Hello All,

I recently bought a 1986 300 SDL with only 162,000 miles on it. I have made 3 payments on this car and now the trans is messed up, and while it was on the street in front of a repair shop somebody ran into the front. Insurance is going to total the car because of the cost of the hood. The ACV is less than what I owe the bank. The ACV is also lowered due to undiagnosed trans. problem.
I want to retain the car with salvage title, get money from Ins. The bank said they would put that money into a special account for me to fix car. I have an excellent credit rating with them and have been with them for 6 years. Can anyone give advice on where to get a used (good) trans. I need a used hood(no dents). I will get the radiator support and fan and evaporator core fixed myself. I just need a hood, grill, and transmission. All for under 2700.00 dollars. Am I in the clouds or does this seem reasonable. In Missouri I am trying to find out if a car becomes a salvage title can it become a good title once repairs are made. There is no driveability problem from coliision.

Local MB dealer said it would take 4700.00 for tranny repair(reman.). Also the repairs for the collision were at 2400.00. But minus the new hood(1000.00+) this is do-able, will hurt the checkbook....but it is better than paying on a loan for a car I dont drive....

Thanks in Advance,
Ben Maggos

I would go to another MBZ shop for the transmission. $4700 for a rebuilt is too high. You should be able to get one in for about $3000. If you are handy you can do the damage repair yourself - this may include welding. You can also do the work partially, but leave the hard part to the professionals. We need pictures to be able to assess what kind of damage your car has. By the way, how did you mess up your transmission?

A full rebuild kit (Banner kit called often from Alto) for the 722 trans is about $350 tops... add in let's say 12 hours of labor @ $75/hr.. that's $900 more. Anymore than around that price for a reman trans is FAR too much. I'm not sure on the book rate to R&R the unit but figure 2-3 to remove and 2-3 to install plus the actual rebuilding of the clutch packs, replacing the bands, checking the pump, going through the valve body, etc

The torque converter may only need a simple flush, nothing more. There is no lockup clutch to replace. I would replace the TV (bowden) cable while it's out along with the modulator. So maybe $1500 taxed out the door with a good warranty.

As for the hood, find a boneyard. They're ~$25 around here if you go to pull it. Finding a similar color shouldn't be too hard.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

www.adsitco.com shows rebuilt dyno tested trans for $1195.


http://www.adsitco.com/category.asp?CID=1634&VID=

Hood should not be too much. If you cannot get it locally get it shipped in.

__________________
80 300D 340K Owned 30 yrs
83 300SD 440K Owned 9 yrs - Daily Driver 150mi/day
02 Z71 Suburban 117,000
15 Toyota Prius 2600 miles
00 Harley Sportster 24k
09 Yamaha R6
03 Ninja 250

Don't buy a rebuilt trans from Adsitco. Too long and painful of a story to relate here.

If you want a decent trans, many members have been satisfied with Sun Valley out in California.

http://www.mercedesdismantlers.com/

I had a line on a hood for the SD (same as the SDL) these are aluminum, and more rare (expensive) than the steel hoods from 126 gassers that are plentiful.
I was actually thinking of buying an SDL that had been involved in a front end collision. The fenders were not damaged, the front grille was pushed into the fan, the radiator and the radiator support braces were damaged beyond use, so the ins co. totalled the car. Its been scrapped now, everything is gone.
The hood I was looking at was in a nearby city - if you want me to go by there and see if its still available, let me know. They were asking only $100 which is a bargain for a straight hood. Only 123 hoods are in the $25 category unless its a Pick-U-Part place that doesn't know what they have if they happen to have a wrecked SDL!

__________________
'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I love PickNPull. $227 out the door for a 110K mi M117 WITH 722 trans. My 420 is going have be running again next week!

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Having my tranny rebuilt cost me $1,500, including the labor to remove and reinstall it. Runs like a dream.

__________________
'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate

You might want to try finding a junker with a recent transmission on the cheap side. Then just swap what you need out and scrap or sell the remainder. Depends where you live and other things as well I guess if it is practical but they are out there.

I second what Brian says. You can get a quality rebuilt with all the updates from Sun Valley delivered for about $1500 (with torque converter, I believe) Flush out the cooler lines like your transmission's life depends on it, because it does. Swap it yourself.

__________________
'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.