79 400GT in TX - comments?

F101CL26371 66k mi - Blue - shifts and drives very well - mechanicals great - jack & bag but no tools - IMO needs wheels redone, Interior restored, new tires (metric) and some paint resto on drivers rear tire fender lip (bubbling) and both rear "valences"(?)...Think I can get the "needs" completed for $5k. Comments general or otherwise?
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The absence of the usual ugly gray-market side marker lights is a big plus. "Restoring the interior" apparently does not include reupholstering anything, if $5000 is your total for all the needs, including bodywork and paint. Rust bubbles usually mean sheet metal replacement. Also open the trunk, and run your hand along the top of the opening, just aft of the back window. If you feel bumpy rust, stick your head in their and look more closely. You might find some rust-through issues there. Also peak underneath at the rear under undercarriage. If you see dry-rotted bushings, it's about $1200 in parts for a bumper-to-bumper replacement. Also test every switch, window, lights, wipers. Before turning on the wipers you might want to pop the arms up off the windshield, so you don't make scratches on a dry windshield. Actually there is a thread somewhere on here with a whole check list of things to look at. These are just the ones I can think of off the bat.

 

Pretty much identical to mine except this is (I assume) manual ?

At what price is the car up for sale as the purchase cost will dictate how far in the hole you'll end up after sorting out the needs list.

If this is the right car for you don't let this put you off - just go in with your eyes wide open from the start and work on the basis that if your estimate if $5k you're probably wise to allocate double that to sort out any 400 with "needs".

 

Thanks very much for both insights - front seats are lousy (incl 2" slit under drivers left thigh) and will need two panels replaced and rest restored to make them presentable. Yes it is manual - Owner is interested in two very nice SLs (85 500SL Euro & 87 560SL ) I own and I'll ask for $5k in addition to ~$25k asking price) My MB mechanic services this 400 (and other Ferraris also) - He says I'll need a valve job ($3k?) in 10k mi. Assuming things work out, I plan to drive this often. Thanks again - I'll seek the "list" mentioned.
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I'd make the trade. There are said to be only 5 or 6 carb & 5spd cars in the US so it may be years before you see this combination for sale again. That color is excellent!
I would buy the 16" wheels from superperformance UK and new 225 or 235/60-16 tires over the repro TRX tires and wheel refurb.

 

Totally agree about buying the car as it is rare but this model year has the non metric 15" wheels which take standard, readily available tyres. The stance of the car is better with the larger wheels but these are original spec so my advice would be to leave well alone.

I hope you buy the car so we can welcome you our exclusive band of misfits !

 

I hope it works out too...thanks again for all the insights - this is an impressive forum.

 

Faber,

A valve job done right is more than the $3k quoted. Also, if it is approaching a valve job, I would expect a bunch of other 'while you are at it' jobs.

This is a great car but will cost way more that $5k to make very nice.

Good luck with it!

Art S.

 

Haha...Thanks very much - I watched owner pay $2.6k for some seals work the day I drove it and I plan to check on that w/ the mechanic -I didn't mention I've seen the car in the shop over the past several years for other things - I'm hoping to look it over again this weekend - Based on above comments, I'm thinking I'll pay $10k over purchase including valves (valves will wait for 10k mi) - Serious Q: I assume the consensus could be that I could just wait & pay $40k+ for a 328 and breath easier..(?). Also thought I'd like to find & buy a 365 GTC/4 but my bride isn't keen on that - although she agrees the GTC/4 is a beautiful car. Upshot is I trust my mechanic since 2008 with 6 x circa 80s MBs and I'm trying hard to keep objective about this 400. (My mechanic has maintained the car since late 90s). Comments & corrections welcome - Thanks again,

 

Buy it!

 

Buy it!

 

Well, horror of horrors...inspected/drove the car on Saturday - Really enjoy it - He's got records back to original Deutsche owner and mileage is 51k, not 66k as I mistakenly reported. Also, engine rebuild in the 80s at 30k mi. No paint sticker in trunk; removed during 80s paint(?). He drove my 560SL and desires that in lieu of both SLs or the 85 500SL - surprised as the 500SL receives the most attention - 19.3k mi on a Metrics engine since 2000 restoration. Go figure. Working w/ seller on a deal. Question for any: What's the recommendation on driving these cars when it gets 100 degrees? Don't sit in traffic? Thanks.

 

are you selling the 500 sl?

 

Hard for me to comment from experience as we rarely see temperatures like that in England but I personally have never had any temperature based problems with my 400, even in traffic in 90 degree temperatures (which we saw last year for about 20 mins when "summer" finally showed its face !). She sits solidly at 90 degrees and pretty much never deviates.

As I understand it, the cooling system on these cars is more than capable of keeping that big V12 cool as long as its maintained properly and old hoses replaced. If you see the recent post by Bill (180 Out) you'll see that problems can occur when you least expect them but it's all part of the old car experience.

Personally I'd swap the Merc for the 400 in an instant - but I've never exactly been known for being sensible!

 

They can handle 100 degree weather, but try to keep moving. I bought mine from Dave Stacy in Houston back in July 2006 during the heatwave and drove it back to CT and there was no problem. They can be hard to restart when very hot.

 

Hi - I am selling the 500SL

MercedesHeritage.com » 1985 500SL » Classic Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes Classifieds, Mercedes for Sale, Mercedes Parts, Buy Mercedes, Sell Mercedes

 

Thanks very much for both temp comments - Sounds much like the Euro SLs in 100 degree temps.

 

Mine used to be hard to start when the engine was hot, irrespective of the weather. This turned out to be the starter which was on its last legs and eventually failed August last year.

I've now replaced it with a gear reduction version which is half the size, third of the weight and spins the engine over at least 3 times faster. I've been told that this starter won't be affected by heat but we'll see when the summer comes (hopefully we'll get 45 mins of summer this year!).

 

Early last November, I pulled out into game traffic for one of TCU's new Big 12 games, compounded by the ubiquitous construction we're still enduring on anything resembling a throughfare, low 80s, and watched the temp needle rise to uncomfortable levels (to me) for a new engine and re-cored radiator. I was lucky that we would occasionally move just before panic set in, enough to arrest the rise so I could flee down familiar sidestreets. Once out of that mess, all was OK, but put me on notice that I'll be putting in a bigger radiator with better ducting and/or fans (assuming it's not the water pump)

Edit: After checking 180's "Coolant Hose Blew" thread, I'll have the thermostat checked, too, if James' fix to the fans (one had a bad connection/ground, as I recall, when he did a "final tune" in December) didn't do the trick​

Faber, since you're in Texas, just watch the gauges - some fare better than others in our heat.

LOL - Ouch.

BTW - Your summer almost froze this Texan to death about a decade ago. Pleasantly cool "fall/spring Texas days", and I was usually wearing a jacket at night if we were outside much.

 

do you have a new thermostat?

 

SL500 looks real nice.

But the 400 looks better !

FYI
Some miserable bastard stole my BMW 7 series right off of our drive Thursday morning - not happy, not one bit.

Inc the classic stuff we have 12 cars in our house and not one of the everyday cars was free so I had to drive one of the oldies for a couple of days so chose the 400 as its the youngest and most civilised to drive (other than the crippling fuel consumption so be warned).

Driving the 400 for pleasure when you want to is one thing but having no choice other than to use it for work etc is a different ball game altogether when compared to a modern car. It was no fun, everything is harder work and after a while I began to not want to drive it as it was dirty and smelled of fumes etc. I finally managed today to get my stepsons Fiat back on the road (it was laid up as he's off travelling around India) so could stop using the 400.

This afternoon I spent 3 hours cleaning and polishing the 400 and then went for a nice long drive on my own - once the pressure was off I could enjoy the experience again and didn't stop smiling. I swear the engine note is better than sex and chocolate all together.

The end result ? I'm back in love with the 400 and would recommend the smell of petrol fumes that these carbed monsters belch out wholeheartedly so buy the 400, enjoy its uniquely quirky nature and be happy.

I doubt you'd get this feeling from any Merc.

 

On behalf of the British people I apologise for our weather. Well at least the cold summers are improved by our crap warm beer !

 

Did I see this car at a RAC/Ruf(?) event in Dallas last summer?

One would assume so, with the motor rebuilt, but considering the rest of the issues with #22579.......I'll leave it at that. If the weather warms enough again before it the re-restoration starts, I'll know if it was just the dead fan <crosses fingers>

 

Thanks for all the insights & thanks Willrace for your Tx comments - I'm looking forward to closing on this thing soon.