Octania

Cannot find an affordable tiny replacement Saturn.
Anything under $3000 has 250k-300k miles and/or butt ugly, rusty, broken, parts cars.

Consequently a 120k mile V8 Benz starts to look good.
1991
560 SEL
Many bells and whistles
Gasoline, runs OK
Trans fluid could use changed
needs a blower motor - noisy
NO RUST THRU, and underside it looks great from curbside inspection.
I realize it'll eat a lot of gas, but we really don't drive far to work.
Sunroof, laydown heated rear seat, etc.

Very short 25 mph test drive only so far.
Seller is not too motivated, is used to much newer much sportier German cars. This is just an old extra to him.
I did see a jug of coolant in the back, and he said it was just topped off- so where is the coolant going?
PS system he says the oil gets funky and needs to be replaced on occasion.
Oh, and the oil pressure gage, which reads "1 2 3" I did see bouncing wildly at one point, which to me indicates a faulty sender, not an actual oil pressure problem. Seconds later, underway, the gage was well behaved.

Any input?
maybe just put an engine in the Saturn? $500 just for a good engine.
if anyone has any urgent DO NOT BUY THAT BENZ info then please text or call at 517.four 49.oh 432 right away. Might have to buy it today [sunday] or Monday.

JPMDaddy

NAPA carries a lot of parts for Mercedes, but if they don't have it - the dealership will take all your money

example fuel pump at dealer $800+, fortunately at napa only $180... this was an 80 450SL I once owned


But I'd still be driving it if the kid hadn't run a red light

slantflat

My experience is an old Mercedes will nickel and dime you to death. But being that it's a Mercedes it will be dollars and more dollars.

They are nice cars but unless an old one has been extremely well taken care of, they can be a maintenance nightmare.

Octania

OK
thanks

This one HAS been well maintained
no rust, in MI
always garaged.

Oh, and worst case, out comes the welder and torch and my POS rusty 85 442 becomes a parts car and the nice running 403 goes into the Benz.

:-)

joe_padavano

Recently bought a 1985 D88 with 60K miles for $2,700. Needed exhaust and a new TPS. My wife has been driving it for the last four months and loves it. There's an 83-ish Ninety Eight 2dr for sale in the DC area, senior citizen car, well maintained but vinyl top is going bad and has the usual paint and headliner problems. Under 50K miles, I believe (came from an email to our club). Car could be bought for well under $1,500.

Finn5033

I drive a 95 saturn for a commuter car. 5 speed car with 306,000 miles on it. Still runs strong and I get 38-42 mpg on every tank. It burns some oil but you'll have that. I bought it with the intention of replacing the engine if it goes out. They are pretty easy to find. I vote put a replacement engine in your saturn If the rest of the car is in decent shape.

pogo69

I would drive it but the replacement. Part cost cant be cheap say for an alternator, and it is 20 years old

dc2x4drvr

Does it come with a full time mechanic

MDchanic

I haven't owned a MB since my old 190b, which one of the best cars I've ever owned (also one of the rustiest).

From what I've see around here, and from friends who've owned newer ones, they're almost impossible to kill, and if you've got some mechanical skills (and you have), you can fix whatever goes wrong with them.

When dealing with the high-end models like that one, there is always all the fussy electronic crap that can screw up, but if you don't mind if the dome light stops working (or if you don't mind wiring it to work without the module) or the seat stops heating, or the A/C needs its brain reprogrammed with a bat, then I'd say, If the price is right, Go for it!
They're a dream to drive and built to go half a million miles with a bit of maintenance.

And, haven't you always wanted to say to your wife, "Take the Benz, Dear, I'll come along later in my car."

- Eric

at3reg98

Beware with the old Benz, they aren't easy to fix yourself, I became more aggravated because many systems on the car took three expensive parts to do what normally one part would do on a GM car of the same era. Many of the parts aren't available online either other than peachparts.com. Benzworld is the forum to go to for questions.

The blower motor needed replacing on an '86 I had and it cost about $800 to have done. It likely needs replacing because as it wears, it would draw more current and blow fuses leaving you with no ventilation at all. That's if you're lucky. It took out a module on mine costing even more. The ignition switch is tied into the climate control system as well I also had to jiggle the key to get it to blow air. This was a car with just 125k on it too.

These cars are rugged but you have to make sure yours comes with some service records or seems well maintained overall. Go over bumps and listen to the front end, the ball joints can fail sooner than you think and is another grand to get them replaced. Bringing one back from the dead is an exercise in futility and you need to know a good independent shop at least. The pressure gauge doing that is common if not normal, both a 420 and 500 SEL I drove did that. Overall I found them overrated and much preferred one of my B-bodies, better interior (cloth vs rock hard leather, easy choice), smoother ride and none of the stupid BS these had. Nice to look at but from a service standpoint I couldn't stand them!

oldcutlass

Don't do it!

MDchanic

You only live once.

- Eric

ent72olds

Those Benzezes , are nice cars! Plenty of power, and ride quality is awesome! Would love to see some pics to make a better informed opinion! What color combo? I'm guessing that gold color with a tan interior...

67442nut

Wonderful car-if you've got a pocketful of cash to maintain it.
I had one and loved it. Probably my favorite driver of all the cars I've had.
I just couldn't afford to keep it on the road.

Amazing how something the size of a 560 SEL can accelerate like a musclecar and handle like a sports car.
In addition, you can spend 15 hours in it and get out at the end of the trip without a so much as a backache.

But, don't think you can fix things yourself.
Very precise and complex systems on this car.
You must know what you're doing or you can really make small problems big-fast.
But, even the small problems aren't usually cheap.

Also, if the anti-freeze problem is a heater core, you're in for a very expensive nightmare.

If I win the lottery, the first thing I'd do is find a creampuff 560SEL to drive.
Then I'd be able to afford to maintain it-only then.

Octania

Here is the ad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...#ht_500wt_1182

VIN listed is incorrect
WDBCA39E5MA56193 is the latest info
comes up blank on interwebs

LATEST info as of 620pm
WDBCA39E5MA562193
which the insurance company thinks is OK and google gets me an offer to $pend on a history report, but then asking google to VIN Decode it draws a blank....

Not getting a warm fuzzy feeling here.

Oy...
What if it becomes a nightmare?

Oh, look, rock auto has "5D1244" distributor caps for only $70-100 !!
Hell, that's less than a properly embossed AC Delco part for a classic Carvette!

Here's the cap AND rotor for only $135 and FREE SHIPPING !!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-560...8962a6&vxp=mtr

MDchanic

The white signal lights concern me.
They mean that somebody has messed with it.

A Mercedes is the kind of car that if it was owned and babied by some German refugee, who kept a meticulous notebook of all maintenance and expenses, you're in good shape, but if some kid or geep got his hands on it, you could be in for a world of hurt.
Basically, you want to find the owner in the garage wearing a Wehrmacht helmet and polishing his MB factory tools with German tool polish.

Just by those three pictures, I'd say it doesn't look original enough to have been maintained by the appropriate fanatic.

- Eric

ent72olds

Says listing has ended....didn't look good in pics....emblems missing, completely repainted.....the white lights......should have been one Obama's Cash For Clunkers victims....

Octania

Paint flaws I can live with
it is solid as hell
it's a TANK
so many features
nice rubber
ready to buy, nothing else compares
rusty parts cars in my price range.

I insist on highway speed test drive
Wife wants to get gas [it's empty], go back
Instead we go 3-4 miles to the next exit.
On the way back, the trans went apeshit
2500 rpm at 80, then suddenly 6000 rpm- went to 3rd or 2nd?
then it did it again.

on the bright side it's huge and roomy and comfy and SO well crafted
brakes work REALLLY well....

But I so do not need a tank with a bad trans
might be just needs fresh fluid and a filter....
or might be very much more.

Also, it'd have to be off the road for the winter due to RWD and Too Good To Use in the salt.

Dammit
back to looking

mike8162

If I'm not mistaken that has a ZF transmission. I have a BMW 540i sport with a ZF and the rebuild was near 5k. Transmission fluid is $25 per liter.
Be very careful. Even checking the fluid level is a process on these things.

Cheers, Mike

MDchanic

Of course, they must have made a manual transmission for it for the European market...

- Eric

at3reg98

The other issue with these that I remember is there are plastic timing chain guides that need to be replaced after 100k, much like the plastic timing gears. They disintegrate over time and are fun to replace.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126...ain-guide.html

Lady72nRob71

Some of these also had issues with radiator hose connections breaking as the rad tanks are plastic.
A ladyfriend of mine bought a 93 420sel (or something like that) and its systems are bizarre. You will be learning auto repair all over again.. Hers was leaking a freeze plug and replace it the engine had to come out. AC was broke but I had no idea how it worked. PS pump was dripping and the pump looked really weird.
VERY funky cooling hoses. One with a molded in nipple for the defrost core?? KISS! Yep, it was leaking too.
And at that age, plastic and rubber will be deteriorating and causing big troubles.
Hers was showing signs of that.
These ARE nice roomy cars though - I do like that. Maintenance nightmare though.
I would look for a simpler car in your price range that can be repaired economically.
Rockauto would be a good source of parts if you get a MB.

JPMDaddy

Try to find an older rear wheel drive Volvo - they run forever

DSC_3446_zps1dcc39f4.jpg

rustyroger

I used to look after some M/B's that belonged to our south east Asian community.
Incidentally they regarded German cars very highly, with Mercedes being the ultimate status symbol.

They seemed to be designed with maintenance in mind, a competent mechanic would have no trouble with routine servicing, and major component replacement wasn't too difficult - particularly compared with a Jaguar!.
These were mostly '80s models, later ones were much more complex following the general trend of all upscale cars.
Quality took a nosedive when they were involved with Chrysler, however they have recently made a big effort to regain their bombproof reputation.
Bear in mind parts are expensive, even aftermarket items. And sloppy workmanship will come back and bite you in the a*s to a greater extent than with humbler machinery.
My main concern with them would be the transmission, ZF automatics are staggeringly expensive to fix, and stick models are a chore to drive - not what I would want from an upscale car.
Detroit iron of similar size and comfort will need fixing more often, but will be easier and cheaper to repair. If you fix any car properly and keep up with maintenance reliability won't be a big issue.
If you buy a Mercedes and nothing major goes wrong you will probably be delighted with it, but anything serious going wrong will wipe the smile off your face in a hurry.

Roger.

rocketraider

Based on experience with a '90 300TD wagon I believe I'd look for something else. That car became an electrical nightmare with about 100k on it and wouldn't you know that once we finally got all the gremlins fixed, some fool ran a stop sign and took it out.

Benz are great when running properly, not worth half a damn when not. You need to have a competent Benz service tech nearby because face it, there are some things on these cars that only someone familiar with them can troubleshoot and fix.

German cars are by nature and design fussy. Be sure you can deal with the maintenance requirements. A Volvo will be a good car and newer ones are stylish and not stodgy as they were for so long, though there were some issues in the Ford years. Nothing insurmountable and not as persnickety as a Benz. The Swedes expect their cars to go when required with no fuss or bother.