automatic transmission...but an easy upgrade from danger zone slow to moderately livable matching your 62 horsepower oil furnace with a 4-speed manual box.  I've driven both versions for many miles and can say that the 4-speed manual feels as fast as the 300D with the slushbox...and that isn't as bad as it sounds. Find this 1974 Mercedes Benz 240D offered for $5000 in Modesto, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Benz-Liger: 1979 Mercedes 240D

Enthusiasm for WVO grease cars seems to have waned considerably from the peak in the early 2000s.  Today's unique two door w123 Mercedes does have one trend that enthusiasts still can't seem to get enough of: car in the front and truck in the back or Camino-ization.  There are not any new Camino style cars sold in the USA right now.  A cottage industry converting late model Jetta's has sprung up to feed the void left by the retirement of the Ranchero, Camino, Brat, Baja, Rampage, and VW Caddy.  This grease burning diesel Camino's lack of computers will make every doomsday prepper's heart flutter.  Find this 1979 Mercedes 240D for sale in Washago, Ontario for $1,600 via kiijiji.

West Coast Contender: 1983 Mercedes 240D

If you are after a retro 1980's driver that will not break the bank, a Mercedes W123 diesel sedan is a great choice.  The 70 hp of diesel fury will not get you anywhere in a hurry, but the electric blue paint with coordinating hubcaps will win Miami Vice fans admiration.  Like the W115 predecessor, the W123 did not lose the bank vault feel of quality and solid construction.  The four circular headlights here will never go out of style unlike the ovals shaped lights found on the later W210's that look passe' already.  Find this 1983 Mercedes 240D for sale in Portola CA for $5,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Fuel Truck.

East Coast Contender: 1976 Mercedes 240D

(We have a pair of one owner stick shift Mercedes 240D's to choose from today.  The cars are similarly priced and found on the opposite coasts from one another)  

In case of nuclear war or the dropping of a EMP bomb, a Mercedes 240D will keep going about its business like nothing happened.  These W115 Mercedes were widely used as taxi cabs for their durability and easily racked up high mileage badges with ease.  In this day and age, it is hard to picture Ford building a Fiesta that was so overbuilt and rugged that you could literally drive one your entire lifetime.  With that said, if you are looking for speed this is the wrong car for you as acceleration even with the manual transmission is at best glacial.  Find this 1976 Mercedes 240D for sale in Guilford, CT for $6,750 via craigslist.

Seller Submission: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D W123

This next car is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D located in NYC that comes as a seller submission from Jeremy who writes: Yes, it has rust in the fenders and bottom of drivers door. Yes, it has some blowby. Yes the clearcoat is peeling, the paint is original, it has a couple inexplicable dents. The glow plugs are 14 years old and probably need to be replaced. It started in 5 degree weather this winter without a block heater.

However, I did a huge amount of preventative maintenance so my ex could take our kid around safely and I did not have to hear about any breakdowns or failures on my behalf. Please review ad for brief summary of work done to make this a reality.

It is a driver, good from 10-15 feet if you squint, depending on the light. But the A/C blows cold, every little thing works on it besides cruise control, which works sometimes, if you are comfortable using a 40 year old manually actuated cruise control. Also the Becker stereo eats tapes or alternately vomits them back out. The AM/FM works beautifully, antenna goes up and down every time. I drove it 350 miles on Saturday morning and it returned 30mpg. 

Toyota 22R Swapped? 1975 Mercedes-Benz 240D

The W114 Mercedes-Benz 240D is an abysmally slow car.  I should know...because I owned/drove one back in the 1990s.  It still had a sense of purpose and aristocratic provenance..but it was slower than a one legged tortoise on horse tranquilizers.  It is, however, common to swap something with more power into the old chassis...but I guess the 22R would not have been my first choice, which isn't to say it is a bad idea at all.  Find this 1975 Mercedes-Benz 240D with Toyota 22R offered for $3950 in Mission Beach, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!

4-Speed Tank: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D W123

by Al -- Here is a chance to buy into the world renowned bank vault quality that is the Mercedes Benz W123 for less than 7 monthly payments on a new Camry. Anyone that was around in the 70s or 80s will remember their favorite dentist or math professor driving one of these. The low asking price and E-Z parts availability of these cars ensures that this one can be used as a daily beater without too much difficulty…well at least in cooler weather, as no mention is made of working AC. For Sale in the sunny San Fernando Valley in SoCal is this 1981 Mercedes Benz 240D with a 4-speed manual transmission offered for $2,500.

Oil Fried Chestnut: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 240D 4-Speed

The W123 Mercedes-Benz is known for three things; they are extraordinarily slow, last longer than an unopened can of Spam, and were sold in the most awesome colors of the un-rainbow.  Find this 1979 Mercedes 240D 4speed offered for $5,800 in Houston, TX via craigslist.

??k: Cue The Vultures: 1979 Mercedes 240D W123 V8 Swap

As a rule, we typically don't post cars on this website that don't have a clear asking price or at least a current bidding amount, but sometimes if you have to ask the price you can afford it.  This particular car wouldn't be worth checking out, except that the seller says it needs some sorting before it can be driven home...and the jackal inside me smells a wounded antelope calf....and I'm hungry.  Find this 1979 Mercedes 240D V8 Swap offered for sale in Oakland Hills, CA via craigslist for an undisclosed price.  Tip from Fueltruck.

5k: Hearse When I Laugh: 1979 Mercedes-Benz W123 Wagon

What could be better than a classic Mercedes wagon, with Euro bumpers, long wheelbase, diesel power and a manual transmission?  They are great cars if you like driving slow, and what if you had an additional few thousand pounds to lug around in the form of a hearse conversion?  Time for another Sunday Sanity Check on this one...if you'd drive this...you are certainly insane.  Find this 1979 Mercedes-Benz  W123 Hearse offered for $5,800 in Silverlake, CA via craigslist.

2k: Cheap W123: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D

Equipped with the automatic transmission, a 240D Mercedes is about the slowest car you can drive around without people looking at you funny. Well...maybe people will still look funny at you, but I've logged many miles behind the wheel of both manual and automatic transmission equipped W123s and I can tell you the slushbox is serene but it is dragging boat anchor while 22 year old burro pulls an oxcart up Pikes Peak slow.  Find this 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $2,000 in Pomona, CA via craiglist.

15k: Oldtimeranzeige: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D W115 Wagon

The Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 was a predecessor to the modern E-Class, and available with a variety of inline four gas, inline six gas and inline four diesel engines from 1968-1976.  It was sold in epic numbers as a 2-door and 4-door sedan, but internet rumor has it that Mercedes-Benz built 2000 of the touring variety along with a number built by coach-builders Crayford (UK), Binz (Belgium), Pollmann, Rappold, Miesen (Germany), Harper, Hooper (USA) Cooper & Cooper (South Africa) and Santos (Portugal).  Needless to say, these don't come up for sale very often, but they demand a significant premium over the sedan.  Find this 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D W115 Wagon for sale in Germany for €12,500 ($16,577 USD) via oldtimer-markt.de.  Tip from Klaus Schmoll via kinja/oppositelock/jalopnik... whatever you call it.