It's time to let the 280SE go. My next project car is here and I need room. I'd like to get $3,500 for it and that's a steal considering the new leather seats, carpet, and ACCII upgrade cost almost that much.

Pictures and details are located here:
http://www.pokrefke.net/benz280se

If you're worried about the feedback the deadbeat bidder on eBay left me, here is proof that the car exists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ47XNffyYg


I am selling my recently restored 1980 Mercedes Benz 280SE. I purchased this car 2 years ago from a professor at the University of Illinois - Chicago. He had bought the car in California and drove it to Chicago about 5 years ago. He used it sparingly and decided it wasn't worth what his friend was charging to store it in his garage. I brought the car home and drove it for a few months before I decided to restore it. As a California car the body was in good shape with little to no rust but the paint was badly faded and all the rubber seals were gone. Over the winter of 2009-2010 I stripped it down, refurbished what was worn and replaced what was broken. Here are some of the details:

Engine
This is the 2.8 liter M110 straight-6 twincam engine. It has Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and dual exhausts. The engine is in good condition and runs strong. I replaced some fuel lines that were questionable and put new plugs in just for fun, but the engine is in fine condition and did not need much attention. I checked the compression and all 6 were within factory spec so I did not see the value in tearing into an engine that worked perfectly. The oil and filter are changed every 6 months.
I sourced a Euro exhaust over the course of several months and had it put on at a local shop - here is what it sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WEFvLnHltw&feature=player_embedded

Transmission
The transmission is a 4-speed unit and works perfectly. The car normally starts out in second gear unless the pedal is firmly pressed to the floor. I have replaced the filter and fluid just as a matter of routine maintenance, but other than some shift lever bushings that gave up the ghost at 30 years the transmission is in excellent condition.

Cooling System
The radiator was replaced with an aluminum cross-flow unit and was connected with stainless steel hoses. The aluminum radiator is more efficient than the stock one and performs flawlessly. In fact, this was the hottest summer I have seen in Chicago since I moved here and the car never once came close to overheating - even sitting in stop-and-go traffic with the AC on.

AC
The AC was non-operational when I purchased the car (the condenser had a hole in it from a rock) so I removed and replaced almost everything. The York compressor was removed in favor of a modern Sanden rotary compressor. The Sanden is quieter, uses less engine power to operate, and is much smoother. The original condenser was replaced with an aluminum parallel-flow unit for increased performance. All the old hoses were removed and I made a set of barrier hoses for the car. The condenser fan was replaced with a high-flow modern fan, and the expansion valve and receiver/drier were replaced. After I checked the system for leaks I refilled using R-12 freon which is a better performing refrigerant in older cars than the newer R-134. The system works very well and it makes the car very pleasurable to cruise around in during the summer.

Heating/Climate Control
These cars used a climate control system that was designed by Chrysler in the 1950's. The central feature was the "climate control servo" that brought hot water, vacuum, and electricity all together in one package that was custom made for frustration. The good news is that you don't have to be frustrated, as I upgraded the original system to the Unwired Tools ACCII upgrade kit. Details are here http://unwiredtools.com/accii.asp but in a nutshell the kit replaces with the servo and electronics with a self-contained digital system that automatically regulates the temperature of the interior of the car. You just turn the dial to the desired temperature and forget it.
If you are interested in originality I do have the original climate control servo.

Tires/Brakes
I went through the entire brake system and replaced almost everything. She has 4 new discs, 4 new calipers, all new brake pads, new brake hoses, and a new fluid reservoir. The car stops straight and smooth with no pulling.
The tires have about 2000 miles on them and are General Altimax RT's. They are excellent performers in the rain and are very smooth and quiet in the highway.

Interior
Over the winter of 2010-2011 I replaced the cracked original MB-Tex seat covers with new tan leather covers. The front seats, front arm rests, front head rests, rear seats, and rear armrests are all new leather.
The carpet inside is all new front and back. The front has floor mats with a green Mercedes logo that nicely complements the outside of the car. The headliner is new and is a light biscuit color.

Stereo
The car has a new vintage looking radio that has a USB input, Aux-in, and a CD player that plays MP3 discs. The front and rear speakers are new and the trunk has a small amplified subwoofer to add a little depth to the sound. It's not a booming system designed to attract attention, it is more of a system I can enjoy listening to hour after hour after hour.

Body/Paint/Seals
The car spent the majority of it's life out west and the body showed it. There was no rust to speak of and I didn't break out the welder once on this project. The paint was faded and thin, and all the rubber seals were dry-rotted, but the body and metal were in amazing condition. I removed the hood, trunk, all 4 doors, the interior and all the glass and pretty much started sanding. There were a few door dings that needed to be massaged out but there was no cutting out rust and welding in new metal.
After final sanding I painted the car with three coats of urethane paint and put her back together. I painted the car myself and although I am not a professional it turned out very well. This is the 14th car I have painted so I know what to do, but it's not the same quality as a $10,000 paint job. Then again I'm not expecting to sell her for that much. She got new door seals, new front and rear windshield seals, new door window channels, trunk seal, and new sunroof seals.

General Impressions
The car is in very good shape and I drive her several times a week. I have made several Chicago-St. Louis trips with her and have not had any issues - in fact, I would not hesitate to drive this car straight across the country. She is in great condition, she runs strong, and when you settle into those leather seats and aim that long hood down the road you don't want to stop driving.

I also have enough spare parts to fill up most of the trunk and will include them if you would like.

Very nice presentation!

Jim

__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

$3,500 seems like a steal to me, especially considering all the work you've done to it.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Agreed.

It's a beautiful vehicle and I'd buy it in a heartbeat if I didn't already own too many of them.

You have done a truly excellent job sensibly restoring this car and presenting the fruits of your labor.A couple of your "fixes" - the manual sunroof and lobotomizing the hated Airtemp - are inspired. If I had this car, she would have the nice euro bumpers. Have you ever looked into that?

One of the nicest W118's I've ever seen.

__________________
Charles Cleaver
1975 350SE + 1992 300CE-24 SportLine 5-speed + 2002 SLK320 6-speed + 1974 W114 280
1986 190E 2.3-16 (Decomm rear self-leveling suspension; Euro-code headlamps) sold
2004 Audi S4 6-spd - sold
1969 (2) and 1980 Porsche 911T, S, and SC - alas gone
1987 300SDL - Graf Spee; Euro-code headlamps; 16-inch 8-hole wheels - sold
1994 E420+(E500 suspension/E-code headlamps/PAD chip) sold
1968 250SE 4-speed (NICE car) - long gone
1962 220S 4-speed/column mount - long gone

Me too...if I didn't already have four cars and didn't already own The Red Baron (W108 280SE 4.5), I'd be all over this.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I looked into the Euro bumpers but I had trouble finding a set in good condition so I gave up. Besides, those US bumpers make an excellent seat when you're changing into your golf spikes!

Car is sold.