Yeah buy a 420SEL with a blown engine; finding a $1k 420SEL with a nice body and interior should be pretty simple.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I live in Canada and the rules are a little easier (so long as it is 15 yrs old or older). Also, there are very few "good" body/interior cars here in Canada (due to salty roads and harsh temperature extremes) The ones that are around are pricey to buy and generally with high miles (you can never roll back the milage on all the parts)
The Japanese cars I'm looking at have around 60000 miles (100kms) and have been well maintained and stored. It sounds like I can have one licensed in my driveway for around the $4000 mark (cdn).
To purchase a good unit from the USA is about the same amount of work for the importation procedure, but I would have to check the car myself (not too many companies that speciallize in exporting cars from the USA into Canada like Japan has) The shipping costs are the same - believe it or not.
If I get a car that doesn't run, I would have to pay even more for the shipping.
Besides, I will have a decent gas engine if I ever decide to go back to it someday! (or sell it if someone was interested I suppose).
I sent my deposit yesterday - I will keep you posted on how it all goes
Corey

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1982 300sd
1980 300cd (sold)

I have one other question, if the car has the SLS system, does it run off of the power steering pump, or is it a seperate device?

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1982 300sd
1980 300cd (sold)

You don't mind the fact that a Japanese version is RHD? That's a pretty involved conversion in itself.

I'm thinking about trying to find a clean low mile 380SEC that has suffered timing chain failure (I found a cheap running one 2 years ago that showed imminent death when I check the chain guides under the valvecover) and do the same swap. I'd like a diesel W126 coupe, with a subsequent 4spd manual conversion

either way, good luck

I have only seen one RHD version in the last couple of months that I have been looking. According to the export company I'm using, it is a status thing to have LHD. Same with having the car optioned out - no sense having a mercedes with no options. He said many dealers didn't even off the options as options - they just came fully loaded.

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1982 300sd
1980 300cd (sold)