PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - FOR SALE: 1985 500SEL Euro

Hey all,

I've decided it's time I need to thin my herd a bit, as I'm a bit overwhelmed with work at the moment, not to mention, I just took on an '85 TDT which I am going to make my new DD, as I really need a wagon for daily use, so without further ado, here's the lowdown on my car;

Finished in Smoke Silver over Black leather and in very nice condition inside and out, both cosmetically and mechanically. I shipped this car here from the west coast where it resided ever since being imported from Breisach, Germany. The car never saw a winter until last year, and even then, was driven very sparingly when the roads were not awash with salt, and this is clearly evidenced upon inspection of the undercarriage. The paint is largely original, with some evidence of localized touch-in here and there but retains a nice finish and has always been garaged, hand washed and waxed with Autoglym Glaze (at least while in my possession, however given the condition of the exterior, it's safe to assume the prior owners were equally fanatical). The original, slim European bumpers and ECE headlamps (with functional cleaning equipment) are present and in good shape. You will not see any of the typical splitting of the seams on the top of the rear seat bench, nor any UV damage to the fascia top, save for one tiny, dime-sized circular spot where a little separation of the material has occurred, just to the right of the instrument cluster area. Additionally, while I'm thinking of it, there is a small ding underneath the left tail lamp, which can be seen in the photos.

The leather is in incredible condition throughout, with the front seats being in equal condition to the rear, and have been spared decades of wear by having custom fitted sheepskins on them since the car was nearly new. For good measure, I removed the covers, had them dry cleaned and while they were off, gave the seats a good clean and condition with Leatherique products. I foolishly did not think to take photos of the front seats while the covers were off, but I will be happy to do so for any interested parties (seats must be removed in order to properly attach the sheepskins). The car retains that classic "new[old] Mercedes smell" which anyone who remembers these cars when they were new, will remember. The door panels, headliner and carpets are all in excellent condition with no flaws whatsoever. There is no warping of the center console vinyl and all burled walnut timber throughout the cabin is in excellent condition with no lifting of the lacquer, chips, etc...

As per the usual, the car is equipped with powered and heated front and rear seats, all of which function perfectly (yes, the rear heaters actually will cook your butt, something which seems not to happen in most 126s I've been in), power windows, central locking, and the best feature; Euro-only manual HVAC which operates perfectly, giving independently adjustable temperatures from side to side with hot heat and cold A/C and everything in-between. All interior and exterior lighting is fully operational and all instruments and warning lamps/buzzers as well. The only non-original aspect of the interior is the hi-fi unit, which is a modern Blaupunkt Toronto CD deck with integrated Bluetooth audio and telephone functions. The original radio was also a Blaupunkt which had the console-mounted gooseneck controller, but was not working reliably, hence why I opted for the new radio. The original Hirschmann aerial works properly and a new mast was installed this spring.

Mechanically, the car is superb. It starts and idles beautifully, hot or cold, and has phenomenal acceleration for a car of this size. The exhaust system is the original, non-catalyzed setup and there has been a major 'E' service undertaken on the car recently, which included the following maintenance items as well as some repair items:

Oil and filter change with Mobil 1 10W-30 full synthetic
Transmission fluid and filter change with Febi Bilstein ATF and Mann filter
Radiator replaced and coolant flushed with MB 'blue' Anticorrosion antifreeze
Brake fluid flushed with Ate 'SL' DOT 4 type fluid
Distributor cap, rotor, wires and plugs replaced with Bosch components
Rear brake pads replaced with OE Ate pads, rotors were checked with a micrometer and found to be well within thickness tolerances, front brakes checked out at 65% remaining
Front lower ball joints replaced
Idler arm bushings replaced
Four new Firestone tires installed and alignment performed
Wiper blades replaced
All door, hood and trunk hinges and latches cleaned and lubricated
Sunroof sliding rails cleaned and lubricated with special MB 'Gleitpaste'
Throttle linkage disassembled, cleaned and lubricated
Air filter replaced
Fuel pump and filter replaced
Drive belts checked/adjusted, replacement not deemed necessary at time
Cam covers removed, timing chain and rails checked (chain was replaced at 100K), no issues noted
Bowden cable adjusted for correct kickdown operation

I have put approximately 6,000 miles on the car since I acquired it. It is garaged in my workshop building and is driven occasionally, with use split between it and my 16V and my 6.9. The car drives absolutely beautifully with no clunking in the front end, no pulling, tramlining, no noises from the drivetrain whatsoever just nice and tight and how a proper 126 should drive. I'm sure you guys are all aware of how hard it is getting to find nice, early 126s, which I personally tend to prefer, as I am a big fan of the Fuchs bundt wheels and ribbed lower side cladding which, in my opinion, make the car look that much more 'vintage' and the amount of compliments this car has received from random individuals startled me, but I guess its presence brings the old Merc nuts out of the woodwork :D

So, I'm hoping to find the car a good home with an enthusiast here on the forum. I would trust this car on a trip to California in a heartbeat, so if you want to fly to Cincinnati and drive it home, I'll pick you up at the airport and have a freshly detailed, sparkly 126 awaiting you. Mileage showing is 171K at present, and I know that the US odometer was matched to the kilometer reading at time of import, so actual mileage is lower than recorded if you take into account the distance conversion.

Feel free to contact me via PM, email or by phone, which is listed in my signature. I am asking $5,950 for the car. Also, I can send additional photos upon request.