Will someone just post here if they have a w116?
 

I wonder where they have all gone? I never hear of anyone speaking of theirs here. They must be that good I guess. I know mikemover, NYDIESEL, and Acastell (sp?) hae some. Anyone else?
Thanks
David

P.S.
I have read all the what happened... threads.
Thanks Again

i had a w116 300sd. and it was the best car ever! it was a beater but i enjoyed it more than my current 300SD (W126). i wish i had enough money to get another one.

I looked at a very nice W116 300SD in the December of 2002, and it was very nice. It was in Ashland, Oregon, and looked like new. I would have bought it, except for I had no job, and didn't have the $3000 to buy it...

My 116 was my favorite of all the benzes I've owned. Something about the road feel in those cars...they just feel right.

If it hadn't rusted out I would still be driving it. If I find the right 450sel, something will have to give.

There are at least 11 116 owners on the forum....

Greg,
Theres a w116 out on 71 between hwy21 and Bastrop....cant tell if it a D or a G. Im going to check it out on my way home. I dig those w116 units.

Randy, There are several Mercedes on that stretch... I keep forgetting to take my digital camera with me when I go that direction...

im still driving my 80 300sd daily.in fact ill be going outside in a few minutes to start it up after sitting for more than 8 hrs in -10c.great car owned it for 10 years

Proud owner of a 1980 300SD W116 in the Atlanta area.

Well I got two of them. A 1980 300SD that is my daily driver and
a 1979 300SD that I have to put a steering coupling on and possibly an AC servo:confused:

I had a 123, an 83 300D that my daughter wrecked. I still have what is left and bought a 84 300D to restore.

1980 300SD 116 body
 

greatest deal of all time - $1000
immaculate interior, dent on both drivers side doors (found 2 mint doors for $80)
Car has 220 k on it, original (1 owner) sold it after the door dent incident, guy bought it at a auction, didnt know how to drive it, advertised it for $2500, I went offered $1000 and drove it away
Came home to find the odometer is a kilometers one, so it really has 130 kmi, engine starts in -10 cold with 2 glow cycles, runs like a champ, goes up the Eisenhower tunnel (the power test for those of us living in Colorado) at 80 mph with ooomph to spare . Oh, did I mention it gets 28 mpg

I have a ****-eating grin on my face - priceless :)

The Tootsie Roll rules in Bham, AL.......favorite of all cars I've ever owned, and there have been alot! There is still a close tie between the 450SL and the SD, but as they are the same vintage, I put it down to sibling rivalry....:D

grimgaunt, how do you get 28mpg? I can't get over 24mpg interstate! Mine starts well with 196k miles, but I need to install the block heater I bought. Do you have any idea what might be wrong with my economy? Would injection timing affect it that much? Do you guys believe in servicing injectors such as taking them apart and cleaning them well then reassembling? Also, would a regular 27mm deep well socket work to get the injectors out? (I think they're 27, aren't they?) What size standard is that, if it is close enough of course.
Thanks
David

P.S.
(I'm at Tim's house thus the username)

David,
I haven't done a thing to the car except change fluids, filters and replace some interior trim since I got it 2 months ago.
It appears to have bene well taken care of .
For the injectors I have (I do have the deep socket from Baum tools) used on occasion - a crescent wrench adjusted to the right size and in its slot in the handle at the end place a 3/8" extension and put a breaker on that , comes out real easy

W116s
 

I have three !116s currently,and have owned two previously.These cars are GREAT!

My 116 cars are:

1975 450 SEL 211,765 miles
1978 280 SE euro w/ 4 spd
1980 300SD 180k miles

Previously owned:
1973 450 SE
1974 450 SEL

Barndoor,

That is the coolest collection of MB's on this site hands down. Do you have any pictures?

Mike

PS- how do you compare your previous 126 with your 116s?

W116's
 

Thanks Mike !

I still own my 126,and I can say they are totally different cars.
Both are amazing!
The 126 has a lighter feel,the 116 still has the "bank vault" feel.
all steel,heavy!
especially the 450 SEL
The styling of the 126 seems to be timeless.People think my '85 is a new mercedes !
(I think they think the new Mecedes are Lexas and Infinity's)

Mark

Glad to see the brotherhood of the 116's is FINALLY coming out. I have a 1979 300SD, 1984 300CD, and a 1979 280CE (gasser). I love the looks of the 300CD but she is a garage queen. The 280CE is a nice looking car but the gas milage is just a joke. The 300SD is a rolling street legal tank. Great gas milage and ownership of the road. These Benz's are the only cars I have ever driven where if I put the seat all the way back I am to far away from the pedals to drive in comfort. I only drive vintage Mercedes and all my friends think I am nuts. They all say why don't you drive a new car? I live in New York City and a new car would not last 5 minutes on the streets. After all this snow the roads are horrible. If I had a new car plastic pieces would be falling off daily and we all know the plastic bumper covers are just a joke!!! Glad to see the owners of the 116's finally giving the 123 and 126 owners a run for there money. Now if we could just do something about that vacuum system...

I've got a '79 300SD I bought for $500 and have put about $4,000 into it and will probably double that before the car is perfect.... but its nice enough now to see all the fine points all you other W116 owners talk about. Keep it up, as it encourages me to finish what I've started!

John
'79 300SD
'95 Mazda B2300

All of these 116s, and not a single picture? How about some pictures of these beautiful cars? :cool:

116 photos
 

ok,
heres one of my '80 300SD

Gorgeous! I love the baby blue paint. What is the proper name for that color?

280 SE European
 

The blue car is "China Blue"

heres a shot of my '78 280 SE with 4 speed and headlight wipers.

I love those headlights and wipers. I wish I had those but i also like my American lights. I like Euro bumpers but I think the American ones are better becasue of CHROME. They can be VERY intimidating to those who think about pulling out in front of me. Plus, when you are sitting in a parking lot, they make great benches, even for the largest person. I will try to post a pic of my w116. It is a pastelle (sp?) blue. It is very pretty when waxed and cleaned up, however I live in NE Indiana so it is not clean long in the winter. I try to wash mine every week at my uncle's lot, but it is very sad becasue everytime I wash it I find more wrong with the paint or the rust. Very disheartening I must say. Keep the w116's rolling!
Have a Nice Day
David

P.S.
If you are or were considering a w116, think again, you only live once. Even if they are prone to rust, live a little. I can't say how many times people have walked up to me at gas stations or just friends tell me how nice my car is.

Too bad we all live at opposite corners of the country for us to meet up for a 116 g2g. Too bad, oh well, I do see one every great once in awhile around here, but only about 1 that I have seen was in nearly the shape that mine is in rusty wise. Sad, sad, sad.
David

barndoor,
Your 300SD looks exactly like the 300SD I looked at in Southern Oregon(same color combination, and roughly the same miles), it was in the Ashland area...

'80 300 SD
 

maybe its the same one?I bought it in medford about a month ago.The Previous owner had it a year.blue interior(mint except for cracked dash),no sunroof,original radio.

Barndoor, you are making me jealous! I thought one 116 was enough, but I may start shopping....:D
My 80 450SL is China Blue and it is one of my favorite MB colors.....although if the SD wasn't brown, it would be hard to explain why we call it the Tootsie Roll!

barndoor,
that is probally the car I was looking at, since about the only flaw it had were some slight cracks on the dash...

The SL in China Blue....not a 116, but a close friend....they share the garage.:p

I'm with you on the bumpers and lights, David. I know it is more acceptable to bash the bumpers, but I kinda like em. Maybe it is because the only ones I saw growing up had those bumpers and lights, so that's what I lusted after.......anyway, I think they look a little more "classic" that way.

Barndoor, you were saying you thought the 126 felt lighter? Physically or on the road? My folks had a 90 300SE and my 116 SD always felt more nimble to me. Even my mother noticed it the one time she drove the Tootsie Roll....maybe it was the 6 cylinder that made it feel heavy, but I think my SD would beat it from a dead start. Also, the turn ratio feels tighter to me. Maybe I'm imagining it.....I do think the overall build of the car seems heavier; doors, panels, sheet metal, etc.

Late to the game...
 

I was offline for a few days and misses this post...!!!! I am a new owner of a W116, as you mentioned above.

I am 35 and have driven many cars, none more than 3-5 years old! I switched, cold turkey, to my 79SD. I have always had a trememdous amount of respect for these cars as I see so many still on the roads in daily service. Well, it has been 2 months (5K miles) and I have not looked back. I have a 2002 Merceded G-Wagen sitting in my garage collecting dust!

So, it is safe to say that I love my W116. I also drove a few W123's and I liked those as well, just not as much as my W116.

I do not have pictures to post so I will post the link to the ad:

http://home.comcast.net/~mr.diesel.info/79_300SD_Yellow_LR.html

Hope this works....!

Great cars!!!!!!!

Anthony

Tclanton: I have to agree with you, I like the US bumpers also. I do like the Euro light s for the wipers though. That's cool to have a 30 year old car with headlight wipers. The American lights give it a vintage look I think.
David

HEY!

I thought we were going to talk 116s?:eek:

Where did everyone go?

Anyways. So I'm tooling along today in my SE and I'm thinking...the 126 just doesn't light my fire like my 116 did. It just doesn't feel like a "machine." The 116 was a driver's instrument; a roadworthy tank which was simply the business. The instrument cluster was perfect. A perfectly proportionate design which was so far ahead of its time, that the superiority of its younger sibling is debatable. My favorite design features of the 116 include:

The SL influenced taillights
the 'sporty' exterior mirrors
the tri-pod instrument cluster
unique "padded" safety interior
the chrome vent in the hood and,
the double stacked wipers...menacing.


What says the board?

Just bought a 1975 450 SEL down in Atlanta. Project car, needs some work, but overall pretty darn sound. Gotta find some seats!

I agree with you about the chrome. It's blinding in the summer to look at the car or especially the bumpers. Good thing chrome doesn't rust or these would literally have nothing left. I like the padded window sills. W126's don;t have that. It is about 4 inches wide and is smoothe so you can rest your fore-arm there when your just cruising down the road on a summer day with the HUMONGOUS sunroof open and the radio turned up loud. Oh the days of summer, how I miss them so. Everything seems to be padded on the w116. One thing I don't like about that is that now in the cold I am getting a squeak from the RR pillar? I need to figure something out to fix that, squeaks bug me, a lot. Also, the steering wheel is more detailed than the w126. Just look at them. I have also heard that w116 wood is thicker than w126 and I think the w116 dashed are of slightly better material, they seem to have far less cracks from what I've seen. One thing I hate about the w116 is the rear seat. The padding dissappears and leaves it looking like 198 year old man's skin. One last thing, w116 SD's are far less common than w126 SD's simply because they only made them for like 2 1/2 yrs. And of those, sadly most have rusted away. Shame, shame, shame.
Have a Nice Day
David

Does anyone have cruise control that works on your w116? If you do, than how have you fixed it?
Thanks
David

David,

The squeak you are hearing is probably from two pieces of vinyl rubbing together. Some of those interior bits are held in place by friction. Maybe try lithium grease or a little bit of wax?

David,

My cruise was erratic until I had the cluster rebuilt last year. Speedo went out (after some ear-cracking screeching), so I pulled it and sent it to Williams in AR for repair. After it was reinstalled, the cruise has worked perfectly. My indy said ther e was something in the cluster that influenced the cruise, but I never really followed what he was telling me. I don't use it often anyway, but it is nice to have it working.

Fahrg - I agree with you on every feature you mentioned...esp. the chrome hood vent. I love the way the hood is creased with the indentation in the middle leading up to the vent...makes the car look like it's moving even when sitting still. You are also right about the shared design cues with the 107. Since I have both, I spend alot of time (I know.....I spend way too much time in the garage studying these cars....:p ) comparing the similarities/differences. Obviously there are always "family" traits in most any brand of cars, but there are some really neat ways MB chose to tie their models together. including the tail lights, much-maligned bumpers, body molding, etc. One cool thing is how the same hood design on is almost reversed on the 107 compared with the 116. The center of the 107 hood is raised instead of creased down.

Other things I llike:
the chrome trim in the corners of the windows
the wide window switches....none of the girly 126 crap
manual seats

David, are your seats leather or tex? You're right about the back seats....the horsehair disintegrates and leaves you with saggy covers and nothing under your a$$. If your covers are good, you can get replacement pads from World Upholstery. I replaced all of mine when I put new covers in....they look great!

Terry

funny---cruise works in the car I bought this Tuesday. I think that's a very rare thing.

Clanton---where can you buy replacement springs? Saw what you said about replacement pads-got to see, think my springs are shot too.

Wolf-

I haven't had to buy springs yet, but I think you can get them from the PartsShop here. Do a search for seat springs and you'll get plenty of results. I'm actually thinking of getting the newer style for my front seats...wish I'd done it when I replaced my covers. Mine are pretty springy.....If you're thinking you need them in the back, I'd definitely check the pads first. My rear seat bottom was raining old dried up horsehair when I got it. I replaced both upper and lower pads and they are fine now. You can see the springs in the seat back just by taking the whole thing out. The bottoms have a metal pan underneath, so you can't really see.

Terry

HEY! That last post made me a "Senior Member"......do I get a t-shirt or something? Big three pointed star with MB Geek printed under it???:D :D

aussie w116 280sel
 

Australian w116 pic 350,000 km and counting

addition
 

sorry guys not a diesel but at least its the correct body.

Very nice car there mer280! Hopefully I'll get mine looking like yours one day... all it needs is the bumpers and a paint job!

Where'd you get the mudflaps by the way? Or a p/n maybe? They look wide enough to actually do their job.

For those of you out there that want pics, my car as I bought it is located here... but have fun with it as its kinda a slow connection.

http://starquake.ath.cx/modules.php?name=gallery

John
'79 300SD

thanks john
 

mud flaps feature mb emblem previous owner had them fitted.

Heres a 116 page.

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/9323/w116.htm

I'm jealous!
 

and looking to buy one of these people movers .....

1979 300SD for sale in Tulsa
 

Doing my normal weekend cruise down Admiral and 11th street looking to spot MB Diesels, I was lucky to spot this SD.

Here is the low and nasty on this beast:
Lot owner bought for $1100 from a local seller.
Lot mechanic knows NOTHING about diesel engines.
Engine has a miss at idle.
#1 cylinder has a metalic rattle (sounds like an internal is loose.)
Oil leak at valve cover gasket.
Engine bay is filthy, like it has not been cleaned in 5+ years.
Transmission shifts very nice, quick shifts into R and D.
Body has no surface rust above bottom of the doors, but DOES have lower body rust and minor frame rust near the bumper.
Only the driver window goes down, but not up.
Other than the window, the inside gets no electric power.
No turn signals, headlights, or tail lights get power.
AC compressor clutch did not engage, may be related to other electrical problems.
Battery started the engine on the first try.
Speedometer and oil gauge work. fuel, tach, temp do not.
Steering wheel is mounted upsidedown.

Driving:
Straight and tight steering.
No vibration other than engine.
Good low end engine power, high end needs more boost.

Seller asked $1100, but after driving it, I said I might offer $900 at most. Before I went on my way, he said he was willing to let it go for $800 since he could sell 5 cars in the time it would take to fix up this one. :D

Bob
Marie's Route66 Motor Co.
4201 E. 11th St.
tulsa, OK 74112
918-838-7447

Sorry for the long post. Anyone wanting a good W116 body, willing to fix the body electrical gremlins, and willing to repair, transplant or rebuild the engine, this is a good one. No picture, I left the digi cam at home. :(

Weather has warmed up here and the 116 cars are coming out.

I have seen a red SD, a 450se, and a mint, dark blue 280S- carburatted.

I was out in California a month or so ago and must have seen about 20. a great looking brown (the lighter, metallic shade) 450sel was blasting down 280 near menlo park.

So they are out there, and I think there are many oldtimers who have nice example tucked away in their garages.