Opinion sought

Yeah, just some quick examples, I didn't go through the ads.

cp

Reply to
cp
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Thanks for clarifying that.

Ximinez

Reply to
The Spanish Inquisition

He is saying exactly that... 1998 or 1999 E300TD is the last of the classic turbo diesel before the CDI engine... are probably the most reliable and powerful diesel engine before the CDI came out in 2003.

Reply to
Tiger

Indeed. Living in Hamburg was very nice.

BTW, my 200D has the new engine with 60 PS... MUCH better than 55...

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

Terrible!

"Nicht nachweisbar" means "not provable".

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

From here and a previous comment you made you are saying that the 72 PS car is a 200, not a 240D? I.e. 2.0 l engine?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

I could fund my trip with the proceeds of the sale.

definitely worth it. It's harder now that many cars are going

can find a really nice car.

Interesting, thank you for all the information.., I took German in high school and university though that was a long time ago now. And I suspect I would alway be asking "bitte sprechen etwas langsamer". So I guess I will restrict my search to Canadian cars. It would be nice to source a 15 year old low Km wagon though. I have an auto broker acquaintance looking for one for me and he keeps trying to sell me a Subaru since he can't find any.

he stated the following:

"All pretty well had the same response. Parts are very expensive and you will have to find a good diesel mechanic. Because Mercedes stopped shipping diesel models to North America over 15 years ago and even before that not many diesels were sold, makes it very difficult to get even used parts. They all suggest Subaru, Volvo, or small SUV'S like Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4"

He may have a point? any comments on parts availability in North America?

Reply to
smoked salmon

I have and independent mechanic in Savannah, Georgia and he uses only German parts. He has no problem finding anything for my 23 yr old "Big Blue". The folks in Atlanta have no problem finding parts. I think you are hearing the scales being tipped to get something the seller wants to sell you. Afterall, the internet is world-wide and according to the UPS guys, they ship around the world. So if Germany has the parts,...there ya go.

Just my $.02 worth. BTW I had that same story told to me by a guy who wanted to sell me a car. Sorry, I didn't buy it then and I don't now. Of course that is with the understanding that some vehicles do have parts that are difficult to locate, but that applies to other than MB's too.

Reply to
Helen

Yes I suspected he was trying to sell me something he could easily get rather than do the legwork. I wonder why there are so few diesel cars for North America. I have had a couple Diesel Landcruisers now and love them thought there is now nothing relatively recent except for VW (which I loathe).

Reply to
smoked salmon

Years ago I owned a Scriocco, VW. I really liked it, especially for the gas mileage. It's the ONLY formerly owned car I wish I had now. Granted it doesn't provide the comfort of a Benz, but then again it wasn't intend to. I do wish I had THAT car back. :( Sorry it's gone.

Reply to
Helen

now. And I suspect I would alway be asking "bitte

That'd be enough =)

Make it a vacation, it'd be fun.

You mechanic/friend has no clue as to what he's talking about. We have six of these cars in our family so I do know what I'm talking about.

cp

Reply to
cp

turbo diesel before the CDI engine... are probably the

CDI has been out longer than 2003.

cp

Reply to
cp

now. And I suspect I would alway be asking "bitte

these cars in our family so I do know what I'm talking

I agree it would be fun (even if I come back empty handed it would be fun! (I hear German beer is nice)) + I have enough flight points to go to Germany 7 times :).

Do you know what paperwork is required on the German Side to make importation smooth? Or a link to this info?

Where are all the diesels? why are these not more common and why can't I get newer ones here in Canada?

Cheers

Reply to
smoked salmon

Sorry, it's not true. US does allow the vehicles more than 25-year-old to be imported without modification to meet the safety regulations. However, the vehicle must be modified to meet the EPA pollution regulations of the year manufactured.

On other hand, if you insist on importing and registering the vehicles younger than 25-year-old, you must arrange for the registered importer to modify the vehicle and to sort the paperwork for both DOT and EPA.

If the vehicle has same body chassis and same motor-gearbox combination officially sold in the USA, the cost is considerably cheaper. For instance, if you want a C55 station wagon which is not even officially imported to the USA, the registered importer can obtain all of required parts and do the conversion work easily.

In that case of smart cars, Zap, Inc. of Santa Rosa, California contracted a registered importer for $10million to 're-manufacture' the smart cars for US market with unique components that were fabricated by the registered importer.

We do have a category called 'historical and technical' importation which allows the owners to import the specialty vehicles without any modifications to meet safety regulations. The rules for pollution regulations for the year manufactured still applies here. However, the owners are not allowed to drive more than 2.500 miles a year. NHTSA will verify the odometer annually as to ensure the compliance. The rule is that the vehicle must not have shared a common chassis with the vehicles that are officially imported. Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, McLaren F1, and Porsche 959 fit that category. But, Audi RS6 station wagon doesn't.

It's time to push for the switch to ECE R 29 (international de facto safety regulations). We've have enough of restricted choices of models and motors for the US market. We've have enough of inept NHTSA trying to reinvent the wheel once too often. Australians have it lucky than the Americans as they have harmonised their safety and pollution regulations with ECE R29 which made the vehicles cheaper and widely available in Australia.

Reply to
OM

Probably because the manufacturers don't want to make old-technology engines to suit the sulfurous and varied fuel in NA?

Should change when clean fuel becomes available across NA - that's quite soon, isn't it?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

Yes I think the low Sulfur diesel deadline is 2007 or 2008 - Though presumably engines meeting the required specs could be built now?

Apparently MB is bringing a Diesel M, and R class to Canada later this year for the 2007 model year. (They currently have the E320 CDi and the Smart fortwo CDi for sale in Canada) I can't afford a new E320Cdi unfortunately.

I think I will try to source a 15 year old 300TD 6cyl from EU.

Reply to
smoked salmon

There's a 1991 300D (3.0 liter, 6 cyl non turbo) for sale at

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(Click Voorraad for the list of cars). Only 40.000 km, for a whopping 12500 EURO's. This place has a good reputation. They seek out well preserved low mileage cars from Germany to sell on the Dutch market.

Ximinez

Reply to
The Spanish Inquisition

No, that was a joke about the increased ahem... power ;-) of the 240D compared to the 200D.

200D had the OM 615.940 engine, bore x stroke 87,0 x 83,6 mm, 1988 ccm (German tax formula = 1971), 02/1976 - 01/1978 55 PS, 02/1978 - 04/1985 60 PS, sedan only 240D had the OM 616.912 engine, bore x stroke 91,0 x 92,4 mm 02/1976 - 07/1978 = 2404 ccm (German tax formula = 2376), from 08/1978 - 11/1985 = bore x stroke 90,9 x 92,4 mm = 2399 ccm (German tax formula = 2350 ccm), sedan.

Also sedan LWB and T-model were available, last 240TD built

01/1986.

T-model serial production started 05/1978, so no 65 PS 240TD.

All above data for European cars.

Juergen

Reply to
Juergen .

Oh, W201 - was always a rare thing here in Germany due to the high price:

190D 75 PS DM 36.822 190D 2.5 94 PS DM 42.807 190D 2.5 Turbo 126 PS DM 48.165 That is a third more for the Turbo compared to the 190D!

Prices for German spec base models in Deutsche Mark; a W124 200D started at DM 43.890, a W140 300SE at DM 87.894

Juergen

Reply to
Juergen .

Yes, of course they do - but I'm talking about things like durability, longevity and reliability.

Juergen

Reply to
Juergen .

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