One of my cars is an 1971 280se. my father bought it new and saw it getting off the factory line in shtutgart. it was born 10/71, i am 1/72 so we are brothers...
i have other cars but this one is very special to me. it was stolen, and it took me 9 long years to recover it. it was the best gift i ever got.
i think it is also, in many respects, the best car i ever driven. many people may mention the ride, and this is true. but in Israel there is an amazing twisting road...were all crazy drivers go to drive on the limit. i had alfas and i have a 911, but still, the fastest i ever drove this road was in my 280se...call my crazy, you are not the first...
My question is as follows: when the car was recpvered it still had "koni classic" shocks which i installed. the car didnt move through all of this time, and for some reason the shocks died alltogether. they were worthless.
So i found a set of nos Sachs, put them on, and they are dead too!
So now i know not to touch New old stock shocks...
In Israel the shocks are a fortune so i have to order abroad. given the price of shipment and duty, i have to keep the cost down somehow.
I know Koni, had them on several cars, but i am not so sure their reputation is justified, and they COST. I know bilstein were the original, but never tried them. Monroe have so so reputation, Boge i didnt like. Kyb some told me they are good some tolm me to keep away.
I will be realy gratefull if someone who had experience with several sets on such a car can tell me what was good and what was bad. also, if people here know some good sources for realy good prices on shocks, i will be more then happyh to hear about it...
Those KONI's can be adjusted. There is a rubber spacer up inside the cover. Remove it, collapse the shock and find out whre it is adjusted. Turn it to the left and count the number of turns, or half or quarter etc. Inventory all of them in the same way. Set them back to their original place and then give each one a half turn. Reinstall them on the car, don't forget the rubber piece and drive the car.
Or get a set of Bilsteins.
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Near Manassas Va. '89 300SE, 2002 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, 89 420SEL
Had '65 220SE, 67 230S, 72 280SE 4.5 Dad had '65 300SE LWB, '65 220SE
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive." C.S. Lewis
I'm with him ^^^^ Bilsteins will last 20-30 years without a problem,but consider replacing all the suspension rubbers at the same time,front and rear because i'll bet they have never been touched.
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