1977 450SEL 6.9 - SoCal

[Sarah93003]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum.  My sister has a 1977 450SEL 6.9 that she has owned for many years.  It was painted about 3 years ago and is silver with blue leather interior.  The car runs strong but we are in need of a few trim pieces to complete the car.  Once I've had a look around the forum I'll be able to ask some direct questions.  Thanks!

[daantjie]

Welcome to the weird and wonderful W116 world Best bet for random trim pieces is ebay, and of course members here who might be stripping a wreck, or are willing to part with spares.  This is at time a tough ask as Benz has pretty much forgotten about the W116 model, so you are for the most part dependent on the kindness of strangers!

[Sarah93003]

Thank you!  Do you know if the 450SEL shares parts with other models of that year?

[daantjie]

Short answer is yes.  For the most part, any SEL (long wheelbase) body part and trim will fit.  The 6.9 was fairly basic in the interior dept compared to Cadillacs etc. of the day.  But of course in the drive train and suspension is where pretty much every part is unique to the 6.9, so this is where things get interesting, and very expensive in a hurry;)

[Sarah93003]

Can someone point me in the direction of manuals for a car of this age?  I'd love to see expanded schematics showing various assemblies, etc.  A repair manual is okay, but an assembly manual would be even better.

Thanks!

[karmann_20v]

You can start with the extensive library on this very same site:

http://www.w116.org/tech/

[ptashek]

The closest thing to an assembly manual is the EPC (Electronic Parts Catalogue). It's a paid access service, but if you intend to look for parts on a regular basis, it'll be your best friend. Matching parts by VIN us probably it's biggest advantage.

It's $75 per annum, and subscription can be bought at https://epc.startekinfo.com/epc/

There are free copies of varying quality on websites around the globe.