1984 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

I have owned this 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300D TurboDiesel for the past decade. It was given a complete exterior overhaul in August of 2015 by Curt's Collision of Grinnell, Iowa. Almost $14,000 work was performed, including full body repaint with new rear OEM quarter panels, a refinished hood, new windshield and refinished trunk lid.
It is finished in signal red with a clear-coat finish over a Palomino interior. I installed a replacement driver's seat with new springs, pads, and Palomino MB Tex in early 2017.The original turbocharged 3.0L inline-five was replaced with a new short block in 2012 and is paired with an automatic transmission.
The car now shows approximately 289k miles, 182k added by me since purchase in October 2007. It carries a clean Iowa title in my name.The body was repainted in August 2015 by Curt's Collision in Grinnell, Iowa. Major work included replacing both rear quarter panels, both fender panels, refinishing the hood and trunk lid, replacing the windshield, and refreshing miscellaneous trim around the car. A preventative underbody rust treatment was applied and receipts totaling almost $14,000 are included.
Photos of the exterior work can be seen in the gallery. Bundt style alloy wheels are mounted with Hercules RoadTour 655 tires with only about 5000 miles on them. The driver's seat was replaced earlier this year at a cost of almost $800 and features new springs, pads, and Palomino MB Tex. I replaced the brake rotors in November of 2016 and bled the entire brake system prior to a refill.
The A/C is currently non-functional - I drove this car in the evenings, and enjoyed having the windows down and sunroof open. My mechanic told me there was a leak in the A/C coolant hoses. The driver's side rear window does not go down - needs a new window motor mechanism. The tachometer does not work. Beyond those items - this is a top-notch vintage Mercedes. It won a Top Award in the 2016 Grinnell Iowa Auto Show, as the exterior is flawless.
The car had a new 3.0L turbo diesel short block installed by Cliff Wolf of Mitchellville, Iowa in July of 2012. It is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission and rides smoothly at highway speed. At last check, it was getting about 26 mpg highway. The exhaust does not smoke.
Copies of the bodywork receipt totaling almost $14,000 can be seen in the gallery and I have all maintenance records from my ownership since October 2007. Having grown up on a farm and being mechanically inclined, I performed most of the work myself, including regular oil and filter changes, timing adjustments, replacement parts, etc.
Also, I have many of the original sale documents. This car retailed for $31,940 in 1984, which is >$82,000 in today's money!I have several boxes of extra air, oil, and fuel filters and many spare parts in the trunk. Two videos below show a cold start after two weeks, the new brake rotors, an exterior walk-around, the exhaust and engine shut off. The vacuum system is strong, with door locks and engine shut-off working as they should be.
I am selling this car because I have moved from Iowa to Scottsdale, AZ, and am getting married. We do not have room at our house to store the car. I am hoping to find someone who appreciates vintage Mercedes diesels will give this car a good new home.
Two videos of the car:

Also published at eBay.com