I did, but never got a reply. Sooooo... I asked basically the same questions from my fathers email and he said that the light went off when a new convertor was installed, but the converter "sprang a leak" and the light came back on. Converter was fixed, but there was not a machine there to turn the light off and they never went back. Hmmmm.

I want to know why he did not reply to my email? People get mad when you ask them simple questions about a car you are about to spend a few grand on?

Well then he's just lazy and doesn't want to deal with you, or he has something to hide, and you're asking too many questions.

I would just disregard that guy, there are other people that are willing to answer your questions out there.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

+1

This seller is shady. Write him off and move on. Plenty of other fish in the sea!

Thanks....

Everyone should email him and ask why the check engine light is on. Lol. J/K! Has good feedback though. I guess he thought I was too nit-picky. Well, $3500 may not be much to many people, but its a fortune to me. I cannot pay $3500 for a car, then another $2000-4000 for repairs.

If that's the case, you honestly need to stay away from W140s, and go with one of the older ones. They have less bells and whistles, but they are definitely better built.

I have owned several different Mercedes, and in my experience they are expensive cars to own. You can either pay up-front to get one in good condition, or you can pay later at the parts counter. It's pretty much one or the other.

Finding a W140 for $3500 that is perfect and needs no work, well heck, you may as well just play the lottery with those odds. That's my $0.02, take it for what it's worth.

True, but the main objective here is that the seller is obviously hiding something. I have owned several Mercedes too (74 240D, 85 380SE and 84 190D (all where excellent cars that I did not have to pay an arm/leg for) so good ones at good prices are to be found. Just have to look. I was assuming this 96' was a good one, but obviously some problems are being hidden.

Thanks for the input - perhaps I will stick with a W126. Supposed to look at a nice 300SDL this week.

You have owned some nice MB's, I liked your 380SE. But they all had commen old car problems, and you sold them. Your not going to find an old MB that doesn't have all the problems your previous ones had.


IMHO you should have kept the 380SE and fixed it up. The body and interior were nice so it was worth putting money into.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Yea, you're never going to find a perfect one...just try to find the one that has the east amount of problems.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

I am. I am going to find a W126. I have found about 3 1988 300SEL models I am seriously considering. One is black ($2500) , one is white ($2000) and the other is gray ($2100), but the last one will have to be shipped, which is $445.

I have also found a local 86' 420SEL, but I am "scared". The lady that owns it said its too big for her. She said the title said "hurricane" on it. I asked her if it had been flooded and she said no and inside smelled fine. She said it was in a hurricane in 1988. She said she has a receipt where the engine and transmission was rebuilt not too long ago. Asking $2000, but she said to make an offer.

Well, I have found a nice 1988 300SEL I think I am going to buy for $2000. Just waiting for the VIN to run a carfax. 149K miles - so I hope the engine is OK. Its not local, so I am buying it sight-unseen!

Looks very nice in the photos. If it does not pan out, over where my uncle lives there is another 300SEL thats black and very nice looking for $2500. I may get him to check it out and bring it over.

The M103 is very robust. It'll be overdue for a valve seals if not already done. The new head gasket will get rid of oil leaks at the back end of the engine.

It's pretty hard to strand an M103 but once you pick up a miss at idle, it's the beginning of a frustrating though not necessarily expensive diagnostic journey. Keep the number of an M103 specialist handy in case it gets to that. Or maybe you don't mind a gasser that idles like an older Diesel

Around that mileage a spring sprung W126 can become a tail dragger. The rear suspension is quite easy to work on as long as you don't have to get into trailing arm bushings.

Sixto
87 300D

Ew, that sounds nasty... maybe I will try to find a lower mileage one. Or a different car altogether.

I was thinking these were 200K+ mile engines before any type of major work required.

This car may be fine, but since I cannot personally see it, anything is possible.

Buying an older car like that sight unseen is not a good idea. It would be more prudent just to spend the money on lottery tickets. I agree on the loping 103 engines - very hard to diagnose - almost like it's built into the engine as it ages.

Toyota engines these are not.

__________________
1999 C280

Yep, my M103 had a really slight miss at idle that would sometimes worsen...never could seem to get rid of it.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles