1981 Merc 280 slc

[ManfredvonRichthofen]

Evening all

I am a classic car (and Mercedes) novice.

A 1981 280 slc has just popped up that I am finding myself drawn to. There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of info on these that I can find.

Anyone know these cars ? I’d be really interested in hearing any thoughts about them - pricing, things to watch out for, general thoughts.

I am sure this would be a terrible mistake. And yet.....

Thanks

[TarquinMX5]

Lovely cars, although some feel the 280 to be a little underpowered; depends on what you want from it. Arguably one of the last of the over-engineered Mercs, not called the PanzerWagen for no reason but, and it's a big but, they can still rust (sills, bulkhead, usual places).

Whilst there might not be much on the SLCs, there's plenty of info / buying guides on the R107 SLs, which are basically the same mechnically and structurally (other than the roof, obviously)

[ManfredvonRichthofen]

Thanks very much. Yes, my first thought was that it would likely feel underpowered.

I’ve just found that the car has been put on eBay (I’d only seen a single photo ad in a paper). From what I can gather these things can be rust buckets like you say and the photos seem to suggest that this one could be a problem (reflected in pricing perhaps).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-280-SLC-1981/2...

[TarquinMX5]

Looking at the amount of bubbling visible in the front wing, boot lid and around the rear window, it's likely there's more hidden away; that being the case, and knowing much they can cost to restore, I'd want a good look underneath before I'd consider bidding.

[CarltonF]

TarquinMX5 said:

Looking at the amount of bubbling visible in the front wing, boot lid and around the rear window, it's likely there's more hidden away; that being the case, and knowing much they can cost to restore, I'd want a good look underneath before I'd consider bidding.

Absolutely this.

I know what the OP means, it’s a lovely old thing and somehow the imperfections are charming... but there are a few serious bubble shaped warning signs.

When my old R129 was in for servicing at a specialist, I got talking to a tech about a lovely R107 they had for for sale for ~45k. Rather pricey I commented. Well, it had cost more than that to restore, cos of rot. Eye watering.

Anyway. Eyes wide open and all that... if you don’t care about a few imperfections [assuming no structural rot] and just plan to run it for a few years, it may be ok. The specialist mentioned in the ad is worth contacting.

[AMGSee55]

ManfredvonRichthofen said:

Thanks very much. Yes, my first thought was that it would likely feel underpowered.

I’ve just found that the car has been put on eBay (I’d only seen a single photo ad in a paper). From what I can gather these things can be rust buckets like you say and the photos seem to suggest that this one could be a problem (reflected in pricing perhaps).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-280-SLC-1981/2...

The pics suggest a relatively recent poor quality respray - the bubbles you can see may well be the thin end of the wedge, so I’d proceed with caution. Everything has its price of course, so IF it is structurally sound and you can live with the cosmetics then fair enough. As others have said, there’s plenty of buyers guides on the R107 available which will highlight the common weak spots.

[ManfredvonRichthofen]

Apologies for the delay in thanking you all. My internet died for a couple of days.
All very sensible responses - thanks. I think I got a bit carried away with this one. I blame lockdown boredom.

It does look like a potential dog and the truth is I am no mechanic (although I’m interested in learning). Nor am I time rich. As ever with these things I guess it’s buy the best you can afford. I may go and have a look with someone that knows what they are talking about, but I think it is probably too far gone to bother.

As to “performance” - I’m not expecting much. Just looking for something that could keep up(ish) with modern traffic and which would be somewhat reliable, which I understand these can be if properly set up.

The slc seems relatively unloved compared to the sl, which is good for me as I genuinely prefer it. I like the stretched look that others find ungainly and having rear seats appeals.

It does seem more difficult to get a feel for pricing on them though - seems to be quite all over the place but on the rise. I have been looking at some South African offerings too, some of which seem appealing on the face of it but no doubt bring their own risks.

Anyway - I’m enjoying the search. Thanks again for your replies

[Turbobanana]

As others have said, this is a "drive it daily until it breaks" kind of a car. It will be mechanically reliable, but beware of the rust. Even stuff like the chrome bumpers on these is butt-clenchingly expensive, and the bodywork is only going one way.

None of this may matter if you're content to have a distinctive, elegant but not pristine car to smoke about in - as I would be - but most folk nowadays are preoccupied with everything looking perfect, hence they change them every few years on a repeating lease.