Another track car?? A swb Grosser

[oscar]

Ok, maybe not, but I think the winner will have licence to do whatever they like on this one without copping too much flak.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160241296161

 

[Michel]

Ohhhhhh How sad....

Fancy driving it five years ago into his backyard in Balmain and leaving it to rot in tall grass.

 

[oscar]

You know all it needs is a coat of red paint Michel.

It's going to be interesting to watch. I remember seeing a US m100/grosser site that had a number of disamntled 600's to keep a number of others alive. I can't remember the site but you m100 guys might know. Anyway, if this one was in the US, it would probably suffer a similar fate.

Would love to see photos of it before it was parked to see how much damage 5yrs can do. Although it must have been neglected prior to that too it still astounds me that such a stately car could somehow fall into such disrepair.

 

[Michel]

I put a hundred on it....
just to see.... (bidder 2 is me)
but bidder one was already there

 

[oscar]

LOL, I thought you might have been. I'm bidder 1. One more dollar and you could've trumped me. I'd happily chuck turd 280 to the dump in order to have a grosser as a very long term project, but I honestly doubt I'll be still in the running as the auction nears the end. Of all the crusty mercs that sell for a song, I doubt this one will fall in the same category.

Wanna guess the final value? I reckon $3200 last bid.

 

[B13]

Just to refresh my memory (not being from Sydney), whats so special about Balmain.... is it particularly upper or lower class??

Curious because it just seems like an unlikely combination of an MB 600 rusting away next to a TP Magna station wagon...

Also how does one get aroun the logistical problems of extracting the 600 from the back yard, I imagine it sitting down on the dirt??

I.

 

[Des]

My guess is that will go for several thousand dollars,

 

[abl567]

5 figures would not surprise me at all.

 

[6.9forever]

This might be the only way I'd ever get a 600; but it is really sobering isn't it?

 

[Andrew280SEL]

If it doesn't get used as a spares car or something, I dare say it should get some lovely TLC (along with many many $$$) from it's future owner and someday it could be as magnificent as it once was.

 

[Des]

5 figures would not surprise me at all.

My guess, would be around $10-15k for that car.

maybe we should have a poll?

"how much will the sad 600 sell for?"

 

[oscar]

Just to refresh my memory (not being from Sydney), whats so special about Balmain.... is it particularly upper or lower class??

I.

Must admit, it doesn't seem like a typical Balmain backyard so far as it's too big, but also unkept. I've spent weeks at a time there during my training as our HQ is in the next suburb Rozelle. My impression is that it's a very old area, fantastic views of the harbour from some parts, upmarket pubs, a bit arty-farty, lots of famous peoples like John from playschool and Dawn Fraser to name a couple. It's not too uncommon to see celebs in some of the pubs and cafes on Fri and Sat. Having said that, Balmain isn't exclusive either and has it's fair share of low income earners. I loved it though. Well I loved the pub crawls we did plus the celeb spotting. They seemed normal, though I reckon they got sick of us drunk country folk pointing and yelling out - arrrrrgh, I know you

As far as getting it out of the back yard, it drove in, I shall drive it out

I think my price is a little unrealistic but I just don't know. I haven't seen one like this in Oz for sale. The cheapest one I recall was for sale around Bankstown area a few years ago that needed work on suspension and the engine plus the interior. Come ot think of it, it needed a lot but was still driveable and was for sale for around $30k. It was still way ahead of what this Balmain one appears to be.

Do the poll Des, I'm sticking with my unrealistc $3200. I should ask about the engine, we know nothing about it.

 

[Des]

here we go:

http://topklasse.org/forums/showthread.php?t=494

 

[TJ 450]

I don't know how anyone could allow a 600 to deteriorate to that extent... surely they could have arranged some more appropriate storage rather than letting it fester like that. Still, if it goes cheap enough it would certainly be a bargain for parts.
A 600 track car... now, that would be interesting

Tim

 

[Michel]

I wonder if the hydro-pneumatic suspension can be converted to some sort of mechanical set up, the way a 6.9 can.

Godfather? you have experience with the 600 ?

 

[Des]

I wonder if the hydro-pneumatic suspension can be converted to some sort of mechanical set up, the way a 6.9 can.

Godfather? you have experience with the 600 ?

you could convert the hydraulic seats into modern multi point electric seats.
hydraulic windows, convert to electric
Central locking can be converted to solenoid setup, same for the boot.

The cost of doing that would probably be the same as restoring the original setup.

What would be different if you were to buy this, then find a wrecked late model S Class, gutt it for the driveline and all the wiz bang electrics and fit them to the 600,

 

[Michel]

I was more worried about the suspension Des...

 

[abl567]

600's have the air suspension system later used on W109 cars, I believe the W112 cars were the first to use it.

Unlike the W109/W108 series that were offered with both steel spring and air spring systems and W116 with steel spring and hydropneumatic for the same chassis the W100 chassis was engineered for air springs only so to convert to steel springs would be a major engineering task.

Remember these cars weigh 3050kg dry, you would need springs from a F350 to support it!

There is an air tank under the front left guard on W109 cars, I think is the same on W100 cars, with a schreader valve so you can inflate the air suspension with an air compressor, you need at least 150 Psi for a 6.3, I'm not sure if more is required for a 600 but the brake power boost is operated of the same air supply and has priority over the suspension for air demand.

So assuming the brake booster and suspension air bags and valves are free of major leaks a sturdy air compressor should lift this car off the ground.

 

[s class]

Mostly true - to be pedantic, W111's were always steel-sprung (220S/E etc). It was the W112 version (300SE/L) finnies that had the W109 style air suspension.

Chris Johnson has written a lot about recovering dead-on-the-ground W112's that would apply here. The trick of pumping up with a compressor will only work if the bags and valves are not leaking. From what I understand, the bags are pretty robust, and would probably hold air even if they are somewhat perished. The valves are likely to be leaking after this period of inactivity in the weather.