Found a 1984 280SEL is it worth it?

[moruzzi]

I found a very cheap 1984 280SEL with 150K mi. It had a "light hit" in the front, lights are broken, and some body dammage (I havent seen the car yet). Motor runs fine and was driven home after the front end hit. Supposed to be one owner car.

Since this would be a gray market car what issues are there with parts availability? Supposedly it has power everything. Are window motors, regulators, seat motors etc common across the US and Euro 126 chasis? Is the euro climate control the same or are there different options? Are body parts common between US and euro 126 sedans?

Wat about parts availability for the engine on a 280SEL? Are parts easily available, or does everything need to be ordered with a couple week delay? How about normal maint items, things like distributor cap, rotor, etc for the 110 motor (I believe thats the correct one)?

I'm trying to decide if its worth the ride to check it out.

Thanks
Paul Moruzzi

[FineOlBenz]

I have one. No problem getting parts so far. I've really not had any problems. The water pump was different but I was able to locate it and have it shipped in 3 days.

My next concern is to locate a new radiator just for the fun of it.

Major differences are bumpers and headlamps (euro). Interior on mine is cloth. No smog pump on mine and Ive noticed several emissions differnces even on the same models. I've had no ignition problems yet however I do have a low miler.

[ctaylor738]

It's the good ol' M110, whose only fault is burning oil as the valve seals wear. It is one of the few engines where replacing them is a large hassle because the cam box needs to come off to do it.

You might find it underpowered - that is a lot of car to push around with 2.8 L - I rode in one in the UK and that was the one thing the owner did not like.

The parts guys will roll their eyes because the will have to go to some more trouble to verify your parts are the right number, but should not be a real problem.

[stevebfl]

Actually those are quite spirited cars, Chuck. My wife drove one from 1984 till we bought her ML in 1998. The M110 was replaced with an OM617 for US markets to meet CAFE fuel use requirements.

The Euro M110 motor actually has as much HP as a US 380. It surely has more HP than a 300SD. Of course they all pale in comparison to my 2000 540i; but who needs HP anyway (bg).

[sixto]

The 280SEL I test drove in 87 felt more sluggish on hills than the SDL I have now. Could be second gear start. Could also be that I have more seat time in the SDL and know how to coax a response from it.

Consider the 280 if you can't find a comparably equipped 380SEL for the same cash outlay after repairs. I'd be tempted to spend a little more on the 280SEL if it had features that appealed to me that aren't available in US-spec cars. In my case these are fabric upholstery and manual AC without the penalty of roll up windows.

Steve, what MB sedan can plant you in your seat like the 540 does?

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

If the car has 150k miles and has been hit to the point where the lights are broken I would classify it as a parts car. Unless you are handy with body work or have an "in" at a body shop you are probably better off looking for a better example. From what you describe it sounds like it's worth about $500 and will require $2k in work at a minimum to make it right. And that's assuming that there are truly no mechanical problems. My recommendation would be to save your cash and get a nice 126.

[stevebfl]

The 540 I have now has Vanos where my earlier one (97) did not. Its strange as the rated horsepower stays the same 282. The hp curve for the Vanos one is about 30hp higher in the mid rpms and torque is higher through all ranges.

This makes it a good run against a 5l MB but acceleration is not what this car is specifically about. I have driven everything there is and the sum product add up to the best there is for my values. So many of the high HP MBs are so heavy feeling. The BMW feels like it owns the road, I caught my wife driving 100mph on the freeway while avoiding a bottleneck in 85mph traffic. The big MBs are too big and the mid size aren't sporty enough for me. I did have an E430 in between the two BMWs and I'll probably buy a 220 car soon to play with. I fix a lot of things I don't know how to operate: navigation, on-board computers and such, but it is best if I can experience ride and performance first hand to improve my diagnostic approach.

As example, I spent considerable effort recently trying to get my BMW to leave its lights on after parking at night, a feature the E430 had. I got into car and key memory only to find it already set up. It wasn't untill reading about the xenon lights that I discovered that the BMW has to have this feature initiated by a dipping of the lights. My first 540 I had for 3 years and never knew I could pull the high beams and get the lights to stay on for 40 secs (or 60, or 120, or 240 by programming).

>

I think I agree with Geoff though about the car. I would buy a good car. I think you are better off to buy a good car than to buy cheap and try and build it. Good 126 cars are easy to find.

[moruzzi]

Thanks for the responses. I figure I'll pass on this one. I'm currently driving a 84 300SD with over 300K mi and picked up a 92 400E a couple months ago that I'll put on the road in about a month. I Just keep my eyes open for deals - paid about $4K for the SD and have put about 120K mi on it hope to have similar luck with the 400E which I got for $4800.

Thanks for the help
Paul