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Resurrecting an Abandoned Sonderklasse W116 280SE

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  • Resurrecting an Abandoned Sonderklasse W116 280SE

    I'm normally an old RWD Volvo nerd (Amazon wagon, 1800S, 960 wagon, etc) but I have a real soft spot for old Mercedes-Benz, 1985 and earlier. Sure, I like the newer stuff very much, but I just love the style and durability of the older cars. I bought my '76 W114 280 sedan a few years ago for $200 which opened up my automotive world a bit. It really helped me build a local reputation as a Mercedes-Benz nerd.



    My 280 was a great car, but I ended up crashing it during a snow storm in 2019. I still have it, but it will be at least a year before it's back on the road... albeit with a few surprises saved for another build thread.

    Two weeks ago, an opportunity arose for me to purchase a car that was on my radar. A buddy of mine owns a big warehouse downtown filled with cars and parts. It used to be a dry cleaning facility about a hundred years ago, but somebody converted it to a customs shop, which has gone through several hands. Today, it's more of a personal clubhouse than anything.

    Unfortunately for my friend, the utility company found some issues with the ancient electrical in the building and he had to make changes before they could restore service. Between the utility company, tax season, and the temporary layoffs caused by COVID-19, he needed a little help to pull things together. He reached out to me to see if I was interested in the Mercedes in his shop, and the answer was an easy yes. We worked out a deal so I could help him get a leg up, and I'm now the proud owner of this wild W116 280SE.



    The car started life in Coney Island, NY, where the first owner was an appliance dealer. Originally metallic brown, the car underwent a radical transformation about 30 years ago, and found its way to the tundra where I live today. I don't even know how to describe this paint job, but it reminded me of when I lived in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, surrounded by West Indians who took pride in their customized rides. My old mechanic Errol was always cranking out tricked out rides, and this is right on that wavelength. Something about the base model Sonderklasse done up with such flagrant paint appealed to me, even though it goes against my normal grimy Volvo aesthetic.











    The car was last run in 2007. The fuel was drained, and it was stored indoors, but I have a lot of work to stage 0 this car before the mods can begin. The interior is decent, other than an aftermarket dash cap and some dimples in the MB-Tex from a lamp sitting on the passenger seat. The paint is in good shape, a couple peeling areas and some scratches, but I see a lot of potential here.

    The current plans are as follows: Swap the big US bumpers for Euro bumpers, or even better, source a replica AMG or Lorinser kit and paint it to match. Lower the ride height ~2" and fit some period correct alloys (Rial, AMG Penta, Ronal, etc, 15-16" max). Once the kinks are all sorted out, I'd like to put it on air and use it as a fair-weather cruiser. This thing is a total yacht, but I do have a thing for green cars, and they don't really get more green than this.


    I should take delivery of this car in about a week, I just have to rearrange my garage to accommodate the new project. Stay tuned!
    Last edited by Børk Volvo; 03-23-2020, 09:37 PM.
    Volvo: 1966 122 Wagon & 1969 1800S // Mercedes-Benz: 1977 280SE & 1986 300E AMG Hammer x Louis Vuitton Purse

  • #2
    Cant wait to see more of this!

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    • #3
      With all the COVID-19 stuff going on, this has been a crazy month. My buddy finally came around yesterday with the Sonderklasse.





      Yeah, that's too tall for me. We're gonna get low.





      Grimy



      First bath in over 15 years. That paint really pops in the sunlight!


      Now that it is out of my friend's garage and in my driveway, I can see how much work I have ahead of me. Lots of little trim things, there's definitely a rat's nest of wiring to examine or undo, somebody put a bumping system in here like 20 years ago. Still, from what I can tell, this car has no rust other than your typical exhaust/undercarriage rock chips, etc. Everything in the trunk area down to the spare tire well are nice and clean, with no signs of repairs, filler, or Bondo.

      This weekend I am going to pull out the fuel sender and take a peek inside the tank. I am pretty sure the fuel was emptied before storage, but if not, I'll clean it out before refueling it for the first time.
      Volvo: 1966 122 Wagon & 1969 1800S // Mercedes-Benz: 1977 280SE & 1986 300E AMG Hammer x Louis Vuitton Purse

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      • #4
        Got a lowrider vibe for sure. Maybe slammed on some 13" Daytons?

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        • #5
          wow

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          • #6
            nice and classy

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            • #7
              This thread is just started and it's already the coolest.
              I love that paint job, you need some hydro action like yesterday

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              • #8
                Not just a car, a legend!
                I think you coudl find even better pictures here https://pro-essay-writer.com/blog/sat-score
                Last edited by sarahk99; 11-08-2020, 06:06 PM.

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                • #9
                  Ultra delayed updates

                  Sorry for the tardy response, but I am back in it. Nobody thought COVID was gonna last this long; this project was stalled many times, but I finally hit my first goal and I'm already looking at the future.

                  Let's see... the yellow W114 next to the W116 is no more... or should I say, it's in pieces and about 2/3 of it went to the scrap yard. The best parts I put into storage, or transferred them to the W116 to get it rolling. It was a hard choice to make because the W114 was truly one of my favorite cars that took me EVERYWHERE, but it wasn't as viable as the W116 since it had some serious accident damage underneath. The more I cut into the W114 and saw things that were not obvious at first, the more I knew that I made the right choice, but it still hurt me to chop that car up.

                  I sourced some Euro bumpers from a '78 280SE with some unusual options (velour, heated seats, headlight wipers, no A/C, no sunroof, imported to Florida from Finland). I replaced the Bundts with a set of 16" CLK Lightweight forged wheels, 205/55R16 tires, and a few other things. These cars have a surprisingly quick steering rack, 2.7 turns lock to lock, so I replaced the big urethane school bus steering wheel with a 380mm Momo Elite wheel out of a R129 SL AMG.

                  With the smaller steering wheel, plus the 16" wheels with modern tires, this car handles great, it feels much more modern than one would expect. It feels more like a 1990s sedan than a 1970s car that was developed in the late 1960s. I brought it to Watkins Glen International for opening weekend and it was an absolute blast. This is a track I've been around several times in many different cars, so I know it pretty well. Compared to my W114, which had a very similar suspension setup, but higher center of gravity, the big old Sonderklasse felt way more controlled and flatter through the turns. It was much easier to keep my lines, and it was certainly faster than my W114 which had the same M110 DOHC I6. After the track, we did the original road course which was a real treat, it's a scenic route with a lot of elevation changes some tight technical sections.

                  I've logged about 700 miles behind the wheel of the W116 and I'm really starting to love it. I'm not a big luxury car person, but I really understand the appeal now. Since I last appeared, I picked up a 1986 W124 300E AMG and two Fintails, including a Euro spec 1963 220SE with a 4 speed manual on the colum that became my winter daily driver. Putting the 220SE next to the 280SE, you can really see the lineage between the Sonderklasse generations, which makes me love this car even more. The Fintail might be my favorite Benz yet, but this W116 is giving me a lot to consider. It's supremely comfortable and very easy to live with, and the vintage vibe brings a smile to most people who see it.

                  I'm currently investigating the best way to lower it, maybe 2-3" in front and 1-2" in back. There aren't any spring kits available in the US for this series, so I have to look at the EU or Australia for something that would give me a performance increase. You can also change the rubber shims out and make very small adjustments, maybe .5-1" at most. I made a friend in Lebanon who is helping me source a rare 5 speed manual, which was an option for the W116 for 280S and 280SE models made between 1972-1976. With a performance suspension and 5 speed manual, I think this car would give me the right balance of comfort and engagement.
                  Attached Files
                  Last edited by Børk Volvo; 04-16-2022, 09:26 PM.
                  Volvo: 1966 122 Wagon & 1969 1800S // Mercedes-Benz: 1977 280SE & 1986 300E AMG Hammer x Louis Vuitton Purse

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