Hmm, I could still be a sucker for a sec - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

nh500sl · #1 05-21-2008, 03:28 AM

How rare are they in red? This is a nice car, but I would want a black leather interior and I could live without the chrome strips on the fender.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-500-Series-560SEC-1987-MERCEDES-BENZ-560-SEC-COUPE-92K-FL-CAR-NO-RESERVE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6332QQihZ007QQitemZ170221038190QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Jim B. · #2 05-21-2008, 03:57 AM

There is no breakdown by number on the colors of cars sold like this one, but this color is fairly rare.

You won't ever find a signal red one with a black interior, you simply could not order or get one.

The only interior color choice you are likely to find for these is in palomino or in white (far rarer) for an interior color on the SEC for this vehicle.

This one is an '87 one, the 2nd year of the 2nd generation (1986-1991) one, with the 560 engine, driver airbag, ABS brakes, smooth lower panels, and a few minor interior freshenings...

The US spec headlights indicate it's a US car from new, and at least one of the 2 owners cherished it, and put nice W140 S class wheels on it, and a nice looking aftermarket wood shift knob.

But, it probably was outside a lot, which was probably why it was repainted. Also, the outside kept cars like these have their orange dash needles faded to yellow, as this one does (which is how you can tell they were outside).

Sometimes rot and rust are under the chrome wheel arches which I do not like either, but if the car is newly repainted as claimed, underneath of them is not likely faded so they might be able to be removed by the buyer.

Of course it needs a prepurchase inspection. It should be run through an automatic carwash to insure no leaks are present into the interior and trunk, which can happen and does, on these cars. If untended, it leads to rust and rot in the interior and/or trunk. When they leak into the trunk it is often in the parcel shelf area, and it is fabulously expensive to repair.

Nice that the owners books, original 16 hole spare tire and jack still survive
on this car. The mileage is very modest for the year, but coming up on 100,000 it will need the timing chain, tensioner and guide rails done.

Assuming the fluids are all ok, the flex discs, bushings, front suspension, transmission cooler lines, injections system, hydraulic rear self leveling, aircon and heater, and all the other usual suspects need to be checked. Things like power steering gearbox leaks and perished motor mounts and tired heater hoses should not be surprising on this car, as it is 21 years old.

A wise buyer would also replace ALL the fuses and the wiper blades, when he bought the car.

Read over the buyers guide (which I co authored in 1998) for the 560SEC at www.mbcoupes.com for lots more items to check, and a checklist to print out.

Not the best color for one of these; what are you going to do with it, drive it to a fire?

If it runs out well, has no rust or rot, shifts crisply and needs no repairs, anything under $9,000 would be a decent price for it, I think, from the description and pictures.

If you are interested, try and get a Mercedes shop Floridian (they are here, and on www.benzworld.com, and ask in the W126 section where I am a Moderator, for help in getting it checked out.

There is a cadre of SEC coupe fanciers down there in Florida, over a dozen of them, I think, that
contribute to the W126 benzworld section, and have get togethers, I think they are called the Gulf Coast Coupes or something, and a good guy called Jay is the chief.

Maybe one of them could be recruited to quarterback this for you
and look at it for you. Knowledgeable firsthand eyes can't be replaced.

Hope that answers a few questions.

They are wonderful cars, could last you a lifetime. 92,000 is nothing, one 380SEC I know of has over 925,000 miles on it and runs good. It belonged to a shoe salesman in Nebraska that could not take his shoe samples on the airplane so he bought the car brand new instead.

Good luck. It might be a real nice car you could get for a reasonable price.
The market for them REALLY sux because the price of gas is so high, these days, and be sure - they eat a LOT of gas, and it's the PREMIUM Persian Perrier that they like.

Jim B. · #3 05-21-2008, 04:49 AM

VIN WDBCA45D8HA296838
Model 560 SEC
Chassis 1260451A296838
Engine 117968 12 021604
Transmission 722323 02 871779
Order 0 6 707 64221
Approx. year not defined
Lights BOSCH
Cab 03561
Dealer United States - tourists (707)
Interior leather pebble (275)
Paint
568 signal red (T) (с 01.01.1963 по 31.12.1993)
75 Unknown code
Options
286 luggage nets on front seat backrests (с 01.01.1962)

404 orthopaedic front seat backrest (multiple contour backrest in model 140), left (с 01.04.1970 по 31.12.1995)
left front seat with multiple contour backrest (с 01.01.1996)
seat bench and mb-tex internal roof upholstery (с 01.01.1962 по 30.11.1963)

442 airbag in steering wheel (с 01.02.1980 по 31.10.1993)
bumper, rear, with guards (с 01.01.1963 по 30.09.1973)

461 instrument with mileage reading and english lettering (с 01.04.1990)

491 USA version (с 01.01.1963)

519 Becker radio Grand Prix electronic cassette - USA (с 01.08.1980 по 30.11.1990)
Becker radio Grand Prix LW/MW/SW/USW - USA (с 01.01.1963 по 29.02.1972)
Becker radio Grand Prix stereo MW/USW - USA (с 01.10.1972 по 31.12.1976)
Becker radio Mexico Grand Prix, electronic (USA)

551 anti-theft warning system (с 01.11.1978 по 31.03.1998)
anti-theft/anti-break-in warning system with anti-towing system (с 01.04.1998)
steering wheel, ivory-colored (с 01.01.1963 по 31.05.1973)

581 Thermoking air conditioner (с 01.04.1970 по 31.12.1972)
automatic climate control (с 01.01.1977)

597 heat-insulating glass, all-around, Germany (с 01.02.1971 по 30.11.1977)
heat-insulating glass, windshield, band filter (с 01.02.1984 по 31.10.1989)
590 + 592 + 593 (с 01.02.1967 по 31.01.1971)
591 + 596 (с 01.01.1963 по 31.07.1965)

807 Change of year of model, last figure shows new model year

820

873 seat heater for left and right front seats (с 01.02.1984)

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Brief version

Copyright, Mercedes-Benz Club Russia, 2001—2005

*************

I forgot to mention, check the sunroof tilts and slides correctly. The pop up mechanism is plastic and fragile, and extremely complex, and if it breaks or jams it is VERY expensive to fix. The sunroof is supposed to be regularly lubed, with its special Mercedes Benz sunroof lube, and most owners neglect to do it.

Also, the plastic left side air intake tube got cracked over 20 years from the heat off the valve covers, next to which it sits.

Some cheapskate wound duct tape around it and it is simply tacky.

That bothers me a LOT, because someone cheaped out on a part this cheap, who knows what OTHER cheap repairs were made, or simply not done. A kind of red flag went up for me.....

A new one cost only $25 or so from Phil at Fastlane, or about $5 from any W126 out of a junkyard for a decent one.

If you buy new, the part number for it is 117 094 19 82 which Fastlane will want to know (They ship lightning quick)

wbrian63 · #4 05-21-2008, 07:43 AM

Items that I noticed in the pics - there is some evidence of rust in the trunk picture of the spare tire. Just on the surface of the trunk floor where the spare tire cover rests.

Also - surprised to see the hazard switch is broken? Maybe it got brittle from all the sun the car's been exposed to, which would possibly indicate the reason for the severely faded seats, as compared to the rest of the interior.

I would expect the seats to be the same color as the leather on the door panels, for example - why isn't it?

The pics do indicate that the pop-up feature of the sunroof is functioning - but whether it still retracts is unknown - in fact it could be "stuck up"?