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I just bought a 500E with absolutely zero engine and transmission problems!
- Thread starter alabbasi
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number 37
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Yep, otherwise perfect car with the exception of an engine fire. I have two other shadows that are donors (euro cars and it makes a difference). The kid that does side work for me (the same one who installed a 722.6 in his W124) wants to put an OM606 in it.
Those are gone
I have missed the back story on this one, what was the reason why this 500E has no engine in it?
Is the original engine still with the car at all pr so you need a complete replacement one? Is the trans still in the car?
A w140 m119 is very close but there are still some parts to be swapped over from a 500E motor. Some stuff is tricky too - like 500E specific AC hard lines which are now NLA.
Is the original engine still with the car at all pr so you need a complete replacement one? Is the trans still in the car?
A w140 m119 is very close but there are still some parts to be swapped over from a 500E motor. Some stuff is tricky too - like 500E specific AC hard lines which are now NLA.
I bought the car with the engine and trans out. I have the block and the heads but my intention is to source a running engine and throw it in. I've not inventoried all of the stuff in the trunk or in boxes but I suspect that the smart money will be buy an R129 complete parts car and tackle the project in that way, understanding that I will need to source a transmission separately.
Joe, I didn't realize some are different between 034 and 036. Do you happen to know which ones? I thought all that stuff was the same!
Joe, I didn't realize some are different between 034 and 036. Do you happen to know which ones? I thought all that stuff was the same!
Apologies I should have said w124 m119 specific ac lines. Not 500E specific we don't have the
I have an engine & transmission out of a 53000 mile 500E, if you are interested send me a PM
@steve h - Thanks. Right now my goal is to source an R129 parts car locally as I expect that I'll need some other pieces as I go along which will slow the process down if I don't have a parts car. I still have the original engine (although in pieces) which I will keep in case I decide to back to original.
I was waiting for someone to kid about that. As much as I hate to admit that engine is the Swiss Army knife for all transplants they have loads of support and make really good power in a compact package. Hard to believe a pushrod engine can pump so efficiently.
I considered putting one in my Jensen Interceptor but decided to stick with the 440. It was a tough choice. Modern fuel injection, modern a/c, modern ps, modern alternator, serpentine belt, fan controller and a 4 speed overdrive in one package.
It says 500SL. I also have a 5 speed 280SL buried somewhere in that building that I will probably never get to.
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Looks great! I love the 16” Lorisner wheels. They look much better than the Centra’s mine has. Mine has a palomino interior.
PS: I couldn’t read the writing on the trunk on my I-Phone but being blurry it looked longer than 500SL
@TerryA - You're right, it's not readable in this picture. I had the 17" OZ 3pc wheels on this car but it rode too hard with them on.
Do you have access to Copart or IAAI salvage auctions? Might need to buy one from further away and have it delivered?
Copart shows a few:
Not sure if you had a good experience with copart but I had a horrible experience. Never again!
I've never used either Copart or IAAI. Was it dealing with the Copart system, or was Copart ok to deal with but the car itself a turd?
It was both the Copart system and the vehicle was misrepresented. Bid on a car for the drivetrain and it was a run and drive. Car didn’t sell that day of auction. Apparently the bank or insurance company has the last say in the final bid. It was held in limbo for over a week. I was the highest bid so when they decided to release the car my schedule was not open for a couple weeks again to retrieve it. Storage charges compound daily 7 days a week. So by the time I was able to get it several hundred dollars storage plus buyers fees. Got the car home and the engine was tight. Timing jumped so a bad engine and a bad situation. Licked my wounds with over $1500 lost. There are no deals to be had at those places. The insurance company found a way to drive up salvage for more profits to them by inviting the public. The auction company loves it because more revenue with the buying public and very little to any recourse if the vehicle was misrepresented. The only way it would make some sense is to bid on a car through a wholesaler and actually show and inspect the car you are looking at. Independent inspections are a joke as well.
I have bought many cars on salvage auctions including my 98 R129 SL500 which was a fantastic deal. These days, they can be very sketchy when it comes to older luxury cars. It was great about 10 years ago, but now I think that too many people know about it, and they're not the type of people that I would normally do business with. The fees are also out of this world.
Totally agree. The best deals are on CL and Marketplace. There have been several 93-95 SL’s in my area for 2K and less. The one I picked up this weekend was a 99 for 3K. Not gonna make money on it but plan to fix and enjoy for a while. Have friends who will most likely buy it one it’s all sorted and nice.
Pacific Northwest. I’m in North Idaho so I’m willing to travel in a 500mi radius for the right car.
Ahh yes, that's very far away from where I am in Texas.. but a lovely part of the world.
I use Craigslist exclusively due to locality. I'll frequently check immediate surrounding areas for deals.
If I can veer from parts cars to drivers for a moment...
When I bought the E430 the used car seller I bought my S8 from showed up at the same time. It was rather funny. He's a standup guy. We had an "experienced" conversation in the presence of the owner who was a bit overwhelmed. It helped me to get a better deal since I was willing to pay a bit more than he was. He was there to make a profit, I just wanted that car.
If I can veer from parts cars to drivers for a moment...
When I bought the E430 the used car seller I bought my S8 from showed up at the same time. It was rather funny. He's a standup guy. We had an "experienced" conversation in the presence of the owner who was a bit overwhelmed. It helped me to get a better deal since I was willing to pay a bit more than he was. He was there to make a profit, I just wanted that car.
I also enjoy meeting with the owner and approach the sale in a casual manner. You can get a lot more when guards are not up. Price is never discussed until I have reviewed and driven the car. I have had people comment about how refreshing it was to have someone not try and lowball without looking. The owner I bought the car from most recently bought the car for his wife who unfortunately passed last year. Selling the car was an emotional experience for him and I sent him a message when I got home thanking him and reassuring him the car would be mechanically restored to her former glory. I think he really appreciated that.
Craigslist seems to have dried up in recent years since they started charging for car listings. Sellers and buyers on FB Market are a strange sort. I put a wanted ad for an R129 there a couple of weeks ago and I keep getting asked if it's available even though the heading clearly says WANTED
Here was your engine & transmission! The R129 wrapped around it didn't look too shabby either:
carsandbids.com
1994 Mercedes-Benz SL500 - V8 Power, Factory Hardtop, Imperial Red, Mostly Unmodified
This 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL500 is for sale on Cars & Bids! Auction ends August 25 2023.
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