1984 Production Euro Spec 280CE 4-speed

12151 Views 137 Replies 15 Participants Last post by MSGGrunt, 4 mo ago

MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · Aug 29, 2020 (Edited)

New to me and just arrived from Texas. September 1984 production 280CE 4-speed, European spec as confirmed by the VIN. 43,193 document miles. I am now the 3rd owner. The story on the car is that the original owner was a Doctor who ordered it and took delivery of the car in Belgium, drove it around Europe while on vacation and then shipped it to Texas. According to the 2nd owner who worked with this doctor he found himself on the wrong side of the law and went to prison for 7 years. The story was told to me that when he was released from prison he drove the car, presumably without checking the oil, and blew the motor. The 2nd owner paid $500.00 for the car, I have a copy of the bill of sale, and purchased a new short block from Adsit, which I have the receipt for, swapped everything over from the blown motor and had it installed in the car.

The Good: The block has only approximately 10,000 miles on it.
The Bad: It is no longer a matching numbers car.

When imported the car was federalized and US spec headlights, taillights and bumpers were installed. And at some point in the vehicles life the front manual window regulators were swapped for power ones.

The car came with its original owner's manuals, complete tool kit, original Pirelli Cinturato spare (I don't think it has ever been out of the car), original first aid kit, and even a mint working Becker Europa radio.

To Do:

Swap in Euro headlights (already have a set).
Go back to manual front windows (already have the manual regulators and cranks with trim).
Swap out US spec bumpers for Euro spec. Low priority right now.
The car came from the factory with a rear seatbelt delete option (I found this to be an odd option and even more odd to select it). I am missing and need to source one of the rear panel seat belt blanking covers. Done, I found the second trim piece in a box of spares in the trunk.
Replace all the wood trim. I have already ordered a complete set from W123 I am going with burl rather than the original Zebrano as I feel it will look nice with the black/grey interior. 10 to 12 weeks to make.
Source a crack free or less crack free dash.
Give the paint a good cut, buff and polish.
Possibly go back to Euro taillights.
Replace shifter bushing.
Replace cracked exterior window wiper rubbers.
Tune up with new plugs, cap, rotor, injectors with new cups and O-rings, adjust valves and replace all fluids as well as a good cooling system flush.

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MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #41 · Jan 2, 2022 (Edited)

That actually went pretty well. The only small hitch was getting the 4 washers to line up, but with a bit of finagling with a screwdriver I was able to get everything lined up and back together. All new bushings should help further tighten up the shifter.

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MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #42 · Jan 2, 2022 (Edited)

Just how clean the car is under the hood. 43,000 documented miles. The air cleaner housing will get a repaint and a new decal, which is still available from Mercedes. I would like to find a new timing decal that is on the valve cover.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't the original AC have been a York unit? I will have to check the original build sheet and see if the car even came with AC.

The car will get a new exhaust and I would like to remove the exhaust manifolds and have them jet hot coated or something similar. They really spoil the rest of the clean look under the hood.

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MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #43 · Jan 3, 2022

A video of the car running. I have been sorting the car from when I bought it as it wasn't running well. The car is now running much better with a new fuel distributor, injectors, fuel pump, and rebuilt WUR. It now runs and drives. I still need to check the valve clearances.

Does this sound like a good RPM at idle? Lifter noise ok for the M110?

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FratBoy

· #44 · Jan 3, 2022

That engine bay looks great. Whether a York would have been original or not, you’re much better off with that Sanden.

Did you manage to get one with no air pump?

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squibby

· #45 · Jan 3, 2022 (Edited)

FratBoy said:
That engine bay looks great. Whether a York would have been original or not, you’re much better off with that Sanden.

Why is that? I thought the York was amazing? - ice cold aircon in the heat of summer even at idle engine speeds. Many 4x4 fanboys are trying to repurpose them as high speed air pumps to pump their tyres back up after an offroad session, such is the capacity of the clunky old yorks.

MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #46 · Jan 3, 2022

Thanks FratBoy. The exhaust manifolds really scream to be coated and there is some other detailing that will make it look even better.

The car does not have an air pump. I assume this is a good thing? I looked up the VIN, WDB1230531A203727, and it doesn't state if the car came with AC or not, I am inclined to think the car didn't have AC from the factory. There is a Frigette AC box under the dash and all of the AC wiring is clearly not OEM, though the retrofit looks to have been done professionally. I am inclined to remove everything to put the car back to as delivered and much simpler without AC, but even in the mild New England Summer I can appreciate the benefit of it being installed.

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MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #47 · Jan 3, 2022

The Yorks do work great for airing up tires, but they are heavy and sap a lot of HP when compared to a Sanden.

Reactions: 1

FratBoy

· #48 · Jan 3, 2022

What MSGrunt said. Plus they are noisier. Or have been on my cars.

Still, the York is better than the R4 on the diesels.

Sanden > York > GM R4. IMHO.

FB

squibby

· #49 · Jan 3, 2022

The york is noisey on my W123 that's for sure, although not particularly an issue on a 40 year old car everything is noisey compared to the modern rangie I also drive. The noise of the york is a non-issue really. Although I can appreciate power/weight reduction reasons.

Don't remove your aircon, try and fix it. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to perform what looks like a professional job.

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MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #50 · Jan 4, 2022

I certainly will keep it, though the wiring will be tidied up a bit. Maybe I am being overly critical, but the blue wiring connectors need to be replaced with something a bit cleaner looking or at least covered with some black heat shrink.

The hoses are marked Freon R12, so I bet the condenser is not a parallel flow design that would work well with R134a, not that I am a fan of R134a. I have had great sucess using Enviro-Safe as it is, I believe, a propane mix. I can keep the R12 hoses and not worry about the smaller molecules of the R134a leaching out through the hoses. Of course, the whole system will need to be flushed and new O-rings installed. The compressor is a true Sanden SD-508 and not just a Sanden "style" and with only 43,000 miles on the car I can only assume in good working order once the system is flushed/charged/oiled.

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tsharkey

· #51 · Jan 4, 2022

Can you imagine that car in Texas without aircon ?

If you were picky, you could find a 240D being parted and retrieve the whole underdash system from that, as well as the wiring.

At the very least, convert those relays to the MB silver cubes with the 6 pin plugs

MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #52 · Jan 4, 2022

I agree. I am perplexed why a doctor, who presumably made good money, would buy/order a car with no AC knowing it was going back to Texas. Was it ordered this way with a euro delivery or was it something he bought off the dealership floor in Belgium and then shipped back to Texas? I don't mind the aftermarket AC under the dash, but yes, the relays will be replaced with OEM MB ones and the wiring cleaned up.

Could the later model year coupes be had without a sunroof? I have always preferred non sunroof cars. Just one less thing to malfunction and or leak.

Odd specification or not?

2-door Coupe
Cloth seats
M110 Motor (this I understand as the Euro cars didn't get the diesel)
Manual transmission (again, pretty rare even in Euro spec?)
Manual windows
No AC
Rear seatbelt delete (this still perplexes me)

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squibby

· #53 · Jan 4, 2022

My theory is that I don't think car enthusiasts have changed that much over the years. A manual 5-speed was and still is more desirable in a straight-6 coupe for those who like the drive. The cloth seats with the vinyl highlights on the door trim and seat bases actually looks great, so I can see why he might stick with that. The sunroof makes complete sense on a C123, it's essentially a more convenient take on a convertible, wind all the frameless windows down and open the sunroof and you almost have a convertible - so sunroof on a C123 is a must have option. Elimination of rear seat belts? that's definitely some kind of throw-back from the mid century, can't explain that. Not sure if he asked for the front springs, but I'm sure it would enhance the performance somewhat in the corners. No aircon is certainly a bit odd by today's standards, but then again, this is the early 80's heaps of cars don't have aircon, probably the majority of cars don't have aircon so not really that odd.

I reckon this whole C123 is a bit of a performance oriented spec and very rare body kit on the sills. Delete the unnecessary, but compensate somewhat with a decent radio and a sunroof. Seems this appealed to the doc.

Has it got electric, or wind-up windows? I have always found it just soooo bizarre that Mercedes spec the base model C123 with wind up windows after all the effort into designing the frameless windows, the driver has to stop to wind the rears down, or twist across the passenger seat to get to the passenger side. So strange, I'm amazed that every single buyer didn't specify electric windows all round.

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Fonzi

· #54 · Jan 4, 2022

squibby said:
…, the driver has to stop to wind the rears down, or twist across the passenger seat to get to the passenger side. So strange, I'm amazed that every single buyer didn't specify electric windows all round.

The weirdest to me is power-front, manual-rear windows which is often found on euro c107 (also pillarless coupe, but less so with smaller rear windows) and w126 cars. I can reach the passenger front window, but the rears are totally impossible while in the driver seat.

MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #55 · Jan 5, 2022

The car has manual rear windows, but power front windows. I would guess, and please add any comments, that the car originally came with manual windows both front and rear with the power front windows added after the fact. I am only guessing based on the black plug on the door panel where I would make a guess that the manual window crank was attached. Would this be there if spec's with front power windows or would there be another door panel used that didn't require a blanking plug?

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MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #56 · Jan 5, 2022 (Edited)

I bought manual regulators for the front and the new burl walnut center console wood was made to eliminate the power window switches. The only switch down there will be the hazard switch.

Unfortunately, the vacuum adjustable Euro headlights are long gone from when the car was federalized. I, for the moment, have Depo Euro style headlights to go on the car and maybe someday I will invest in original Hella Euro headlights, but I bet those aren't easy to come by nor inexpensive.

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squibby

· #57 · Jan 5, 2022

spec sheet says '5-speed' transmission, but the gear shifter shows a 4-speed

tsharkey

· #58 · Jan 5, 2022 (Edited)

MSGGrunt said:
Would this be there if spec's with front power windows or would there be another door panel used that didn't require a blanking plug?

The data card would have shown Electric Lift windows - Not listed means they were not supplied and the plug in the door card says it all (there would not have been a hole).

There are plenty of the Euro lights down here but the glass lenses are wrong. Can you but the LHD lenses cheaply enough cause I am sure I can send you the rest ...

squibby said:
spec sheet says '5-speed' transmission, but the gear shifter shows a 4-speed

The reference to 5 Speed is for the center bearing, which the 5 speed used a different one. I suspect by 1984, all manuals were getting it as the transmission in the Spec sheet is a 716.006 which is a 4 speed.

MSGGrunt

Discussion Starter · #59 · Jan 5, 2022

You had me worried about the transmission at first. Lol. But yes, it is a true 4-speed car with the 5-speed center bearing. I am happy that my assumption on the car originally having manual front windows. The power regulators will be swapped out for manual ones. The wiring looks to be the correct OEM Mercedes harness, so maybe there is some value in selling the whole set-up.

Regarding the lights. I wonder if the glass in the euro Depo lights would fit on the OEM Euro housings?

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tsharkey

· #60 · Jan 5, 2022

MSGGrunt said:
Regarding the lights. I wonder if the glass in the euro Depo lights would fit on the OEM Euro housings?

They look right - Would have to measure the glass lip top to bottom and left to right. Are you after the OEM for Vacuum adjust (which I never use) or piece of mind ?

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