Tag: M110

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1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SE

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For as many really cool cars that I take a look at that have price tags north of $50,000 and a lot of times even $100,000, there are still some cars out there for almost no money at all and not because they’ve been sitting at a bottom of lake and/or running on two cylinders. Case in point, today’s car, a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SE. This is a German-market car that was never sold in the US and is as bottom of the range as you can get in the W126 hierarchy. Cloth interior, manual climate control, manual rear windows, and a not-so-powerful (but trusty) inline-six gas engine. Still, this is bottom of the barrel price for what looks like a really clean car. How can you say no?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SE on eBay

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1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SL 5-Speed

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For every Craiglist-special Mercedes-Benz R107 out there with its average condition and crazy price, there is one R107 that is actually worth the money. You wouldn’t believe the number of 450SLs and 380SLs I dig through day after day with phrases like ”Great condition” and ”A real peach” only to see they have tires on them from 1996 and the canvas top is full of mold. I chalk it up to nearly two-thirds of the 300,000 R/C107s built ending up in North America over the unheard of 18 year production run. Combine that with their durability and most people treating them like some sort of investment, and you now have a market flooded with R107s. As the baby boomers hit retirement and their three-bedroom ranch house has a for sale in the front yard, so does the SL in the garage. The overwheling majority of the time they are over priced (in my eyes) and there just aren’t many buyers out there for them. The W113 Pagoda is a much more attractive car and the R129 is a much more livable car with its modern amenities. You are left with the R107 right in the middle with its giant bumpers, four eye head lights and underwhelming performance numbers. However, there is a beacon of light for the R107. This car is none other than the 280SL 5-speed.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SL on eBay

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1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SL

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I promise everyone, this is the last Mercedes-Benz R107 for awhile. I am just as sick of writing about them as you are reading about them, but I want to go full circle and look at this 1984 280SL up for sale in California. This European-spec car is the low man on the totem R107 pole but that doesn’t mean it is the worst of the bunch, at least not in my eyes. It uses the 2.8 liter M110 inline-6 that puts out a respectable (for the times) 182 horsepower and 176 lbâ‹…ft of torque.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280SL on eBay

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1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SE

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I’ve said before that I’m a really big fan of cars that are conservatively styled on the outside but have pretty wild or unique interior setups. Today’s car, a European-spec 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SE, is exactly that. This is a very early build of the W126 S-Class as the W116 was still being sold in North America as a 1980 model year and the new W126 didn’t hit dealers until that fall of 1980 to be sold as 1981 models. The 280SE also was never sold in North America either so this is a rare bird to say the least. But remember how I said about the wild interior? Well, I hope you like the color green.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SE on eBay

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Roll the Dice: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SLC

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The majority of the time, I can ”figure out” a car pretty quickly. I usually give them a quick glance, form an opinion on them, then move on to the next interesting car. Not with this one. Not with this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SLC.

It started out harmless enough. A listing for a $1,500 for a 280SLC. Naturally I’m intrigued by this. The 280SLC with the M110 inline-6 engine was never officially sold in North America so this was a big plus for me. Then I peeked inside and saw a manual transmission – things are looking even better. Yes, it’s pretty rough looking, but the extra parts the seller is throwing in with the car could make this deal worth it especially since one of the parts looks to be a real pre-merger AMG bumper. But when I really started to do some digging into this car I was just confused.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SLC on eBay

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1980 Mercedes-Benz 280GE

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It’s been almost two weeks since I last featured a G-Wagen, so I figured I’d get back on the saddle and bring to you today a 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280GE up for sale in beautiful Aurora, Colorado. As you might have noticed, this W460 isn’t a stock vehicle but it’s not so crazy that you’ll look like one of those people who drive from Canada to Argentina in one trip. In fact, the only thing that is really different from every other basic W460 out there are some G55 AMG wheels wrapped in massive 35 inch tires, a set of shocks and springs to fit those massive tires, some fender flares to cover those massive tires and some torsion bars to make sure those massive tires actually get can down the road. Notice a pattern here?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280GE on eBay

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Feature Listing: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E

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I give a lot of love to the Mecedes-Benz W123 and rightfully so, some think it is the best car ever produced. A few even claim that in these Benz models will be the only survivors of in a post-apocalyptic world. I’m not one to argue as I own a 1983 240D and drive it on a regular basis. It is far from perfect and has it flaws, but when I’m driving down the road in it I can’t help but think how satisfied I am in it. When I really think about it, my most my complaints are from the powerplant in the 240D. Sure, it is as dead simple and reliable as the day is long. But on the other hand it is loud, not that smooth, is dangerously under powered at times and leaves a film of diesel residue from the exhaust on the interior when I drive with the windows down. (I’m sure that isn’t great for my lungs either.) The 5-cylinder OM617 solves some of the problems, but it is still unrefined at times. So what are the other options then? How about a silky smooth inline-6? Luckily, Mercedes-Benz offered that option in the W123 and while not nearly as common as the diesel cars, they are still out there.

This 1981 280E for sale in Maryland offers up that inline-6 option. It has everything great about the W123 but also a 2.8 liter that makes a very respectable 185 horsepower! This is a far cry from the 84 horsepower in the 240D and the 125 horsepower in the 300D. The M110 engine uses a Bosch K-Jetronic injection system that is reliable, not overly complicated and though it won’t return diesel-level gas mileage, it won’t break your wallet either.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E on Hemmings

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1981 Mercedes-Benz 280SL

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I go back and forth on whether or not I like the R107. I just think they stuck around way too long and those that want to sell them have grand illusions of what they are actually worth. I think sellers have some kind of mental formula in their head that goes “Mercedes + old + convertible = valuable” when we all know that none of those factors matter unless someone actually pays for it. But every once in a while a R107 comes along that I actually think represent good value for the money you would pay. This 1981 280SL, which looks to be a grey-market import, really represents what I think is the R107 to buy â€” if you really want one in the first place.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280SL on Mercedes Heritage

Year: 1981
Model: 280SL
Engine: 2.8 liter inline-6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 186,000 miles
Price: $12,500

Very well cared-for German-engineered classic. I am the second owner and have owned the car for 31 years. It was 5 years old when I purchased it with 36,000 miles, current odometer is 186,000. It was always garaged but certainly driven and enjoyed over the years although with careful consideration to weather and other road conditions. I have all maintenance records and do the oil and filter changes myself every 3,000 miles. In short, this one’s been “babied” and if you have ever wanted one, this is the one! Too many attributes to list, so just enjoy the pictures and if seriously interested, let me know. As you can see, I have the original rims as well as the OEM pictured in some of the images. The soft top will need replacement soon although I had it done 8 years ago…..beginning to see some dry-rot.

The quick rundown on this R107 shows 186,000 miles which is high for one of these, but it has been with the same owner for the past 31 years. That is an insane amount of time in the car world as people who usually buy luxury cars are itching for something new around the four-year mark. If anything, it tells me that this car was taken care of as it actually was a long-term investment (I don’t like using that word) for the owner and they didn’t skimp on upkeep. The seller mentions that he has all the maintenance records but it might need a new top in the not too distant future.

Here is why I really like this car: it is a 280SL. That means proper European bumpers and headlights with the M110 straight-six under the hood. Yeah, those foglights next to the government mandated maker lights really ruin the front end of this car but it is nothing that can’t be fixed in an afternoon. This 280SL weighs almost 300 pounds lighter than a later 560SL — the R107 most will tell you is the one to buy. But my argument is that you might as well go for the smaller 2.8 liter because it isn’t like you are buying a R107 to go fast in the first place. These cars are top down pleasure cruisers, not 0-60 runners. No one cares about how much power you are making with these. A new Honda Accord makes more power than a 560SL, who cares if you have the inline-six? For my money, I’d rather have the most aesthetically pleasing car that gets slightly better fuel mileage than the range topping V8 that costs way more.

How much more? This 280SL is listed for $12,500, which isn’t that crazy. I say that meaning that I think all R107s are overpriced, but I am only one man and don’t control the market. If this was a 560SL, I’d wager you’d be asked to pay many thousands more for what is basically the same car. Yeah, you get 50 more horsepower and 100 more lb·ft of torque but you gain those 300 pounds and ugly bumpers and headlights. So while the 560SL still might be king, don’t look down on the 280SL if you can find one. There is no reason to.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 280S

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Produced between 1972 and 1980, the W116 was the first car from Mercedes to officially bear the name “S-class.” Representing the pinnacle of luxury, safety and German engineering in the period, American customers could choose from several gasoline-powered V8s: a 3.5 liter unit in the 350SE/L, a 4.5 liter unit in the 450 SE/L and a gargantuan 6.9 liter unit in the infamous, high performance 6.9 SEL. But in Europe, the car was also available in base spec as the 280S, powered by a carbureted (rather than fuel injected) version of the M110 2.8 liter straight six.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 280S on UK eBay

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Roll the dice? 1985 Mercedes-Benz 280GE

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Rust never sleeps. No, not the 1979 Neil Young album. I’m talking about actual rust. The thing that kills vehicles and ultimately our livelihood. In my opinion, once you start battling the rust bug, it turns into a never ending war. Sometimes you can live with it if it’s cosmetic but once it starts turning into a structural problem, you have a big problem. Unfortunately for this 1985 Mercedes-Benz 280GE for sale in Ohio, the rust problem has probably hit the point of no return.

CLICK FOR DETAILS:  1985 Mercedes-Benz 280GE on Hemmings

Year: 1985
Model: 280GE
Engine: 2.8 liter inline-6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 117,000 mi
Price: $12,950

Chassis: WDB46023217045680

A 1985 Mercedes 280 GE Wagen. Grey with a black leather interior, automatic transmission. 117,000 original miles. Just came out of a long term ownership. Has been off the road for some years, we just got it running, and it runs and drive well.

The body is very straight, no signs of any accidents. There are some rust spots by the windshield, the rear tail lights, and the rear tail gate as you can see in the pictures. Also, as you can see there is some rust on the undercarriage as well.

A good driver, needing work.

Any questions welcome.

Please message or call Frank Sajjad at 2166452100.

(We can help to make arrangements for worldwide shipping.)

Shipping cost to Rotterdam or Felixstowe, UK is $1,500

Price: $12,950

When I first glanced at this W460 3-door, I thought it looked a little rough around the edges. But after cycling through the photos and really taking a look, I think this one is sadly too far good. Rust has begun to consume almost every body panel on the 280GE and the undercarriage wasn’t spared either. The driver’s side rear panel that holds the taillight into body is disintegrating into nothing and that poor taillight is holding on for dear life. The sad part is that isn’t even the worst of it. The entire lower part of the sheet metal holding the front windshield is nearly rusted through on almost the entire width of the vehicle. I would be shocked if water wasn’t sneaking into the cabin through there already. Under this W460, the frame actually looks solid. It’s just everything else that is a rotting mess. The interior isn’t much better as the carpets looks like they’ve been exposed to water for some time now. Whether or not that’s because this truck has been in water up over the doors or that much water actually leaks into the cabin is anyone’s guess.

The price of $12,950 is the cheapest I’ve seen for any running and driving G-Wagen that wasn’t smashed in somewhere. Usually the buy-in price for any G is around the $20,000 mark so if you’re doing the math at home like I am, it’s not adding up. Honestly if you took this thing to any competent body man he’d chuckle and tell you he needs to get back to work. There is no fixing this truck outside of an entirely different body shell. If you reached that point, your money should be going somewhere far more useful. The 280GE is probably bound to live out it’s days as a farm truck or off-roader only because any state with vehicle inspections would take one look at this thing, chuckle and tell you he needs to get back to work. Even if you cut the price in half I still can’t see it being worth it given its issues.

– Andrew