Originally Posted by blackmercedes

Hey, keep the car, drive it, enjoy it. But, don't whine about the cost of operation. Things you need to do...

1. Learn about the car and become familiar with the various systems and potential problems and solutions. Even if you don't DIY, this will help you in speaking to your tech.
2. Find a good tech that works on the V-12 cars on a regular basis.
3. Expect that you'll be facing bills that are north of $1K all the time.

My own tech sees pretty much all the V-12's in the city. I was picking my car up a couple years ago and had the single largest bill I've ever had, $1700. Most of it was preventative and some age related and some repairs, but it was a looong list of stuff. Practically a novel. The poor guy beside me at the counter had a little two pager for his S600 and it was $3500. But, he was used to it. Get used to it. $1400 is not much to drop on a W140. Wait until you need an evaporator and a few thing at the same time.