w116 AS DONOR CAR

[siddiqiumar]

US$ 1,695 is this good price for it? should i buy this car?
I will be immediately usings its front suspension brakes disk & calipers seats inside door interior electric windows in my existing W116 car and some other stuff I will put in my W111. Remaining things I will keep for future spares for my W116 as in my country W116 parts very short supply

Please see pictures and advice to help my decision
Thanks for your time

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/vintage-mercedes-benz/1663747-w116-donor-car.html#post5344899

[s class]

$1700 for a parts car?  Thast sounds really steep.  The most I've ever paid for a parts car 116 is ZAR4000 (about US$500).  I typically pay though about $300 for a rust-free 280 or 350. 

[Casey]

I would say no...where's it located?

[John Hubertz]

Where are you / where is the car?  For pricing, that is really the key question.  If it runs the engine alone is worth what is being asked - but the mystery deepens....  - take a look at these pics I pulled from the link:





That folks, is the rarest car I've ever seen.  A W116 turbo diesel, right hand drive, with a MANUAL transmission.

I've never even HEARD of such a car - as I thought the 300SD was a USA only model?

Anyone have any ideas of where such a car could have originated?  That car needs to be saved and restored IMHO.

[Casey]

That folks, is the rarest car I've ever seen.  A W116 turbo diesel, right hand drive, with a MANUAL transmission.

No, it's a 280 I believe.

It's a hack job in any case. LOL at the interior trim customizations.

[John Hubertz]

That folks, is the rarest car I've ever seen.  A W116 turbo diesel, right hand drive, with a MANUAL transmission.

No, it's a 280 I believe.

It's a hack job in any case. LOL at the interior trim customizations.

No way - that is definitely a diesel.  Here's the 280 engine (gotta love that color, so i included a pic of the car too):





Look closely at the diesel engine - note how the aircleaner is relocated for RHD.  That thing looks factory to me - but where could it be from?  Were any 300SD models available outside the USA?

If I were an Australian W116 fanatic, I'd move heaven and earth to get that car (hint hint).  Think of the daily utility and economy!  I bet we'll learn it is in India or Pakistan - note the colorful truck paint and the mufti of the motorcyclist in this picture (also from the original post on benzworld):

[Big_Richard]

.

[John Hubertz]

John, can you let us know what the VIN on that RHD diesel is ?

I suspect its a backyard creation using an engine from SD and the transmission would of come from a w123/w115 and the body would be a RHD 280S/SE

this is something I've always wanted to do!

Tom, I requested the VIN from siddiqiumar in reply to his original post on BenzWorld....  But I'll bet you a nickel that is a factory install.  I'm anxious to find out.

I did google his user name, and found a YouTube account with Mercedes Benz videos listing his residence as Pakistan.  The plot thickens....

[Casey]

Sorry not a 116 280, but an older one.  Maybe a 250 actually.  But the older gas engines look just like the SD engines.

The manifolds and such on that car are NOTHING like a 617 shipped by Mercedes should have.  If it's a diesel it's a pre-116 engine would be my guess.  Possibly a 123 engine with custom manifolds.

Point remains, it's NOT stock and I don't see any value in this car.

[Tony66_au]

Mercedes turned out a lot of weird one off cars Casey and often for foreign markets so you cant state categorically that its not possible, I seem to remember an discussion elsewhere about certain colours never being released in the 116 range (Petrol from memory) and yet years later a MB colour chart shows up with 4 colours we had all thought were never released.

A lot of interesting mix and match cars were sent from Stuttgart to the UAE for instance and it may well be one of those or even an engineering or executive car from MB which were sometimes a bit rough especially after 30 plus years.

Never say never!

[John Hubertz]

Sorry not a 116 280, but an older one.  Maybe a 250 actually.  But the older gas engines look just like the SD engines.

The manifolds and such on that car are NOTHING like a 617 shipped by Mercedes should have.  If it's a diesel it's a pre-116 engine would be my guess.  Possibly a 123 engine with custom manifolds.

Point remains, it's NOT stock and I don't see any value in this car.

Here is a picture of a bone-stock W617 (1985 300SD) engine.  Looks pretty much identical to me (2nd picture is the car in question):

[Casey]

Here is a picture of a bone-stock W617 (1985 300SD) engine.  Looks pretty much identical to me (2nd picture is the car in question):

Your picture shows the 617 bracket for the intake air filter.  The car below is totally different in that respect.  i agree the valve covers look the same, but they look the same or at least very similar on 250's as well.

[Casey]

Mercedes turned out a lot of weird one off cars Casey and often for foreign markets so you cant state categorically that its not possible, I seem to remember an discussion elsewhere about certain colours never being released in the 116 range (Petrol from memory) and yet years later a MB colour chart shows up with 4 colours we had all thought were never released.

A lot of interesting mix and match cars were sent from Stuttgart to the UAE for instance and it may well be one of those or even an engineering or executive car from MB which were sometimes a bit rough especially after 30 plus years.

Never say never!

Okay, I trust you know better than me.  I don't think we got anything like that in the USA, just very typical stuff.  But I shouldn't say never or impossible, you're right.  Just unlikely, I think...  Curious though.

[oversize]

US$ 1,695 is this good price for it? should i buy this car?
I will be immediately usings its front suspension brakes disk & calipers seats inside door interior electric windows in my existing W116 car and some other stuff I will put in my W111. Remaining things I will keep for future spares for my W116 as in my country W116 parts very short supply

Please see pictures and advice to help my decision
Thanks for your time

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/vintage-mercedes-benz/1663747-w116-donor-car.html#post5344899

I think you answered your own question!  If it's rare in your parts it'd be good value.....

[Tony66_au]

Mercedes turned out a lot of weird one off cars Casey and often for foreign markets so you cant state categorically that its not possible, I seem to remember an discussion elsewhere about certain colours never being released in the 116 range (Petrol from memory) and yet years later a MB colour chart shows up with 4 colours we had all thought were never released.

A lot of interesting mix and match cars were sent from Stuttgart to the UAE for instance and it may well be one of those or even an engineering or executive car from MB which were sometimes a bit rough especially after 30 plus years.

Never say never!

Okay, I trust you know better than me.  I don't think we got anything like that in the USA, just very typical stuff.  But I shouldn't say never or impossible, you're right.  Just unlikely, I think...  Curious though.

Its not so much a matter of knowing better Casey because I cant say either way if the car is legit but in the 30 something years I have tinkered with cars I have seen a lot of weird stuff id never have thought possible from manufacturers that didn't advertise the things I saw, I have also been involved in restorations and rebuilds of cars that held significance of some sort and as such I have seen engineering mules with some seriously weird combinations make their way into private ownership and then confirmed the legitimacy through research and at times speaking to factory staff involved in the anomalies hence my Never say never outlook.

And having chased down legends and urban myths of motoring as well as confirming previous ownership etc im open to any possibility so long as it makes sense of sorts.

A great for instance is the sheer amount of private import vehicles in Australia and with Mercedes popping up from Hong Kong and South Afrika plus consular cars and imports by auto wreckers/dismantlers in the old days being whole cars (Now they have to be cut in half to come in as parts cars) not to mention private citizen imports anything is possible.

Proof here is eBay which has at least 1 or 2 a month from OS  and when it comes to engineering mules some are perverse in their extremes as a lot of auto engineers are also car nuts with warped humour.

Either way I love it!