(W108) 300 SEL 6.3 CRAYFORD ESTATE

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Interesting car but if you were going to run it as a everyday motor,you would need a engine or gearbox in the boot the get those rear wheels to sit right.
 
I saw that. If you cover up the estate bit it look just like the saloon and the rear wings are very droopy. I can't help feeling it's not quite right.
 
Interesting old thing ... but ugly!

It was last serviced by AMG Cheshire

That's an indi ... seems you can get away with using "AMG" in your company name whereas "Mercedes" etc. would be out of the question.

Using panels and glass taken from the Mk1 Ford Granada estate

All is explained :D
 
Mmmm--- these cars had an articulated solid rear axle controlled by a large transverse hydraulic damper= NLA :(
They are often replaced by a spring with varying degrees of success. ;)
DSC02848.jpg
 
Oh why did you have to post this, and why did Mrs D just catch me looking at it. She’s made it quite clear that I can’t bid. 🙁😇
 
Reminds me of a Triumph Vitesse I had as a youngster, with a similar idea for rear suspension. Harsh braking had rear seat passengers able to look over your head. 😆
 
Oh why did you have to post this, and why did Mrs D just catch me looking at it. She’s made it quite clear that I can’t bid. 🙁😇
What would you do about the rear end, though? By the time the rear wheels are parallel in the vertical plane the rear ride height will be way out...

Besides, it's ugly; the rear side windows in particular just look so wrong...
 
Covering just 212 miles in more than 17 years and the strange 1990 H registration number is making me suspicious…
 
Covering just 212 miles in more than 17 years and the strange 1990 H registration number is making me suspicious…
Reading the comments on the site it seems the H plate is a personal plate, it was previously on UVP511H. And the suspension looks out because they took the photos with the car in raised service mode. Still very ugly. Though would make a nice ugly sisters pair with a Lynx Eventer!
 
You can't apply a personal plate newer than the car itself. Most likely something triggered a reregistration (exported and reimported?) and DVLA applied the current registration year at the time.

The Lynx Eventer is a beauty queen next to this carbuncle.
 
Reading the comments on the site it seems the H plate is a personal plate, it was previously on UVP511H.
Unless something has changed, it’s not possible to use a registration number to make a car look newer than it is.

A 1990 H registration couldn’t be applied to a car first registered in 1969, so I can’t work out how it was transferred.

The only explanation I can think of is that the car was first registered in 1990, which is possible buy unlikely:

However the ad says that the current owner has had it since 1989, it prior to that it had McAlpine’a personalised registration.

So that would suggest that it had to have been registered prior to 1990. The must be an explanation, I just can’t work it out.
 
Unless something has changed, it’s not possible to use a registration number to make a car look newer than it is.

A 1990 H registration couldn’t be applied to a car first registered in 1969, so I can’t work out how it was transferred.

The only explanation I can think of is that the car was first registered in 1990, which is possible buy unlikely:

However the ad says that the current owner has had it since 1989, it prior to that it had McAlpine’a personalised registration.

So that would suggest that it had to have been registered prior to 1990. The must be an explanation, I just can’t work it out.
Going back a few years when registering for a car for first time in the UK ie an import ,or a car where the original reg could not be found or I think when you transferred a plate, you would get a plate relating to the current year, not age related. For example, there were a lot of 50's US imports on T and V plates. Don't know when this changed, but even so, wouldn't explain the plate on this car. A weird one.
 
Unless something has changed, it’s not possible to use a registration number to make a car look newer than it is.

A 1990 H registration couldn’t be applied to a car first registered in 1969, so I can’t work out how it was transferred.

The only explanation I can think of is that the car was first registered in 1990, which is possible buy unlikely:

However the ad says that the current owner has had it since 1989, it prior to that it had McAlpine’a personalised registration.

So that would suggest that it had to have been registered prior to 1990. The must be an explanation, I just can’t work it out.
Yes that's what i thought. As Doodle mentions above maybe it was imported when the last owner bought it. That would tie in with the plate i guess. Ive just been looking up Kenneth McAlpine - really quite interesting and quite local to me. Seems he's still going at 101!
 
I always find the idea of an S class estate fascinating (e.g. Sultan of Brunei S73) but this one doesn't look great to me despite having the right engine.

I too am curious about the number plate: when I search it in the DVLA database it states that the car is a 1969, yet it definitely does have the H plate. That doesn't seem possible, but it's there on their system.

The MOT history is not great: the last MOT expired in 2015 and then it failed one in 2017 and was never retested. The list was:

Reason(s) for failure​

  • Fuel system component leaking Fuel pump (7.2.3)
  • Fuel system component insecure Fuel pump (7.2.1)
  • Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)
  • Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Advisory notice item(s)​

  • Nearside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush (2.5.A.3a)
  • All tyres cracking on the tread
  • Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

And then here is what it failed on 11 years before that in 2006 (yet only 200 miles earlier on the odometer, so it has not been driven in at least 16 years):

Reason(s) for failure​

  • Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)
  • Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)
  • Nearside Inner Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
  • Offside Inner Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
  • Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)
  • Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)
  • Front Steering damper leaking oil (2.2.C.1f)

Advisory notice item(s)​

  • Nearside Rear Air suspension unit slightly deteriorated (2.4.D.1b)
  • Offside Rear Air suspension unit slightly deteriorated (2.4.D.1b)
  • Centre Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)
 
It just looks like a stunted hearse to me. Shame, because they could've made a much better job of that aesthetically.
 

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