Need your eyes . . . - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tankowner · #1 11-22-2011, 10:33 PM

Hey all,

In the wake of my 240 getting crunched by a deer, I am currently thinking about picking up a new ride and exploring some options. The link below is to some pics of a '79 240D that I am considering. Let me know what you think. How about the pics of the dash, console and engine?

Thanks!

Mercedes 240D

vstech · #2 11-22-2011, 10:46 PM

it looks like it's been either wrecked, or at a minimum, the rear deck has been off, and not reinstalled properly. aside from that, only thing I see is crappy loop style glow plugs. oh, and the driver's side rear door is not closed all the way.

MBeige · #3 11-22-2011, 10:50 PM

Sorry to hear your car got crunched!

Beautiful car. I notice the seats have been replaced, a '79 would have the "batman" style headrests and these are "two" generations after (front seats of this 240D are from '83 to '85 - there is also the "second generation" '80 to '82 seats that are heftier than the ones installed).

Looks like the paint blemishes can be taken care of with some touch up paint. Maybe not the roof blemish but we can't tell unless we actually see what's wrong. Could be a paint burn from too much polishing.

Reminds me of CJ Brown's beautiful 240D though!

Palangi · #4 11-22-2011, 10:52 PM

I also think it has been crunched. Several different shades of paint on the left side.

Crazy_Nate · #5 11-22-2011, 10:54 PM

Antenna is pushed in (might want to inspect for water getting in there...).

I can't tell if the body panel gaps are consistent like they should be. Front seats and steering wheel are awfully worn.

tankowner · #6 11-22-2011, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

it looks like it's been either wrecked, or at a minimum, the rear deck has been off, and not reinstalled properly. aside from that, only thing I see is crappy loop style glow plugs. oh, and the driver's side rear door is not closed all the way.

Wow, really . . . what tips you off on the body, I didn't even notice.

Although, I did notice the rear door not closed in the one pic.

tankowner · #7 11-22-2011, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

Sorry to hear your car got crunched!

Beautiful car. I notice the seats have been replaced, a '79 would have the "batman" style headrests and these are "two" generations after (front seats of this 240D are from '83 to '85 - there is also the "second generation" '80 to '82 seats that are heftier than the ones installed).

Looks like the paint blemishes can be taken care of with some touch up paint. Maybe not the roof blemish but we can't tell unless we actually see what's wrong. Could be a paint burn from too much polishing.

Reminds me of CJ Brown's beautiful 240D though!

Yeah, definate bummer. But, as they say, that's life.

Thanks for the heads up on the seats. Now that you say it, I realize it, but that hadn't even crossed my mind.

MBeige · #8 11-22-2011, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankowner

Yeah, definate bummer. But, as they say, that's life.

Thanks for the heads up on the seats. Now that you say it, I realize it, but that hadn't even crossed my mind.

On second look the front seats look like they come from an '85. Actually both front AND rear seats were from an '85. Can't tell if he or she replaced the seat belts (they were different between '85 and '79, there are three different types of seatbelt design on these cars).

Double check if the glove box has been replaced, from the image (could be a reflection issue) the wood trim pieces do not match.

Can't see the damage others have observed, the trunk lid seems to be original because the paint on the inside surface is correct for '79. Later models had dark gray paint.

The grille has also been hit somewhat, on the right side. Could be indicative of body damage in front.

Zacharias · #9 11-22-2011, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankowner

Wow, really . . . what tips you off on the body, I didn't even notice.

Uh, you didn't notice because some people around here seem to see a rebuilt wreck in every ad. I could be wrong, but in my experience 9 out of 10 scammers don't do high-quality photo albums of their wares. This car doesn't say "tart-up job" to me at all.

I have stared until I am blue in the face and I don't see any mismatched paint worth talking about. I do see some shadows on the sides of the car, in the photos.

Even if it's been part-resprayed, a few respray sections don't equal a crunch or a wreck. It could be a couple of parking lot scrapes.

Yes the grille is damaged. I did almost the same thing two years ago in my own driveway at 2 mph. I see no other evidence of damage to the front.

The trunklid looks misaligned in one shot, in relation to the rear quarters, because it's not latched. If you look closely in the others it's fine. Well, okay, there is minor misalignment on one side. Lots of w123 have that, go outside and stare at yours intently right this minute if you don't believe me.

The wood matches fine on most of the dash. It looks like the center section, with the vent control, has been replaced. That isn't unusual. When that part starts to bow out (the wood delaminates from the metal backing as the glue dries out) it's easy to catch it in your sleeve when you're working the ignition key, pry it out and damage it. Just ask me how that works....

Having the seats replaced with ones out of an '85 would be a huge bonus for me in terms of comfort... unless you are over 6ft 2 ins (the later seats seem to have marginally less headroom).

It's a 30-odd-year-old car. A video of it running would be much more useful than the still pix, to me. You didn't include info on the original ad. What is the asking price?

I like it based on what I saw, tho without a price point or hearing it run that's a bit of a flyer. Good luck whatever you decide.

kerry · #10 11-23-2011, 12:06 AM

I also don't see any evidence of mismatched panels.

tankowner · #11 11-23-2011, 12:44 AM

Okay - thanks guys, you never fail me and I appreciate all the feedback.

And I know you have your own questions about it, so here is all I currently know:

The asking price is $2800. Owner indicates that:
- the sunroof has been refurbished (not sure what that means yet).
- the paint is original.
- the injector have been rebuilt.
- the car leaks "nearly no oil" and the oil cooler and lines have been replaced.
- the AC is not working.
- the dash has been replaced.
- the odometer has stopped working (perhaps as result of something during the dash change out). Current reading is 195,000.

That's about all I have right now.

vstech · #12 11-23-2011, 07:53 AM

the odometer has stopped working because it's a 123 with a pot metal gear pressed onto a smooth steel shaft. at some point ALL 123 odo's stop working.
if this car was in a frontal crash, whoever did the repairs is a perfectionist. the front fender alignment and bumper placement looks perfect to me.
the right rear fender looks slightly pushed out, so in person, REALLY scrutinize the inner fenderwell back there for signs of body rivits, or bondo/dents inside the trunk.
aside from that and the obvious overzealous buffing the car has had, I see no evidence of a repaint.
all that's wrong with the antenna in the pic is the body nut is gone.
any scrap yard will get you one in no time. easy to remove and replace.

Zacharias · #13 11-23-2011, 10:41 AM

[QUOTE=tankowner;2833577]

Quote:

The asking price is $2800. Owner indicates that:
- the sunroof has been refurbished (not sure what that means yet).

It probably means it was taken out, the tracks cleaned and lubed, and possibly the "feet" or sliders, the nylon skids it travels on, were replaced. These wear down with age and won't move smoothly anymore, even with the runners clean and lubed.

Could also mean the fittings associated with the pop-up airfoil at the leading edge of the sunroof were replaced. These wear with age and can cause problems for the roof closing on some older cars.

Quote:

- the dash has been replaced.

If indeed the dash was done, that combined with the sunroof refurbishment speak to careful ownership, if not by this owner then perhaps a PO. However, in looking closely at the pics I'm not sure if it's a new dash or a good quality dashboard cap.

I am leaning toward it being an actual replacement dash, except that if you look closely at the pic taken through the driver's door, over in the passenger corner of the dash it looks like the speaker grille is popped out slightly. That might mean it's a cap. Whether or not it is a cap wouldn't be a big deal for me (replacing a dash would be a big $$$$ project with a shop doing the work), but you may wish to clarify this as people often refer to a dash cap as a "new dash" in ads....

Also (someone from Cali correct me if I am wrong), the blue plates are a plus as they indicate the car spent its life in California.

I am sure you will ask, or have, how often the oil gets changed and what oil is used. And of course the true mileage.

Edit: I just remembered that you asked something about us looking at the pics of the console, in your first post. It looks great to me, aside from the newer radio (I hate how the new faces look in an older car). I would trade my zebrano (notoriously vulnerable to the weather in my area) for plain plastic in a heartbeat. Were you referring to the mismatched zebrano under the center vents?

Again, good luck on it.

charmalu · #14 11-23-2011, 01:25 PM

That is an original Cali car with the blue plates.

Up graded/replaced seats wouldn`t be a red flag to me. after 32 years the seats do deteriorate a bit. Horse hair dries out and crumbles. the seats were probably recovered to look as good as they do. that would be a positive,

It could have been a one owner and babied it`s life.
I didn`t notice a dash cap, but could be photo chopped like a PlayBoy Bunney to smooth out the rough edges.

Would have been nice to see some close ups of the engine bay and some under neith shots of the gressy side. under carpet shots of the floors and the trunk quarter panels under the plastic liners. maybe under the battery tray.

Be nice is a forum member could take a look at it for you.

Buying long distance is a crap shoot, like a mail order Bride.

Charlie

Stretch · #15 11-23-2011, 01:38 PM

I can't see too many problems in the pictures other than the odd paint blemish and the right hand front wing / fender is a bit higher up than the left hand one - see engine bay picture. The trunk lid does look a bit out of adjustment as the trim doesn't line up too well with rear wing / fender trim - but hey picky picky...

...for the price it looks like it is worth a punt.

If you are planning on buying it unseen though I'd ask for some under car pictures and some pictures of the bonnet / hood spring pocket areas and if the seller is willing some pictures in the boot / trunk without the plastic liners...

...oh and while we're at it we could really piss him off and ask for some pictures of the...

It is tricky buying from a far - there's a fine line between being careful and making a nuisance of yourself. Good luck.