Value of '73 280c

[Tomlinson]

I am looking at a '73 280c with 73k on it that the owner says is in perfect shape except for A/C. He wants $5200. He has put about 20k in the past ten years says he just drove it 200 miles. Is this car going to cost me a lot to keep running. Is there a market for them? Am I getting myself into a headache, I am not really inclined to do lots of work on it.

[ctaylor738]

I will say that $5K+ is top dollar for these cars. Without seeing it, it is difficult to guage the condition or repair needs, but at 73K and very little recent driving, fluid leaks can be expected.

These cars are not expensive if you are willing to shop around for parts and do some work yourself. They are expensive if you simply drop them off at a shop or God forbid a dealer. Parts are easy to find since lots of cars on the East Coast are rusting into oblivion, and the M110 motor is shared with the W123 chassis.

At a minimum, I would insist on a compression test and look for 160 psi or close to it on all cylinders. I would also look at the cams to make sure there are no flat lobes. Be sure that the transmission shifts smoothly and that the rear end does not whine. Drive the car with a cold engine to be sure all the warm-up stuff is working. Pull up the rugs and look for rust on the floors. Ditto for the trunk floor.

If the AC has not worked for some time, you are looking at a minimum of $500 there.

Good luck.

This not a car to look at if your concern is what kind of "market" there is for them. You buy one if you really "like" it...that's all.
One of the biggest problems on that model is that 9 times out of 10 the carburetor has been "worked on" by persons of limited knowledge that have over-tightened every screw on it. The correct repairs can exceed the value of the car.
Regards,
Randy D.