new to peach parts; question on 420SEL, 1988 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gittins · #1 07-20-2009, 11:46 AM

Good morning,
Looking to see if anyone has any feedback on a 1988 420SEL. My son has found a used one-165K miles on it with an asking price of $1,300.00.
Just wanting to get some feedback to see what others think. Needs new rotors for start, and switches for 3 of the 4 windows. Very Little rust on the outside. Was a WV registration, but now in PA and would have to pass emissions inspection. Any thoughts/feedback would be much appreciated.
thanks

gittins · #2 07-20-2009, 12:26 PM

hi, i'm the son. the mercedes in question is a 88 420 sel. it has 176k miles on it, has new belts, thermostat, fan clutch, and fairly new tires. it needs a rear lightbulb, window switches, and rotors. it has a sunroof, red leather interior that is in pretty good condition, and minimal rust. he is asking 1300 for the car. this is my first car. my family has a van, which is what i have been practicing driving on. can i have any feedback on the car and the deal? im excited about getting it but i want to get any extra feedback, opinions, and statistics. personal experiences would be good to hear. everything that i have read so far has been good, that the car is practically bulletproof and will last a long time.

thanks

E150GT · #3 07-20-2009, 01:16 PM

I hope you have a good job when you buy a 1300 dollar car of any kind. Dont get me wrong, I love and I do mean LOVE my 420sel, but it is a money pit and I paid 3 times what you will for this one. Just thought I let you know. If you can get over some parts changing they are great highway cruisers. BTW mine is in the shop right now getting new fuel pumps fitted. $$$$

pawoSD · #4 07-20-2009, 02:32 PM

If it has no records of the timing chain or guides being replaced, plan on forking it out for that, about $1000. If they fail the engine is destroyed. And the 420 is known for that happening. Also expensive components include: fuel system.....

Unless you are real good at mechanics I'd probably steer clear of an older Mercedes V8 car.....they can gobble up your wallet real fast if something goes wrong.

The old saying goes: "There is nothing more expensive than a cheap mercedes."

Beware.

Oh, and the 420 eats fuel like you have an oil well at home. Plan on 13-14 city and maybe 17-18 highway if you're lucky....and it requires PREMIUM.

An old gas mercedes for $1300 has likely been neglected to command such a low price.....and will be nowhere near bulletproof. An old bullet proof car would be an old Toyota or Honda....or a 300D (W123 chassis) mercedes....or a 240d.

E150GT · #5 07-20-2009, 03:54 PM

I'm not sure bullet proof exists even. My engine and transmission is in great shape, its just the rest of the car that falls apart. In my mixed city/hwy driving I see right at 16mpg. I have never gotten better than 18.5 mpg on the highway, but I have a lead foot. I still would not trade this car for a 240 or 300d. I might supplement this car for one but not replace. I dont mean to talk bad about the car, I just hope you are not going into this thinking these cars will be trouble free.

gittins · #6 07-20-2009, 04:21 PM

Thanks for the input. We figure that for that price it is not going to be hassle free, but as this is his first car, and with limited money resources, I just didn't want him to get into something that is going to sit broken down more than he will be able to drive it. He's excited about it-I am bit more hestant by nature-but his concern is if he doesn't act it will be gone,

gittins · #7 07-20-2009, 04:23 PM

have you had any emissions testing problems?

E150GT · #8 07-20-2009, 04:26 PM

we dont have emissions here. I will say I have put about $3k in it about the last 3 years. Mostly mechanical repairs

pawoSD · #9 07-20-2009, 04:54 PM

That is a good figure, to own an older MB (either gas or diesel) figure about 1000-1500 a year in maintenance, more in the first year or two usually. A lot more if the car was neglected. And a bit more to maintain a gasser than a diesel.

George560sel · #10 07-20-2009, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gittins

Thanks for the input. We figure that for that price it is not going to be hassle free, but as this is his first car, and with limited money resources, I just didn't want him to get into something that is going to sit broken down more than he will be able to drive it. He's excited about it-I am bit more hestant by nature-but his concern is if he doesn't act it will be gone,

Well, I own 2 w124 300E (215Kmi and 168Kmi) and 1 w126 560sel (113Kmi)
Both of them are good cars in different ways. I also have 2 more cars to drive. If I can have only one car to drive, most likely not gonna be 560sel.
When you have old cars ( 20 years in your case), there're always somethings to do (or break).
Let do the number, tune up for my 560sel (should be the same as 420sel) run for about $300 (cap, rotor, plug wire). I also did tune up (cap, rotor, wire, plugs) for my friend's civic (99), it cost only $100

And if you bring car to the shop to do it, expect a lot more. My first car was 87 civic with 100K when I bought it, I put 120 Kmi more for 5 yrs with no major problem. I have 560sel for 3.5yrs, I probably put only 6kmi. 2 years ago, I got no start problem and it turn out to be the EZL. New one cost over $1500, rebuild $5-600.

So if it's my first car, I probably pick honda or toyota but it's just me.

raymr · #11 07-21-2009, 12:40 AM

Look for hidden rust all inside the fenders and along the frame where the suspension attaches. The undercoating can hide serious problems, so use a screw driver or something to tap and make sure you hear a solid metal sound.

If it starts up and runs well when cold, and doesn't smoke after its warmed up, you have a fair chance of not having expensive fuel system problems. The biggest pains are electrical - things like idle control valve, fuel pump relay, and climate controls, not to mention switches and fuse holders that get corroded after many years of service. If you are not handy, these things will cost a small fortune to diagnose and fix. Depending where you are, it may be impossible to find a qualified mechanic for this old beasty.

Ask for all service records. Hopefully the timing chain was done at around 100K, giving you another 30K miles or so before you have to worry about it. Not knowing your skills, I can't recommend either way whether you should buy or not. You might be lucky. If not, you can always sell it and get some of your money back.

gittins · #12 07-24-2009, 02:43 PM

hi peachparts, update on the car.
the problems with it are: rotors are warped. found them new for cheap, and i can get them installed for next to nothing by a good friend who restores old cars. three of the window switches need replaced...the motors work fine, but the switches need fixed. lastly, a light in the back is out.
good: the trans works well, same with the engine. sunroof works, minimal rust, and the leather is nice. the tires are new, a thermometer is new, the fan clutch is new, and all the belts are new. everything else is ok with the car.
i took the idea to a bently/rolls royce/lotus/mercedes dealer by my house, and the guy that worked there said that for 1300 and the minimal problems, it was a good deal. he said to have the emissions checked before buying it. tommoorw (saturday) it is going to get checked. if it passes, do you think i should buy it? i had an idea to buy it now, fix it up a little and drive it for a while. then, after no more than a year, i could try and sell it or part it out and make more money so i can upgrade to a nicer one. is this a bad idea? thankyou for the help-as i said before, im new to cars and i cant find much info on the 420sel.

pawoSD · #13 07-24-2009, 04:19 PM

With that much new stuff I'd probably go for it at $1300, not a bad deal.

As for the brake rotors. If you buy "cheap" china ones, you'll have them warped again in o time. Buy the good german stuff....