Gutted suspension

[Pagoda68]

Now that I've retired, I had the opportunity to have a mechanic put the car on a lift and assess the hole I'm in. I received the car [94 E500] as settlement of a debt, but the previous owner butchered the suspension. The missing reservoir was only the tip of the iceberg. All of the adjustment hardware at the rear end has been removed. Even the mounting bracket. The metal lines have been cut. Up front, one of the metal lines is cut and crimped. The rubber line from the reservoir is cut and open. The front of the car was damaged by an apparent run in with a post or pole. The radiator was replaced with a really nice Ron Davis aluminum unit, but the pusher fans are missing and the one puller is poorly installed. Although on the only time I've driven it, 9 miles in traffic to the shop, the temp stayed at 80. The engine runs perfectly and the car has a lovely rumble thanks to the hole in the muffler. The speedometer works but not the odometer which reads a bit over 140,000 miles.

Surprisingly, everything electrical works except the right outside rearview mirror. The inside rearview mirror is missing. The car was in a storage unit for 20 years so the interior is in good shape. The original paint has some small scratches. There is a small dent on the front of the hood, and the crossmember behind the bumper cover has a corresponding dent. I suspect that's what took out the fans.

What to do. I don't believe replacing the whole SLS is an option. The mechanic is investigating springs and shocks from an E400. I don't know how desirable the car would be with that. I suspect it wouldn't provide a ROI. I can tell the car was once a glorious machine and didn't deserve this abuse. I don't have the finances or facilities to resurrect it, so I'm looking for suggestions. Swap the suspension or just try to sell it as a basket case?

 

[gsxr]

What to do. I don't believe replacing the whole SLS is an option. The mechanic is investigating springs and shocks from an E400. I don't know how desirable the car would be with that. I suspect it wouldn't provide a ROI. I can tell the car was once a glorious machine and didn't deserve this abuse. I don't have the finances or facilities to resurrect it, so I'm looking for suggestions. Swap the suspension or just try to sell it as a basket case?

Kinda depends on the condition of the rest of the car. Miles? Colors? Location? Etc. And, if you want to keep the car and enjoy driving it, or just sell to recoup the settled debt funds.

Most of the SLS stuff can be resurrected without too much hassle, but the rear hydrolegs (shocks) will be expensive as they are NLA and the handful of NOS out there are silly priced. Installing standard non-SLS suspension would be the easiest solution, although obtaining the ideal rear spring will be a bit difficult as the Sportline E420 rear springs (most similar) are NLA.