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#1
02-17-2011, 12:12 PM
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Should I buy an 87 560SEL?
I have seen posts about rough idling issues with the 560 SEL and some issues with the suspension. I'm looking at a 1987 560 SEL, florida car with no rust and 143K miles, has a rough idle but other than that runs quite well. Is this a car I'm going to regret buying? Don't know if the timing chain has been replaced or not. Are the engines difficult to work on compared the the straight 6 gas or diesel models (I drive a 300D and a 240D).
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#2
02-17-2011, 12:28 PM
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IMHO I would not buy a Mercedes in trouble. Look for one with no issues!
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#3
02-17-2011, 12:36 PM
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My '87 has the (evidently) notorious high idle issue; it can all be attributed to vacuum leaks that I have yet to sort out. Kind of my summer repair plan.
Basically the biggest culprits of idle issues are the Idle Air Control Valve and the 8 rubber intake grommets. Those grommets are what I need to replace this summer. According to my receipts, the timing chain was 1100 bucks in 2006. I'm not capable of anything involving opening the engine, as I am deathly afraid of reassembling incorrectly, but if you have/find a sweet indy who specializes like I did, they actually seem to love working on the M117 as opposed to newer engines. Anyways, I would say go for it; I bought mine from a family member who maintained it ridiculously and it hasn't given me any significant trouble for the past 5 years. I just factor between 1000-2000 dollars a year in maintenance. I won't get into gasoline costs, of course  Good Luck!
__________________
_______________________________________________ 1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)
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#4
02-18-2011, 06:11 PM
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Quote:
__________________
85 300 SD ~ 115K 82 500 SEC Euro ??K 78 450SL 164K
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#5
02-18-2011, 06:42 PM
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Don't rush to buy the first one you see.
Prices on 560SELs have literally tanked. They are great cars, if properly maintained. Beware though, even a turkey can polish up and look great. I recently sold my 90 560SEL and it had an impeccable pedigree for < 4K. I just cannot imagine why anyone would pay 2k (or less) for a car that needed a bunch of work. For a few dollars more, you can literally get tens of thousands of dollars worth of maintenance for nearly nothing. You absolutely cannot get a good car without problems and not pay a premium for it. In today's market, these creampuffs are so devalued, that it's a fool's errand to buy anything less than a nearly perfect one. Jim
__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles 95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles 94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles 85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles
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#6
02-18-2011, 06:46 PM
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Regards to maintenance....
For me, the 560SEL required no more, and probably less maintenance and care than other MBs I've owned.
Maybe diesels don't need as much attention, but..... when you buy a car with an up to date maintenance history, they can be pretty trouble free. Loved the car, enjoyed it for a number of years, but the newish E320 cab just plain smoked it when it came to what went into the garage..... And I just could not feel comfortable letting the 560 sit outside.... Jim
__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles 95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles 94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles 85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles
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