Thank you, Robert.

I'm aware of post w126 changes that happened, seeing as I do have a W202 C280 sedan. It is nothing like the W123 except that I find that it has beefy parts like the W123 has instead of go-cart parts like I find on friend's vehicles.

I honestly find that the c280 has enough power. While I'd love to have 400hp at this point I'm more than happy having just enough power to do a brake-stand (which the C280 will do). We have enough traffic here that my 300TD can out-run the pace of stop and go.

I'll see what the lady comes back with. She might want $12k for it, or she might want what she would get for a tax write-off.

-Tad

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1995 G320
2003 C230 Kompressor Coupe
2005 ML500
2007 ML350

Thank you. That helps me to understand the task. If I were to have to do that job I'd certainly subscribe to and follow AllData. I had to make a few trim tools for the C280, maybe they will apply to a 140 as well.

Thanks again,
Tad

P.S. The c280 has the self-guiding connectors on the cluster as well. Much more secure than the W123 push-on style.

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1995 G320
2003 C230 Kompressor Coupe
2005 ML500
2007 ML350

Is a 1997 very different from a 1999? It may be a 1997. I looked at the sticker again and couldn't tell if it was a 7 or a 9. When did the W/S show up on the shifter?

Thanks,
Tad

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1995 G320
2003 C230 Kompressor Coupe
2005 ML500
2007 ML350

Not sure why you would want to do burn outs in a luxury car but ok

If they come back with 12K forget about it. You can get a 1997 in reasonable condition for that much.

You want enough "wiggle room" to absorb any hidden issues with the car. A good rule of thumb is to take the fair private party used value (sorry a mechanics shop is not a dealership) and then start deducting the FULL RETAIL value of the repairs on the car. Be as brutal with that calculator as a dealership service department. When you start negotiating base your negotiations from those numbers and demand some wiggle room on top of that for problems with the vehicle. If your lucky and resourceful you will end up with a cheap car. If your highly unlucky and unresourceful you will at least end up with a car you can resell for what you have in it.

If the owner is smart they will liquidate the car for whatever they can get for it or just repair it. But you never know they might still be making payments on the car and owe a lot of money. Something else to keep in mind. If the transmission went out and they could not afford to fix it what else might have stopped working on the car that they did not repair?

Heh, I didn't mean that I was going to be doing burnouts, just that that is usally a good indication of "enough" for me.

Also, the mechanic is a good friend. He's not going to be fighting me. I'd be buying from the current owner. I'm not going to be impulsive on this one. I have enough cars to drive, and while we were looking for an E-Class, this S might fit our needs/wants once it has a good transmission in it.

-Tad

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1995 G320
2003 C230 Kompressor Coupe
2005 ML500
2007 ML350

My friend bought an awsome 1997 S320 for $12k. 70k miles, overall the car is a strong 8 out of 10, that could be brought to a 10 out of 10 with a small amount of work.


That car needs $10k worth of work, I'd stick to that $2k figure. Your crazy to go any higher.


I like the S320 though. It certainly lacks the punch of the bigger motors, but the M104 moves the car along smartly. It certianly is not under powered. It is perfect for around town, and delivers low 20's if you keep your foot out of it.

The M104 is a fine motor, really thats the last thing I'd worry about. Worry about the rest of the car.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The M104 provides ample power for the car. The other day I had some annoying twit in a Lexus that was doing the speed up and slow down bit because he did not want the big black S class to pass his fake japanese "luxury car". Whell I passed him effortlessly and was horrified when I looked down at the spedometer. I won't incriminate myself by posting the speed but it was entirely faster than I should have been driving and the car was still as silky smooth as it was at lead food highway speeds.

While the V8's and V12's are nice Im not sure I would really want one unless I had my own personal track (I'm not really good with temptation). Then again if I had my own personal track I could think of several other cars I would rather be driving at high speeds.

I don't know when the W140 cars got the 722.6 transmission.

W210 E class cars got it in 1997.

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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".

Lord I hate pulling out a dash when I don't know what I'm doing. One of my favorite tricks is to find one at a boneyard and practice on it. Specially good if it's cracked and ugly cause no one was likely to buy it anyway.

I had a wild idea a while back that one could almost make money with a web site devoted exclusively to walking people through pulling interior trim pieces on all makes. I'll have to file that one behind the other 29 fantasy money making projects.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

My 1999 has the 722.6

At least someone can get a use out of those interiors. Once its rained in the car 2 or 3 times the interior is totally useless. I'm really surprised that many junkyards don't recognize the value of some of the interior components of these cars. There is a specialty junkyard here in Georgia that deals in BMW's. To see a yard full of BMW's all with full interiors still in them baking in the sun and in some cases being rained on is a horrible sight.

Many of the Mercedes dismantlers completely take the car apart and use every screw and lightbulb out of the cars which is a great thing.

Well its not just the power, the higher spec cars have a nicer interior as well. The S320 is plenty fast enough, but the V8 and V12 powered cars are most certainly faster.

For example pulled to about 100 in my friends S320, it pulled smartly. But punch it at 100 and its running out of steam.

Then get in the S600 and do a 100 pull, its brutal. Hold 100 and punch it, it still pushes you back and pulls like crazy.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Maybe the S class body weighs down the 3.2 liter engine.

In my former E320, on a shake down cruise to Las Vegas, I floored it from about 90-ish, and it pulled hard and fast to 135, when I chickened out and let off the gas.

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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".

Your the second person to mention this. What specific options were not offered on the S320? I know the full leather interior (doorpanels and dash) would be one of them but that was not even offered on the S500. When I was looking for my S320 I looked at the 06 S350's as a possibility as well. On the S350 you could order any option that was offered on the S430 and S500. It would be nice to seperate the factual information from the "I heard it from a guy on the internet" regarding the options supposedly not offered on the 6cyl Mercedes S class cars. Ironically the new 07 S class is offered as a 6cyl but only in Europe. And of course the Europeans get a lot of options that are not even offered here. I thought the fridge behind the rear seat armrest and the ability to play DVD's and watch TV on the main nav panel were rather interesting as well.

Power of course is always nice but it kind of sucks to be stuck behind the wheel of a huge sedan when you want to do something irresponsible and fun. I love Mercedes cars because of their engineering and construction but have never understood the people who think they are sports cars. Especially here in America where we have crummy roads and low speed limits. Most of those V8's and V12's just idle around in bumper to bumper traffic only to be utilized at 75% power maybee once or twice in their lifetime. Kind of a waste for bragging rights really.

At those speeds weight does not really matter as much when you have that much inertia behind the mass of the car. Thats similiar to what I did the other day trying to pass the moron speeding up and slowing down in his Lexus. I was quite surprised to get that kind of response out of the car especially because I did not give it 100% power.

Heres an interesting tidbit. My brothers 83 300D and my 82 300SD are only 100#'s off weight wise. Im not sure what the difference is between the more modern E class and S class cars are but I was rather surprised since there is a massive size difference between the cars.