A possibly solid 400e for cheap

[Green]

First in foremost, I am not affiliated with the sellers in anyway. I'm just too far from Atlanta to take a look.

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/5510829453.html

The car looks good for $2000. Rust should be limited if it has lived its life in Georgia and the paint that's shown looks good. The driver seat is showing the 171 kmi in the typical wear spots, but looks crack free.

I would have to see the maintenance history, but I'd imagine at this price that there is a fair amount of maintenance to be done to make it 100%. Bushings, brakes, every filter and fluid, the blower motor etc. Then again, it's in a good neighborhood so maybe the "maintained regularly and repaired" is worth something, but that wouldn't be the Craigslist I know and love

 

[Dario]

Maybe its me but i have seen lower miles 400E/E420 in that price range. They just dont hold value as a matter of fact they are on average cheaper then sibling with M103/M104 engine even though you get lot more with that M119

 

[Green]

Really? Well that goes against intuition. Maybe it's just people are more afraid of the maintenance cost of a V8. That being said I wouldn't be surprised if the M119 is an easier engine to work on yourself, at least for anything dealing with the front of the engine. I have a 1993 300ce and the front of the m104 is nearly pressing against the radiator.

 

[gsxr]

I much prefer the M119 over the M104, but that's just me. A clean 400E for $2k could be a screaming deal, or a money pit... hard to say without more information. If you are seriously in this car, ping Jono at BlueRidge MB in Atlanta, maybe he knows the owner.

 

[gerryvz]

I much prefer the M119 over the M104, but that's just me.

GSXR's really an M103 & OM61X guy at heart .....

 

[gsxr]

GSXR's really an M103 & OM61X guy at heart .....

Yeah.... not.

M119 6L FTW! Although, the M156 has been calling me lately... softly, consistently... proper number of cams? Check. Proper number of valves? Check. Proper displacement? Check. Redline 7k? Check... only thing I'm missing is the cheque to pay for it.

 

[Stevester 500E]

M119 6L FTW! Although, the M156 has been calling me lately... softly, consistently... proper number of cams? Check. Proper number of valves? Check. Proper displacement? Check. Redline 7k? Check... only thing I'm missing is the cheque to pay for it.

Proper numbers of everything, except one two many roman numerals after OBD...., as in OBDII.....

 

[Glen]

Proper numbers of everything, except one two many roman numerals after OBD...., as in OBDII.....

I don't know, Steve. OBDII makes diagnosis quite a bit easier and there are plenty of tools available to help. What do you have against OBDII?

 

[gerryvz]

I have wished many times that our .036s had OBD2.

 

[Green]

M119 6L FTW! Although, the M156 has been calling me lately... softly, consistently... proper number of cams? Check. Proper number of valves? Check. Proper displacement? Check. Redline 7k? Check... only thing I'm missing is the cheque to pay for it.

Several versions of my dream project of turning a 300ce into a hammer clown/restomod have involved that engine, but anything from mid-2000s MB makes me a bit apprehensive. The M156 does have great numbers, unfortunately, it also seems to have a lot of Chrysler stink about it. I am currently hoping the M178 ages like wine. An engine pushing north of 500 hp while weighing less than 500 ld is insane. All the reviews I've seen of cars with this engine have done nothing but build it up as an automotive demigod. Their decision to put the turbos in the V does give me pause. It nearly eliminates turbo lag and shrinks the engine's dimensions, but it also makes it a very dense, hot machine. I doubt it will be replacing thew123's OM616 on the durability and workability leader boards.