Thoughts about driving a parts car cross country - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

eatont9999 · #1 04-10-2013, 12:52 AM

All,

I'm looking for mainly a W126 dash in crack-free condition, with the glovebox option, for my 83 300SD. It's like pulling hen's teeth here in the south because the sun destroys most dashes and plastics that have been here for more than a few years. I have family and real estate in MA, so I am expanding my search for parts to that region.

Here I have found a 300SE with rust issues. The grey interior color matches my 300SD. I don't care much about the rest of the car aside from the interior and that it make a trip from MA to TX. If it could do that, I would be plenty happy. I imagine I would strip what I want and sell the rest as a parts car down here. Engine, tranny, etc should fetch some cash even as scrap and offset the purchase price and fuel cost. I could completely replace the interior of my 83 with that of a 91.

The main concern I have is if the car is safe enough to drive with the sway bar mount being rusted out. I'm not planning to transport the president and his family but who here would drive something like this; in its condition 2500 miles?

1991 Mercedes 300 SE

Zacharias · #2 04-10-2013, 01:17 AM

Look into trucking costs.

I have never driven a car with the sway bar mount issue but from what I understand (based on a friend who had one) routine driving is acceptable but it isn't something condusive to carefree Interstate travel.

Once you factor in the flight to get there to get the thing, fuel costs, your time, accommodation costs and the possibility of an issue on the trip, I wonder how much more a truck would be.

Personally I would let someone else haul it for a trip like that, given the potential issues.

pawoSD · #3 04-10-2013, 07:42 AM

Driving a 300SE from MA to TX is going to use a LOT of gas. Do the math and thats going to get expensive.

Just to throw it out there, I have a crack free dash in my '82 300SD that I will be parting out this summer....so....if you want to wait

Mölyapina · #4 04-10-2013, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Driving a 300SE from MA to TX is going to use a LOT of gas. Do the math and thats going to get expensive.

Just to throw it out there, I have a crack free dash in my '82 300SD that I will be parting out this summer....so....if you want to wait

I already PM'ed him, offering a crack-free black dash that I will hopefully get my hands on this weekend. Wonder how many offers he will get...

Simpler=Better · #5 04-10-2013, 08:28 AM

uship.com and find someone with insurance. If it's cheaper to just drive, I'd go ahead but keep in mind that without a swaybar you have to take turns as if you're driving a big rig. Also, emergency maneuvers will be out of the question. My first truck didn't have a swaybar up front and it was a nightmare on entrance/exit ramps.

54dan · #6 04-10-2013, 08:55 AM

I think it depends on what you're used to. If you're used to old vehicles with essentially no suspension it would be no big deal if you looked at the expedition as an adventure and took lots of tools and smiled every time something broke.

My first car was a 1954 3/4-ton chevy truck with stuck king pins, and so it was a real bugger to keep in a lane. Ridiculous in hindsight, but it sure did make driving any other vehicle a breeze in comparison.

If I needed the parts and had time to make an adventure out of it, I'd do it in a skinny minute. That's the stuff that makes for an interesting life. That, however, is probably not a practical viewpoint, and may not be what you're looking for. It also seems by other's responses that you may already be finding the parts you need without having to embark on too much of an adventure.

Have fun in any case -- that's why most of us mess with these old things anyways.

-Dan

t walgamuth · #7 04-10-2013, 09:01 AM

Since the upper sway bar locates the top of the wheel upright on a benz of that era I would not drive it anywhere except around my driveway. The car will not be stable. It might drive in a straight line but any bump will cause it to weave and braking will cause the upright to rotate. Just completely unsafe. Taking it on a long trip would be suicidal and I am not one for hyperbole.

pawoSD · #8 04-10-2013, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Since the upper sway bar locates the top of the wheel upright on a benz of that era I would not drive it anywhere except around my driveway. The car will not be stable. It might drive in a straight line but any bump will cause it to weave and braking will cause the upright to rotate. Just completely unsafe. Taking it on a long trip would be suicidal and I am not one for hyperbole.

I second this. Although my dad drove from Chicago to here (about 200 miles) with a broken sway bar on his old SD at 80mph and didn't even know it. Made it fine...

I'd be more worried about any other neglected systems on the car....flex disc....engine/fuel system/cooling. etc. nearly 2,000 miles is quite a journey for a parts car....and its going to suck up at least 100 gallons of gas on that trip...

vstech · #9 04-10-2013, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Since the upper sway bar locates the top of the wheel upright on a benz of that era I would not drive it anywhere except around my driveway. The car will not be stable. It might drive in a straight line but any bump will cause it to weave and braking will cause the upright to rotate. Just completely unsafe. Taking it on a long trip would be suicidal and I am not one for hyperbole.

+1...
DO NOT DO THIS!!!.
however... if you can get pics of the "rusted out sway bar mount" it may not be as bad as we are thinking.

littlehandegan · #10 04-10-2013, 01:00 PM

I think it can be done.

Would I do it? NO

Shipping will run about 350-450.

You will spend that in gas/food/lodge, not to mention IF there is potential major mechanical issues, I.E flex disc break etc etc.

vstech · #11 04-10-2013, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlehandegan

I think it can be done.

Would I do it? NO

Shipping will run about 350-450.

You will spend that in gas/food/lodge, not to mention IF there is potential major mechanical issues, I.E flex disc break etc etc.

shipping will be closer to $1000

from My place to central TX best quote I got was $690

littlehandegan · #12 04-10-2013, 01:03 PM

Thats extremely high.

I run a brokerage, trust me. I just shipped my 280SEL INCLOSED from Chas to Northern California for 850.

Zacharias · #13 04-10-2013, 01:21 PM

I have shipped about 8 cars. Rates are dependent not only on trip route miles but also nature of pickup point and destination (boonies vs suburbs), door-to-door versus terminal-terminal service, route traffic and/or backhaul-traffic, etc.

Some routes are much more than others (for example getting a car off Long Island to upstate NY is more expensive than the trip miles would suggest as the carriers hate having to go through NYC).

eatont9999 · #14 04-10-2013, 01:33 PM

uship.com estimates a cost of $687 to ship from 01830 to 75056. The 01830 zip code is of my property in MA.

I'm planning a trip up there in July, so I was considering driving the car back to TX but it looks like a costly and potentially dangerous proposition. The cost of shipping an interior is likely close to the cost of shipping the car.

54dan · #15 04-10-2013, 01:48 PM

Guess I did not understand the criticality of this structure. I should have prefaced my comments with "after a satisfactory safety inspection..."