Thanx for the insight. Congrats on the pending purchase, I hope you will update everyone here as to your impressions of the car once possession is yours.

Please keep us updated-thats a very interesting car!

cheers,
dan r.

Story sounds like it could be legit, seems like a good car at a fair price. Keep us updated!

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Very cool.

Try to see it start cold and see if you get a blast of blue smoke (valve guides). If there is any valve noise, have a look at the cams - they are expensive. The vacuum gauge should be pegged to the left at idle if the engine is in good shape.

I swear that's a 107 instrument layout. I've never seen a vacuum guage on a 123, and the US 280E that I drove for four years had a large clock and no tach which I always thought was odd, because our 123 diesel had a tach.

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

I checked my 83 280SL Euro instrument cluster layout and it is different. This could be 123 Euro cluster.

__________________
Roman
_____________
87 300SDL 152K
86 420SEL 228K
83 280SL 145K (5 spd)
_____________

I'm real happy to hear your experiences with the seller have been so positive, and hope you finally get the car at a reasonable price. Frankly, the car attracts me so much I had to really struggle not to try to buy it myself.
Occasionally it might be OK to buy sight unseen, and this could really be such an instance.

While I'm not sure of your success in following the AMG paper trail, on a unit this old, from what you have said the seller told you, and from looking at the AMG brochure (it was in German) of the time, I personally feel about 99% sure the body kit and pieces, and the wheels would be real AMG pieces, making the car a really unique vehicle.

I had forgotten all about the Stage I-II-III variants, and you evidently have here the Stage I cosmetic variant of the car. That said, you will really enjoy shifting the manual, it's a good one. I have never enjoyed trying a manual on a 280 euro, but it'll put a grin on your face, the quickest stock setuo on the 123 there was. It will be enjoyable going through the gears on that one, while looking good. The Benz manual shifts very nicely, the throws are just right. I never got used to their oversized stock steering wheels, so you will probably like the smaller aftermarket wheel on it.d I have never seen a W123 with the vacuum economy guage on it (my 126 has one of these) nor one with ABS, though they may have been 123 options then.

This particular car may go against the prevailing wisdom that the W123 is not collectible...I would say you will be likely getting a well bought car (though normally I would be inclined to run from a lifelong midwest car because of the rust)

More pictures after you bought it would be appreciated by everyone here if that would be possible.

This car would have cost a pretty penny when new, when the Federalization and DOT/EPA certifications, shipping and original cost of the car were added up.

The only things I wondered about, was the carfax page, I thought CARFAX did not acccept gray market VIN#s (?) and I noticed the car had no plates on it and no mention that it was DOT/EPA certified.(In the auction description) For sure you would want the DOT/EPA clearances done, before accepting the car....

I think it is a rare car, and a survivor, and you will like owning it

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)