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My new project cars 1981 380 SL's

1K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  viperious 
#1 ·
Hey everyone, I wanted to do a little bit of showing off with my new projects so I figured I would start my own thread about them.

About 2 years ago I took a gamble on a 1981 380SL. It was black with gray interior. I gave the guy $1150 for it and we were originally talking about $5000 and putting a Diesel in it...which is something I STILL want to do with an SL somewhere down the road (but I want a European one with a twin turbo'd OM601 in it)

This past fall I finally got it. I was impressed because it was in better condition than I was led to believe. The interior, while not really that good...was also not really that bad. The rear seat insert had been sold off and there are a lot of parts missing or still sitting in Georgia where I got the car (he is mailing them to me) but...all in all I was very happy. The paint needs buffed out and a little surface rust has started in a few very small areas....easy to take care of with a wire brush. At one time someone was keeping this up as a VERY nice car.

The initial problem and why I got the car so cheap was the engine. It had leaky head gaskets. I had never heard of a car having an aluminum engine block before and it was really worrying me because I don't know where to find the jig for the helicoils or timeserts (I was told timeserts are best and from my research I agree now) and I don't know anyone who can do them for me or who DOES have a jig...

After a little bit of searching I found a dark blue 380SL that was the same year that a guy was trying to get rid of fast. He wanted $2500 for it. It ran great....needed a fuel pump now...and the interior was more than shot (it had set outside for 5 years with the top SHREDDED!!!!) so everything inside is pretty much toasted. I ended up giving him $1000 for it. Brought it home and have been slowly getting everything switched over.

My first step was to get the door handles and put them on the black one. I am having trouble aligning the drivers side door which wants to bounce back open and not latch when I close it.

Next I took the ignition tumbler and trunk lock and put them on the black one because it didn't have either.

My third step was to install the gas tank (the guy gave me a brand new tank for it since he sold the original one and it was from a 450SL) which is mostly done. I need to align the tank so I can install the strainer and attach the lines but all in all it is in. The blue car also had good trunk carpet, a new antenna, a jack, and a spare tire...all of which quickly came off of the blue one and went on the black one.

After all of this it was time to pull the engine on the black car. This is where I stand. The engine is in the floor of the garage and tomorrow the blue cars engine comes out and goes into the black car.

Now we are not new to cars. We have a 1963, 1968, 1982, and 1994 Corvette in the front garage. In the middle garage we have a wood shop with our 1978 450SL and moms 2004 C240 along with our custom 1969 Diamond Reo (this one is another story and is the only one of it's kind with a cab that is the very last remaining 69 Contractor cab out of 500...everyone who has ever seen it never forgets it...I will post a picture if you guys would like) and in the back garage right now is sitting my 2 380's and the 190D...

Working on gas engines is new for me as I drove the 190D for a while and currently drive a 1999 Cummins (2 of my favorite vehicles) and have done all kinds of work on them (most of it didn't need done I just enjoy working on diesels) When I finish everything, the 190D will go back to be restored and the black 380 will be my driver and show car while the Cummins will most likely be a backup car for me...

Any advice you guys have...please feel free to send it along...I am looking for wiring diagrams, assembly diagrams, vacuum diagrams....ANYTHING I can find...I am also looking for ideas on what to do since I no longer have a backseat or anything but bare metal.

My first plan was to repaint the black car white and get a red interior for it...I am still debating this however the black and smoke gray interior is growing on me a lot. So for now it stays I think...my 450SL also has an Alpine stereo system that I plan on duplicating because it sounds so awesome, although I would like to install speakers in the doors...that is another chat for another time and may not really happen (I love music...anything but rap)

We are going to clean everything as we go so hopefully tomorrow night I can get more pictures out for you guys...I am uploading pictures from my phone of the engine and the removal...so I will post it shortly.

Enjoy :)
 

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#3 ·
this is the blue one...not as flashy as the black one...and if anyone is interested...I would sell it for cheap I am thinking because I originally intended it to be a parts car...but it isn't in me to scrap out good cars like this...it is like throwing away good art...you just don't do it...even has an engine with it HAHAHA!!!

The white one in the background is my 190D....it was pushed out so we could get the black one on the car lift...
 

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#4 ·
I like what you are doing.
Lot of work but a lot of joy doing it.

There is a Japanese word that comes to mind: Kintsugi.
The concept of something becoming more beautiful for having been broken.
 
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#5 ·
Thank you...sorry it has been so long since I updated...since I last posted a lot has happened...I got the 190D running again for a while...it's sitting at 981,000 miles and I had some issues so it's in the garage again, I bought another 190 series...a gas model that matches my Diesel...colors and all...also got a house...I finally have my own garage to work in...

I've learned a ton about these cars...even drove the black car for 2 years before I sat her back inside...has a horrible power issue and won't start anymore when it's cold out without some serious cranking...so as soon as I get my OM601 painted up and back in the car, I am completely stripping the 380sl and restoring it.

The plans right now are Exterior-sinister black with red hand painted pinstriping. Interior-red with a custom built walnut or cherry center console. Engine-Mercedes Engine Green (like the 1920s) and the transmission universal red and silver.

I will try and start updating a lot more once I tear into it...

I will be interrupted sometime around the end of March by my Cummins project. I am P-pumping my Cummins and painting the truck too.

So many projects...so little time...
 
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