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I tried both. The trunk opens manually now but didnt prior to jumping the car for some reason.
I also tried jumping the car from under the hood but it just wasnt getting there. Maybe I wasnt patient enough.
The tow guy was able to get it going that way just enough to shift to neutral. For me it didnt work....i ran jumper cables from my other car to the red car under the hood.
Another interesting part to the story......when I found this car, I had already been eyeing a red c43 with 83k miles on copart with rear axle damage(no body damage) and was about a week away from auctioning.
I was rdy to bid big on it and get it but this came up and worked out better. The copart one was salvage title and ended up selling for 3300 plus copart fees so around 4k.
Part of me wants this restored and kept factory while the other part wants it lowered and my 5.4 motor swapped over from the black car.
What would you guys do??
I am opting out for a full respray and Im currently looking for a place to do it.
Goal is to get the car to run this week since its not 115 degrees out any more.
Also thanks to a user here, I found a website where you can get most rubber pieces at a lower prices so I might be going all new seals and rubbers or at least most.
Part of me wants this restored and kept factory while the other part wants it lowered and my 5.4 motor swapped over from the black car.
What would you guys do??
I am opting out for a full respray and Im currently looking for a place to do it.
Goal is to get the car to run this week since its not 115 degrees out any more.
Also thanks to a user here, I found a website where you can get most rubber pieces at a lower prices so I might be going all new seals and rubbers or at least most.
I would seek out a rear end collision donor with the m113k from auction and makes it a true monster, swapping engine w SC, transmission, and all electrical components. thought, pick up a couple of replacement keys prior to swap. there is no justification to modify it from factory and not go full blown crazy on it. highest price will only come from a completely stock car but I wouldn't hold my breath on this model. red c43 with m113k would be epic.
I would love that but to be honest the value of these cars has already gone up and itll only continue to rise.
I think we all need to embrace this and hang on to our w202s.
I agree and the proof is that on the major auto sales site in Switzerland, no C36 or C43 for sale at the moment. So either people are hanging on to them, which I doubt, or they have all disappeared to eastern European countries.
A salvage one just sold on copart for 3300 plus copart fees(4k al together)
Yea it had 83k miles but still.
Its inevitable, these cars are going up in value theres no way they wont. Go to bring a trailer auctions and read people talking about them. Thats all that matters, the fan base knows whats up and they are willing to pay. This is what drives the prices up
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
I know that for me personally, I'm ok with modifying as long as it is roughly period correct. Or with other factory parts. So a 5.4 swap would be fine with me.
Bringing values into the discussion needs a reality check. Values move based on current interest. Not long ago these were $5-10K cars. Now they typically sell for substantially more. Whether that lasts or fades is anyones guess.
If you want to preserve maximum value in the collector car market, a car is only original once. Once a car is modified in any way the substantial number of buyers for truly original cars lose interest. So, in order to reach the broadest market, leave the car original. If you can salvage the paint, that would be highly recommended. So far, from what I see in the photos the OP is doing a great job at bringing this car back, so it may well be a candidate for a truly original collector car.
If the OP is planning to keep the car he has sought for a long time and is less concerned about ultimate value, then he should do what pleases him the most.
Does anyone know if floor carpets can be purchased brand new for a w202?
Not floor mats but complete carpets front and back. There are three pieces total.
You will have to contact a dealer. I'm pretty sure M-B hasn't had any produced in a while, but they may have them in stock - likely in Germany. It seems they have been pulling stock from dealers back to Germany lately.
The paint can be salvaged for the most part but front clip will need repaint. Cracked bumper and swollen paint underneath the clear bra that was removed.
I think if I can get a good quality paint job done Ill have the whole car resprayed at some point. Well see how I feel about it as I go but Ill definitely try to do paint correction first.
For now I just need the car where its clean and drives.
I dont see my self ever selling this car but I dont want to have to hunt for factory parts later on to bring it back to that state. Wish I could swap in a 5.4 and keep the original motor sitting in case it needs to go back in. I have no room for that for now.
The goal is to have it look factory new. I am making a list of all new oem rubber pieces, seals, and plastics that I can get OEM. Ill start with the ones that really need to be replaced first but eventually Ill be replacing one to two grand worth of factory rubber moldings/weather stripping/seals/plastic pieces.
I have huge goals for this car and some one them I cant achieve now but slowly over time.
Yea great job kid on the cleaning and restoring the red rocket she’s gonna look great when you finish .
Im starting to have a thing for red heads lol
Yea man Im excited.
The best part for me is everyone's reaction to it as it is now. Most people seem to think its a pile lol since its so dirty and they dont think much of it.
I cant wait till its freshly repainted, interior all cleaned, and lowered on my bbs two piece rims. Cant wait to see the look on their faces when I tell them "nope you cant drive it" lol
Ordered a steam cleaner which should be coming tomorrow. Gonna have that interior back together soon.