Brings back memories. I worked on these back in the 90's. Back then, Mercedes dealers warranted the cracked surfaces. I do see 1 thing we never did. At the sub frame mounts (4), don't let the bolt side touch either side of the body. Not a safety item. Just can transmit noise. Thank you for reminding of these great cars.
Keep up the good work, Fred. I appreciate the transparency in terms of costs, too. I've referred to several of your videos when making repairs on my 380SL.
Very good information for anyone interested in an r107. They are great cars and will run a long time, but they do take maintenance. I have an 85 380sl which was in reasonably good shape when I bought it in 2018, but I've put in another 8K since then (lots of rubber, gaskets, valves, fuel accumulator, distributor, fuel pump, ignition coil, cruise control module, painted wheels, etc). At this point, I think I'm past anything major, but you never know (probably time for new timing chain). Still, I enjoy it every time I get behind the wheel. Such fun to drive. Always gets compliments. Anyway, thanks for sharing, Fred.
Thanks for watching and sharing, Joe. Sounds like you’ve gone through everything that I have. You feel my pain. 😀 I hope it’s smooth going moving forward for the both of us. Take care.
Very, very good description of your experience with your 380SL. Don't look down on the 380SL compared to the 560SL, there are pros and cons to each. I purchased my 1983 380SL new in August 1983 and have owned it ever since, and I purchased my 1986 560SL in 2013 and have owned it since too. I've come to feel there are pros and cons to each model. The 560SL gets acclaim because of its more powerful Engine, but I typically just cruise gracefully in mine and both have more than enough power. If I were into power, I'd go with a Porsche, Corvette, or even a Tesla ... hey a base model modern Toyota Camry 4 cylinder will outrun a 560SL 🙂I think we purchase these vintage vehicles because of their styling, cool factor, and ability that they can be worked on by DIYers, not because they are the most powerful vehicle on the road. Your 380SL looks to be in great condition and looks sweet. You might want to consider a "Bumper Tuck" or even install Euro Bumpers. The Sunvisors on 380SLs are well "cheap looking" and you can replace them with better quality 560SL sunvisors - I found some and resprayed them with vinyl paint and they look great. For optimal performance, be certain that your Timing is set to 0BTDC at idle with vacuum hose to Distributor plugged. The local Mercedes indy shop apparently didn't know how to properly set the timing on mine and it took a while before I figured out whats going on. Enjoy that R107 and keep posting on BenzWorld, we enjoy your videos.
Great video Fred. 380sl's are fantastic cars if sorted and approached with realistic expectations. I have turned mine from a near death experience to a daily driver with over 35 thousand miles put on it since purchasing it. If you're in the Los Angeles/ San Diego area and need a r107 or any classic mercedes evaluated for potential purchase please feel free to contact me.
Beautiful car and great video. I don't even have a MB, but I enjoyed your video all the same. It was great to see all that new front suspension work. Here in Alabama, it's very hard to find a mechanic who can or will do any quality suspension work on a vehicle, and if you do get front suspension work done, often the car will never hold a proper alignment again.
Thanks for all the super helpful information, my man! We're browsing for a new-to-us Mercedes 380SL or 560 and all of this is great to know. Keep up the great videos.
What a great overview. I wish I’d seen it when I bought my 1980 450 SL. While I love the car, especially restoring it, it’s been a challenging experience at times. To the good side I got 42 years of meticulously maintained maintenance records. While the car was owned by 4 people two of them only owned the car for two years between the two of them, the other two owners owned the car for many years and cared for it well. Mine is a California car too with no major rust issues. I’ve done most of the work you’ve done. However, I replaced the top, interior wood trim,and all the 40 year old rubber I could fine . Unlike you, I did have to put in a new power steering gearbox, line and pinion. And also a new fuel distributor. My next project is to do some maintenance work on the differential and rebuild both CV axles. While my CV boots appear to be in good shape the rubber is starting to crack and the differential has a leak from one of the side seals, so I plan to do this work all at once. Projects coming up include replacing the bottom seat pads. Don’t know if you’ve done this, don’t think so. Mine are totally shot. Anyway thank you so much for your inspirational videos from a non mechanic like myself. Keep up the good work.
Fred was the $1900 for the timing chain for the double row conversion? And for anyone considering a SL 380 that's the first thing to check. They came from the factory with a single row timing chain and were recalled for conversion to a double row chain at the dealer which I believe was an engine out fix. I had an 81 that was converted. Fun cars but after 40 years they will need a lot of maintenance to get them back to par. For reference when I say work... I'm currently mechanically restoring an 87 SL 560 in which I pulled the engine, rebuilt the heads, new timing chain, guides, front and rear seals, oil pan gasket, sub frame mounts, upper control arms and bushings, rear sub frame mounts, engine mounts, engine shocks, two flex discs, driveshaft center bearing/bushing, replaced the fuel pumps and rebuilt the fuel delivery system, all new hoses and belts, fan clutch and thermostat, new (updated) thermo-valve, new transmission front and rear seals and transmission filter, gasket and o-rings for the gear selector and dipstick... And it needs a new top. Also note, key parts are rapidly disappearing. For the 560 I ran into issues finding exhaust valves and the cam position sensor. And if you can find these parts they are going for 20x the original cost. So if you get an older R107 that needs engine work, bare in mind you may not be able to find parts. Also the Bosch fuel system is a continuous injection (CIJ) and there aren't many shops that know how to work on them and I haven't found a Mercedes dealer that will touch them. So you'll be watching a lot of youtube videos and gradually become a 1980's Mercedes mechanic.
Thanks for the comment, Matthew. I believe mid-1984, the car came with a double row. Mine was already a double row and I paid 1900 only to replace the chain, guides, tensioners, etc. Without any history, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to have a massive failure. If you've been following along, I purchased "Doris" and she had a single row that had snapped!
@@sophiathe380sl Ouch on the single row! Good call doing that as preventative maintenance. I loved my 380 but she had some rust and electrical gremlins so I parted ways and got a 560 that needed engine work but had no rust. I'm almost ready to put the engine back in. On the 380 I had the biggest performance increase by rebuilding the warm up regulator (WUR) which is not for the faint of heart but if you can rebuild it and dial it in, the car will run great and rev all the way up. Oh and flushing the transmission fluid twice. I noticed they are very finicky with old trans fluid (twice because I didn't drain the torque converter). But after the 2nd flush it was shifting like new whereas before it would shift hard into second and slip a bit going into 3rd.
Hi there, watched your video in Germany. Just want to let you know, that your car , if you are lucky, would not be sold under 40000 K. So you are lucky in the US.
I prefer the older 81-84 R107's they carry more panache since those were the years when these cars were exclusively for very important people, and the upper crust of society....
Hey, do you have any more info about where you can get the radio officially serviced? Just got this car and the cassette player doesn’t seem to grab the cassette when inserted.
Sadly soon all combustion cars and trucks including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Car washs will be forbidden too because they are climate killers, now they want to slow down all the gas station pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime.!!! (BABVVEN & TEBBVEN laws)!!!!
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Brings back memories. I worked on these back in the 90's. Back then, Mercedes dealers warranted the cracked surfaces. I do see 1 thing we never did. At the sub frame mounts (4), don't let the bolt side touch either side of the body. Not a safety item. Just can transmit noise. Thank you for reminding of these great cars.
That’s so great. It sounds like you need one in your life. We had a local meetup yesterday. We had 25 of them attend.
Keep up the good work, Fred. I appreciate the transparency in terms of costs, too.
I've referred to several of your videos when making repairs on my 380SL.
Thanks for watching and the referrals! I’m glad they’re helping.
Very good information for anyone interested in an r107. They are great cars and will run a long time, but they do take maintenance. I have an 85 380sl which was in reasonably good shape when I bought it in 2018, but I've put in another 8K since then (lots of rubber, gaskets, valves, fuel accumulator, distributor, fuel pump, ignition coil, cruise control module, painted wheels, etc). At this point, I think I'm past anything major, but you never know (probably time for new timing chain). Still, I enjoy it every time I get behind the wheel. Such fun to drive. Always gets compliments. Anyway, thanks for sharing, Fred.
Thanks for watching and sharing, Joe. Sounds like you’ve gone through everything that I have. You feel my pain. 😀 I hope it’s smooth going moving forward for the both of us. Take care.
100% agree on the helpful R107 owners!!
Very, very good description of your experience with your 380SL.
Don't look down on the 380SL compared to the 560SL, there are pros and cons to each.
I purchased my 1983 380SL new in August 1983 and have owned it ever since, and I purchased my 1986 560SL in 2013 and have owned it since too.
I've come to feel there are pros and cons to each model. The 560SL gets acclaim because of its more powerful Engine, but I typically just cruise gracefully in mine and both have more than enough power. If I were into power, I'd go with a Porsche, Corvette, or even a Tesla ... hey a base model modern Toyota Camry 4 cylinder will outrun a 560SL 🙂I think we purchase these vintage vehicles because of their styling, cool factor, and ability that they can be worked on by DIYers, not because they are the most powerful vehicle on the road.
Your 380SL looks to be in great condition and looks sweet. You might want to consider a "Bumper Tuck" or even install Euro Bumpers. The Sunvisors on 380SLs are well "cheap looking" and you can replace them with better quality 560SL sunvisors - I found some and resprayed them with vinyl paint and they look great. For optimal performance, be certain that your Timing is set to 0BTDC at idle with vacuum hose to Distributor plugged. The local Mercedes indy shop apparently didn't know how to properly set the timing on mine and it took a while before I figured out whats going on.
Enjoy that R107 and keep posting on BenzWorld, we enjoy your videos.
Great video Fred! Looking forward to our next meetup 😊
Same here!
Hope to drive down to LA in the next few years after restoring a 450sl i bought a few months ago!
Great video Fred.
380sl's are fantastic cars if sorted and approached with realistic expectations.
I have turned mine from a near death experience to a daily driver with over 35 thousand miles put on it since purchasing it.
If you're in the Los Angeles/ San Diego area and need a r107 or any classic mercedes evaluated for potential purchase please feel free to contact me.
Thanks for the help Vic. There is a line of guys waiting for you.
Beautiful car and great video. I don't even have a MB, but I enjoyed your video all the same. It was great to see all that new front suspension work. Here in Alabama, it's very hard to find a mechanic who can or will do any quality suspension work on a vehicle, and if you do get front suspension work done, often the car will never hold a proper alignment again.
Thanks for watching. I appreciate the comment!
Thanks for all the super helpful information, my man! We're browsing for a new-to-us Mercedes 380SL or 560 and all of this is great to know. Keep up the great videos.
Thanks man. I appreciate you watching. Good luck!
What a great overview. I wish I’d seen it when I bought my 1980 450 SL. While I love the car, especially restoring it, it’s been a challenging experience at times. To the good side I got 42 years of meticulously maintained maintenance records. While the car was owned by 4 people two of them only owned the car for two years between the two of them, the other two owners owned the car for many years and cared for it well. Mine is a California car too with no major rust issues. I’ve done most of the work you’ve done. However, I replaced the top, interior wood trim,and all the 40 year old rubber I could fine . Unlike you, I did have to put in a new power steering gearbox, line and pinion. And also a new fuel distributor. My next project is to do some maintenance work on the differential and rebuild both CV axles. While my CV boots appear to be in good shape the rubber is starting to crack and the differential has a leak from one of the side seals, so I plan to do this work all at once. Projects coming up include replacing the bottom seat pads. Don’t know if you’ve done this, don’t think so. Mine are totally shot. Anyway thank you so much for your inspirational videos from a non mechanic like myself. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing, Larry!
You bet👍🏻!!! CV boot/axle is challenging. I’m opting to have mine rebuilt by CVJ Denver and get differential servicing bundle from the SL Shop In UK.
Great assessment Fred
Das ist sehr interessant.
Fred was the $1900 for the timing chain for the double row conversion? And for anyone considering a SL 380 that's the first thing to check. They came from the factory with a single row timing chain and were recalled for conversion to a double row chain at the dealer which I believe was an engine out fix. I had an 81 that was converted. Fun cars but after 40 years they will need a lot of maintenance to get them back to par. For reference when I say work... I'm currently mechanically restoring an 87 SL 560 in which I pulled the engine, rebuilt the heads, new timing chain, guides, front and rear seals, oil pan gasket, sub frame mounts, upper control arms and bushings, rear sub frame mounts, engine mounts, engine shocks, two flex discs, driveshaft center bearing/bushing, replaced the fuel pumps and rebuilt the fuel delivery system, all new hoses and belts, fan clutch and thermostat, new (updated) thermo-valve, new transmission front and rear seals and transmission filter, gasket and o-rings for the gear selector and dipstick... And it needs a new top. Also note, key parts are rapidly disappearing. For the 560 I ran into issues finding exhaust valves and the cam position sensor. And if you can find these parts they are going for 20x the original cost. So if you get an older R107 that needs engine work, bare in mind you may not be able to find parts. Also the Bosch fuel system is a continuous injection (CIJ) and there aren't many shops that know how to work on them and I haven't found a Mercedes dealer that will touch them. So you'll be watching a lot of youtube videos and gradually become a 1980's Mercedes mechanic.
Thanks for the comment, Matthew. I believe mid-1984, the car came with a double row. Mine was already a double row and I paid 1900 only to replace the chain, guides, tensioners, etc. Without any history, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to have a massive failure. If you've been following along, I purchased "Doris" and she had a single row that had snapped!
@@sophiathe380sl Ouch on the single row! Good call doing that as preventative maintenance. I loved my 380 but she had some rust and electrical gremlins so I parted ways and got a 560 that needed engine work but had no rust. I'm almost ready to put the engine back in. On the 380 I had the biggest performance increase by rebuilding the warm up regulator (WUR) which is not for the faint of heart but if you can rebuild it and dial it in, the car will run great and rev all the way up. Oh and flushing the transmission fluid twice. I noticed they are very finicky with old trans fluid (twice because I didn't drain the torque converter). But after the 2nd flush it was shifting like new whereas before it would shift hard into second and slip a bit going into 3rd.
@@matthewstephenbrown where are you located?
@@sophiathe380sl I'm in Tampa, FL
@@sophiathe380sl I'm an hour and a half from Pierre who is in Titusville. I plan on driving to his shop once I get this thing back together.
Very clear and informative video.
Great video, I may be inheriting one (CA car w/40K). I am mechanical, but have no MB experience
Hi there, watched your video in Germany. Just want to let you know, that your car , if you are lucky, would not be sold under 40000 K. So you are lucky in the US.
Wow. Crazy prices.
I prefer the older 81-84 R107's they carry more panache since those were the years when these cars were exclusively for very important people, and the upper crust of society....
@@tonychavez2083 😂😂
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I appreciate your help and videos over the past year.
Hey, do you have any more info about where you can get the radio officially serviced? Just got this car and the cassette player doesn’t seem to grab the cassette when inserted.
My buddy used this place: www.beckerautosound.com
$18k *sorted* 380sl vs $18K unsorted 560sl. One is a known quantity, the other isn't
Good point. 😂
Could you share the info on where to get the original radio serviced? Thank you!
www.beckerautosound.com/
Sadly soon all combustion cars and trucks including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-(
In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025
on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Car washs will be forbidden too because they are climate killers, now they want to slow down all the gas station pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime.!!! (BABVVEN & TEBBVEN laws)!!!!
Great video. Can you please share the meetup information in Los Angeles and WhatsApp group? I own 1975 450SL and would love to join.
Thanks 🙏🏻
Thank you! Sure, send me an email turbo272727@hotmail.com. We’re meeting Friday night 7/22.
I would like to join please.
👍 email me. Turbo272727@hotmail.com
Next meetup is 4/28 in W. Covina.
What my car to run rough, and i smell gas in my motor oil.
Not good. Probably need to see a mechanic
😈 ᵖʳᵒᵐᵒˢᵐ