Now that we are just about done drooling over Craig’s new 300SE, it’s time to take a look at another W126. This 1985 380SE for sale…
1 CommentMonth: May 2017
The Type 21/28 Lasten Transporter doesn’t get much press on this site mostly because the LT series of Transporters from Volkswagen was never offered here. Introduced in the mid-1970s as a larger work vehicle than the T2, in brought water-cooled motors and a more traditional front-engine, rear-drive layout to Volkswagen’s van recipe. Well, I say “front-engine”, but technically this was a mid-engine van since the layout placed the engine above the front axle.
The LT was a work van first and foremost, so they were not luxurious in nature. Often snapped up by delivery companies and municipalities, they lived hard lives and it has become even more unusual to see them today as the newest is new some 22 years old. They were available in many different configurations with different engines, from the 2.8 ton LT28 through the mega-duty LT55. Both gasoline and diesel (along with a turbocharger in some cases) were available, and Volkswagen even briefly offered a Westfalia camper version of the larger T4.
This particular example is from mid-run. A LT35D, it features the Volkswagen D24 DW 2.4 liter inline-6 normally aspirated diesel. With a 23.5:1 compression ratio these motors sound impressive but didn’t return much in terms of power; sans turbo (and as seen in Volvos, too!), they made 74 horsepower at 4,000 rpms and all of 114 lb.ft of torque. It has has an interesting history, having lived its working life as a fire truck at Zahnradfabrik Passau in Bavaria on the Austrian border; a production plant for the company you known much better as simply “ZF”:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1983 Volkswagen LT35D on eBay
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Ice Green Metallic is one of those Porsche colors that we feature almost any time it comes up. It’s pretty rare; not one of those…
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Before the W124 bowed out in 1995, the last oil-burning version you could buy was the E300 Diesel. It received the exterior tweaks associated with post-facelift cars of the late W124 era, including a rounder front grille, updated glass headlights and smoked taillights. It also got the OM606 engine under the hood, a 3.0 liter inline six cylinder diesel unit making about 135 hp. Unlike earlier W124 diesels, there was no turbo. But fret not. These were still fast enough (for a diesel), and the OM606 is one of the most rugged engines Mercedes ever made. These cars will cruise effortlessly on the highway while returning 30+ MPG. Perfect for the commuter looking for tank-like build quality, reasonable running costs and a bit of class.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel on eBay
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With the exception of the high-performance C36/C43 AMG, the W202 C-class tends to get short shrift around here. That’s probably because for many, the W202 marks the point at which Mercedes began to lose its way. Not only did the taut, angular design language of yesteryear give way to the rounder, less attractive lines of the “jelly bean” era, Mercedes products from the mid 1990s onwards just never seemed as reliable or as well-built as those that came before. I think there’s something to this, but the upshot is that a garden variety C280 can be had for not much money. And while it isn’t quite as tank-like as the venerable W201 it replaced, it can still make for a satisfying commuter. If you squint hard enough, you can even see the design parallels between the two.