Any w123 Coupe fans, Is it worth it?....Restore 77' grey market manual w123 280c M110

[jwalk1972]

I know this is prob going to require more info for anyone to answer so I'll try to provide a little.

It's a 78' grey market standard w123 280c M110 210,00kilometers

I've never owned a Mercedes with an M110 so I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. The second owner has had it since 83 but its been sitting for years. He was trying to get it up and running and started a fire in the engine bay. I'm now trying to replace the hoses and connect the carburetor so I can test the engine. If the engine is in fair condition then I'll start digging into the rest of it.

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

[Mike D]

Check for rust. The hinge pocket area is a prime location due to a poor drain design. I'd hit with a Shop-Vac every time I wash the car

Dump the Solex carb. Lot's of conversions available, all pricey. Holley, TBI, Webers, Quadrajet (Edelbrock) and numerous others. A few people have had some success rebuilding the Solex but I am not one of them.

Can't really tell from the interior shots whether you have the accursed ACC.

The manual transmission is definitely a plus. The M110 carb'ed engine isn't exactly "peppy" but it has more than sufficient power for the chassis. Fuel mileage is a bit on the "ouch" side. Expect 13-17 MPG in town and MAYBE 20-22 MPG on the road.

You are going to learn to hate the #6 spark plug. VERY easy to cross thread the bugger. Go slow and hand start it. Never Seize compound is your friend. Use it on every place a steel bolt/stud threads into the aluminum head/cam tower assembly.

Enjoy the ride!

[Frank Reiner]

A second for Mike's view. The M110 is quite durable; 210K kilometers/126K miles is mid-life. Parts & whole engines are available reasonably. Chassis condition is more important.
All interior door and window pieces should be present; they are unique to the coupe.

[Mike D]

As an addendum regarding rust prone areas check under the battery tray. New, the car had a vent tube leading from the battery to the inside fender well for the escape of fumes. Time and battery replacements usually resulted in either the deterioration of the tube or failure to replace them. This allowed the corrosive sulfuric acid fumes to collect and dissolve the metal beneath the battery.

Replace the battery with an AGM type to forestall the problem.

[ScooterABC]

Originally Posted by Mike D

Replace the battery with an AGM type to forestall the problem.

I've had nothing but problems with Optima AGM batteries.

[Mike D]

I've never used the Optima line so I can't say anything about them. I've never had a problem using the Bosch brand of AGM's.

As always, YMMV.

[jwalk1972]

Originally Posted by Frank Reiner

A second for Mike's view. The M110 is quite durable; 210K kilometers/126K miles is mid-life. Parts & whole engines are available reasonably. Chassis condition is more important.
All interior door and window pieces should be present; they are unique to the coupe.

The interior is a mess and all of the interior pieces seem to be present or repairable.

I need to take a better look at the chassis. It has a few holes in the floor from water and rust. Not too big of an issue. I need to get the car on a lift soon. I first want to see if I can get the engine to a decent place.

Thx Frank!

Originally Posted by Mike D

Check for rust. The hinge pocket area is a prime location due to a poor drain design. I'd hit with a Shop-Vac every time I wash the car

Dump the Solex carb. Lot's of conversions available, all pricey. Holley, TBI, Webers, Quadrajet (Edelbrock) and numerous others. A few people have had some success rebuilding the Solex but I am not one of them.

Can't really tell from the interior shots whether you have the accursed ACC.

The manual transmission is definitely a plus. The M110 carb'ed engine isn't exactly "peppy" but it has more than sufficient power for the chassis. Fuel mileage is a bit on the "ouch" side. Expect 13-17 MPG in town and MAYBE 20-22 MPG on the road.

You are going to learn to hate the #6 spark plug. VERY easy to cross thread the bugger. Go slow and hand start it. Never Seize compound is your friend. Use it on every place a steel bolt/stud threads into the aluminum head/cam tower assembly.

Enjoy the ride!

I'll make sure to hit the hinge pockets and check the drainage.

My preference is to see how the engine is before spending money on a carb, but once I know its in decent shape I'll invest in the swap.

Whats the accursed ACC?

Thanks again for all your help Mike D!

[Mike D]

Automatic Climate Control.

ACC unit. Depending on the year the button arrangement may differ. Can be a real can of worms to refurbish.


"European" or manual version. Nice, simple, straight forward.

[jwalk1972]

Originally Posted by Mike D

Automatic Climate Control.

ACC unit. Depending on the year the button arrangement may differ. Can be a real can of worms to refurbish.
Attachment 151135

"European" or manual version. Nice, simple, straight forward.

Attachment 151136

It has the European version.

[Mike D]

You're in like Flynn then. Easy to get back to operating status.

Cheap (relatively) way to get the car running is to install a 4BBL to 2BBL conversion plate (Holley carries them for about $30), slap on a 2BBL carburetor from a '70's era Ford product and do some rerouting of the fuel line. I ran my '73 W114 with a M110 for several months using that set-up. That will allow you to determine the condition of the engine without having to piss about with the Solex.

[Benz Dr.]

From what I remember, there never was a 280C in euro trim. Is this a 280CE with a carbed engine replacement?
We have a real 280CE in the shop right now and after a couple of years of sitting it was a real bear to sort out all of the fuel related problems. The carbed version would be easier to sort out.

The outside looks OK but the interior is the dog's breakfast. I hope it's priced right.

[jwalk1972]

Originally Posted by Mike D

You're in like Flynn then. Easy to get back to operating status.

Cheap (relatively) way to get the car running is to install a 4BBL to 2BBL conversion plate (Holley carries them for about $30), slap on a 2BBL carburetor from a '70's era Ford product and do some rerouting of the fuel line. I ran my '73 W114 with a M110 for several months using that set-up. That will allow you to determine the condition of the engine without having to piss about with the Solex.

Perfect, thx big time Mike. I'll look into it.

[jwalk1972]

Originally Posted by Benz Dr.

From what I remember, there never was a 280C in euro trim. Is this a 280CE with a carbed engine replacement?
We have a real 280CE in the shop right now and after a couple of years of sitting it was a real bear to sort out all of the fuel related problems. The carbed version would be easier to sort out.

The outside looks OK but the interior is the dog's breakfast. I hope it's priced right.

nope, it's a 280c from Europe. So it's good to know it will be easier to deal with.

yeah, the interior is the easy part.

[Mike D]

Post # 20.

W123 Cloth Seats

[vwnate1]

Nice if tatty looking car .

Before you turn the engine much, open the rocker box and use a pump oiler to squirt ATF on the valve stems so they don't seize as you begin the waking up .

Keep us posted ! .