1983 380SL - Advice on Price

[John Hubertz]

120K, cream yellow over brown tex, top older but OK, hardtop, 120K miles, engine rebuilt at 103,000 due to timing chain breakage by Mercedes specialty shop.

Nevada car till '04, no winters. $4500.... haven't begun to dicker.

Priced right or am I correct this car is a reasonably good bargain?

[page62]

Very good bargain. I wonder if they did the double-row timing chain conversion...then it would be a steal!

[antonino]

I recently looked at an 81 380 for $2800. and decided to pass on it due to problems I have heard about with the single row chain and head. If it was converted to a double row chain and the engine was rebuilt by a good mechanic and machine shop, then I would consider buying it...my experience has been that condition is everything. If you look at SL's over the years as I have you will find that the 380's always bring less money...there is a reason for that. IF someone took care of the car cosmetically then chances are very good that they tended to the mechanicals as well. Good luck with your decision.

Antonino

91 300CE coupe 149K
78 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce 51K
66 Mustang Coupe 289 (co owner with my son) 108K

[John Hubertz]

What is the simplest method to determine the single vs double row timing chain? I've heard a dental mirror can work through the oil filler, but can't imagine sufficient light. Is the gear significantly closer to the oil opening and will that be obvious by running a finger around the chain edge where it is closest to the relief area in the valve cover?

[Strife]

It's not that easy - the best shot is by pulling the oil filler and by looking forward, with a small penlight (I just tried). You would have to have a really long finger to get to the chain. A very small dental mirror would help (obviously, DON'T drop anything in, ha ha). A "single chain" would be a cam gear with just one row of teeth. The double chain has a double wide gear where the middle link rides inbetween the two sets of teeth. I don't think it would be easy to see from the side alone. The gear might look newer and cleaner than the other parts, which would tend to make the case for a conversion (unless the original was damaged when the chain broke).

If the car has a double chain, ran well, (and unless its really ratty) I'd consider the price very reasonable, allowing several K in your pocket for getting it up to snuff (this is inevitable no matter what you initially spend, apparently). The conversion is a big job.

[page62]

Here's the inspection procedure with some great photos:

http://www.slack.net/~thundt/mercedes/timing_chain_380.htm

[kip Foss]

Do not let the fact that it has a single row timing chain stop you from buying the car. The head mechanic at the local Corpus Christi MB dealer has his own shop where I get some of my work done. He told me that the only problem with the single row chains is that they, and the slides, need to be changed at 70k miles without fail. If you do that, which is not a real big job, you can run these engines as safely as a double row chain.

[Botnst]

Thanks guys. I forwarded the timing chain issue and that web link to my friend. If he buys the car I think he'd be a good guy to recruit into Mercedesshop.

Does this car have any A/C issues? I guess what I mean is knowing it's 23 years old, are there any issues of design (in addition to the timing chain) that I could caution him about.

Heck, now I'm getting interested in the damned thing!

Thanks again,

Bot

[deportes]

I paid 2500 for mine, double row chain, bad rag top. clean interior. no cream puff. Ca car. no rust
Replaced idle controller, 250.00 replacing valve stem seals.
GL

[page62]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Does this car have any A/C issues? I guess what I mean is knowing it's 23 years old, are there any issues of design (in addition to the timing chain) that I could caution him about.

If it's the same as my car, it uses a GM Frigidaire A6 compressor. The thing is bulletproof. My A/C hasn't been touched in at least 10 years and still blows cold!