Brunhilde/Dieter

This is a 1979 Mercedes Benz 300TD -- a "Touring Diesel" wagon.  I call it Brunhilde but my daughter calls it Dieter (like the Schprockets guy on SNL).  It has 278,000 miles on it, and is just getting broken in.  It gets about 25 mpg in town or highway, and is solid as a rock.  Runs great, rides and handles very well, and can haul 5 people plus a lot of stuff.  These cars cost about $25,000 new, and can be had now for $2k-$4 in very good condition.  They will last forever if you take care of them.  Saw an '81 taxi in Olympia, Greece (200D, now a 240D) with 2,500,000 km (~1,500,000 miles) on it -- on its third engine which had 750,000 miles on it -- that looked almost new.   [Click on pics to see a bigger version]

I maintain it myself to keep it in good operating condition.  Oil changes are easy -- MB designed the engine to be drained of oil by vacuuming it from the engine through the dipstick tube, and the oil filter is on top so it can changed without even getting your hands dirty!  I built an oil sucker out of an old gas can and some tubing, and attach it to my shop vac to pull out the oil.  It also works to remove transmission fluid from old Cadillacs without having it drain all over you when you drop the pan.  

I rebuilt the front suspension following a catastrophic failure of an upper ball joint, which left a front wheel hanging by very little.  Here is a bunch of information about rebuilding the front suspension.

I also had to rebuild the vacuum pump when it failed.  Diesels do not generate vacuum like a gasser does, so it needs a pump to make vacuum, which boosts the brakes, shuts off the engine, and works the climate control and door locks.  Here is that procedure.