Hi, found an '84 300 SD and an '87 300E today; the S-Class was shot but had been painted candy apple red so at least it went out without it's dignity intact. Sunroof was not the kind that lifts in back, so I scored two lift arms and a motor asembly from the '87 E-Class. Does anyone know if the parts are the same as the 1986 S-class? they look identical; I'll check the part numbers on them tomorrow. Also got a power antenna assembly from the E, as well as several other sunroof parts, plus the outside temp sensor and associated wiring from the SD. Someone had gotten pretty much all the instrument cluster and parts of the air conditioning from the dash. Looked like it had a brand-new factory power steering pressure hose, started to get it, but I don't need it.
Any other particularly valuable parts on the SD, which will fit my '86 420? Brake calipers? Differential assembly? Cars were both rust-free, but I'll be danged if I understand how fine cars can be allowed to get in such bad shape as these were. Both appeared to have been just neglected to death, or run in the ground more appropriately describes it. Going to the salvage yard can be fun, but can also be depressing: underneath the shine and glamour created mostly by modern marketing techniques, it's just a car (dangit!). Cars are designed to elicit an emotional response in us, so we'll buy them and pay a lot, I guess. My granddad was right in part:any old crate will get you there just the same. I remember walking up to Mercedes-Benzes of this vintage when they were new, and just imagining how fine it would be to own one, and now look at them. Maybe I didn't miss much after all.