1973 Mercedes-Benz 200-Series

280SE Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Gasoline

Looking for a winter project? This 280SE is a great place to start. Desirable 4.5 fuel injected V8, auto trans, factory air and one of the best color combinations - Red and Ivory. It is a complete, running car. I hold an open MD title. This is the final year of the 108 chassis before they ruined the look of the 280 (IMHO). I bought this car as part of a two car package deal. I'm keeping the 1974 280C to restore, but I just could not pass this one up. I've worked on a few of these D-jet cars and I enjoyed waking it up from its 10+ year slumber. The engine spun freely when I got it home so I put a little time and effort into getting it running. I have done the following: New (correct) battery New fuel pump ($300) Drained and cleaned fuel tank New high-pressure fuel injection lines throughout - no original rubber remains in the fuel system New fuel filter Removed, cleaned and tested all fuel injectors Cleaned the points and regapped Removed, cleaned and inspected all spark plugs Removed the distributor and cleaned the trigger points (fuel injection) Put a squirt of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder (just to be safe) Put 5 gallons of gas in it and hit the key... It starts right up and settles down after short time. A bit smoky at first thanks to the Marvel, but that has cleared now. I've also put a bit of Seafoam in it and that is making some smoke. It is running a bit rich - still need to calibrate the fuel pressure regulator and give it a proper tune, but that is for the next owner. I pulled all of the wheels (mixed bag of tires, by the way) and gave the calipers a good dose of PB Blaster. Topped up the master cylinder and I've got brakes. At least well enough to drive around the block without scaring myself or anyone else. Know that you'll need to go through the system to be sure it is intact, but so far, so good. It shifts fine Park, Neutral and Drive. The park pin holds (these are famous for problems). A little slow into reverse but it drops in. Likely a bit low on ATF. I have not been over 30 mph in the car, so I'm not sure how the trans is through the rest of the gears, but I'd be surprised if there was an issue. There is some rust on the car, but nothing that can't be fixed. It is certainly not terminal. The driver rear quarter looks to have suffered from a poor repaint. I did strip the deck lid bare and prime it. The roof and hood with need the same as the paint is cracked and has failed. The passenger doors are excellent and the driver side is showing only minimal paint problems. I'd spot paint the car (it is the original Carnelian Red color) and it would be fine for daily driving. The jambs and door posts are excellent (see the photos) and the floors are rust free. A couple of rust bubbles, but again, nothing serious. Miles show 31,xxx but I'm certain it has been there before. The interior is nothing short of amazing. It really cleaned up nicely with just a bit of vinyl cleaner. The carpets are in excellent shape, but the driver side carpet is missing. You can order them here on ebay without any trouble. The seats have zero tears and the door panels are near perfect. Even the door wood trim is decent. The upper dash wood trim is trash, but again, easy to get. The glove box door needs refinishing, but the rest of the dash wood is presentable. The dash pad is free of tears or cracks. The headliner is good but has come loose at the very back. Needs a bit of glue. All glass is good - can't find a single chip. The original Becker works but the power antenna is shot. The lights work, the horn blows and the seat belt buzzer (unfortunately) works as well. A couple of the windows roll down, one sounds like it is off the track. The vent windows open and close properly and the car does not leak. I bet the cigar lighter will still get hot. I have restored many vehicles and this, to me, is a great candidate. A bit of rust, but with the exception of the driver front fender trim, it is all there. The cowl vent screen and wiper arms are in the trunk, as is the trunk mat, original spare and jack and the full set of emblems I took off when I stripped the trunk lid. The grille star is missing, but the chrome is quite good. Buy it to rebuild or buy it for a donor - either way you won't lose. I've opened the bidding at $100 so everyone can play. My Buy-it-Now is more than fair for a running '73 280SE with the desirable 4.5. The reserve is somewhere in between. Enough said. Please note - you are not going to drive this car home. For one thing it is not tagged. Car shipping is readliy available and I can help with the arrangements. I can even get you a quote if you email me your zip code. Know that I have this advertised on a MB forum and I will end the auction up until the Reserve is met in the event of a prior sale there. Other questions? Call Eric @ (843) 321-1648.