Easy way to ID a 4 matic car?

[97 SL320]

Is there a way to positively ID an early 4 matic car besides the script on the trunk lid? ( late 80's 300E )

I'm looking for something to tell a non car person to look at so under car cues are out of the question.

Knob on the dash? Part of the VIN number?

Thanks

[Stretch]

Well I still think the most straight forward check is to look for drive shafts on the front wheels

But chassis number types for a W124 4Matic 300E are =>

124.230 => saloon
124.290 => estate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W124#Models

[gatorblue92]

Have them send you a picture of the gear shifter. The 4matic is raised while the 2matic isn't.

[DieselPaul]

Shifter is a dead giveaway, the (probably illuminated) 4M light on the dash, front spring setup is vastly different from a 2wd, and they generally sit nose high. If its an early 4matic car, under the hood they will have a hydraulic fluid reservoir for the ASD locking rear diff. Afaik, the last year or two of 4matic has ASR which uses the ABS system to simulate an LSD and would not have the fluid reservoir, unless its a wagon with rear SLS.

Also, in the US, it would have to be an 89+. I've never seen a USA spec 4matic car without cladding. So if its a USA 86-88, its not 4m.

[97 SL320]

All, lots of detail if I was looking at car but having a remote non car person have a look becomes more difficult.

I'm still having thoughts of turning one of my R129 SL's into an AWD car. One of them is going to be turned into a track day car and AWD would make it more interesting. It isn't a question of if I can do it ( I can ) it is a question if the added weight and seemingly somewhat fragile front diff would be worth it.

Transfer case selection is the next sticking point, I'd have to decide on open center diff, viscous coupling , some sort of electrical variable locking.

[Skippy]

If by track you mean a fully paved one I don't think AWD is going to make you faster. Now if you're talking rally, rallycross, ice racing, or something else low traction, AWD makes very good sense.

[duxthe1]

I'm pretty sure it would make you quicker on the road. The 4-m in the 124s provides insane traction on slick or dry surfaces. I had a conversation with a mb master tech that had an opportunity to participate in a track day in the early nineties with the then new models. He asserted the 4-m wagon was consistently the second fastest around the track behind the cossie. Obviously not because of horsepower.

If you want to know if a car has 4-m then drive it with a blatant disregard for physics. If it handles like the hand of god commands it then you have a 4-m.