Hello All,

I just looked at an '86 420 sel with c.126000 miles that the guy wanted $3k for. KBB for my area is $2650 for "good." The car was quite clean, one family owned and had a stack of maintenance rec's since new, including original window sticker. Car drove well, no tranny slip, but may need some front end work (just a feeling--there was no pulling to any side). Never involved in any accidents. New exhaust two years ago. Sounds good, right?

Bad:

Top end was rebuilt three years ago after timing chain/tensioner failure. Accounted for in main't recs.

Check engine light was on and had black tape covering it. "...haven't been able to fix it." was his reply when asked about it.

Mismatched tires but with good tread.

No a/c or heat - just ambient air blowing through vents.

Moderate transmission fluid leak "..topped off when taken in for oil changes"

Dash temp led inoperative.

Started hard after "sitting for a few days." When started hot, no problems at all.

Very small spot of rust at the front right fender where the bumper meets the wheel well arch --about a 2 sq. in. patch of bubbling. The rest of the car was rust free.

General feeling:

Nice car, but the transmission leak really discouraged me. I offered him $1800 and left it at that. I know this was incredibly low, but I was a little discouraged after noting all the little nit-picky things. Was I being too harsh a critic of a 20 year old car? On thinking about it, I may call tomorrow and offer $2400. At least the car has lots of history.

Your thoughts?

Thank you.

I'd pass on it. Depending on where you are, A/C repairs can
be huge. I'm in Texas and can't survive the summers without
it.

The mismatched tires bugs me as does the tape over the
check engine light and the tranny leak. It sounds like the guy
only takes it in when there's a problem rather than getting
regular maintenance.

You said the guy has a stack of maintenance slips. I'd read
those carefully. Look to see if all recommended repairs were
made, it's usually noted on the slips.

Bill

Welcome to the forum!

Hmm. Lets see. Well, I think I would stick with the $1800-$2200 offer on this car, considering it has the transmission leak. It could be as simply as a pan gasket, or something worse.

Like Gigtimes said, the A/C could run into big $$$ to repair, but if you live in a cooler climate, this is not a cause for concern. If you live in the south, that may be a different story. The hard starting sounds like it may be out of time or something. Weak fuel pump? I am sure someone with more knowledge about Mercedes cars will key in on this one. Is it is northern car? I know you said "rust free" other than one small spot, but if is it a northern car, be sure to check out the undercarriage and rocker panels. I have seen a lot of these cars from up north on Ebay, with rust issues. Many times the exterior will appear to be in glowing condition, but rust can lurk underneath the chassis.

Also, depending upon what type of "front end" work is needed, that could also run into $$$ to repair. Before you know it, you could have $$$$ more sunk into this car.

I know what you are thinking, , because I have been where you are- looking for a 80s S-Class Mercedes. I have looked for a older Mercedes for years, until I recently took the plunge and bought a 1985 Benz. I had question after question here, to the point where some were disgusted with me and all of my stalling and questions. I was just afraid of making a mistake and buying a costly lemon. That would never do! I bought mine so cheap that it really does not matter and luckily, it seems to be a very good car (so far).

Good luck with your purchase!

Your other option would be to pay a bit of money and get an independant check done - there must be a good Benz indie in your area.

Timing chain alreaady done - so probably head work done as well - good, save you dollars.

Tranny leaking - not good. A/C could be a multitude of things from simple to complex. Check engine - we don't have them so can't comment. Front end work - common for this age, again depends on extent but often not exy.

Temp LCD - very common, PITA.

Spend a $100 or so and get it checked out.

Cheers

__________________
1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

Thanks for the replies.

Gigtime: Yes the car did have the scheduled mercedes services done evidenced by the stickers in the owner's maintenance manual. The lack of a/c doesn't bother me as much as the lack of heat. Maybe a monovalve thing or likely some electrical issue is causing this. I agree, though, on the tranny leak as I would have tried to complete the deal had there been none. I don't like leaky cars.

86560SEL: Thanks for the welcome! From your username, sounds like you have a nice car. Evidently, the car has been garaged it's whole life and I did check around it for more rust and found none.

What I sense happened is that the owner just got sick of putting money into the car and decided to sell it rather than throw more into it. In fact, in his ad he mentioned that the reason for selling was the cost of fixing the a/c was more than the car was worth. But, as we all know, these Mercedes are worth more than people realize. These cars are built so solidly. These one owner cars with history are a little more difficult to come by around here and taking a crapshoot with a dealer is something I don't like the thought of.

Basically, I can live with the lack of functioning creature comforts like a/c, but if putting another $1500 +/- into a car with a complete maintenance history will insure a few good years in the best Stuttgart had to offer, I wouldn't mind.

No problem. I would just try to check out that tranny leak. That seems to be the only real issue. The A/C, like you said is not a big issue, nor is the "check engine" light. Hopefully the heating is something simple. If the tranny is just a leak caused from a bad gasket, then I would offer the $2200. I would not go past that price with the leakage, unless it is as simple as a gasket. Like the advice given, I would have it checked out by a mechanic that you can trust.

Actually, I do not have a 86' 560SEL, but that was what I was seriously considering at the time I joined the fourms here, so I was "stuck" with that name. , I actually have a 1985 380SE 4dr sedan. You have an advantage over me, you have RECORDS. Unfortunately, I do not. Sad really, because my car was one owner from 1985-2000. The man I bought it from owned it since 2000. He said that the PO did not keep any of the records, but the car has obviously been cared for, which is a plus. It too is a southern car and 100% rust free. Unbelievably, it has no leaks. I am thinking it may have had a good service not too long before the PO sold it. My only issue now is a belt missing from the airpump and two windows don't work. I do not have a check engine light, only a "oxygen sensor" warning lamp.

Good luck!

nothing is for sure. you could pay more and get a better looking car with more hidden problems.

the tape thing and the mismatched tires are a turnoff for me. my gut tells me that he added up all the repair cost and found it was more than the value of the car.

probably a good idea to keep looking.

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.

It sounds like the A/C isn't a big deal to you so I'm guessing
you're not down South.

When the A/C went out on mine after I'd already replaced the blower
motor and regulator, my MB mechanic told me I needed new compressor,
condenser and something else, I forget what. It could run anywhere from
$1800 to $3000.

It was 108 in Austin that day. I drove to BMW and bought my 2000
Z3. My BMW salesman turned me on to a great mechanic who fixed
the A/C for $600. It still has some problem under the dash with a valve
that's diverting some of the air to the defrost vents. It's a cheap part
but very difficult to get to and it could be one or more of several similar
valves. I'm starting to understand why I see so many 126's with the
windows rolled down.

Your problem could be the CCU or any number of things.

I agree with the idea of getting a pre-purchase inspection from a good
MB indy. You can also use what you get from that to negotiate the price
down.

Still, there lots of these cars out there for sale, you might be better off
spending a bit more for one in better shape and rust-free.

I agree w/ the last post. There are plenty of cars out there. If you have your heart set on an 86 420 sel, that may be different. But there's no need rush into a mercedes purchase. They ARE expensive to service.
Here's something that worked for me.
Go to ebay.com and select passenger cars. Then on the left you can limit your radius to, say, 50 miles from your zip code. There are a lot of mercedes that are going fairly cheap (the diesels are selling for more than the gas burners). You can also restrict the bid price range from 1 to $3000, or whatever you want. By and large, I've found the descriptions matched up with the actual car pretty well.
Anyway, good luck with your new 'old' car, whichever you decide to buy.

__________________
Love driving my '77 450 SEL!
124,000 miles

I won't buy a 420 especially 1986 the first model. Man u r buying 8 cylinder car go for 560 not 420!

__________________
Master Computer Engineer, A+, Network+, MCP/MCSA/MCSE 4/2k/2k3 - Messaging, MCTS, MCITP, MCT, Brainbench, ICDL and starting Ph.D

380SE 1984 <------- Totaled by flipping accident
300SE 1988 <------- Sold
Volvo S70 2000 <---- 4 family
Opel Omega 2002 <-- 4 family
560SEC 1989 <------ Sold
560SEL 1990 <------ Sold
560SEL 1991 <------ 4 my mother
560SEL 1989 <------ Sold
600SEL 1992 <------ Current

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZkhazenzcc