Purchasing a 1977 280SE

[brettj]

Hello All,

I've located a 1977 280SE with 25,000 original miles for sale. I'm considering purchasing this car. It seems to be in great condition,  other than a few scrapes on the fenders and the usual decomposing rear seat pad. The owner told me that the car's air conditioning works but does not blow overly cold on a a very hot day. I assume there must be leak in the system somewhere. My concern is that with only 25,000 miles the car has sat and all the rubber components probably are dried out. Which is a concern as I want to use it for a daily driver and  don't want to have to replace the suspension as I had to do on my other W116. What problem areas should I be looking for when test driving this car? I currently own a 75 450SE. How much different will a 280SE be in ride, fuel efficiency etc?

Thanks,

Brett

[macatron]

Is this the blue one on eBay?  Nice looking car.

My 280SE is a '77.  Though it has 180,000 miles on it, the original owner didn't drive much in the last few years before I bought it.  Virtually every seal leaks on my transmission and at the front of the differential.  The leaks are slow but costly if you don't have the means to replace them yourself as is my case.  The transmission will begin to slip if it is low on fluid and I seriously recommend paying close attention to any slippage as it will rapidly lead to severe damage.  Also, watch out for any jerking at the upshifts.  You may have read my other thread about my transmission going out.  I suspect a lot of it has to do with deferred maintenance by the previous owner.

Suspension-wise, I have had no problems to report.

Brakes are another area of concern.  Look for any signs of leakage at all the calipers and at the master cylinder.  Rubber brake lines rot from the inside out so note any sponginess in the brake pedal.  I have rebuilt both front calipers, and replaced the master cylinder and all rubber brake lines.  Now, my brake pedal feels as firm as the one in my wife's 2007 Honda Accord.

I haven't owned a 450SE to compare but I average 13 mpg around town.  Acceleration from a stand still is not impressive.  However, I find the car to drive very nicely at highway speeds and accelerate quite acceptibly between 50 and 75 mph, even carrying 3 other passengers.   I have used and enjoyed this car as a daily driver.

That's all I can think of at the moment.  Let us know how it turns out!

[brettj]

Thanks for the reply! Yes, the car in question is the 77 on eBay. I've been watching the car and no one seems to want to make a bid on it. Perhaps the price is too high.  I still can't make up my mind if I want to take a chance on this car or not. The car has not been driven very much and the seals are probably all dried up. The same thing happened to my 450SE as my uncle had stopped driving the car and let it sit in the garage for 3 years. Like you, now that I have been using my car for a daily driver, it has developed leaks in the rear end, steering box and but not definitely sure the transmission as well. I had to replace the entire suspension system as well due to dried out bushings to the tune of about 6,000 dollars. I really don't want to have to go through that again with another old MB. So perhaps I should forget it but it is a really nice car. I guess I'm still on the fence here.

[John Hubertz]

price and pics / link? 

[brettj]

John,

The car is listed on eBay. Look under 1977 Mercedes 280SE. The price is starting at $8999.00 and the pics are right up there on eBay too. I've decided not to bid on this car. I'd rather continue the restoration work on my 75 450SE and maybe pick up a 78,79 or 80 300SD.

Brett