Talk me out of impending Bork-Merc 560 SEL

[dome]

Afternoon all

Been offered a Mercedes 560 SEL which hasn't moved in a couple of years for little more than scrap money. It turns over but didn't have enough juice in the battery to have a meaningful attempt at getting it to start. It's pretty rusty and quite possibly beyond saving but I'm tempted to buy it anyway, on the basis that I would get back what it cost me in scrapping it if it came to it. Am I mad? Someone talk me out of it please.

Brian

[trickywoo]

dome said:

It's pretty rusty

Its is rusty on a casual look it'll be fooked in other areas.

You'd be lucky to get it through an MOT.

Not worth the hassle imho.

[Dr G]

You appear to have already decided that you want it. Bravo.

Assuming you can get it recovered easily and at little/no expense get it straight to a man in a shed garage, slap a battery on Iideally borrow the one out of something else to avoid spending money), pump the tyres up and see how long the MOT fail list is.

Depending on how loud mr MOT tester laughs at you either phone a scrap man or slap it on ebay.

[hairykrishna]

For a cross europe banger rally I bought a 500 SEL that had been sat in a field for (at least) a year. Jump leads and it fired straight up. Bit of exhaust paste and some new brake pads and it flew through the MOT. Epic cars.

Just buy it, what's the worst that could happen?

[dome]

Mm, banger rally you say? Good idea.

The thing that tempts me most is the low risk-I'm happy to spend some time getting it running, if it's unMOTable then I can sell it on and not lose.. or buy a good one and use this for spares...

[Disco You]

If it costs buttons then it could be fun.

[Ari]

JFDI!

[hairykrishna]

dome said:

Mm, banger rally you say? Good idea.

The thing that tempts me most is the low risk-I'm happy to spend some time getting it running, if it's unMOTable then I can sell it on and not lose.. or buy a good one and use this for spares...

I seem to remember there were plenty of cheap 2nd hand spares available so I'm guessing the only thing that would be truly terminal would be something structural being rotten.

[The Nur]

Buy it, if it is pap then scrap the shell and stick the engine in something.

As above, JFDI!

[loose cannon]

If you have the room for it get it bought !

[dome]

Stand down people-its been sold. For 275 quid. Which is more than I was going to offer... Probably a good thing for my relationship and bank balance, although I may sell the 944 to get one tho...

[sim16v]

Always worth a punt, the engine is a gem and would bolt in to a lesser merc.

Where abouts was it?