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  #1  
Old 09-03-2004, 10:53 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: S.F. Bayarea
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Checking out a 85 380SL

Not familiar with MB V8 gas cars, appreciate your kind feedback.
I had a brief test run of a 85 380SL. It has this solid feel, accelerates well.
Here are the obeservations/problems:

1. Idle seems high (750RPM). When blippiing the gas pedal at idle, blackish fume is observed at the tail pipe. Seems running too rich. Did this couple times and engine died. However, have no trouble re-starting it.

2. While idling, put my ear close to the valve cover, can hear faint valve tick. Good? Bad?

3. When accelerating or de-celerating, there is a metal clunking sound from the mid bottom area. Only clunk once per accel or decel. Strange.

4. Paint is shot along the side panels, but not trunck lid and hood. Rather strange. Different paint from the factory?

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  #2  
Old 09-04-2004, 11:11 PM
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Boonville Indiana
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380

Put the car on a lift and then try to shake the main drive shaft.. If you can shake or move the shaft then this is your clunking noise. As the carrier bearing rubber Isolator continues to wear out the clunking will become 2 and then 3 and then 4 clunks etc..
The valve ticking can just be a matter of changing to synthetic mobil 1 oil and adjusting the valves...
If the car has mileage over 120K then I would pull one of the valve covers and check to see if the timing chain is a single or a double...the double will last a lot longer than the single and when the single gives up, you don't want to know the rest(it can be horrible).
It sounds like the trunk and hood have been repainted. Does the car come with clearcoat????Usually the hood and trunk deteriorate faster than the side panels due to heat and the hours of direct sunshine. JIm
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James A. Harris

Last edited by jim16671836; 09-04-2004 at 11:12 PM. Reason: Incorrect grammer
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  #3  
Old 09-05-2004, 12:23 AM
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Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Liberty Township, Ohio (Cincinnati)
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My 1985 380SL has 180,000 and going strong

The 380 SL is fun to drive, but not the best running car I own. I hear a slight valve tick too.
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1985 380SL
1987 300e
2001 S430
1948 Chevy Firetruck
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  #4  
Old 09-05-2004, 12:26 AM
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If it looks like the instrument cluster has been changed out on it, I wouldn't trust the miles. You may be getting into a lot more than you bargained for. I would get a compression test done.

At this point just about any SL from the 80's that has been a daily driver is going to have been repainted at least once. I bet the re-paint job is peeling - body shop applied paint usually sticks better on the horizontal surfaces than the vertical.

Last edited by KirkVining; 09-05-2004 at 12:33 AM.
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  #5  
Old 09-05-2004, 03:29 PM
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I think the side panels may still have the original paint, and is oxidized now. I do not pay too much attention to the "indicated" mileage but the condition of the car is where I'm looking at.

I think the fuel system is not quite right (black exhaust) and it'll die while blipping the throttle. It did passed the CA smog test several month ago, but the NO reading is near the high mark at 15 mph test.

I think the owner could'nt keep up with the proper care for the car. I'm not very confident with my skill regarding to MB gas V8 to bring it back to tip top condition. It is an intimadating thought that I need to hone my MB V8 skill on a 107 SL.
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Old 09-06-2004, 09:20 AM
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The 1985's had a mod to the injection for better enrichment on acceleration, and this may have gone south and is over-enriching when you blip the throttle.

750 RPM hot idle is high and could be a failing idle air valve, the idle relay, or a bad coolant sensor, or a wiring problem. Or it could be a vacuum leak or bad injector causing a lumpy idle, so the coolant sensor leads were bridged to keep the idle high.

The valve tick is probably a rocker arm starting to wear or a hydraulic element in the ball stud starting to fail. You might be able to clear it up with a couple of oil changes and there are some flushes that sometimes work. It needs to be attended to promptly because it can lead to cam damage, which is expensive.

You have to buy this car right because the resale market is ruthless for cars with obvious problems. There are too many nice cars around.
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'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
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  #7  
Old 09-06-2004, 03:28 PM
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Location: S.F. Bayarea
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Thanks, you guys are great! Very helful comments.
I think the old saying "find the best one to buy" is especially true in my case, as I'm not proficient in MB V8 gas cars. I'll keep hunting for the right one.
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  #8  
Old 09-07-2004, 10:46 AM
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From another thread:

Here in the US the Eights started with the 450SL in 1973 (could be late 72). They went all the way till 1989 with variations of 8 cylinder engines.

The 450, 380 and 560. The numbers referring to their displacement.

The 380 had a single row timing chain up until 1984. It was then updated to a double row. Doing this update is quite costly. Appox $3k here in the US. However, there is still maintenance with the dual row as there are guides and tensioners that should be maintained....not nearly as costly though.

Here's a list common replacement items:

- Since these cars are far from lightweight all suspension pieces suffer after so many years. Especially if sitting unused. So if not replaced RECENTLY figure on Shocks (Bilstein), Subframe bushings, ball joints, springs...etc.

- Fuel injection system on 81 and up...it's the wonderful Bosch CIS system. Not unlike the Porsche 911 you will have cold/warm/hot start problems. As usual many throw thousands chasing idle, start and missing problems.

- Climate control - This has to be the most unneccessarily complicated system I've ever seen in my life. And they will all develop problems. It is absolutely unintuitive as well. To make it more fun it's all vacuum operated with vacuum actuators buried behind the dash. They can be rebuilt inexpensively but getting to them and getting to the right one is the challenge. The Monovalve is a common piece in the heating system to go. Luckily it's inexpensive and quikly replaced.

- Rust - Not the worst cars regarding this. However, the older you get the more prone you are to suffering.

- Convertible top...Very simple mechanical setup. I like it. Hard top same thing...well done.

- Interior....Dash cracks can be a problem. Seems blue cracks the most.

- Radiators also have issues, especially with a plastic filler neck. Once they break it's almost impossible to repair and not cheap to replace.

- Radio...by Becker. I'll say no more.

Like any other car the better it's been maintained by the PO the better for you.

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'85 380 SL (sold)
'85 Carrera Flatnose
'71 280 SL Signal Red/Cognac
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