1978 280 SE

This vehicle was brought to the states after a European vacation by an American airlines pilot. I purchased it from him. The car was driven by my mother until her recent passing. I have had the car recently examined by an expert Mercedes mechanic who spent over an hour looking at the car and gave it a test drive. He then provided me with the following written report which is provided without warranty as to accuracy or completeness. Car is sold as is. All sales final. Buyer will either pick up the car in Santa Fe. New Mexico or arrange to have it shipped and pay the shipping cost. A deposit of $2000 is required. Condition Report:The 116 chassis. short - lived but elegant. hosted many 300 turbodiesels and 4. 5 liter V8's in the USA. The double - overhead cam 2. 8 liter straight six you have was less common. though it was a workhorse for some 115 and many 123 chassis vehicles not to mention Gelandewagons. It's a tough but not especially economical powerplant. The car has apparently no rust. some fairly professional re-painting (over body work?). near - new tires. plus: no leaks at brake hoses or calipers; evidence of recently new fuel pump and filter evidence of recently replaced thermostat solid intact exhaust system ; tranny that shifts reasonably well despite modest vacuum leaks possibly affecting performance of modulator valve ;VERY clean interior and exterior. with the exception of lower motor (see below) No sign of "blow - by" or start up smoke related to bad valves or guides;rear axle shafts and boots in good condition front brake pads recently serviced . The car drives generally well and has the following issues in descending order of importance:Climate Control Servo has been disconnected from electrical harness due to a constant. battery - draining "idling" effect. Usually these units (especially the original plastic ones) fail due to leakage. I am not familiar with the battery - draining phenomenon and will do some research. Replacement metal units are available. but so are retrofits that attempt to simplify the potential nightmare of the original design. which improved significantly by 1981. Again. I will research. The timing chain. though not likely to present an urgent calamity. is noisy enough to warrant considering replacement - probably a $400 job. The driver's door check and window are both sketchy and involve removing the door panel - so they should be dealt with in tandem. probably a $100 proposition. Dried out and seeping vacuum connections will affect the efficiency of various systems and can be rectified to the tune of about $30The oil subpan gasket is easily replaced and probably accounts for most of the seeping oil leakage you have observed (no puddles. just residual) That would involve a $15 gasket and about $50 in labor; the front main seal may be part of this situation (impossible to be sure without thorough cleaning) but my sense id that the seal issue is not urgent. The subtle depletion of brake fluid you have experienced is unquestionably due to leakage in the master cylinder (leaking toward the booster) and though not urgent involves a cost of about $150 for labor and parts. Slightly loose steering may indicate issues with tie rods or track rods (these are not expensive or time consuming) but I would start with a 5 - minute adjustment of the power steering box which is very likely to make a BIG difference. New padded covers and/or springs are available for the seats. which are especially compromised in the rear. Improvised repair (i. e. foam padding) can be surprisingly effective but $500 in parts and labor would bring all seats to new. The temporary retirement of the odometer and speedometer is a familiar issue. Albuquerque Speedometer Service will rebuild it at a reasonable rate. And before sending it to them I can try my super glue trick which has often worked in the past (There's a pressed - on brass bushing that starts to give). [ Sellers Note: Odometer stopped at about 157. 00 miles a few years ago. The car is only used occasionally. I have another car. I estimate actual miles does not exceed 160. 00 and have service records to support this. )