Advice wanted on classic Mercedes sedans

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Lately I've been looking at older (??--1980) Mercedes Sedans. I really like the styling, but would like some input from those with more experience than I have. Obviously the parts availability for some of these could mean high $$ for repairs, but in general, (and on a budget):

Which years and models are the most reliable?
Which ones give the best driving dynamics on a budget?

Kudos for the ones with available standard transmissions also
 
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I know multiple people still driving manual transmission W115 and W123 240D diesel models. They drive high speed, on the interstate, with less than 70 HP.

MB has historically had great parts and service capability, not just abandoning older models. Some of that has started to change, but they're still better than the rest.

The w116 and earlier sedans were great cars, ahead of their time and SOA for the era, but were very prone to rust. W123 cars were a bit better, with the w123 and w126 really being the pinnacle of classic German engineering and reliability.

There can be some great cars in the w201 and W124 series, but then youre starting to look at late 80s and beyond...
 
Nothing better than a 123 diesel.
Great cars to drive and very safe in their behavior on the road.
Parts are cheap and all are available.
Anything not available online can be ordered from any Mercedes dealer for reasonable prices.
I know this because I've had two of these cars.
If you need any part, including trim, you can get it for less than what you'd pay for anything similar with a ten year old Japanese brand car.
 
I had a 240d a few years ago. Man, was it fun! I got it cheap b/c the glow plug relay conked out. Not one to shell out any kind of money, I put a momentary pushbutton on my dash and held it down 8 seconds before starting.

It had a great greenhouse (lots of glass, no blind spots) but the wind whistled through the tired weatherstripping. I could have fixed it for mega bucks.

I adjusted the valves, changed the filters, and got 32-34 MPG summer.

Notably, the suspension travel in these cars is ridiculous- 11 inches or so, IIRC. Most modern cars are half that. It gives you a lot to work with. Since slowing down for a pot hole will take a long time to recover from, you can just blast through 'em.

If you get a diesel, vacuum runs everything. Check the power door locks for proper operation. Try for a stick shift, the automatics are meant for gas engines and they have a complicated vacuum load-sensing setup.
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
This guy is a mechanic and has a channel dedicated to Mercedes tech. He also discusses older Benzes:
Mercedessource YouTube


This guy (Kent Bergsma) doesnt have a good reputation in some circles. But he does put on good videos and manuals.
 
I have no skin in the game but I am taking an issue with your hit and run insinuation about reputation of Kent. You need to provide more details.
 
The W126 is just about the best sedan ever made.

I prefer the more modern cars, as good as the W123's are the W124's just drive better. I also prefer the later 6 cylinder diesels.
 
IMHO the 123 has better suspension than does the 124, although the 124 does feel sportier.
On a rough road, the 124 isn't as composed as the 123.
Nothing soaks up road irregularities better than a 123, except maybe a 115.
Of course, these are all old cars now, including the 124, and good ones have become a little scarce.
 
I would want a bigger model with a gas engine. More expensive to maintain but.. An older Merc with a V8 or V12, lots of money time and manuals. Handmade by Germans. It doesn't get much better than that, old car wise.
 
First question how much is the OP's budget? For under $20k your not getting much 6.3 or 6.9 wise other than a project car.
 
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Originally Posted By: Vikas
I have no skin in the game but I am taking an issue with your hit and run insinuation about reputation of Kent. You need to provide more details.


You can take issue all you like. It wasn't exactly "hit and run" as I qualified my statement.

Originally Posted By: JHZR2


This guy (Kent Bergsma) doesnt have a good reputation in some circles. But he does put on good videos and manuals.


Interesting, not only did I give his company a compliment, but I also flanked my negative comment with "in some circles". Hopefully anyone who does business will do their due diligence.

Those of us on the older MB diesel boards have seen at least some of the history.

There have been multiple instances of parts advertised as OEM and new that have not been.
The kits can be very expensive (though very comprehensive) for what's in them, especially given that not all parts are original.
There is a Mercedessource forum, but if not a cheerleader for the business, users often get booted.

And others.

This is my opinion from spending 13 years on the mercedesshop/peachparts/pelican boards and seeing folks discussing this company, Adsit is another that has some lovers and some haters.

Anyone would be advised to do their due diligence before shopping anywhere. Particularly someone who is looking into buying a new to them old car that they may not have a lot of knowledge in terms of OE suppliers and the nuances of good/bad parts.

I personally do own some of their manuals, and they do have lots of inline resources free. But as anything, buyer beware is an important concept.
 
I drove a 1993 400E, 4.2L, 275HP V8, W124 from 1993 until 2006. During that time, only about 70k miles were accumulated. It was comfortable, fast and agile; a delightful car to drive. I maintained the car meticulously. In the tenth year, the evaporator failed. The cost of that repair would have been around $2500, mostly labor, had I not done the job myself. I was told the evaporator failure is common. Nowadays, I think the cost of that era of Mercedes is quite reasonable but it would seem prudent to budget for fairly expensive repairs.
 
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
First question how much is the OP's budget? For under $20k your not getting much 6.3 or 6.9 wise other than a project car.


It's been quite awhile since I've looked at either of these cars.
I had no idea that they'd gotten that expensive, although they aren't cheap to keep in proper condition, so I guess the price of decent ones reflects that.
 
The W123 is a wonderfully solid car. I still see ones running around, including the fairly rare (now) station wagon variant. It's been said that after the nuclear holocaust, the cockroaches will be driving W123 diesels.

However, I second the notion of a good, well-sorted W126 -- the diesels, 300SD or 300SDL ("L" for long-wheelbase), and the gas sixes, 300SE and 300SEL, would probably be fairly economical to run. The V8s, the 420SE/L (I had one), 500SE/L, and 560SE/L, gulp some gas, but are loads of fun to drive and cruise in. (There was a 350SD/L model, but -- very unusually for MB -- the engines were prone to bending connecting rods very early in the car's life.)

There's also the coupe W126s, 500SEC and 560SEC. (There was a 420SEC but I don't think MB brought it to the U.S.) I spotted one in a mall parking lot the other day. It still looked pretty darn sharp. Amazing how low the roofline seems compared to modern cars, and how long the hood.

These are all a little later than your suggested time period, as the W126 first came to the US in 1981 and ran through to 1991, but an '86 such as I had would be a 30-year-old car now. Classic cars by any standard.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
First question how much is the OP's budget? For under $20k your not getting much 6.3 or 6.9 wise other than a project car.


It's been quite awhile since I've looked at either of these cars.
I had no idea that they'd gotten that expensive, although they aren't cheap to keep in proper condition, so I guess the price of decent ones reflects that.


The problem is they are very, very, very, very expensive to restore, you can easily drop $100k into one.

As a result good examples, or restored examples are worth some money.

80's vintage Mercedes are going up as well, 90's have not yet. IMHO the R129 is the best deal out their right now!

I'm looking casually for a real W126 survivor and expect to spend $10k-$20k for a none AMG car.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Benz-30...em=251906020223
For example.
 
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Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I have no skin in the game but I am taking an issue with your hit and run insinuation about reputation of Kent. You need to provide more details.


You can take issue all you like. It wasn't exactly "hit and run" as I qualified my statement.

Originally Posted By: JHZR2


This guy (Kent Bergsma) doesnt have a good reputation in some circles. But he does put on good videos and manuals.


Interesting, not only did I give his company a compliment, but I also flanked my negative comment with "in some circles". Hopefully anyone who does business will do their due diligence.

Those of us on the older MB diesel boards have seen at least some of the history.

There have been multiple instances of parts advertised as OEM and new that have not been.
The kits can be very expensive (though very comprehensive) for what's in them, especially given that not all parts are original.
There is a Mercedessource forum, but if not a cheerleader for the business, users often get booted.

And others.

This is my opinion from spending 13 years on the mercedesshop/peachparts/pelican boards and seeing folks discussing this company, Adsit is another that has some lovers and some haters.

Anyone would be advised to do their due diligence before shopping anywhere. Particularly someone who is looking into buying a new to them old car that they may not have a lot of knowledge in terms of OE suppliers and the nuances of good/bad parts.

I personally do own some of their manuals, and they do have lots of inline resources free. But as anything, buyer beware is an important concept.


100% correct, Mercedessource is no bargain, and never has been.
 
I forgot to mention another problem area in my previous post. During the 1990s, Mercedes used insulation on wire harnesses that became brittle. As I recall, it cost about a grand for me to replace the fuel injection harness and the alternator harness on my 1993 400E. I think that problem persisted in more models and years than my car.
 
Originally Posted By: flanso
I forgot to mention another problem area in my previous post. During the 1990s, Mercedes used insulation on wire harnesses that became brittle. As I recall, it cost about a grand for me to replace the fuel injection harness and the alternator harness on my 1993 400E. I think that problem persisted in more models and years than my car.


Yes they were "experimenting" with biodegradable plastics at that time, and the defective insulation lasted until about 1996 or so, I believe you are safe from 1992 and before and 1997 and after, but don't quote me on this check with MB itself or a reputable
website forum for the best information. It may even be listed in TSBs online.
 
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