Assist with 82' 380sl

[wisard]

Hi, I'm new and have read many of the previously posted threads. This is a very helpful site.

My husband is NOT mechanical and we just purchased a 82' 380sl. The current owner wanted to "do work" on it but lost his job and had to sell it. It has been sitting for a while (not sure how long) but his father in law has been starting it and moving it on a regular basis. There are no records - bad thing, huh? My husband drove it and it seemed to perform well. I know that there has been an issue with the timing (double/single) chains and such, so I am concerned. It has 149k miles on it and we don't know what has been done or not done. We live in San Diego and the only MB mechanic my husband spoke to said to be very careful and have the car checked out before purchasing. Great advice but....unfortuneately this can not happen. We are picking the car up tomorrow and I was hoping to get some suggestions of what to look at first once we get it to a "reputable" mechanic. Any advice? Any suggestions of "good" mechanics in San Diego?

Thx guys....

[Richard Wooldridge]

Hi there,
Congratulations on your purchase of a fun and enjoyable car! I have both an '82 and a '79, and they are both really fun cars to drive. They each have their own personalities also.
Just remember that you have a car that is now 24 years old or so, and things can and will wear out or go wrong. However, if you keep on top of the maintenance and replace the items that need replaced you will have a very solid vehicle that will last for years.
I just incurred a failure with my '82 - on the front subframe the mounting tab for the left lower control arm, sometimes refered to as the "A" frame, broke right off, allowing the front wheel to lean over to the left at about a 45 degree angle. It was necessary to replace the subframe to repair this problem. I purchased a subframe from a 115 chassis vehicle, installed the reinforcement kit that Mercedes sells and installed it on the car. After reviewing the subframe under my '79, which had the subframe replaced under the recall (cast iron engine cars only), I think I would buy a new subframe next time, as the new ones are made much stronger. My fix was less than half the price of a replacement, though.
So - take your car to a reliable mechanic and get the whole car inspected and routine servicing done, so you have a "Base Zero" to start from. Then as you are able, start working on anything it needs. On my '79, I replaced the seats and carpeting, as it needed both. The result is a car that smells and looks like new!
Good luck with your purchase, and don't forget to post a picture of it!

[ctaylor738]

About the only melt-down you can suffer is that the timing chain will either break or jump on the sprocket (visualize a bicycle chain) and cause a large repair bill. If when you start the car, you hear a rattle, or if you get a slapping sound from the valve covers, shut the engine off and have it towed to a mechanic. Such noises mean that the chain is loose and is in danger of jumping.

You are correct about the timing chains. Your car came with a single-row chain, and may have been converted at some point to a dual-row chain. In either case, at that mileage, and with no history, it should be replaced, along with the chain tensioner, upper slide rails, and cam oilers. This is an $800-1,000 operation. If the chain is single, then I would advise not converting to dual because that will probably set you back at least $4 grand.

Other than that, this model may have climate control, idle, or injector problems, and we are just full of advice on stuff like that.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum.

[page62]

Here's a way for you to do a DIY timing chain inspection yourselves. You will be able to determine if the double-row conversion has been done.

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

It is a VERY clear procedure. All you need is a dental mirror (available at many auto parts stores) and a flashlight.

[kbannister]

All great advise. I bought my car with no history either. It had 150,000 miles on it and the first thing I did (well second, my wife insisted on getting the seats recovered first) was change the chain even though it is a double chain. Without the history, that is the one thing I would recommend you have done.

I would also recommend a complete fluid change, engine oil, transmission, brake fluid, power steering fluid and rear end.

Welcome aboard!!

[wisard]

All this input is GREAT! Thanks so much. This is a super community. I can't wait to check everything out and trust me I will be back with more questions. BTW, does anyone know of a trustworthy MB mechanic here in San Diego, CA?

Thx again, all

[kbannister]

Here is a thread for some San Diego Mechanics. If the thing doesn't work, search all forums for san diego mechanic and some threads will come up


Any recommended San Diego Benz aftermarket shops?