I've been looking at these beautiful cars for sale in my area and I have found both a 1980 and a 1982 with similar miles (135K). I have spoken with the 1982 owner who was the sole owner of the car and he says that maintenance was regular and the only thing that needs to be replaced is the A/C compressor and possibly the brake pads soon. I asked about rust and he said that any body rust was ground off and covered.

Are there any major differences between the 1980 and 1982 models that make one better than the other?

I have never owned one of these classics but I drive a VW diesel. I am interested in the MB as WVO conversion candidate / daily driver.

I appreciate all comments and input.

Thanks!

 

First of all, neither one of these cars will ever be classics. That being said, the 82 W126 chassis is far superior to the 80 W116 chassis in every way. As far as converting to vegetable oil, both cars have the exact same engine and injection pump. You can use either a single or two tank system. Keep in mind that if you do mostly short trips, a two tank system is a poor choice.

 

135K is really good for either car. I personally strongly prefer the W116 chassis, and recently bought a 1980 300SD (with nearly 200K miles, it's a dream come true). I find the W116 chassis to be the perfect balance between older styling and more modern designs. My first Mercedes was a 1976 240D 3.0L (W115) and I missed elements of it in the W123's and W124 I had afterwards. That said, the W126 is widely regarded as the best chassis Mercedes ever has or will make. It's less classic, a whole lot more common on the roads these days, very easy to find in junkyards for parts, generally cheaper to buy in the same condition, and probably the more practical of the two as far as total cost of ownership is concerned. But it's just not the same to me.

When I went to look at the 1980 300SD I bought, the owner also had a bunch of other Mercedes diesels, most of them W126's, which he said were his favorites, and one of which was for sale for less than the W116. I took a glance over it, but really, couldn't take my eyes of the W116 in comparison. I hadn't actually gotten to see one in real life prior to that, and pictures only go so far. I drive it over a hundred miles a day and it makes that me look forward to the drive.

300SD production started in 1978, but most are 1979's or 1980's. The 1980 has a 120hp engine versus the earlier 110hp's, but the sunroof option is more rare and harder to find on a 1980. A diesel W116 is definitely not excessively common and I believe the value will only increase if it's condition is maintained. The 1982 has a slightly different OM617 engine with an additional 5hp.

Either is a very reliable car and the W126 300SD would be my second choice to probably any other vehicle besides the W116 300SD. I must disclaim that I've never actually driven a W126 - just W115, W123, W124, and now W116 (all diesel). If you can I would suggest taking both for a test drive and seeing how they feel to you. Maintenance is often neglected in these older cars so if it feels like the turbo isn't working or the engine needs a valve adjustment, those aren't very big deals. Mine came with sluggish performance and a replacement vacuum hose made it feel like the W124 (which had another cylinder and 1000 pounds less weight, but no turbo)!

W116 Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g75P9F7Qpbo
W126 Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmBhNqelbN8

If you do end up choosing the W116, another great resource for advice is at http://w116.org.