What happened to all the W116 - '73-'80 450 SEL's?

[mikemover]

Colin,

Hey, bro...you should consider writing a book on the history of MB! That post is poetry, man!


mike

PS Nice photo!

[suginami]

Colin,

You have a gift! You should submit that to the Mercedes Benz Club Magazine, whatever it's called (Star???).

Ever thought of becoming a writer?

[Holson Adi]

Here's a very nice one.
http://www.dhc.net/~pmhack/mercedes/450sel791.HTM

I love the W116 especially the R107'd front blinkers. I remember watchin the TV series 'Dallas' or something like that when I was young. The R107 and W116 never stopped to amaze me. (I thought they looked amazing)
mind you I was a little kid who knew nothing about cars...

I would've seriously considered a 450SEL or any W116 for that matter. However, its size did worry me (I live in Boston central, parking really isn't that easy here...)

I even find it hard to park the CD sometimes.... I remember driving a Hyundai Accent... (Major POS) that was so easy to park.

I love the short-wheelbase version though..
http://www.dhc.net/~pmhack/mercedes/350se78.HTM

*BTW, I have never seen a 350SE before...*

[Ether]

I, like Mike, drive a W116 300SD. I love the look of this car. It has a stately quality that in my opinion is not captured in the in the newer 126 body style. 22 plus years after it's manufacture the doors close with the resonance of a bank vault. And the chrome. Ah the chrome, gotta squint to look at in the sun.
I think one of the reasons I find it so appealing is that I don't see many of them on the road around here. I'm sure there are a few out there, but besides Mike's I've only seen one other 116 on the road since I bought mine last summer. 123's and 126's I see all the time.
I keep going back and looking at the 450 that Carlos has had for sale. I think I'm glad he isn't closer cause I would be sorely tempted to buy that baby. 2 W116's sitting side by side in my garage would be cool.............

[suginami]

I can't understand why Carlos can't sell that baby, especially considering the amount of work he's done on it. And the price, $3,500, doesn't seem too far out of line.

The only thing I can think of is maybe people don't like the velour interior.

[GregS]

Just curious - what kind of gas mileage do you get in a 450sel? Secondly, are they quiet on the highway, or do they lack the sound deadening of later models?

Greg

[mikemover]

Mileage is probably in the mid/low teens. I would think the soundproofing would be as good as on the diesel models from the same year, which is very good. It's probably noticeably quieter inside than my SD. I haven't driven a 450, but they definitely sound quieter from the outside! MB engines are a little noisier in general than a lot of other manufacturers' engines. Must be the close tolerances! Overhead cams/mechanical lifters are noisy too, especially on older engines.

Mike

[JRBrown]

Proud and pleased owner of a 1980 450SEL (US variant).

Never a major problem with the drive train. Car is kept spotless and the interior is the original with leather seats. All still looks factory fresh. The newer large Benz's just don't have the cabin space or leg room.

When I first bought it, I was struck at how few knobs there were. Being a Navy flyer, I am naturally drawn to dollar to knob ratio (more dollars, more knobs). Within hours I realized that those German engineers had designed a wonderfully simple, functional and beautiful interior. The car was built to be driven, not played with.

Mileage.I get 20-22 on the highway at 60, 19-20 and 75.

Acceleration, It is all a matter of perspective (note the other vehicles I drive). But when you call for acceleration it is there in spades for you. 6.9 vehicles. A whole different story of course.

Very predictable in emergency maneuvering. Quiet on the road.

Crash worthiness. My insurance is very low. Read a Mercedes article about a guy and his family that were rear ended at 60-70 mph. Cabin was intact. All safe. Car was totaled, but he couldn't let go of the car, so he bought it from the insurance compnay and had it rebuilt.

Stay with OEM everything and Michelin MXV tires and the ride will remain the same day after day. Follow the preventive maintenance schedule. Change the water pump every 5 years, 5 year battery at 4, and fuel pump every 100-150k miles. Buy the lifetime warranty climate control box, and remove it whenever you flush the cooling system.

Downside: R-12 system that I will have to convert to R-134. One done successfully in another vehicle. Hate the fuses. Carry an extra fuel pump and turn signal relay (they fail every 10 years). Don't use Resistor type plugs. Keep an ear on startup for the tail tell sound of timing chain slap.

The timing chains are probably the prime reason these vehicles are decreasing in numbers. Too many folks didn't worry when they heard the sound of the timing chain slap at start up. The sound would go away within seconds ('cause the oil pressure built back up to push the tensioner backin). So after a few more slaps, bits of phenolic rail jump in between the teeth, then $$$$$$ (is that pronounce KA CHING?). Worst case was a rebuild of the heads due to bent valves (piston distruction too?). Heard figures as high as $4000. If your looking at that bill, then folks start doing the math. Based on economics, if mine ever surprised me like that (the bill, not the slap of course), I'd probably part out the car.

Had an uncle who traveled the Southwest. 650,000 miles in a 1980 300SD. No majors to the bottom end. One new front drivers seat. Just makes my boney butt ache thinking about it.

Best to all you 116 owners, and wanna be owners. Remember, If your not having fun, then you must be doing something wrong.

[sixto]

Originally posted by amskeptic
I owned a 420SEL for exactly three weeks and five days back in 1984,...

Typo? The 420SEL was not available in the US until the 1986 model year.

There are enough 116 prefix parts in any 126 to convince me that MB did little more than reskin the S-class. By the same token, I don't think the 126 has more gizmo-complexity. It's a relatively simple car albeit with standard features like ABS, airbag, security system, etc., any of which would not have been superfluous in a 450SEL. ABS may have been standard on the 6.9. MB did a good job of moving the S-class into the 80s. Becker on the other hand...

Sixto
91 300SE
86 300SDL (due soon)
81 300SD (for sale cheap)
78 450SEL (sold)

[mbtjc]

Those pictures of the 116s are gorgeous. I really like the look of that car....with the euro bumpers and lights!!!! Those gawdawful US bumpers sticking out a couple feet turn that car from a swan to an ugly duck. Is it easy to convert to euro bumpers on a 116? I never knew that car could look so good.

Originally posted by sixto


Typo? The 420SEL was not available in the US until the 1986 model year.

MB did a good job of moving the S-class into the 80s. Becker on the other hand...

Sixto
91 300SE
86 300SDL (due soon)
81 300SD (for sale cheap)
78 450SEL (sold)

Typo. I purchased used 420SEL in 19*94 and sold it to a friend
who just had to have it. When the transmission blew a couple of months later, it strained our friendship mightily.
Perhaps that explains my feelings against the newer ones. .
What did you get for your '78?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JRBrown
[B]Proud and pleased owner of a 1980 450SEL (US variant).

Downside: R-12 system that I will have to convert to R-134. One done successfully in another vehicle. . .

Consider using Icor Hotshot.
It is a drop-in blend that is certified ozone-safe.
Perfectly compatible with your R-12 system,
pressures are about 15% higher, it is slightly
more efficient than R-12. It will fracture ( separate)
if you do anything but a liquid dump into a
properly evacuated system.
It is a little bit more prone to find leak points, however.
You can only top it up once or twice before you have to recharge
due to aforementioned fracturing.
I get 38 Farenheit out of the vents at ambient 75.
Sight-glass method is OK but
allow a little more froth than R-12.
Colin

Originally posted by mbtjc
Those pictures of the 116s are gorgeous. I really like the look of that car....with the euro bumpers and lights!!!! Those gawdawful US bumpers sticking out a couple feet turn that car from a swan to an ugly duck. Is it easy to convert to euro bumpers on a 116? I never knew that car could look so good.

The gawdawful US bumpers, of which I am the proud possessor,
are part of the " Sociability Package" whereupon you and your friends can sit on the generously provided seating surfaces accorded, and sip Mint Julips whilst discussing the traffic you blew past as you listen to the tinking of the engine while filling up.
Or something.
Colin

[suginami]

What a beautiful 450 SEL!

I'm starting to salivate.

I'm glad I started this thread. These cars have the classic MB looks, power, integrity, and solidity that the other MB's have.

I'm sure that in another decade or so, nostalgia will start to creep in, and prices will go up as people want to own the cars they admired when in their youth.

[sixto]

Originally posted by amskeptic
What did you get for your '78?

I paid $540 for it because it had a bad transmission and needed seat pads all around. Great looking car and everything worked even the ACC. Soon after I installed a good used transmission, something blew in the #4 cylinder and it spewed smoke like an insect fogger. I sold it for $850.

Sixto
91 300SE
86 300SDL (due soon)
81 300SD (for sale cheap)