1965 300SE Long Wheel Base

[snp8990]

Hi,
I am looking to purchase a 1965 300SE Long Wheel Base that has been in storage since 1971.The car is solid,with only dust.Everything is original.It has the keys and manuals and title.The car is not running and is very low to the ground.I do not know the condition of the air-suspension,but how easy is it to change the air-suspension to coil-spring?Is it worth a change to coil-spring or keep the air-suspension?

[280SE Guy]

Is the car in PA or CT? You would be better off keeping the air suspension.

[Old World Auto]

Please do not bastardize a very rare w112 LWB. These are rare cars; not many were built, 1546 in total. How many are left? 20% if we are lucky, I'd bet. The air suspension is an item that makes a w112 what it is. It would be like cutting your legs off and replacing them with wooden dowels to convert to a spring suspension.

To transport the car, the car will need to be raised. Chances are good the airbags are shot and will not hold air long if at all. If the car is very original, the owner should still have the suspension buffer blocks. These are pieces of metal and rubber designed to fit in the suspension to hold the car at a safe height for transport and were provided with the car at the time of purchase. Want to ruin an air suspension? Ship a car without these blocks in place. That car will sit very low to the ground when the suspension is not raised and it is likely damage will occur to the underside of the car, suspension, and possibly even the inside of the fenders if the car is attempted to be moved or loaded onto a flatbed when completely down. If no buffer blocks are to be found with the car contact Mercedes Classic Center or look on EBay.

A w112 is a very expensive car to repair and maintain. Parts are attrocious. Go and price a distributor cap if you do not believe me. However, these are very elite cars and can be very rewarding to enjoy. It is not a car for someone who does not have the means to support it.

Do your due dilligence. If this is the car for you, you will be a curator of a rare piece of MB history. See the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of The Star to learn more about the w112.

[tcb323]

Please, please have the car professionally moved and restored, or at least refurbished to operating specs by someone who has experience with these models!!

Do NOT change it to coil springs. There are many very nice 220se's out there for sale.

With only a 6 year on-the-road period, it may have quite low miles and although it will need extensive parts and maintenance to get it running again, it will be a very special car when completed.

these are so rare to find, especially in that kind of 'time warp' condition. It's not your average fintail!

If you don't go ahead with it, you can buy my black, rust free '64 220SE, and I'll buy the 300SE!

good luck and enjoy!

josef
LA,CA

[t walgamuth]

I agree completely with the above comments. Try to keep it as original as possible. If it seems like too much of a project please inform other benz heads so it goes to someone who can do it up right.

Its not a car to try to operate on a shoestring.

Tom W

[wbain5280]

Getting one of these W112.015's back to operating condition can be expensive. You need to get in touch with Chris Johnson who has cornered the market in W112's, and a few 6.3's.

www.300SE.org

He's over on the M100 discussion board a lot.

http://www.m-100.cc/forum/default.asp

The air suspension needs to be chacked, the chassis greased, like to 4, count em 4, grease nipples on the rear axle. There are two on the swing joint and two on the brake caliper bearings, a couple on the driveshaft andone per joint on the front suspension.

The M189 engine is unique and all aluminum, except for the cast iron liners.

Please take some pictures and post them.

[cth350]

you need about 1,000$ worth of parts, time and patience along with some skill to work on the air suspension system. It's not rocket science, it's just "different".

The first hurdle to overcome is to just move the car. Is there a compressor where the car is sitting? (or can you get one to it)? Under the driver's side front fender is an air resevoir tank and on the side of the tank is what looks like a tire valve. Apply an air chuck to it and put some pressure in the tank. As you do so, the car should start to rise. The system takes 12 atu of pressure (15psi == 1atu), so go ahead, put as much air in as you can.

By the driver's knee is a control lever that has a control over the ride height. It should have a letter or two on it and nothing more. check the owners manual for the correct setting for driving.

If you're lucky, the bags will hold air with the compressor disconnected. Most likely, they won't. Once the car is a few inches off the ground, you can get a jack under it (follow the manual for the right spots) and that will let you get the wheels off the ground. With a wheel off the ground, you can put a small length of 2x3 (not 2x4) in place to compensate for the bellows being deflated. The manual should show you where the emergency rubber buffers go. Use the same locations for the 2x3s.

Aside from having a 2x3 on hand, a couple of 2x6 planks are helpful. have the car climb the 2x6 peices before it climbs the trailer or rollback. This is to keep the tail of the car and the exhaust from hitting the ground. You will need to stack 3 or 4 of the 2x6's to get the right effect.

Of course, that just deals with the suspension. The M189 motor is a unique beast. Be prepared to pay 400$ for a distributor cap if it needs one. The water pump, generator, and half a dozen other items are far worse than that in price.

Like the others said, this is a rare car that deserves to stay original as best you can.

-CTH

[Old World Auto]

Originally Posted by cth350

The M189 motor is a unique beast. Be prepared to pay 400$ for a distributor cap if it needs one.

-CTH

Charlie,

Recheck the price on that cap. I quoted one with MB Classic during the summer and list was well over $1000. One may be able to find a few for the $400 range if a seller has some NOS bits, but m189 and w112 parts are skyrocketing. Another example, priced a generator for a 190sl from MB Classic earlier this Fall, list was around $3600. New, no more rebuilts. M110 water pump, the short one, no more rebuilts, new only, $695 from MB. It is only going to get worse from here.

[t walgamuth]

Yipes!

Tom W

[Old World Auto]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Yipes!

Tom W

However, there are some good things too about it. For example m117/116 d-jet engine wiring harnesses. They were something like $2k+ three years ago. As of this Spring, it was less than $900. New, not some rotten NOS bit either! Magnificent quality, supple, a steal at twice the price and better than making your own. My hat's off to those who have done that, but it is not the same, is it? It transformed the 4.5 that I recently did that job on. I like consistency in the electrical bits. It is important they are not variables.

A lot of parts are going back into production that were NLA for years. If you want to replace the rotten ponton heater ducts in cardboard, they now make one in plastic. Could be better, but still excellent nonetheless and even better because there is nothing else out there if you need them short of making them yourself.

Tires of crap wires from the OEMs? You can purchase the raw bits to make your own ignition wires at Mb Classic. Affordable too. Good to be proficient with a soldering gun for those of you with earlier cars.

I will still say the quality of the parts through MB, be it Classic Center or the traditional dealer network, are of very high caliber. Lightyears beyond the best of the OEMs. Filters are filters, however with certain OEMs better than others. To each their own, there.

Seriously, sometimes it pays to buy the better quality part. I personally, despise making double work.

[t walgamuth]

yes.

Tom W

[todds]

I agree 100% with the comments about parts and keeping it completely original. What a great car, finding one like that must be a thrill. It was one of M-B's most stately cars and deserves more recognition, an excellent project!

[Q45Denver]

Only about 60 300SE/SEL's left in Germany although number appears to have increased due to imports?

http://www.dbdepot.de/index.php?nav=2&lan=2&