ps2cho, thanks for the input. Your comment and my thought on the Valve Stem Seals are addressed below.

Jonathan1-I went back and checked- The Valve Stem Seals were replaced about 50k miles/5yrs ago.Should still be good, no? (no smoke, no loss of oil ). This car is a daily drive - mainly in city traffic, and not more than about 10k miles a year. So it has not been sitting about idly(ha ha) allowing rubber and seals a chance to dry out and crack.

HitmanX - the # 1 plug only is soaked with fuel, not oil & very sooty/ the other 5 just very sooty. I have not touched the distributer and have no vacuum gauge. I will try and borrow one - What should I be looking for at Idle ?

Chadahar- The rotor driver was solid with no slop as I had mentioned. I will look at an engine diagram to understand your comment better . This would not effect the "current condition" at the moment now would it?

1987 300SE Euro 126/103