Some advice needed ASAP!....Merc 280CE

[mercmarie]

You'll have to bear with me as I'm new to this!!

So... my papa has for years been trying to convince me to buy an old Merc... for numerous reasons of which I'm sure you are all aware!

Now he's finally found me a car that has really caught my eye... it's a 1974 pillarless 280CE in blue, immaculate condition, and has barely been driven in the last 2 years.

I'm asking around for opinions/concerns/fun bits of owning one of these old beasts, and thought who better to ask but some owners themselves.....

Any advice you can give me at all on owning and running an old Merc would be most gratefully received!!

 

[74merc]

Hi
the main thing you need to look for on these cars is rust. Places to look:
Boot - lift the plastic mat, apparently water gets in here through badly sealed tail lights.
Floorpan - lift the front carpets and check for rust along the sill. Water can get into here through rust perforations in the bulkhead.
Sills
Door bottoms
Inner guards - open bonnet and inspect areas around bonnet springs on either side.
Speaking from experience here, I've got a 250CE which had rust in all these places. Still love it though.
Good luck.
Martin

 

[Mikesmerc]

Not sure if these models suffered from the whole boot sagging due to rust on the chassis rails around the rear springs, major fault with the saloons, had 4 of em and it put an end to every one of them. Signs on the saloons were the back doors jamming on the rear arches(not in the CE obviously) and cracks appearing in the middle of the rear arches.
Someone might confirm for you weather this happens to the coupes, if it does and there are signs of the above I would stay away.
Rgds
Mike