grey Import

[sean sherry]

Hi Styria, how did you find out where your car came from ?
Also does the chassis no. tell where cars were built ?
My 280 Sl is a full spec. with Air , Leather , rear seat and 3 pt. belts 4 sp. Auto etc. Possibly a RHD export to a RHD market as I dont think the U K market would have specified Air In 1980. ........ Thanks Sean

 

[Tony66_au]

Hi Sean,

Mate Grey market is a term that implies an imported product illegally here due to licensing agreements or similar.

I think the term you are better off with is "Private Import" or "Personal Import".

As for Identifying the cars origin and intended country?

Locate the ID plate, usually on the radiator support panel to the side of the bonnet latch, take a good picture of it and post it here.

Iys about the size of a ciggie pack and has rectangular holes in it.

Cheers,
Tony

 

[Tony66_au]

Actually ignore the bit about the holes.....

These plates are what you seek.



and this one which tells all

 

[Tony66_au]

The 424 code is the Colour, Im my case Topaz Brown and the H denotes supplier.

See the 625?

That denotes the car is for Australia.

All the rest denote options such as SLS, Aircon, Types of glass etc etc etc

Post yours and I will tell you about your car as best I can!

Cheers,]
Tony

 

[WGB]

The original build card can still be obtained from Daimler AG.

There is now a fee attached to it and it comes as "presentation quality" but on the card the market it is being supplied to will be listed in a numerical code.

In the past an original photocopy was supplied for free and I have these for my cars but I think they became swamped and stopped supplying these.

There were a lot of RHD markets besides Australia with warm climates - viz. South Africa, Singapore, HongKong, Japan and Thailand and it was common for cars to be imported to Oz from there - sometimes by expats returning home and sometimes as a direct import when they were relatively new and in demand.

My 450SEL was originally UK supplied and my 6.9 was from HongKong - the advantage is that both have the high compression Euro motor with no smog gear.

Bill

 

[sean sherry]

Thanks Tony , attached is identy the Plate. ,...Sean

 

[Tony66_au]

Ok the colour is 581G which is Glasurit Inca Red Metallic.
420 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, FLOOR SHIFT
438 is Seatbelt options
467 CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM AND INSTRUMENTS WITH ENGLISH LETTERING
585 BEHR AIR CONDITIONER AND ELECTRIC WINDOW LIFTERS (FRONT DOORS)
592 GREEN HEAT-INSULATING GLASS ALL ROUND, HEATED REAR WINDOW, LAMINATED SAFETY GLASS - TINTED STRIP

Cant see a country code though, any more plates? or a Vin Number?

 

[Styria]

Tony, thanks for all this work. As you know, in the case of my 420SEL it was Motec 6.9 that did all the hard work. Regards Styria

N.B. I guess it's a pity that the cost has blown out to the extent that it has - I think it's somewhere near the $A100.00 mark now. Regards Styria

 

[Tony66_au]

No probs Styria, I figured you were busy still so i chipped in.

Im a bit puzzled about the Country code not being on the plate though, maybe the 107's have another plate or its part of the vin?

Not too far over budget with the 126 I hope?

 

[Tony66_au]

Thanks Tony , attached is identy the Plate. ,...Sean

Hey Sean, Any other plates there mate?

I cant see a country code on the one in the pic and im not familiar with 107's enough to know where to look.

 

[Tony66_au]

Right!

Easy peasy, 7th digit in the Vin Number is the country code!

Just Mercedes being difficult and mysterious..............

 

[Tony66_au]

Awww Crap!

Im sort of correct..

THIS is what the Vin designates from 1960 to 1983

​

Position 1-3 - model
Position 4-6 - Chassis type, engine size designation
Position 7 - 1=LH Drive, 2=RH Drive, 6=RH Drive CKD (complete knocked down)
Position 8 - 0= Standard Transmission ,1=Hydraulic clutch ,2= Automatic transmission
Position 9-14 - Construction serial number


If you use a web based Vin Decoder Add WDB to the beginning of 14 digit older SL vin #'s to get some info.​

 

[Tony66_au]

And this chunk of data may also partially help with the 107 SL's

A W123
B W102 (also W107, SL class)
D W201
C W126 S-Class
E W124 E-Class
F R129 SL-Class
K R170 SLK-Class
G W140 S-Class
H W202 C-Class
J W210 E-Class
N W220 S-Class
P W215 CL-Class
R W203 C-Class
S R230 SL-Class
U W211 E-Class
W R171 SLK-Class
Position 5, body style:

A = Roadster (at least for the W107)
B = Long Body
F = Sedan
G = Sedan Long WB
H = Wagon
J = Coupe
K = Cabriolet/Roadster
M = AMG (no longer used)
R = Uncertain, but applies to the W463
on older models, this indicated the engine type:

A = gasoline
B = diesel
D = 4matic Gasoline
Positions 6-7, model within the series:

Position 8, safety restraint system:

C seat belt + emergency pretensioners
D seat belt + emergency pretensioners, driver front air bags
E seat belt + emergency pretensioners, driver and passenger front air bags
F seat belt + emergency pretensioners, driver and passenger front and side air bags
Position 9, check digit

Position 10, model year:

Model Year Encoding
Position 11, production plant:

A-E Sindelfingen
F-H Bremen
J Rastatt
X Graz
T Karmann
M Woking, England (SLR)
Positions 12-17, chassis number

 

[sean sherry]

Thanks Tony,
the other plate is the vin WDB1070424222009946.
I do know that 042 was 107s 280s up to 1980. Even though mine is a 1981 model built in November 1980 for the '81 year cars.
Knowing where the car was from is only of academic interest. The important things were the exact year model for parts orders from the net and the colour code .Most people seemed to think that it was not a mercedes colour.
Just because they had never seen another !.......Sean

 

[Tony66_au]

it is a Merc colour alright and G indicates Glasurit and H indicates Dr Herberts I think.

You can see the colour listing HERE.

 

[Tony66_au]

You need to be careful with build dates too.

As there is often discrepancies between the date of Manufacture, Compliance date (For Aus) and date of registration especially on older cars.

Supplying the VIN is your best bet exactly as it is stamped on your car.

As for genuine Merc colours?

its a loose definition Sean as Mercedes would paint cars on order and often add a few colours for different markets.

Wasn't that long ago that a brochure surfaced showing W123 colours like Petrol being used on 116's with the correct code even though it wasn't a standard 116 colour.

 

[sean sherry]

Again thanks Tony, Now I know why people think it is not a Mercedes colour, it's listed as 1980 only. Also the colour sample looks nothing like the true colour. I bought a 380 SL in '81 in this colour and it must have been a late 80 built car. ........Sean

 

[Tony66_au]

Again thanks Tony, Now I know why people think it is not a Mercedes colour, it's listed as 1980 only. Also the colour sample looks nothing like the true colour. I bought a 380 SL in '81 in this colour and it must have been a late 80 built car. ........Sean

No probs Sean and its my pleasure to set your mind at ease.

I have been lurking about Car shows for 30 years on and off and the one constant at any gathering is Wankers who think they know everything about a particular marque, I believe they should be Drawn and Quartered as they can really upset people as they often seem very genuine and knowledgeable, and sure they usually do know a fair bit but are closed to new information and often incapable of accepting new information especially when it makes prior knowledge incorrect.

Some of em just get off on picking fault with everything too and these guys get short shift from me.

I am learning when it comes to Mercedes with a touch over 2 years experience with the W116 although I owned Mercedes much earlier on my knowledge quest really began recently and I find the quite guys who are the first to admit they don't know everything but are happy to help or even to look at the possibilities surrounding an anomaly are the best for information and help.

Cheers,
Tony