Well, "infamous" being notorious, the big (usually dark) SEL sedans are and were infamous for being the transport of choice of third world dictators, potentates and kings. In Africa, even children are sometimes named "Wabenzi"

When well kept, properly serviced with the correct fluids and parts, they are meant to last forever, and to be able to cruise safely and comfortably at their top speed all day long. They are built for the most part to be easy for the their mechanic to work on, and engineered to the highest standard, without regard to price point, and put together with great care. They are not cars built to be disposed of in a few years, and MB makes parts available, though not always cheaply. They will achieve star trek mileages and can protect their owners from injury in horrific crashes (Many or most of these these qualities apply also to your 240D, as you probably already know)

The very best diesel choice in America for them seems to be the '86-'87 300SDL, and I believe some would have to have their trap oxidizer worked out.
The 1981-85 300SD sedans are a good diesel choice too, with a few less refinements, being from an earlier year.

The gas models do ask for replacement of the timing chain, tensioners and guide rails about every 100,000 miles. A few remarks also can be found at www.mbcoupes.com which covers the gas coupes and sedans, a quick introduction for buyers. The air conditioners on the W126 have been problematic, and door locking systems occasionally give problems, but generally the cars are not problems - unless they have been neglected, it can cost a lot of $$$ to catch up.

I am sure others can address the issues more comprehensively than this, but I think they are great cars.

Jim

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

So have we all learned our lesson? Buyer beware on Ebay. You would not pick a car at random out of the paper and fly out to another city to buy it sight unseen. Why is it that people are willing to do this with digital photos that can be enhanced and that don't show a cars flaws. Not to mention a car with a pretty paint job can still be a mess mechanically.

Hmmm... I dunno about that... The "refinements" you speak of are a slightly changed interior and a few useless power accessories such as a power steering wheel and a tilting sunroof.... The older cars are equipped with the OM617 engine which quite honestly is superior in every way to the later model engines found in the SDL 126's...... Im sure "refinements" would matter less and less to you when your dealing with your first headgasket job or if you have one of the nice 350SDL rodbender models....

Personally if I were doing a later model 126 I would look at a 300SE..... Its one of the most undervalued 126's out there..... Most people shopping for gassers are looking at 420SEL's and 560SEL's..... The later model diesel engines don't have that many advantages over the similar gasser engine.... You have about the same reliability and fuel economy..... Not to mention Gassers are generally smoother and have much better drivability without the diesel smell and soot screen under heavy acceleration......

Well, after ayear of searching in the SF bay area, back in 1996 (ebay not a household word then) failed to turn up a suitable late model 560SEC in Northern California, (finally found one at the dealer in SF but it was grabbed by a buyer before I could get there) so in frustration, I began phoning Mercedes Benz dealers in the greater Los Angeles area (there were over 20 of them) and one in downtown, said they had the exact car we wanted, so a 550 mile drive was undertaken to see it, and and it was nothing like what we were told, a big disappointment, so I bought the Sunday LA Times, and found some other candidates, and finally settled on a Starmarked CPO used '91 at the Mercedes dealer near Disneyland, so it did work out.

Sometimes you could live in a part of the country where the cars you are trying to find, aren't available. If that is the case, you may have to go much farther afield to get a car. I did, and got a good car out of it, even though I was treated roughly by the first would be seller, a Mercedes Agency in Los Angeles.

I think with the internet now, and alert forums with helpful contributors, the market is monitored constantly, and sometimes the very best vehicles get traded amongst the forum members, or are in ebay auctions, critiqued, barked and blue booked to within an inch of their lives, to the benefit of the purchaser. So there is an upside to it, with luck, that long trip to see a car sight unseen can be worth it.

I frequent the site for the very rare 1968 Mustang "California Special" and while it is small, the core members are utterly committed, and could probably rebuild the car from the ground up if given the parts, can spot fakes, know what to look for, and keep a watch on ebay and cars for sales 24/7 and really know their knowledge. If I ever find one of these, I would trust this group for their collective knowledge before I pulled the trigger.

www.Californiaspecial.com

.03

Jim

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Maybe because a vast majority of people are honest?

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I was let down. This is really the most unbelievable eBay claim? Ever?

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B
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1983 300SD

I guess Fleabays marketing plan of "all people are good" is working. While many people are honest mixed in with those honest people are the greedy and the sociopathic. Blind trust is always a bad thing when dealing with people you don't know. While we always used to listen to our parents with "don't talk to strangers" why would we suddenly start handing these strangers wads of cash instead?

Vast majority doesn't mean ALL. I've been on ebay since 1997, had about five deals go south on me only. That's all over about 350 or so... Not too bad of an average. Most members aren't out to scam for a few Bens.

You just have to be smart who you are dealing with and what item. I do not believe I'd ever purchase a vehicle sight unseen.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Yes and no. The thing is most of the people in the forums are knowledgable and know these cars well. Not everyone in the general public is. I have seen perfectly good cars pulled off ebay by annoyed sellers from the constant nit picking e-mails of groups just like this. While many of the cars owned by group members are loved and well taken care of there are many cars on the market that were used as transportation by an owner that did not appreciate the car. I don't find the e-bay commentary very helpful and notice that most of the time the issues raised with the cars are very small and insignifigant.

I think in a lot of cases it can be harmful to the cars themselves. Many cars with a few minor problems are shunned by nit pickey members and eventually end up sold to yet another owner that does not appreciate them. When someone who is not as knowlegable reads other people "taking their shot" at a car it makes them much less interested in buying it even if it were a perfectly ok car. Additionally by nit picking the sellers cars to death and making them sell for rock bottom prices people unknowingly are depreciating their own cars. Think about that the next time someone in cheap Japanese car slams into the back of your well maintained MB and you have to deal with their insurance company using the low selling prices to total out your car.

My 300SD is a great example. I purchased it from a low end used car dealership. When I approached the car there was condensation on the inside of the glass from a leaking trunk seal. I almost passed on the car because I was a new buyer and read all that CRAP about cheap MB's but decided to take a risk and buy it. Im really glad I did the car cleaned up quite well and was well maintained through most of its lifetime before falling on rough times. If I had not bought it it might be sitting at a wrecking yard right now waiting to be taken apart.

Groups like this are great for passing on real information. But there is a fine line between information and the passing of old wives tales and nit picking insignifigant issues. If you can seperate the fact from fiction its a great experience.