I agree on a 240D, manual. Hard to believe but I bought an '81 for $50 with
111k on it! Yea, I know. The skeptics will load up on this one but, let me
explain. It was bought in Germany by a fellow in the San Francisco area. He
brought it back and took amazing care of it. Finally sold it to a young
couple in San Diego. The wife (probably putting on makeup in the rear view
mirror) hit the back of a big truck with one of those "drop" frames. Came in
over the bumper, shoved the grille back, pushed the electric fan into the
A/C condenser, which moved the radiator back into the plastic fan, all of
which buckled the hood and bent the hood hinges. Didn't even bust any of the
headlights or fog lights but broke both headlight windows. They hadn't put
collision insurance on the car and naturally got an amazing estimate from
the body shop. They simply wanted to dispose of the car and I bought it for
$50. Took my car hauler to the shop (about 30 miles away) and drove the car
onto the trailer. Bought a hood (same color as car) with grille at a
wrecking yard for $150. Rubbed it out with compound and it matches
perfectly. Went to one of those "pick a part" yards in Oceanside and got a
radiator for $30, plastic water pump fan for $8, electric fan for $12, new
headlight windows for $55 each, and two new hood hinges for something like
$18 each. I now have 124k on it and it starts as quickly as a gas engine if
I heat the glow plugs for five seconds or so. Burns absolutely no oil and
drives like a dream. Although the A/C condenser was bowed inward the system
was still intact. Straightened the condenser out while replacing the
radiator and the R12 system blows cold, cold, cold! I'm looking for a late
'80s 300SEL under the same circumstances but it doesn't look to good at this
point.