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1977 280 se

Started by iano, 22 February 2013, 09:09 PM

iano

Hello,

I am looking to buy my first Mercedes, and would love a little input / expert advise...

Have been eying this 1977 280se with 75,000 miles, Manuel transition priced around 9,000usd

Seems really clean, but would love to hear any input in the reliability to use this as a daily driver, or things to look out for.

here is a link of the listing with photos.

http://www2.chileautos.cl/auto.asp?codauto=2798817

Thanks!



jbrasile

Hi Iano,

Nice car! Love the color combination. A 280SE with a manual transmission is a really quick car, very enjoyable to drive.

Once these cars are sorted they are basically bullet proof and they will do fine as a daily driver, in fact I am on my 4th 116 and all of them were used as my primary vehicle, a 79 300SD and later an 80  450SEL (still drive it daily when in California) in Los Angeles and then a 74 280S and 78 450SEL (currently being enjoyed only on sunny days...) in Sao Paulo Brazil.

If Chilean prices are any similar to what we see here in Brazil I'd say 9k is fair.

Check for rust under the doors, inside the trunk,around the jack holes, on the lower part of the fenders and make sure the car does not leak water inside. Lift the carpets and check for moisture.

Mechanically it is just like any other car, these engines can be a little clattery, usually a valve adjustment will quiet them down. A  bit of an  oil leak between the two halves of the head is acceptable as long as it is not major.

If you do buy it make sure you service everything, all fluids, filters, belts, radiator, brake fluid, plugs, cap, rotor, ignition wires, etc... if you don't know when the fuel pump was replaced change it along will all the fuel hoses at the rear. This will ensure  the same reliability as any modern car.

I'm sure other members will post suggestions and tips here as well.

Suerte con la compra!

Gracias y saludos

Joe



John Hubertz

#2
The manual transmission models are highly prized and quite rare.  Performance is said to be excellent when they are in proper tune.  Can't tell much from an ad, but it looks to be in good condition.

By all means thoroughly inspect the car prior to purchase.  The first priority is to verify absolutely no rust, current or in the car's past.  These cars are devilishly difficult to repair properly if they get rusty.

One of the nicest things about the 280SE you are considering is that most of the really pesky stuff is simply not there.  Without air conditioning you are spared the normal climate control woes, and the roll-up windows are much more robust than the usual electrics.  That being said, you have to ask yourself if you will be satisfied without the typical luxuries?

My vote would be yes.  The condition appears excellent and if it drives as impressively as it looks (and passes detailed inspection) buy and enjoy it.  There is a chance that as a true "survivor", there are many years of trouble-free driving left in this car without any more difficulty than careful maintenance.

Values don't correlate well because each market around the world has its own prices, but one thing is sure - you rarely find a car in this kind of condition.
John Hubertz
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Hunter S. Thompson) 

1977 450SEL (Max Headroom)
[img width=68 height=73][url="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg"]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg[/url][/img]

iano

Thanks Joe,

The fuel pump info was exactly what I was looking for...

Another note, the car does not have rear seat belts, something that I will defiantly need. Are they hard to find / install?

Thanks Again!

Ian

oversize

Wow that looks so clean!  And a manual; awesome!  Rear belts shouldn't be hard to find. BUY IT!!!!
1979 6.9 #5541 (Red Bull)
1978 6.9 #4248 (Skye)
1979 6.9 #3686 (Moby Dick)
1978 6.9 #1776 (Dora)
1977 450SEL #7010 white -P
1975 450SEL #8414 gold -P

jbrasile

Hi Ian,

My 78 450SEL does not have rear belts either! Yes, I believe they are still available from MB, you will need to cut holes on the C-pillar covers for a proper installation but they are already pre-marked from the factory.

BTW, in Brazil most 116's are 280S's with a manual transmission, almost all of them have a/c but no sunroof.

Tks

Joe

iano

Thanks for all the help.

I just went for a test drive. It does have a few cosmetic details that are not in the original posted photos.

One thing that could be an issue is where I live here in Santiago there is bad Smog problem and non-catalytic cars a not allowed to drive on the heavy smog days. Which in winter is a few days of the week.

Do any of you know if it is possible, to add a catalytic converter to this car?

Thanks!

Ian


jbrasile

Ian,

Do they actually do an emissions test in Chile to measure CO, HC and NoX levels or do they simply say, no cat / no drive?I hope not...

Factory specs for a non cat 280SE should be around 1-2% CO which will probably give you about 100ppm HC, pretty decent even  by today's standards so having the car properly tuned and serviced is very important. If they do the test and the parameters are not too strict you should be able to drive everyday without a cat. In case the legislation is more restrictive, it is possible to add a converter. In the States they are mounted under the passenger floor right after the down pipes, but the effect of having a cat may not lower CO levels, only HC and Nox. 77 US cars have lower compression, air injection, EGR and catalytic converters which lower hp to 142 (138 in California) and completely kills performance for these cars. Starting in 1980, all gas powered 116's use an O2 sensor which is the best solution to meet tough emission standards but difficult to retrofit.  If you need to add the catalytic converter, expect slightly higher operating temps and perhaps a 5-10 hp loss. Make sure you add some kind of insulation to the floor since these things get super hot.

The original p/n for the converter on cars up to chassis 150379 is 116 490 67 21 - US$1380.00 list, the floor insulation is 116 492 66 30 - US$58.00 list

Hope this info helps.

Tks

Joe


oversize

You can buy high performance cats (aftermarket) which shouldn't reduce power at all
1979 6.9 #5541 (Red Bull)
1978 6.9 #4248 (Skye)
1979 6.9 #3686 (Moby Dick)
1978 6.9 #1776 (Dora)
1977 450SEL #7010 white -P
1975 450SEL #8414 gold -P

jbrasile

Good call oversize,

As long as they fit ok I see no reason not to use them.

Tks,

Joe