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MBCSA 2007 : Photos of W108 being rebuilt

Started by s class, 04 May 2007, 06:44 AM

s class

The owner of collection C had a workshop attached where a W108 was being completely rebuilt.  What do you guys think of the standard of work?

Private collection C : Rebuild of W108 in progress

















Yes - its basically a new 108 !!


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

s class

styria I have been looking forward to sharing these photos.  They don't do justice to what you feel standing under what amounts to a new 40-year old car.  One is very humbled by it. 


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

oscar

I want to do this one day.  That's awsome.  But to get an idea, I remember trying to get the holley carb on the 280S looking new.  Man what a job.  It got cleaned but not looking new.  There's such a lot of elbow grease involved, I don't know if I could get metal surfaces appearing like they do in the 108 pics without professional polishing.  Sure, perhaps there's all new pipes etc but gee, what an undertaking.


This was one huge event Ryan.  I'm still catching up on the pictures.  Do we have these kind of photo ops and events in Aus outside of concours, or am I just too isolated to hear about them?
1973 350SE, my first & fave

CraigS

Impressive, but why would you want to spend this amount of money on a W108 ? I have seen a similar restoration on a 6.3 in Brisbane, that they owner spent close to $200,000 on (Sleeping Beauties) and it is still only worth $50,000 max. How much has gone into the 108, and how much is it worth ?
[url="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/"]http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/[/url]

s class

Craig, apparently to date ZAR 130,000 had been spent on the W108.  Multiply by 5.5 to get AUS$, or by 7 to get US$.  Im not sure what its worth.  Tatty buggered 108's go for ZAR10,000 here, with clean ones going for up to ZAR40,000.  Obviously this is off the top end of the scale - what would it go for?  Who knows - as much as someone is willing to pay for a 'new' 108. 

Ryan


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

CraigS

I think you mean divide by 5.5, which would make it about A$23,000, so it is not a lot of money - depending on what remains to be done. When I say it is not a lot of money, I am of course referring to the amount of work done for the money, but it is probably equal to 3 6.9's at average prices and in average condition, or 1.5 6.3 and as much as I am sure it will be a nice car when finished, I don't think it has any collector value. He may not of course be doing it for this reason and it may just be a personal test of his skills, which is absolutely fine.

I think your 108 values are on a par with Australia -maybe a little higher, reflecting the lower volumes sold there, and availability. The problem in Australia is that there were a considerable number of 108/9's and 116's sold, and they don't have the collector status of the home grown Fords and Holdens - same in the US. Look at the price of a '57 Chevy compared to a '57 Ponton - even a cabriolet.

Contrast this with Germany, where they were the home grown item, and the prices are considerably higher - not only for cars, but also parts now.

The biggest problem of all is that we have RHD cars, and the market is limited to those markets - which isn't very many, and this is also reflected in the selling prices - otherwise we would all be shipping our cars to Germany. A top 6.3 in Germany will fetch EUR 75,000 and a 6.9 EUR 40,000. These are the exception of course, but these sort of values would be unheard of in Australia, yet a GTHO Phase 3 Falcon has exceeded $800,000 and $1,000,000 will not be too far away. We used to absolutely thrash GTHO's when they were new, so I doubt that there is one left that hasn't had an engine rebuild - a bit like the Hertz GT 350H Mustangs. Where is the justice ?
[url="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/"]http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n77/Aegeanfoods/My%20Cars/[/url]

s class

Craig,

you are quite right, I should have said divide by 5.5.  Sorry.  I've mentioned before that the only 116's officially sold in South Africa were 280S, 280SE, 350SE.  The situation was similar for the 108's and 109's.  Only 250S, 250SE, 280S and 280SE were sold here officially.  No 109's.  This has resulted in W108 280SE's having a higher status, esteem and desirability than in other markets where the full range was sold.  Many (not all) local 60's merc fans seem almost oblivious that in the grand scheme of things, their 280SE is actually a base model.  So true, normally this 280SE would not have any collector value, but here in South Africa, it just might be approaching that mark.

Rarity and puplic perceptions distort things - you comment that at A$23000, thats about 3 average 6.9's - well here in South Africa A$23000 equals 1.5 POOR 6.9's.  For instance, I have previously encountered a rusty 6.9 here with MBtex, and no nice options, asking A$15500.  When I say rusty, I mean the outer sills no longer exist....

Ordinary 116's (280,350) are largely unloved here, and prices go from A$750 for a parts car to A$1500 for a tatty running car, to A$3000 for a fair car, with around A$5000 being a pristine example. 

So getting this back on topic, here in South Africa, the available base 108's are much more loved and sought after than the available base 116's.  All else being equal, a base 108 goes for 1.5 to 2.0 times the price of a similar condition 116. 

Ryan


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

Grant V

It depends why the guy has restored this car. I should imagine it's for the love of it and the challenge. Even though he may have spent a small fortune on the restoration, he will most likely never sell the car.
There is always someone who is prepared to pay above market related prices for a superb example, and long term he will probably get his money back.
Five or so years ago, you could pic up a Finnie in good condition for ZAR 8000 - ZAR 15000. Now bad examples are starting at 15 and going up to 75. Has anyone seen the outrageous prices 300SE Finnies are commanding in Germany?
My father bought a 1958 Maserati 300S sports racer in 1974, and sold it for a huge profit three years later - for the princely sum of ZAR30 000. That was a fair amount of money then, and his bank manager thought he was a financial wunderkind, but 30 years later this car will probably (if it ever came to the market) change hands in the region of GBP 1 million.
I'm not saying that the humble W108 is in that category, but 15 or 20 years from now, it's day may yet come.
"You've bought another bloody car?!? We should have you committed!" he shrieked, storming out of the room