View Single Post
  #11  
Old 04-09-2013, 10:56 PM
Zacharias's Avatar
Zacharias Zacharias is offline
Not so amused
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: West Quebec
Posts: 4,025
Quote:
Originally Posted by kerry View Post
You're right, it does. Never heard of it on an 116 SD.
The w116 series 300sd models had conventional shocks. No SLS, no anti-squat (6.9 only) or other such goodies.

RUST.

RUST.

RUST.

Bear in mind these cars can look fine up top but be so rusty underneath you can't raise them on hoist. That actually happened on one car I was looking at to purchase (hoist went up, lots of loud cracking and snapping noises, car stayed still... owner was not pleased when he returned to claim it).

If you are serious about the car, after seeing it, you should have it examined by a knowledgeable mechanic, particularly for underbody rot. Visual inspection will not necessarily suffice.

The climate control is not a direct swap to eliminate the servo by swapping in manual system (as with a w123). The only year w116 cars were imported to North America with a simpler, manual system was 1973. So there are very,very few cars out there with the european system setup.

Edit/addition: floors and frames rot on these cars. Do not judge based on appearance. Inside floors have a layer of bonded sound insulation that looks like metal but can hide rust (actually promotes it as it gets wet and stays wet, floors can rot from the inside). Underneath, many cars came with thick rubberized undercoat that hides soft or rotten floor panels very nicely. As compu_85 says, bring a screwdriver to the party....

Bear in mind these cars were designed in the late 1960s/early 70s (production started in '72 on that body style). Remember what cars rusted like back then.

I had one of these for 8 years. They are great cars if you get the right one....
__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Last edited by Zacharias; 04-10-2013 at 01:27 AM.
Reply With Quote