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S3_Graham
10,785 posts
69 months
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Robatr0n said: CampDavid said: Personally, I'd have probably gone with:
"I really want it Paul but as you saw it first, I'm going to let you have it because I'm just a plain lovely guy, whom you now owe a weekend loan of a fruity press car to"  Paul, I really liked the look of that S280. Infact I had little to no sleep last night just thinking about how much I'd love to have it parked on my drive. But taking into account that you did see the car first and that I'm such a nice person, it's all yours. So, what car do I get to play with and for how long?  Not being banned? Was picked up from heathrow yesterday by one of our company driver, he has an 02 plate S320 cdi, mile is..... 329,000. It still looks and drives great! I've seen a 100k mile 728 sport. Dealer hasnt got it on website yet but says it'll be around £2k...... Sound ok? Oh and I'm booking the teg in for clutch this week, then sale!
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Robatr0n
11,519 posts
86 months
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The only thing that puts me off of that era of S Class is the rust. So many seem to have pretty bad rot around the wheel arches.  The 728i sounds reasonable if everything checks out! I keep changing my mind about the 540i. This past week I've decided I'm keeping it and possibly making it quite a bit quicker but we'll see if I change my mind in a week or two.
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XB70
1,720 posts
66 months
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Egbert Nobacon said: Many of these are starting to rust quite badly underneath. Check exposed brake pipes, where the brake pipes are fixed to the floor (the brackets screw into the floor, the floor is very thin and rusts easily. If the rear one rusts out thats close enough to a suspension/subframe mount to fail the mot), metal fuel pipe, bumper mounts, subframe mount floor fixings, front inner wings, spare wheel well.
A thorough underfloor inspection is adviseable as all this can be hidden by a fresh application of underseal.
Don't know how I forgot that! I had the brake pipes replaced on my S600....a pig of a job and apparently one that a lot of 'inspections' will miss since they are a right pain to do!
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ATM
3,131 posts
89 months
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Garlick
38,565 posts
110 months
PH Manager Bloke
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Thanks to Will for taking a look at the S280 for me today, what a top man and I can't thank him enough for his time.
OK, two things to ponder.
1. The battery was flat and the car was running when he arrived, to the point of being hot. It didn't restart when stopped so the battery was dead and no test drive took place.
2. Service history stopped 20k miles ago.
Everything else (bar a patch of superficial rust) looked good according to Will, so now it's down to me to take the punt on an unseen car based many (many) miles from home.
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richardxjr
3,374 posts
80 months
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Garlick said: so now it's down to me to take the punt on an unseen car based many (many) miles from home. Are you happy to spend another couple of k sorting stuff out to your standard? Whether suspension or tyres or rust or whatever, it's bound to need it.
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Garlick
38,565 posts
110 months
PH Manager Bloke
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Not really. Money is allocated elsewhere these days (house purchase looming) hence I have calmed my car spending of late.
Ideally this will be run 'as is' bar a few bits and bobs, certainly no major cosmetic overhauls. That said, I'm fully aware that an S-Class can't be run for pennies.
If the car was local I'd be there tonight and would be taking a punt. Hard to buy unseen then travel on a train for 4 hours with the risk I'll have to buy a return ticket.
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CampDavid
7,846 posts
68 months
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richardxjr said: Garlick said: so now it's down to me to take the punt on an unseen car based many (many) miles from home. Are you happy to spend another couple of k sorting stuff out to your standard? Whether suspension or tyres or rust or whatever, it's bound to need it. Quite. Personally, I think you should go view it, then try and run it alongside the Lexus for a month or so if you go for it
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Output Flange
12,502 posts
81 months
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Garlick said: Not really. Money is allocated elsewhere these days (house purchase looming) hence I have calmed my car spending of late. I think that answers your question, then.
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richardxjr
3,374 posts
80 months
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CampDavid said: Quite. Personally, I think you should go view it, then try and run it alongside the Lexus for a month or so if you go for it I agree. Email him a deposit, have him put a new battery on and get a train ticket. Don't believe you're not going to lavish ££££s on your ultimate spec Merc though Paul 
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louiebaby
5,379 posts
61 months
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Garlick said: 1. The battery was flat and the car was running when he arrived, to the point of being hot. It didn't restart when stopped so the battery was dead and no test drive took place. I'd be worried what other problems were there, that you would have seen if the car was started from cold too. The alternative is to buy it, and another as well, then make one good one out of the two. Me? I wouldn't even bother going up there.
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SuperHangOn
1,712 posts
23 months
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Would pass on the S280. Might have a weird battery drain which will be a nightmare.
I always tell a seller to leave a car cold, if it isn't I suspect something is up!
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S3_Graham
10,785 posts
69 months
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Robatr0n said: The only thing that puts me off of that era of S Class is the rust. So many seem to have pretty bad rot around the wheel arches. The 728i sounds reasonable if everything checks out! I keep changing my mind about the 540i. This past week I've decided I'm keeping it and possibly making it quite a bit quicker but we'll see if I change my mind in a week or two. I'm the same with the teg tbh, it's such a good car but these little niggles have put me right off....
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XB70
1,720 posts
66 months
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Garlick said: Thanks to Will for taking a look at the S280 for me today, what a top man and I can't thank him enough for his time.
OK, two things to ponder.
1. The battery was flat and the car was running when he arrived, to the point of being hot. It didn't restart when stopped so the battery was dead and no test drive took place.
2. Service history stopped 20k miles ago.
Everything else (bar a patch of superficial rust) looked good according to Will, so now it's down to me to take the punt on an unseen car based many (many) miles from home. Walk away. At that price, the service history gap would not be too much of a concern but I would never buy a W140 without driving it...there are just too many things that are 'lifed', will go wrong and need to be replaced and which cost a large % of the cost of the car to make it a money pit. As for it being warmed up/running when the chap arrived.....lots of warning bells on that. There is a chap in the Mercedes Club who has an S280 but with, from factory, a full S600 interior (Nappa leather, leather dash etc etc!) and now has an S600 too....he was selling it for ages a while back on carandclassic so that may be available? Miles are over 100,000 but it will tick the 'devoid of any sensible means of propulsion' box for you (joking!).
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bigdom
435 posts
15 months
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ATM said: Not my desired colour combo, and the last 4 stamps in the service history looking quite similar put me off that one, obviously could be covered if the last of the 4 owners had done half the mileage?
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richardxjr
3,374 posts
80 months
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For once I'm going to put my sensible hat on and suggest that, what with house purchase costs and all that, you simply have to keep the LS. It's reliability will repay all that dosh you've ploughed into it.
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Output Flange
12,502 posts
81 months
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S3_Graham said: I'm the same with the teg tbh, it's such a good car but these little niggles have put me right off.... So you're going to fix the niggles and sell it? Would you not be better off fixing the niggles and keeping it?
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XB70
1,720 posts
66 months
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richardxjr said: For once I'm going to put my sensible hat on and suggest that, what with house purchase costs and all that, you simply have to keep the LS. It's reliability will repay all that dosh you've ploughed into it. Agreed.
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jonnydm
4,627 posts
79 months
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Output Flange said: S3_Graham said: I'm the same with the teg tbh, it's such a good car but these little niggles have put me right off.... So you're going to fix the niggles and sell it? Would you not be better off fixing the niggles and keeping it? Don't think thats how Graham works. He enjoys the work too!
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Egbert Nobacon
2,781 posts
113 months
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XB70 said: Garlick said: Thanks to Will for taking a look at the S280 for me today, what a top man and I can't thank him enough for his time.
OK, two things to ponder.
1. The battery was flat and the car was running when he arrived, to the point of being hot. It didn't restart when stopped so the battery was dead and no test drive took place.
2. Service history stopped 20k miles ago.
Everything else (bar a patch of superficial rust) looked good according to Will, so now it's down to me to take the punt on an unseen car based many (many) miles from home. Walk away. At that price, the service history gap would not be too much of a concern but I would never buy a W140 without driving it...there are just too many things that are 'lifed', will go wrong and need to be replaced and which cost a large % of the cost of the car to make it a money pit. As for it being warmed up/running when the chap arrived.....lots of warning bells on that. There is a chap in the Mercedes Club who has an S280 but with, from factory, a full S600 interior (Nappa leather, leather dash etc etc!) and now has an S600 too....he was selling it for ages a while back on carandclassic so that may be available? Miles are over 100,000 but it will tick the 'devoid of any sensible means of propulsion' box for you (joking!). I agree with James - its a buyers market at the moment with loads of cars around so taking a punt, especially on an ageing complex car, isnt really necessary.
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