buying advice on 116

[Tomit1]

hello fellows,
I am about to buy a Euro MB 350 SE year -76 that has been with the same owner for the past 20 years. The last 5 years the car has been simply parked in a warm garage.
I have not seen actually the car yet, but I know the rocker panels have been changed 'just 10 years ago' and that the fenders have rust on the archs. I would presume the brakes need reworking after a so long parking and also the battery must be dead.
But these are small things and the car is not expensive. It will become a hobby car, but I want to keep it original as it is.
I am looking for buying advice on this particular model. Do you have experiences on these ?

[cth350]

"Don't?"

Waking a car after a five-year nap can be expensive, particularly if it was just parked, without the benefit of special preparation. Seals dry out, gasoline breaks down and clogs filters, injectors, etc.

The smarter move would be to buy a car that is currently running. Perhaps a little more expensive, but you will have a better idea what you are buying.

BTW, why was it parked? Perhaps the car suffered a major mechanical problem. Caveat emptor.

[Tomguy]

My MB was parked for 5-6 years, and not in a garage - outside, in NEPA, exposed to all the nasty elements of one of the windiest, coldest places in the area (Bear Creek).

I put oily rags in the intake and exhaust ports when my parents parked it, but that was about it. It was parked because one of the A-arms/control arms was busted and our mechanic at the time couldn't find one for us.

It started right up after those years of sitting and although it required a lot of work, it had needed this work when we parked it. I don't think I've done anything thus far to repair a problem that didn't exist when it was parked, other than replacing the ignition box (which died within the first three weeks of parking it, I took it apart and found water in it).

I've done a LOT of work with my car and need to do quite a bit more (timing chain and subframe mounts are the most major ones as of now, but I really want new control arm bushings too!) I think it was worthwhile but, to someone else, it probably would have been a waste of time. It's all in how you take it!

[cth350]

oops. When I said "don't", i was kidding. I wrote a second post, which seems to have not made it. Sorry about that.

On the 116 chassis cars, there is a metal bar from the top of one front suspension arm to the other. It routes past the firewall. I'm told that if the mounts for that bar are rusty, don't salvage the car. Others should have more personal experience on the subject. -CTH

[Tomguy]

CTH: Makes me wonder why some woman from Jamaica, NY would send a beautiful 450SE to the junkyard... no rust, engine spun freely, beautiful car! Not even a spot on the swaybar that ran on the firewall!