Bought a 1976 280SLC from a friend back in November. Have fairly recently found PeachParts.com. Great info!

This car was bought in Germany, then by a man from Eugene, Oregon and shipped here. I bought it with 56,000 miles and it now has 58,000 with all records.

We fell in love with this car and decided to buy other Benzes and have since bought a 1985 300SD & a 1983 300D for our son.

Pics:







With W126 300SD:




Back when we had a GM or two...

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

gotta love those bumpers on the 107. and the rest of it too. very nice. alibassi (in texas) knows the model inside and out.

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Thank you. I don't see an alibassi in the members list...I'd love to talk to him.

The biggest question we have is regarding the alarm system. We can't seem to find any documentation on the car in English.

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

That's because Tinkervitch spelled my name wrong That looks like a really nice looking car and judging by the condition of the seats, the mileage might be genuine.

Does it have a/c?

The alarm is probably not a factory installed alarm. Most car alarms of that era consisted of switches that detected the doors or trunk lid opening and had a key to enable or disable them. Are you having problems with it?

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With best regards

Al

Ah...that's funny. OK.

You can follow the service records back to determine that the mileage is correct.

It does not have AC. We kicked around installing it, but I think that I won't and keep it as original as possible instead.

The alarm consists of a key hole on the driver's rear quarter panel, and a black push-button knob on the center console. It has gone off before and no one could get it to turn off. Right now, it doesn't seem to work right but that's OK with me. If the car is off, you can rotate the black knob and the horn will stay on continuously.

It appears that a PO messed with the alarm's horn wiring in the past, I dunno.

Interesting: I just tried my car's key in the key hole and it doesn't fit. I just assumed that it did.

The only real problem I am having with the car is that the fuel and temp gauge tend to move a little, but I think I just need to pull each sending unit and clean them.

The interior is showing a little of its being 35 years old: the horse hair is falling and odds and ends come loose now and then.

But it drives and rides like an absolute dream. This car does 110mph like my old Chevy Lumina did 45mph. L O V E this car!!!

Do you know where I can get more info on these? I have the owner's manual, but it's auf Deutsch. Downloads would be great!

According to this site: http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/mercedes_280SLC_107_technical_specifications.htm there were only 1508 of these made in 1976. But according to the data card (if I am reading the above correctly), it was the 2375th made. Is that the 2375th 107 built, or is the site wrong and there were more than 1508 made in '76?

I'm sure I'll think of more...but this is off the top of my head.

This week I'd like to contact the local dealer and see if I can figure out what day the car was built. My wife was born in Germany in October of 1975...so it's possible that it was built about the same time as she was there.

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

If you own the car and it's in your name, contact the Mercedes Benz classic center in Irvine CA and they will send you a data card which will give you the build date, market it sold to and options list. The alarm is aftermarket. I would trace the positive wire for the alarm which is more then likely connected to the positive terminal on the battery and remove it. Problem solved.

You're vin will read something like this:

107 - model numer
022 - stands for 280slc
1 - LHD
2 - Automatic
XXXXXX sequential vin number.

The vin number is not for the year but total made. I think that the 280SLC was made all the way back to 73-74 so the data you have may be correct.

I'm not sure where the temp sender is on the M110 engine (even though i have two cars with the M110 engine) but the fuel tank sender is right behind the seat under the first aid box panel. You'll need to remove the bottom of that box to get to it. Buy a gasket if you plan to remove it as you'll need a new one. They are cheap.

How long have you been driving this car? It may need just a few tanks of gas with injector cleaner to loosen any grime on the sender.

Good luck with it!

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With best regards

Al

Oh, that makes sense about the number made of that body and not the year. Got it. I will contact the MB Classic Center, thanks!

I have been driving it since November but it did a lot of sitting before that, and the gas gauge has gotten better with the fill ups. I have not put any injector cleaner in it. Any brands you suggest?

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

Seafoam, ATF , Tectron.

__________________
With best regards

Al

As in Automatic Transmission Fluid??? I have done that with my SD, but didn't think about putting it in my GAS tank.

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

Yep, it will help clean and lubricate your fuel system. Talk to Mercmad6.3, he can recommend quantities.

__________________
With best regards

Al

One more question:

Do you know where we can get some of the fabric that you see on the seats? When the stuffing was deteriorated enough, I ripped a small hole in the fabric and would like to fix it. But we don't know where to get it.

Also, we are looking for a cheaper source for the padding on the front seats of this car. We were quoted over $300 per seat just for the stuffing. There is trimmed-down 126 stuffing in the driver's side seat for now.

Padding? Stuffing? I'm sure MB has a better term than these...

Thanks!

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

Try world upholstery and GAHH, if they cannot get it, there is a company in Germany that can supply it but it's really expensive. I checked them out for blue velour and it worked out to 100 Euro's for linear meter and then you also have to factor in shipping.

__________________
With best regards

Al

Isn't that speedometer calibrated in KPH? Those little red tics are the limits for 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear (noting that your car normally starts from a standstill in 2nd).

If I'm correct about the unit of measure, your "milage" is like 2/3 of what you think it is.

-CTH

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- cth350@gmail.com
http://www.111lakeside.com/

No, it's MPH only. When brought over from Germany (federalized, I think), some extra bracing was put in the doors, halogens were replaced by the lights you see, and the speedometer was swapped out to this one. I thought it was interesting that there is no KPH at all.

The paperwork matches the mileage, so I assume that the odometer was changed from 00000 to whatever it was at the time...but converted to miles instead of kilometers.

The speedometer is about 10mph fast at 60mph, so it does probably have a few less miles than the odometers shows; but not significantly less.

And this is an automatic.

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2004 E320 Wagon W211
2000 CLK430 Convertible W208
1985 300SD W126
1983 300D W123

so maybe the speedo was for a four-speed auto or manual?

anyway, sorry to everyone for the mis-spelling.

sincerely.

tonka toy

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."