I'm entertaining 3 legitimate offers right now....

Let us know if they fall through...

If you still have the car next week, I'd seriously consider selling the Buick. I've kept the Buick envisioning that I could start bringing it to cruise-ins 5-10 years from now -- as my own cheap version of a collector car, I guess -- but this would tempt me.

What would shipping from California be? $800?

It'll probably sell before I can do anything anyway :).

Edit:
Rats -- airfare + shipping + food + reasonable price for the car = too much $$$, it appears.

Are any of the offers from forum members?

I have no idea what shipping would cost on something as heavy as a W116...

Pending sale - Meeting buyer this afternoon - A forum member, so the car will get to stay in the 'family' so to speak...:)

Yay ! :)

I hope he drives a lot :).

Yay! Indeed!

He is a forum member and enthusiast who has had a few Diesel Benzes, so I think this will be perfect for him...:D

I took these photos this evening as we wait for the buyer to arrive...

Note the explosive glow of the Ferrari Amber Bulbs in the instrument cluster. Try finding those tiny bulbs in natural amber at your local auto parts store!!!

And a few more photos...

A New Journey Begins for 'Phil'
 

After over 20 years of ownership, I turned the keys over to Phil's new owner last night. By the time the sun rose this morning, 'Phil' was rolling into the San Francisco Bay Area.

Much like the 'Where's Waldo?' character, I wonder where 'Phil' will turn up next???

We wish the new owner many, many happy miles....:beerchug:

Wow, I don't think I ever could have sold that! I hope to see the new owner posting about the car on the forum. Whatever was paid for it, I am sure they are going to get their money's worth as practically everything has been gone through or upgraded, not to mention no rust.

Thanks for the kind words...

It was time for us to upgrade, but we wanted the car to go to someone who really wanted it and would appreciate all the time and effort invested.

I taught two of my sons to drive in that car and my oldest (27 now) took his driving exam in the 300 SD.

It was very nice to see the buyer's reaction to the instantaneous shifts of the 722.120, the smooth yet dramatic pull of the boost and fuel curves and the rock-hard brake pedal with DOT 5 fluids, Balo Rotors and PBR Organic Pads.

Every single system in the car has been tweaked to perfection and he noticed every one of them...:)

I've enjoyed your posts about the car over the years and have envied the performance you got out of the old boy. It is the standard to which I hope mine will some day attain. I sure hope the new owner keeps us apprised of how the car is doing.

I too am surprised you sold in the end.

Still it sounds like you've found a good owner who will carry the flame a little further.

Thanks for the compliments...I am sure the new owner will keep us all updated and I will continue to offer my technical support to all forum members...Robert

I wrestled with the sale of the 300SD. But, we have been driving it everyday since losing a $1/4 million in a foreclosure in 2011, My wife was tired of the OM617's lack of power, the lack of creature comforts and it hurt her back to drive it.

Not only were we blessed to find a die-hard W116 lover, but he really appreciated each and every small detail that so many other potential buyers overlooked.

When we initally put the car on the market in 2012, I found myself bombarded by e-mails telling me that no matter how much work I invested, this was an $1,800 - $2,000. I knew I had more work in the car than that and in the end, God blessed us with a buyer who saw the details...:)

Sad to see it go but glad its to another Mercedes lover. I also took my driver's test in my 240D and hope both of my boys can do the same. Im 33 and they are 2 and 4 so we have a ways to go but I can hope right :D

The first car leaves an impression. People ask why I am such a performance nut and I tell them I took my driving test in a 1957 Chevrolet Black Widow...:)

If and when the new owner posts here, will you add the link? I am sure the rest of us would like to continue to follow the car's travels.

Absolutely!

You know, I didn't realize what a collection of BRAND NEW parts I had amassed for this car until I started packing them up!!!!!

Waiting for the new owner's first post!

Wow
 

I just read thru the whole thread and with every new page I hoped you had decided to keep it. I have an infatuation with old cars yours was a very nice example.
I too can't wait to read the posts from the new owner.

I too would have loved to have kept it and seen how many miles it could have racked up. But, the man who bought it seems to appreciate the car to such an incredible degree that one must simply think they were made for each other.

I think 3 years of daily service from a 1978 W116 is in and of itself some sort of record. I like to think that the W116 no longer has to work for a living...;)

Awe come on, it is so used to the work, I think it was looking forward to 2,000,000 miles!


Good luck with the new car and I hope the new owner continues to document it's journey here.


.

The Life of a Daily Driven W116
 

Some photos from our years of daily driving in the W116...

The Mysterious Passenger:
 

This tiny red bug hitched a ride with us on Mother's Day 2009 while we were in Sequoia National Forest.

This little guy turned out to be a Clover Mite, a harmless insect, so, after this photo was taken, we pulled over and released him/her back into the wild...

So glad that Alec is enjoying the car so much!!!!