THANK YOU to whomever posted the superseded part # ~ even the Classic Center has no idea about this, I gave it to them and received a new latch quickly .

It is the *exact* same latch, made by BUM, the same manufacturer and even has the same stamped part # with the "7" over stamped with a "9" .

Cost was $110 .

I'm working on getting my photos with images and part #'s re sized so maybe they'll allow me to post them .

The usually lost inner chrome handle is also available from Mercedes , IIRC the list price is $70, I foolishly trusted reinventthewheel and they doubled the price for the same part from the Mercedes warehouse in Fontana, Ca. .

It's a bit of a Chinese puzzle to R & R the latch, it needs to be pushed in then turned and the rear dome lamp's plug carefully & gently disconnected then you carefully work it to the right until you can with draw it from one of the many access windows in the hatch .

I got lucky and found an N.O.S. hatch vacuum chamber too so now it's all hunky dory again .

As long as I was working back there I replaced the hatch struts and the rear speakers, Becker New Jersey has very nice dual cone speakers that come with the correct sub harness' and plugs and are the correct 8 Ohms .

Sadly because they're ever so slightly bigger they're a snug fit and unless you drill new holes cannot use all four original screws to retain them .

They do sound GREAT ! .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better