Latest parts car

[JimFreeh]

Got a call a couple of months ago from a fella who wanted to know if I was interested in buying his MB.

You all know how it is, after a while cars start finding you, vice you having to look for them.....

Anyway, he described it as a 82 280, not really sure what kind of Benz, but was pretty sure it had a 280 motor, didn't know if it had a E or an SE after the 280... I was pretty sure, after some questions, that it was a W123. Checked up on my Nitsche's reference book and note that W123 280 cars were dropped in 1981. Well, being grey market, maybe the year was messed up.

He also disclosed that it was wrecked, he had rear ended another car.

Well, long story short, after a few calls back and forth I offered $200 for the car, still sight unseen, figuring, it was at least worth that much for a few parts and the scrap weight. He hemmed and hawed and eventually called me back to accept the offer.

A few more weeks passed, until we could arrive at time to pick it up.

That was yesterday.

Drive over to his home with the 'Burb and the car trailer, and as I thought, it's a W123 model. Champagne over a black velour interior. Other than the relatively minor front end damage, the car is very nice. Rear tires still have the mold tits on them, paint is quite nice, interior looks perfect, but covers over the front seat. Nice carpet, near perfect black dash (1/4" long split starting at RH speaker corner). Speedometer shows 130K miles. Manual sun roof, manual back windows, but fronts are power. You can tell that they were added, as there are plugs in the perfect door panels where the cranks used to be. Unused first aid kit still in the box.

Pop the trunk, and first thing I see is the triangle. Whoo Hooo! No tool kit, oh well, I've got a bunch of those...

Car has the delete option for the trunk emblem, so I'm still not sure if it's a carb or a einspritzer, but I'm trying not to look too excited about the car.

Owner says the battery is dead, and the car has been sitting for 6 months, so we decide to winch it onto the trailer. Turn the key to release the steering wheel lock, and the radio comes on. Hmmmm, maybe the battery can be brought back.... As we are getting ready to leave, the owner tells me (Oh, did I mention he is the original owner?) that just before hitting the other car, he had a new fuel pump installed. I said machanical or electric? He says, electric. Hmmm, isn't the carbed M130 mechanical? Could this be an injected engine?

So, get the car back home, put the battery on charge, then head off to the pick and pull. Pop the hood, and WTF?!!, it's fuelie! Way too cool!, I've got two euro M130 cars already, this is going to be a gold mine! Exhaust looks in great condition as well. Only downer is after pulling the front seat covers, I found some wear on the driver's seat in the usual places.

Come back from PNP and hook onto the trailer to unload. Decide to try to start the car to see if we drive it off the trailer. Engine cranks for about 10 seconds, then lights off. I shut it back down, and look a little closer under the hood. Radiator is pushed back into the fan, the fan will not turn, but all the belts are in place, and no damage to anything other than the fan. And, or course, the trashed radiator.

So, unchain the car, set the ramps, and drive it off. Engine is running smoothly while we drive it off.

Hook up some chains to a large tree, and my buddy and I attempt to pull the radiator support forward, to clear the fan. A couple of judicius pulls later, the fan clears and other than 1 broken blade is spinnning freely.

Cool.

So, next step is to take a couple of laps around the field, see how she runs. Trans shifts well, engine runs smoothly, suspension feels tight. Fender is rubbing on right front tire when we hit a swale, so we keep the speed down.

I turn on the manual HVAC, and I hear the compressor turn on. OMG, the condensor is still intact, and the A/C works. R12, too. I push on one of the ports and confirm pressure.

It's now parked in the field with the other parts cars, but she's almost too nice to junk. A hood, RF fender, RH light, radiator and a euro front bumper would bring her back to life.... Or, what a great donor car for my 84 280SL and 79 280TE.....

Jim

[Mike D]

You guys with those great finds make me sick! Good score, two thumbs up!

[ja17]

Hello Jim,

Be careful around those damaged fan blades. Magnesium is very brittle. I have seen crash-bent fan blades let go and go through steel hoods! Keep your body parts out of harms way or remove the damged blade altogether.

Take care,

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by ja17

Hello Jim,

Be careful around those damaged fan blades. Magnesium is very brittle. I have seen crash-bent fan blades let go and go through steel hoods! Keep your body parts out of harms way or remove the damged blade altogether.

Take care,

Hello Joe,

The fan is plastic, so I'm not too worried.

After getting this car, kinda makes me wish I'd kept the 81 euro 280E I gave you a few years ago.

But, given the value of these cars right now, I'm better off using it as a donor for others.

Jim

[Todd Miller]

That's a great story. Fun finding scores like this too.

Nice to see another MBer doing his business with a 'burb-n-trailer. Ya gotta love the Suburbans! Mine's an old school tbi 1990 1/2 ton 4x4 w/ 255k

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by Todd Miller

That's a great story. Fun finding scores like this too.

Nice to see another MBer doing his business with a 'burb-n-trailer. Ya gotta love the Suburbans! Mine's an old school tbi 1990 1/2 ton 4x4 w/ 255k

Yep, mine's a black 4X4 1/2 ton 1996 with the EFI and the extra 50 hp. Picked it up on the cheap when regular gas was hitting 4.00/gallon back in August. Still have the Cummins-Dodge for the big jobs, but the "Burb is a much better riding truck for local applications. I'm embarrassed to disclose how little I paid for it...

Jim

[Todd Miller]

I think the 'burbs are the best deals goin' in used family/utility haulers. A '96...I see those all day long here in socal for $2,500-$4,500, and they're in fantastic shape. IMO, nothing touches them, not even close....for what they do. 17-18mph on the highway empty, 14-15mpg towing, room for 8 and you can haul whatever you want, when you want. And they don't roll and crush themselves flat like the Explorer's and Excursions.

Found ours donated at the local Goodwill about 4yrs ago....peeling paint, passenger door caved in, 200 something on the clock, original engine and 700R4, one previous owner who'd purchased it as a demo from a San Jose dealer with 10k on it. It's got all the options.

[cth350]

Not sure what's going to go first on my 88 suburban. If it's the motor/tranny, then it goes from being a detroit gasser to an OM617a greaser. If it's the floor, then well, time to go find a replacement, this time with barn doors.

-CTH

[Todd Miller]

Finally had the tranny in ours rebuilt after it lost 3rd and 4th, but still got me home on a back road in 2nd. Rather than to with the $1,300 GM rebuilt, I had a local GM Dealer tech who build the tranny's for the dealer, just rebuild mine. I bought all the latest and greatest towing goodies for inside it. It's not hard shifting, or as crazy beefed up as the Raptors you see online, but it does the hauling I need. I added a big cast aluminum finned B&M trans pan that holds an extra 4qts and put a mechanical temp gauge in it. Also hung a huge trans cooler out in front of the condensor.

The left rear outer axle bearing started making noise last year and I had the same guy rebuild the entire rear end, including new gears, all the bearings and one axle. Added a big finned cast aluminum diff cover that holds more fluid and disappates heat better.

Ours has barn doors and I think they are a great option.

If I didn't like ours so much, I'd find an identical one in diesel.

[Pooka]

I once saw a 1984 230 with FI in a wrecking yard that was a Euro car. It was in for some transmission repair and the owner just never came back for it. The engine looked just like the one in the 190E I had at the time.

The point of this post is that it, too, had the power front windows and the cranks in the back, so this may have been a factory thing at one time.

Pooka

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by Pooka

I once saw a 1984 230 with FI in a wrecking yard that was a Euro car. It was in for some transmission repair and the owner just never came back for it. The engine looked just like the one in the 190E I had at the time.

The point of this post is that it, too, had the power front windows and the cranks in the back, so this may have been a factory thing at one time.

Pooka

Pooka,

Power front, manual rear is a regular euro option.

In the case of this car, the plugs in the door panels tell me that it did not come with power windows. It also did not have A/C installed at the factory, as expected, looking at the sankyo compressor....

Also, this car, along with my 280SL came with the radio installation package, but no radio. This 280E also has a manual Hirschmann antenna in the LR quarter panel.

I also ran the VIN through the Russian MB websight, and it veried my assumptions.

Did another lookover of the parts car, and I'm really on the fence about junking it... It's much cleaner than the 79 280TE wagon, and has that really cool black velour interior...... and the wagon would provide all the donor parts necessary to revive the sedan.

Jim

[Txjake]

sounds like it is too cool to die....

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by Todd Miller

I think the 'burbs are the best deals goin' in used family/utility haulers. A '96...I see those all day long here in socal for $2,500-$4,500, and they're in fantastic shape. IMO, nothing touches them, not even close....for what they do. 17-18mph on the highway empty, 14-15mpg towing, room for 8 and you can haul whatever you want, when you want. And they don't roll and crush themselves flat like the Explorer's and Excursions.

Found ours donated at the local Goodwill about 4yrs ago....peeling paint, passenger door caved in, 200 something on the clock, original engine and 700R4, one previous owner who'd purchased it as a demo from a San Jose dealer with 10k on it. It's got all the options.

Mine is the negative of yours.... click to enlarge.

Jim

[Todd Miller]

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

Mine is the negative of yours.... click to enlarge.

Jim

Attachment 62309

'cept mine has the aerodynamics of 2 sheets of plywood going down the road

What kind of mileage does yours get if you're driving it easy?

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by Todd Miller

'cept mine has the aerodynamics of 2 sheets of plywood going down the road

What kind of mileage does yours get if you're driving it easy?

I got 12.7 towing my Ford Ranch Wagon down to South Carolina.

I've recorded 17.8 twice. Once on a round trip to DC, second time a round trip to Allentown, PA.

Seems to do 14-15 around town.

I drive it like my diesel, conservation of momentum, light throttle, coast up to lights. I could easily drop the numbers, doubt if anyone could improve significantly....

The few times I jumped on the throttle, she really picked up her skirts and ran. Downside is, when coupled to a load, you can feel the engine work, and towing is best done in 3rd (or direct) gear. Even then, the truck will downshift or come out of lockup on hills. But then, I'm pretty spoiled, having towed with a Cummins-Dodge for 11 years. The fam dambly much prefers the "Burb, but for a solo out of town pulls, I'll still use the road locomotive.

By comparision, my standard cab 4X4 Cummins, with the 5 speed Getrag manual, will consistently give me 14 pulling my 27' Airstream, 17 with a car trailer, and 21-23 unloaded.

Jim