Mom's New Car! gray market 1980 280E converted to an OM617 turbo diesel
 

Some of you know about me getting a car for my mom
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/321637-san-antonio-drivers-help-motha-out.html

and the demise of said car
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/346032-mom-mobile-down-wrecked-300d.html


Well today I picked up a new car for my mom.
Found this project on craigslist last week, but been kinda holding the news of the car close to my vest until I was actully the owner.

The car is a gray market 1980 280E. Some years back the engine died and the car was sold. The fellow who bought it was a mercedes mechanic. he converted the car to a turbo diesel. The car has all of its original interior and its original 4 speed transmission. This is one of the cleanest interiors I've ever seen. Anyway, the mechanic fellow built the car for his girlfriend. well, things happen, they split up and then the car was in an accdent. Not having the connections she once had she wasn't able to afford the repairs, so she put it up forsale.

She was every happy to hear that the car wasn't going to be parted but built into my moms new car.

Here are some pictures.

Somethings fallowing us home
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1830.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1835.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1833.jpg

I love the pattern on the cloth interior
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1832.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1834.jpg

The read bumper has some damage. does anyone have experence straightning them?

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1836.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1837.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1838.jpg

Here are the detail pics of the damage.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1839.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1840.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1841.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1843.jpg

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/IMG_1844.jpg

I talked to my friend at the body shop. He said the whole radiator support needs changed. So my next stop will be the pick n pull to cut the nose off a w123.

It's titled as a Diesel? No smog check required?

Sixto
87 300D

Yes! The guy who built it seemed to do it all by the book.

the trunk is so clean :D , how much you paid for it?

Turbo-diesel with a four speed-the best W123 never made. And it's a Euro. Nice! As for the bumper, a PNP replacement would probably be the cheapest and easiest fix. It's like four nuts and forty bucks last time I checked.

That's a nice rust free car. A lotta work to fix it but worth it.;)

Good luck finding a euro bumper a PNP. Most likely your wheels are steel ... but you may have the 6"aluminum hubbies

Good score Nick, the Euro bumpers show up now and then, but I know a couple guys that are there when the cars are being set. they grab parts and e-bay them. so finding parts isn`t so easy sometimes. he told me he sells them for $450 on e-bay.

There are bumper places that do straightening.; I would try to save the bumper. the supply of these is getting smaller every day. :(

Looks like she may have gone over the top of the front bumper and not damaged it.

There was a guy that had that radiator support listing it on CL for a while, think he wanted $150 for it.
Not sure what PNP would want. Hoods, Fenders are $50 plus each.


Having the manual CC is perfect and with the 4-spd.

Does it have a manual SR or not one at all. no SR is a plus.

Should look good when you are through.



Charlie

You are indeed a good son.
I'm sure your mom will love the car when you're done with it.
Yea, you almost never see euro bumpers. Good Luck!

Jeff

Paid $1100 for it. Yeah the front bumper seems to be fine. the rubber behind it got moved with the accdent, but it looks like it might be salvagable. The car does not have a sun roof, it does have a crach free dash and the cleanest head liner I've ever seen.

As for the bumpers, It think it might be worth getting that one straitened. seeing as its a euro bumper the metal is pretty thin. I'm going to take it off and look at it and see how badly its bent. maybe its something I can simply bend back? I know there is a solid seet bar in the middle, but the chromed metal is thin. I can repair/replace the structual steel if I can take the chrome part off. I've never looked into how to take the bumper appart, but its a 3 piece bumper, the middle section and then the 2 "wing sectoion" that go around the courner of the car. I'm hoping I can take it apart.

If I can't see a way to repair the rear bumper myself I want to get it straitened.

We've got enough money from the insurance check, and with the car being as cheap as it was I'm willing to spend the moeny to get the bumper fixed. as long as its cheaper then a new one on ebay.

I seen this on craigslist....I was wondering about the smog situation......glad it was saved....I was thinking it was extremely clean.....

Euro and no sunroof-now I'm getting jealous. I also totally spaced looking into a sunroof delete when I got my car painted over the summer.

I have a replacement Euro headlight for the pass side (my set has the driver side lens missing) for sale. I also have a parts car with a good core support. I have grills and the other parts you may need as well. Maybe a set of clear corner lights would interest you? Please PM me about parts and also braces for the A/C kits you bought...Rich

After 22 years owning MB sedans equipped with a sunroof/moonroof that was used very seldom, buying a late model used MB w/o a moonroof wasn't a hardship for me. In fact, it's lack of one was a bargaining chip getting a better price..

I am happy to report that Peggy (Nick's mom) and Troy came and picked up the core support, hood and fender today. They drove all the way from Louisiana, and are headed to northern CA (Sacramento?) from here. Even with all the parts, they still had enough room in the back of their Excursion for their large dog crate occupied by their dog (Mastiff puppy!). It was nice to have met them, and I am glad the parts gathering worked out.
BTW Nick, thank your mom again for me for the nice tip!.....Rich