Nice w116

[Snibble]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6331&item=2464773617

What do you guys think? A Euro 450SE that LOOKS like its in very good condition. Anything to look out for? I understand these get very poor gas milage.

[Tomguy]

It does have Euro headlights and 450SE's werent sold in the US after 76.

If it is a Euro model, expect much better milage and better power than a US-version. Probably 16-18MPG mixed, opposed to 12-14!

[barndoor]

Its definitely a Euro model,the seats are the cool euro cloth.Plus the euro bumpers.coming from Japan it should be a RHD ,must not be a Japanese export model.

[Snibble]

Originally posted by barndoor
Its definitely a Euro model,the seats are the cool euro cloth.Plus the euro bumpers.coming from Japan it should be a RHD ,must not be a Japanese export model.

From what I understand... not all of Japan drive RHD.

[Serpico]

That is a cheap 450SE by U.K standards if it is straight, I have a show winning 450 SE with just 53K miles on it, owned from new, no Air Con we don't, need it here, but factory alloy wheels.

That is not a Jap car they definitely only drive on the left everywhere. It must have been a European mainland car originally.

I recently retired from the mainland U.K to Northern Ireland where the classic car scene is very big around 40 clubs for a population of about 1 million and several events, rallies or runs on every weekend.

I had only been here a few weeks a year ago and I had several people after it, best offer was £8,000 GBP around $14,500, I only know of one other 450 over here.

Most of the 116 models in the U.K were 280SE six cylinders models, rust free 70s cars are very hard to find because of the huge amounts of salt used and the wet weather.

I do around 16/20 miles to a U.K gallon a bit more than US galls at £4GBP per gallon THAT'S AROUND $7.2 U.S, no cheap gas over here.

It is a very quick car, I have shown around 145 mph on a little island between England and Ireland called the Isle of man where they have the Isle of Man T.T. Motor Cycle road race on a 39 mile public road circuit. No speed limits there.

It was on the steep drop down Snaefell Mountain from a place called Kates Cottage to Creg Ny Baa, so I reckon the car would do around 135 mph on a level straight road. That is very quick for a heavy 25 year old saloon (sedan). I last raced in the T.T over 20 years ago and reckon that my very quick genuine Grand Prix TZ 350cc Yamaha would only do a max of 150 on the same part of the course.

What would worry me about that car is why it needed a transmission rebuild at 75K. I have never spent a penny on mine apart from servicing, oil, filters, pads and tyres etc and it runs as sweet as when it was new although it has never been used in winter (salt) and has always been garaged. I reckon with a bit of care and regularly servicing a 450SE should be good for 200K/4OOk the only thing that really kills them is rust.

We have a bloke in one of the Vintage clubs I am in with a 1960s BMW with 345K on the clock and has never touched the motor or transmission and the car runs sweet and is like new.

Always fancied a 6.3 or 6.9 but no way would I want that suspension headache thats more costly than a 70s Rolls Royce or Bentley to maintain.