116 vs. 126 opinions, comparisons?
 

Hi, everybody:) I'm looking hard for a 300SD or SDL, and am drawn to aspects of both series cars. Could those of you who've had both, or who have much wisdom on the subject, weigh in with your recommendations?
I'm looking for a daily driver, but not a minter (unless I get really lucky); mechanical and interior condition matter more to me than a few dings and rust spots. And I'm looking in the under 2500.00 range, not at the pricey beauties.
While I'm here, I may as well ask--if there's anybody out there with a really nice SD or SDL that needs a new home, I'd love to hear from you...;)
Thanks very much to all, Dave Kent (Glassman) in Louisville, KY

Hi Dave,

I've had the pleasure of both automobiles [79 and 80 SD's (116 Body) and my current beauty a 87 SDL (126Body)]. As I'm sure you know the 78-80 SD's are the 116 chassis and the 81-85 SD's are 126 chassis both use the same (or practically the same) 617 5 cylinder Turbo engine. The 86-87 SDL's use the 603 6 cylinder turbo engine. I really like all of the SD's I have owned. The 126 and 116 SD's are pretty much the same size however the 126 SDL are larger and more powerful but I'm not sure they are in your budget.

You need to watch out for the Climate Control Survo on the 116's they tend to go out and are a pain. You can put in an aftermarket replacement however. The 126's have some newer features that I like (auto seats, airbags ABS) but the 116's have a really great look (IMHO). Both cars can have issues with rust (the 116 a bit more than the 126 I think).

Both cars are great; I would say go with whichever you can find in descent shape and at a price you will pay. If you are a wrencher the 116's have practically disappeared from the junk yards around here but there are plenty of 126's.

OK I've gone on long enough. Let me know any specific questions you may have.

--Matt

mj_sid summed up pretty well the big differences. Both are good.

I would like to add that with the budget set at 2500 you can only pretty much get W116d or beat up early W126.

A cool thing of the W116 that many people forget is that many of their parts were used into the W123. so many suspenssion, steering, body accesories are directly transplantable...
not so with the W126 and even between early W126 and late W126.

The bane of the 116 is rust, but it is a more stylish (looks like a beefy SL) more nimble car IMHO than the W126 in the same price range.

W116 are rarer and flashier automobiles (got Chrome? this one is only second to 1950's cadillacs!).

On the other hand, W126 are modern cars and could compare with any mid level offering even nowadays... (note that that can be a negative thing when you are a DIY)

116-------rust and seats that have rotted because of age and no good ones left in salvage yards[although you can swap123 seats in by changing the bottom rails,which gives you 5 more yrs] 126---------lots of cheap parts more modern chassis.

The 116 for all of its size and mass handles like a sports car.

I really like the 116 look, they are a classy ride. I understand they were only manufactured in 79 & 80 and only for the US market. A friend has a nice one and loves it but says the parts are much more spendy than for his W123.

actually the 126 shares a lot of parts with the 123 too. mostly mechanical and suspension and brakes.

the 126s usually only rust behind the rear wheels at the joint in between the bumper and the body.

tom w

Drive a $6-7000 example of a 78-80 300SD, 81-85 300SD and 86-87 300SDL to get a feel for how each series should feel. This will give you a baseline for evaluating $2500 cars.

There is a general sense that these are not $2500 cars. You either pay $5000 for a good car or buy a $2500 car and spend $2500 in the first year bringing it up to par. There are good $2500 cars out there; but you have to know how to spot the diamond in the rough. Few things are more gratifying than paying $750 for a slug of an SD then cutting the 0-60mph time in half by cleaning gunk out of a manifold fitting.

Get to know the things that are costly to repair/refurbish. For example the front end of many running W126s selling in the $2500 range will likely need a considerable amount of work ($1000-1500) to bring back to like new condition. Or you live with some noise and looseness. I don't know if the same is true for the W116.

And then on the matter of cost of ownership, these cars are economical if you handle most of the service yourself. The next best thing is to have a good relationship with a good independent shop. The reason many of these cars sell for $2500 is the owners can't justify the cost of dealership service. In the extreme, look at how many S500s are available under for under $10K. These are cars that cost close to $80-100K 10 years ago.

Sixto
93 300SD

Great advice! And applies to any used auto purchase.