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So I've Drug Home Another One (Again)...

19K views 107 replies 20 participants last post by  FratBoy 
#1 · (Edited)
I won this gem at a local (to my home) auction today via the Interwebs while away. Sight unseen. So I'm not quite sure what I've got myself into, but I do know this- there aren't many 230C models around these parts, even though nearly 19k were built 1977-1980. Maybe because they are dogs. Maybe because their mileage is about the same as the Euro 280CE, with 80ish fewer horses. Maybe because their carbs are a PITA. I don't know, but I'm probably going to end up finding out the hard way.

Let me know what you think from the pics. I won't be able to pick it up for a few days, so I'm curious. This is kinda fun, but only because I got it for a steal. And, thanks to the folks that donated it, Goodwill was at least one winner.

Below is all info I have on it from the auction. Yeah, they thought it was a 230SL. At least they didn't label it a "200 Series" (whatever that is).

Donated 1979 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. Fixer upper? Parts car?

Category:
Make: Mercedes-Benz
Model: 230SL
Color:
Year: 1979
VIN#: 12304310014871
License Plate: WA 569UDV
Title: WA Clean
Mileage: 161828
Condition: Runs With Problems & Non Runners.

What do you guys see here? I've studied them quite a bit, but I'm curious about what others' eyes see.



FB
 

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#2 ·
Not sure why no multiple attachments from iPad, so a new post is in order.
 

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#3 ·
More.
 

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#4 ·
And now, the end.
 

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#7 ·
Could a coupe have a manual sunroof?

FB
 
#14 ·
The 123.043 is supposed to have an m115, so I may have dodged that bullet.

FB
 
#15 ·
#19 ·
What? The induction is on the wrong side. So is the starter...

I may have to rearrange the garage.

FB
 

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#20 ·
Ugh. It's not pretty. I'm dragging it home now.

There's a good chance it won't even come off the trailer.

It's complete, but there's enough rough edges for it to be more than I want to take on.

Gotta think about it a bit. Don't want to do anything too quick.

FB
 
#22 ·
Maybe this isn't so bad. The rust is limited to the front fenders (easily replaced) and the left side in some tougher spots. It looks good under the hood, at the firewall, in the trunk (no holes, just on surface) and under the rest of the car. Of course, we all know how that goes... Doors and trunk are pretty good, really. There is some water inside, but no rust holes in the pans.

And, it has one Euro corner and one Euro tail already. Cool.

There's some generic NAPAish parts under the hood, like a fuel pump. And duct tape. And extra wires.

First things first: upload some "before" pics.

Also, I have left a message with the previous owner for whatever information he can share.

Next- will she start? Cranks ok.

And, why use a battery bracket when you can use styrofoam? Better put it in the trunk for safe keeping. Whoops.

Maybe, just maybe, this effort will end up yielding more than the worlds most expensive used three-piece Euro bumpers.

Here's 40ish pics.

FB
 
#23 ·
She wants to go. Kicks over with some starter fluid.

Now, to drain 1/3 tank of bad gas. The NAPA fuel pump should help with that. I'll add ethanol free so I shouldn't have to go through draining again.

Anybody out there have a wiring diagram for the automatic choke on this carb? From one wire harness, there are three wires to one pole on a plug on the choke, just above where the water lines are connected, the other pole is bare. Nice.

There's also a single wire from the same harness connected with a generic clip to some sort of temperature sensor on the top of the intake. Any ideas?

FB
 

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#25 ·
Turns out the factory fuel pump, still bolted to the block, seems to work just as well as the installed after marker electric one. Which, by the way was powered from one of the resistors in the ignition system (!).

Drained fuel with electric pump and gravity from the return line, flushed with new ethanol free gas, added to the tank. Removed after market pump and connected to the factory pump. Also a new in line fuel filter and replaced all fuses after running a steel brush across the fusebox. They weren't pretty.

But now, after all that, it still won't start. Not even a kick with starter fluid. There is spark to the distributor. And fuel is flowing.

The process continues...

FB
 

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#27 ·
Well, since my last post I found an MB manual for the Strombergs.

I've been studying it. I seem to have the CDTU version described later in the doc, with the shutoff valve mounted to the intake.

So far, I've found out:
  • virtually every vacuum line near my carb was connected wrong
  • the heated air hose from the exhaust to the intake is missing
  • some screws are missing from the choke cover
  • the ambient air adjusting screw is all the way out
  • someone made a gasket of paper board, like a cereal box (!), for use between the carb and intake
  • the idle shutoff valve was replaced with one from 1986, but not screwed in all the way, and had only been finger tightened, but they used plumbers' tape!

Some of these you can see in the "before" pic below.

I've fixed the lines and shutoff valve. It will kick over with starter fluid again, but barely.

So, I'm looking for a rebuild kit.

You can see from the pic how "lined up" the choke is. I can't find any marks, or numbers stamped in the choke cover...

FB
 

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#29 ·
Thanks for that, but I think I have a different choke. Mine is mounted with three screws (one missing), and can only be installed in three ways (assuming the screws are the same distances in between).

If I were to take mine off and turn it, the coolant lines would be sideways and/or the electrical plug would be different than all pics I have seen so far. It seems to be idiot proof.

In this post, you can see a choke like mine in the bottom close-in picture with the white car. The blue car is similar, but the plug is on top and straight up. The white car in the middle pic has the water lines from the side and looks more like the diagram in your manual.

I'm thinking about taking the choke cover off and having someone help me manually adjust it during starting.

FB
 
#30 ·
I'm going to bite the bullet and get a carb rebuild kit. This after taking the automatic choke off and finding the choke plunger stuck.

THanks to the awesome parts counter at MBI in Portland, I have one on the way.

The more I look at this car, the more life I see. I hope it starts.

FB
 
#31 ·
#33 ·
Thanks. Did you see the link to 40 more pics in a post above? Here it is again: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99687610@N05/sets/72157649894641987/

The carb kit should be here tomorrow. It may take a day or two to get it together...

In other news, it rained about 2" in the last 24 hours here- some of it very hard. It seems none of it made it to the floors of the cab or trunk so far. Which is nice.

FB
 
#36 ·
Thanks. We'll see how it goes.

I'm starting to wonder about the M104 suggestion. Mmmm, torquey. Lots of work, but a nice mix of old and new. But I'm a long way from really getting into that...

FB
 
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