Ok, I have the chance to get a 1991 420sel for a very good price. it is that price because it runs like crap. As I understand it, there was a transmission replacement and it hasn't run well since.

The description I have is that it just has no power. It will accelerate, but only VERY slowly. given time it will get up to highway speed and even climb long steep hills with only some loss of speed.

I realize this is quite vague, and I don't expect a dead on dx. I am new to mb, but have considerable xp with a wide variety of things mechanical. I also know that this car has been in the hands of 2 "mechanics" neither with any mb expertise.

So what I think the people on this forum can do, is point out the things likely to account for such performance with an eye toward stuff that would be missed by non mb people.

any thoughts or observations appreciated. I am posting because I have to travel 600 miles to get the car and if this is an "oh yeah they do this, and it's xyz" kind of problem, I'd like to know that before I go rather than wishing I had asked...

Thanks
David