About a month ago I purchased a 1985 380SE. My first Mercedes, in fact the first time ever riding in or driving one. This is a magnificent machine. I cannot believe the difference between driving this and any other vehicle Ive ever driven. (there have been many). WOW I am still in a state of pure enjoyment, ecstacy even.
I'm a pretty good backyard mechanic but after lifting the hood for the first time I may as well have been lifting the hood of a 747 or something,
I could see she has a V-8 and a few other items were vuagly familiar but.....well you all must have felt kinda like me.... you know that sinking feeling in your gut, that helpless little kid who panics cause he's lost....
You know the feeling im sure!
I would like to thank Mercedesshop and all of you Mercedes "Veterans"
for all of your help, knowledge, and hospitality. This place is my port in a storm, a candle in the night. I cant thank you all enough.
I am an IT profesional so finding info on the net is no problem.
In my very thorough search Mercedes shop is the BEST!!!! This is my first post as I have not had to post anything because all the help, info, questions, ect is already here. Thank You so much again. Sorry for the long post and I hope it is in the correct forum

Just get a good repair manual and some good metric wrenches and allens and wade in. They are easier in many ways to work on and the parts are so high quallity that you don't have to replace things nearly as much as most cars.

Don't be intimidated.

Those old gasser v8s are really really durable and fairly simple to work on.

Good luck and welcome to the benz owners club.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The pure ecstacy might eventually dwindle down to a warm glow, but its all good.

__________________
1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

My daily driver is an 85 380SE with about 143K miles. Magnificent car, not much else to say. Enjoy it!

__________________
08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

This Forum is like pure oxygen just when you feel like you've taken your last breath.....

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Good luck with your new love!

Just a thought, join the Mercerdes Club of America (MBCA.org). You will get a great magazine, and the local chapter will have lots of people who love these cars as much as you and all of us do...

believe me this is a love that turns into an obsession...

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

I'm pretty sure that was the band "Sweet".

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D