well at least it wasn't the most rare of the cars. like the 250s.

but in your case, idk what i would do.

what exactly is wrong with you car.

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Current
2006 E320 CDI, 57K bought at 67K "Liesl"
1986 190E 2.3-16, 198K bought at 56K "Brigitta"
1987 300TD (Chuggin Along), 292K "Friedrich"
1995 E320 Wagon, 200K "Louisa"

Past
1987 300SDL, (sold) 125K, bought for 1$ "Kurt"

Don't try to start it or turn it over until you get expert advice. You probably have water in the cylinders. And a lot of other places...

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

Unfortunately this car will be a write off. There are so many electrical components to the W140. These will need to be replaced. Fuel areas will be corrupted. The list of potential problems is too long to contemplate.

Even if you spend a lot of time and money trying to get the car going again it will never be reliable.

If you could find a " donor" car then making one car out of two may be feasible.


For your info. During the early eighties a ship carrying a load of Mercedes was sunk off the Malacca strait. Some enterprising soles salvaged a bunch of these cars and " repaired" them. There were new W126's and W123's.
They only lasted a few years - the rust got to them very quickly. The W126's and W123's are "simple" technology compared to a W140 - even a simpler model such as the S280.

Top Gear U.K. submerged a diesel engined Toyota Hilux in the sea during one of their torture tests. They managed to get this car going again. Mind you the also set fire to it, shot at it with a tank cannon and then put it on top of a ten story building which the destroyed by implosion. - The Toyota still ran.

Mind you watch these videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bIV_hHPAFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRKhKKdXIl4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn19Qj5jtf4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTedyrdAzV0&feature=related

I don't know how car insurance works in the Phillipines, but if you can, let the Insurance company write it off.


Not ONLY for the electrical gremlins that will plague it for the rest of its life, and the rust troubles mentioned, but also The filth, sewage, mold, decay, spores, mud, dirt, and toxic spores that wil make it a ftrue biohazard forever. RUN AWAY.

With the insurance money, you recieve, go find, and then import a good one from the USA - specifically from Los Angeles or Orange County, by Johnny Cargo or LBC, if they use containers, like they do for all those balikbayan boxes, (Maybe $1500 extra plus tax/customs to have a car sent?) in a container from Los Angeles, (where Mercedes Benzes of all years are abundant, but still cheap, (a huge over supply is there!) and beautifuly kept.

Maybe Patrick "BEIGE" or "p3lom" (Paolo) on the boards, could help, they are from the PI with family there. Some other people on the boards, here and on benzworld, also can help. Some of them, like "JoeE55" are from the PI too. I have met those guys personally and they are great.

Just my thoughts. Mabuhay,... Good luck..

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

ey thanks guys...

yep, i fear the electrical gremlins the worst... and as it were the car had its glitches pre-flood...

i remember posting some time ago that my dream car would ba a "manualized/simplified" w140... basically the chassis, body, and a diesel (not the 350 ofcourse)... simply because i just love the way the car looks... the car is not insured btw... insurance here is not required... just the most basic to pass the yearly registration.

i hear ya'll about how it would just become a bio-hazard. but i've had my share of attempted restorations and i think i've seen worse. i'm willing to work on the car and strip everything and do a thorough clean-up... and attempt to "simplify" the w140...

of course its still waaaaay too early to start worrying about the car, we have too much on our hands... i'll keep you all posted, will document everything if i go through with it.

btw, the 250s was also submerged, it was close to junk status anyway so its no biggie... we had 2 other cars that were submerged, my mom's ford Escape and my sister's 2 door Pajero. Managed to save my 87 300TD as i was in the office when the flood occured. The sis used my dad's F150 that day so that was spared too.

Sir Jim, don't know the current process for importing cars here but i hear its very prohibitive... might just as well buy local... just to give you guys an idea... we bought the w140 about 3 years ago at around 1 million pesos... that's roughly 20,000usd that time... surprising huh? cars here are expensive, even the used ones... bummer

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85 190E 2.3(SOLD)
86 230E (-->300D) sold
87 300D (-->300TD) sold
68 250S w/ a 615 and manual tranny (RIP)
87 300TD (SOLD)
95 S280 "The KRAKEN" (Turbo 2.9 602 transplant) traded
86 190E 2.3... current project