Shall i buy a 280 CE???

[DST340]

Hi. I would like some advice please.
My neighbour has a 1986, C reg 280 CE auto in black, with 146,000 on the clock and a cloth interior. Its not been driven for at least 10 years and is effectively a non runner. The bodywork isnt in very good condition, the bonnet has been badly keyed and there is rust on the cills and the bonnet hinge needs replacing.
He wants to sell it for £1,000.
Im a fairly competent hobby mechanic, although i cant weld, dont have a ramp and would be a bit scared to take agear box out.
Do you think this is too ambitious as my first project car? Are spares still available? What would the car be worth restored and running.
Many thanks and any advice would be appreciated.
David

 

[Y15HAL]

Hi David,

I've been looking at these, and prices vary depending on condition.....

£1000 seems cheap, all depending on how much work needs to be done, but as you say if you can carry out alot of work yourself, you'll be saving alot of money

Whats the history of the car like?

 

[DST340]

It was his daily car for a long time and as I said, it's been off the road for a decade so I have no idea if and how it would run.

I'm sure it will clean up well but I'm mostly worried about the availability of parts. Can you still source them?

What would it be worth once it's all done?
D

 

[Y15HAL]

Can't really comment on parts, but i can't see there being a problem sourcing as the car isn't really that old.....

You're probably looking at around 6-8k depending on how much work you do on it and the overall condition of it......

Here is an example....

Mercedes 280CE Coupe | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mercedes 280CE Coupe at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[saff]

Rot would be my biggest worry as you say you don't weld and don't have a ramp. It could be a real problem on a 36 year old car.

 

[ChipChop]

If you are looking at restoring an old car as a potential money making enterprise then i would say don't buy it. A respray alone, if body repair is required, to a good standard will be £5000 which is probably what an mot'd car is worth. However if you just want to own one of these fine cars then buy it and get it roadworthy. In 6 years time it will be MOT and Tax free.

 

[grober]

W123's are like the Greek Sirens luring sailors to their doom with their classical beauty - think bottomless restoration whirlpool ready to suck vast quantities of lucre into unfathomable depths- avert your senses now!

ps I would suggest the minimum basis for the budding W123 restorer is a runner on the road

 

[DST340]

Thanks. That’s good advice. I hadn’t expected classical references on a car showroom.

I think I might tell my neighbour that’ll I’ll take it on, if it’s a freebie and concentrate on getting the mechanicals sorted out and an mot. If that’s possible, I might then learn to weld!

Wheeler dealers manage to restore cars in a couple of days. Looks quite easy (I’m being ironic).

Do you think a respray would really be £5,000? (I would do the prep myself)
D

 

[Y15HAL]

Yes, resprays can range from 3-10k, depending on amount of work needs to be done.....

 

[Swotty]

It's a bargain at £1K. You'll be able to sell it on for a profit or even more if broken into parts.

If looking to restore, as already said it's the hidden rust which normally does for these cars, so look not just underneath and the wheel arches but also front and rear bulkheads.

By the time you've restored it, those will be fetching £15-20K ......... R107s have quadrupled in 10 years and the 280 CE is already a desirable car.

BUT - the mileage and cloth interior will deeply affect the value ... the former can be offset by mechanical overhaul, but the interior really needs to be leather .... and original for that model, if you are going to get your top price.

Of course, you may just want to keep and enjoy it!

Good luck!

 

[219]

Hi. I would like some advice please.
My neighbour has a 1986, C reg 280 CE auto in black, with 146,000 on the clock and a cloth interior. Its not been driven for at least 10 years and is effectively a non runner. The bodywork isnt in very good condition, the bonnet has been badly keyed and there is rust on the cills and the bonnet hinge needs replacing.
He wants to sell it for £1,000.
Im a fairly competent hobby mechanic, although i cant weld, dont have a ramp and would be a bit scared to take agear box out.
Do you think this is too ambitious as my first project car? Are spares still available? What would the car be worth restored and running.
Many thanks and any advice would be appreciated.
David

Late W123 or early W124 ?

 

[219]

It's a bargain at £1K. You'll be able to sell it on for a profit or even more if broken into parts.

If looking to restore, as already said it's the hidden rust which normally does for these cars, so look not just underneath and the wheel arches but also front and rear bulkheads.

By the time you've restored it, those will be fetching £15-20K ......... R107s have quadrupled in 10 years and the 280 CE is already a desirable car.

BUT - the mileage and cloth interior will deeply affect the value ... the former can be offset by mechanical overhaul, but the interior really needs to be leather .... and original for that model, if you are going to get your top price.

Of course, you may just want to keep and enjoy it!

Good luck!

Leather seats ? No problem ,

Genuine leather interiors

Industrial production and custom-made leather upholstery as a restoration or new cover for all convertible models.

cabrio.de

W123 not listed , but they will do them , should be comparable to W114/5 prices .

They also do carpet sets .

If you take the car to them , the price normally includes fitting .

Re the other query , for W123 , parts availability is good for mechanical parts , for body parts you need to go to German specialists like Niemoller , DBdepot or SLS .

 

[Eddy77]

I think that as long as rust has not taken a grip, it’s a fairly simple car to work on. If it’s rusting structurally you may wish to remortgage you’re house first. Remember that the reason these cars are still running in Africa is that they can be fixed easily with simple tools. But if corrosion is rife, and you can’t weld, and you don’t have a ramp....proceed with caution.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

I was once told that a non running 280 is a dangerous thing, something to do with the injection system being unfathomable

 

[BlackC55]

Give it a go.

If you don't get on with repairing it just sell it. Its probably worth more than £1k in bits.

Rust is the enemy. There is usually bags of it hidden away.

 

[Screwdriver]

I have a bit of experience with W123s - I recently had my 300D restored by the Swansea Svengali himself - Mark Cosovich - and drive it regularly.

The 280CE is an excellent purchase if you're after usable power, even by today's standards, and strong resale values for a cared for car. The issue is with a few parts that are either NLA or very, very expensive. Door/ window/ screen seals are on the top of that list. Body panels are an unknown but likely to be impossible to procure once they sell out.

It's not to say that Mercedes won't make parts again. But do yourself a favor and do your research before sending an email to Bernick @ the Classic Center, asking for a quote: [email protected]

If you want to get it right, I'd recommend a £15K budget for a rust free, reliable looker of a car. And while that won't get you a show quality restoration, the car will make you smile every time you drive her. One last datapoint: I have paid £15K in total to restore and run my W123 over the past 5 years. Today, appreciation has led to an agreed valuation in excess of that amount.

 

[alabbasi]

Just do it. If it goes sideways, you can sell it and make your money back

 

[219]

I was once told that a non running 280 is a dangerous thing, something to do with the injection system being unfathomable

The fuel side was normally quite reliable , apart from fuel pumps rotting away underneath ; the main failing of the M110 was ignition problems , usually leads shorting against the cam cover , or failure of the electronic ignition module on the front inner wing . And how do I know this ?

 

[DST340]

The fuel side was normally quite reliable , apart from fuel pumps rotting away underneath ; the main failing of the M110 was ignition problems , usually leads shorting against the cam cover , or failure of the electronic ignition module on the front inner wing . And how do I know this ?

 

[DST340]

Thank you for all your informative replies. You've put me off taking a gamble. It sounds like there's a lot of potential problems under the skin and although I'm competent, I'm not Edd China.
I've always wanted to restore a car, but it sounds like this might not be the one to start with.