Submerged Mercedes 300D Drives Right Out of Garage
The 300D's 3.0 liter five cylinder roared to life after being fully submerged with only a battery change and water drained out of the engine. Talk about resilience.
Last year, at least 220 people were killed and billions in property lost in recent floods near Valencia, Spain. Countless cars, trucks and motorcycles were destroyed beyond repair, wrecked in multi car pileups, when torrential rains washed through the area. Of course, the first was a Mercedes-Benz 300D from that W123 chassis, legendary for its toughness, emerging from a flooded parking garage under its own power.
Iván Felisi Rubio, whose green 300D had been parked underground in the small town of Algemesí, 45 mins south of Valencia, was an obvious target. Speaking with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, he described the scene: "The street was a meter and a half deep in water; imagine what the garage was like' He prepared himself for the worst scenario, and braced himself for it only to see his classic Benz survive the odds.
He came face to face with every collector’s worst nightmare: It looked completely totaled, his beloved classic car. The car had been fully submerged and stood evidence on the roof panel. It was a disaster inside, and even water had entered the engine. Most people would have immediately called their insurance company, but not Rubio. You see, the W123 300D is not just any old classic car – according to them, it’s the toughest car ever made, as well.
“The only thing I did was change the battery, drain the water from the engine, and check the oil. It started right away,” he told El Mundo.
It doesn’t hurt that classic Mercedes models are built to last, and depending on which model you like, can come with a diesel engine, which remains quite rare in today’s hyperethanolized world. The naturally aspirated 3.0 liter straight five came to life with a low rumble that resonated triumphantly throughout the garage walls, both headlights lit the way. They moved just slow enough to be defiant to the floodwaters that tried to take it down, swiping mud off the windshield like a middle finger. The brakes even worked.
That’s why the W123 has earned its reputation as one of the toughest cars ever built; it’s still favored in regions where roads are little more than suggestions.
And as for Rubio’s 300D, it appears it’s back on the road too. "I just need to clean it. Take it apart and clean it. But the hardest bit will be the odometer, but there are plenty of spare parts," he told El Mundo.
