Euro W116 4-speed 280S project for sale
 

Posting this in both the parts and cars forums because I don't know whether people are going to be more interested in this one as a whole car or as a gold mine of rare, cool parts. :)

I have been offered by an acquaintance a '79 280S, i.e. a Euro W116 with a six-cylinder carbed 2.8-liter six, with a 4-speed manual transmission, for $800.

The car is not drivable as is but would be a pretty easy fix, I think, or a great source of parts for various conversions. I don't have the time for another project of this size (in both senses!) or the time or space to part it out. But the seller is eager for cash, so if anyone's seriously interested, PM me with a phone number or email and I will pass your contact info on to her (or give you hers if she OKs that). Following is a summary of the good and bad points of the car that I noticed on a fairly thorough inspection. I can also get pictures and/or send you a longer account of my impressions of the car that I wrote for the Okiebenz mailing list.

Bad:

• Engine in uncertain condition - not original but swapped from a Euro 280TE wagon according to the seller, it's supposedly a high-compression M110 block with the fuel injection system removed and a single carb installed. The swap was a pretty sloppy amateur job, the car has been sitting since it was started, and the job was never really finished - the throttle linkage is disconnected, radiator hoses need to be sourced to fit the new engine to the old radiator, little stuff like that.
• Lots of rust in fenders and rocker panels. I am not an expert at body work or welding by any means, but I don't think it's terminal. Does need attention though.
• Badly faded and oxidized paint.
• Since it can't be driven as is, I have no idea the condition of the suspension.
• Same for the transmission and clutch (although they both felt right just working through the gears with the engine off).
• Original radio is gone.

Good:

• 4-speed manual transmission! I know this can bolt right up to the OM617, so if you have an engine from a W116 300SD you are all set; not sure about the 4.5 liter V-8 (if it could even handle the torque) or any other engine.
• Body is very straight apart from the visible rust.
• Euro lights including vacuum height control, an easy swap into another 116.
• Euro bumpers, ditto.
• Manual climate control similar to that of an early R107 (vertical sliders and a big knob in the middle) - no type I servo to fail, or any other ACC headaches!
• MB-Tex interior in great shape, no big tears or worn patches.
• Seat heaters.
• Two-tone horn switch.
• Sunroof.
  

Color is Milan Brown (root beer) with steel wheels with matching hubcaps. The interior is Bamboo (orangey-tan).

As I said the car is not drivable as is, nor is it something you could make driveable in the seller's driveway, so it would definitely need to be towed. It's located in northeast Portland, Oregon.

I don't have any financial interest here, I just do not want to see the car go to the U-Pull-It, or worse, to the crusher, and I think this car has great project potential for somebody who values the 4-speed and other Euro goodies and is willing to gamble on the rest not being worth much. If I had all the time in the world, I would buy it, have the rust fixed and the car repainted, and then probably swap the engine for an OM617, or sell the 4-speed and related parts and transplant the engine and transmission from a shabby 300E I have. The possibilities are wide open, though.