Mercedes Benz 500 Series Sel | eBay

I love cars in this condition, so much more enjoyable and cheaper to own than the beat ones.

Price seems a bit high, seems like a $12k car to me at best. Not a terrible desirable model.

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2006 CL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2026 Genesis GV70
2007 Tiara 3200

Sahweeeeet!

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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.

or you can buy them after an owner like you drops 20k in parts in it, with high mileage, for a song.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

I would buy it for $20K, if I had the cash. What else are you going to buy that's almost new and drives like no other for $17K? Drove a 1985 rolls royce silver spirit this Sunday, I take an '85 500SEL over that boat anytime.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

One year too old.

I would buy it for $20K, if I had the cash. What else are you going to buy that's almost new and drives like no other for $17K? Drove a 1985 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit this Sunday, I take an '85 500SEL over that boat anytime.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Low mileage but undesirable model = meh. Lots of other cars that are much nicer to drive for less money. I wouldn't pay more than $2k for the car but it is obviously woth more than that to someone looking for a low mileage example.

Why undesirable?

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Mercedes upgraded the w126 line for the 1986 model year, incorporating improvements such as larger V8 engines, larger wheels, etc.

the 85 has less power but runs on RUG so its a lot more economical to run. That engine is as bulletproof as the mb diesels too. Later models have nicer seats but a lot more complexity.

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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.

Lets not go down that road.

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2006 CL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2026 Genesis GV70
2007 Tiara 3200

The later W126's are better, and the later the better. If it was a 1991 560SEL or a 350SDL I'd say $17k was a very fair price.

If you really get into them MB did a lot of nice things to improve the W126 over its production run, and the post 85 motors being a big part of that. The pre 85 V8's unless you get a Euro car put out very little HP for what they are and burn a ton of fuel, especially the 3.8.

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2006 CL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2026 Genesis GV70
2007 Tiara 3200

The problem I have with the later 5.6 V8s is they never seem to idle just right thanks to the state of the art electronic ignition. Really, it's unusual for me to find one that runs just right. Unless its a euro, the first gen V8s do not give the performance they should, and are usually pretty needy.

I would much prefer an inline 6 engine, either the m103 or 603. I really wish my 500SL was a 280 with a manual, but I'm not going to change it.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Actually with the 560 engine often as not it's the ICV that often times is the cause of the dreaded high idle problem.

Once that's taken care of things are often as not just fine, for years,assuming proper maintenance...(especially the timing chain tensioner and guide rails @ each 100k). he 420 V8 engine has a shorter timing chain, however, and doesn't seem to require as much attention that soon...

The inline 6 is a great engine, however it (280 and 300) *DO* rev a bit higher @ highway speeds than the 500/560 V8 ones.. The different rear ends in them make them incredibly peppy around town though...

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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)

My 560SEL (1991) idles as smooth as an electric motor UNLESS bad gas (water or old) gets into it. It seems that bad gas is becoming more of a problem nowadays.

Somewhere on this forum there was a thread concerning a 420SEL with idle problems, the OP had taken the car to numerous shops all of whom failed to determine why the car idled rough. He finally found someone with an aircraft background who really knew the W126 who found the cause and cured the problem. I wish I could remember where the thread is/was located because it was very interesting reading.......