Even driven a 400E? Nothing wrong with a 124, great suspension. W140s rock too.

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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]

They have their reputation based on a higher than average failure rate of the same type. IE: rod bending
Of course it doesn't mean they all do, so you will have folks pop on to say that their's is fine.
It's like head gaskets on Ford V-6's. Happens to an inordinate amount.....

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Phooey. The 350SDL still turns heads and my coworkers don't believe that it is a 1991. It is timeless. Out of the 875 imported in 1991, I would REALLY like to know how many 'rod benders' there are out there. More than all the imports. You missed a beautiful MB. Take it from an owner...

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71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

The W124 is an overall good car, but some things are unnecessarily a PITA to work on. Not impossible, but a lot of parts to remove.

The W140 is ugly, IMHO. It is like a W126 or ballooned W124 with no effort made to accentuate its appearance with clever technique: No chrome on the body, flat-sides, very discrete fender flares. Its a giant bar of soap, so I guess that's why some people call it a "clean design".
The interior does have 1.5 to 2 inches more width than a W126. But that is lost in the center console area in the front, and the rear seat cushions are exactly the same dimensions from a W126 to a W140.

The W140 is built pretty solid, and certainly a Benz. But it is the ugliest car in creation, IMHO.


(FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!)


They handle very well, you cannot hear anything from the outside world, the ride is more isolated than any previous S. But, IMHO, those aren't necessarily good things all together.

i tend to agree it is not benzes best.

bloated to me. i am surprised that the interior is not much bigger than the 126 though.

they are too complex for my taste. too much to go wrong.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

because my experience has been the same so far. I've rolled about 30K miles on a headgasket and valve seal replacement without any problems. Perhaps I have one of the few "good" motors but its just as likely the widely reported problems are sensationalized due to the high cost of the repair (whatever the cause?).

It is amusing to revisit this debate every 9 months or so...

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2001 E320
1991 350SD 265,000 - SOLD
2000 VW Beetle 1.8Turbo - restored
1997 E320 - SOLD
1988 190E - SOLD
1969 Mustang - SOLD

It will be amusing only as long as it is a debate.........


Ticktock, ticktock, ticktock.............

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I would like to report, a certain black 350SDL that my father has been driving.

I started driving it for about 5K miles, and he has proceeded to drive it another 17K miles. Throughout this entire time, the car reeks of oil odor at idle, it visibly smokes. Consumption is about 250 miles per qt city driving, as low as 120 miles per qt highway.

The valve stem seals were done. The seals solved nothing. There was oil all around the cylinder #5 v-guide. SPECIFICALLY #5 exhaust. The oil soaked with it came from something, somewhere. Rings? After 22K miles of consistent oil burning, smooth as glass idle, incredibly strong compression, and 200 miles per qt oil usage for the entire mileage amount...What's going on? My car was never like this!

The infamous bent rod syndrome strikes again. Time for a new engine.

A W126 is a W126, a 1991 420/560SEL in the same condition would turn just as many heads.

I don't think its worth taking an $8k role of the dice, when the same car with a much less trouble prone engine can be had.

But who am I to talk, I still have an original 14 head and head gasket on the SDL! Talk about a time bomb waiting to go off!

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Sort of off topic:

My friend is selling his '94 S350D. It has about 120K miles on chassis and 18K miles on a dealer rebuilt engine. I figure the rebuild has updated parts.
He is into snowmobiles and drives diesel trucks now. Owns houses in Lake Tahoe. No room for a city car at his city home.

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

They take a LOOOOOOOOOONG time to croak. And they ALWAYS leave you second-guessing. Until its too late. Actually, from the time it starts burning oil it IS too late.

1995 S350 - Bought new in May of '95 - Best car I have ever owned - Current mileage 327,000 - Still runs strong - Gets 25 mpg average - Weighs 5000 lb! - Tops out at 118 mph - Uses about a quart every 1000-1200 miles - Plan to keep it forever and if the engine ever goes, I will rebuild it.

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1995 S-350
370K + SOLD
1952 220B Cabriolet
39K kilometers + SOLD
1998 E300D
310K +
2012 E350 BlueTec
120K

if the motor goes, it goes. In the meantime, I look forward to enjoying the ride and receiving the 500K kilometer mileage award within the next four years or so. Hope you're still around......Jimmy.

__________________
2001 E320
1991 350SD 265,000 - SOLD
2000 VW Beetle 1.8Turbo - restored
1997 E320 - SOLD
1988 190E - SOLD
1969 Mustang - SOLD

Sorry, that was a typo, I meant W124 not W123. To me a W140 is tempting, but I know someone whose father inlaw has a W140 diesel he had spent over $18,000 in repairs. That is what keeps me away from a W140. I really want to have confidence in purchasing a newer Merc, but accounts like this and my own E300 keep me away. My wife is looking for the Accord diesel when it arrives.