W126 / C126 advice

[EJH]

I have a slightly worrying urge to consider adding a W126 or C126 (that I really don’t need) as a third, unnecessary, car. It’s either this or a W124 500E that's currently distracting me but the W/C126 seems *marginally* less insane at this particular moment; they’re not getting any newer and their numbers are dwindling so if I’m ever going to own one sooner is better than later!

Does anyone have a recommendation to a buyers’ guide for these with areas to look out for and / or recommendations for any dealers / specialists?

I always fancied a 560 SEL but:

1 The need to buy on condition (…and why would anyone with a good 560 actually look to sell it?) and
2 The truly terrifying price of hydraulic suspension rebuilds

Has scared me off…so I accept that any quest may be for a shorter car with fewer cylinders than strictly optimal…but in the spirit of a beggar being a chooser, electric seats, leather, working a/c, etc would be a prerequisite for the search.

[r129sl]

Your first point is a good one. I look pretty much every day and there is almost never a good car available. Most are very sheddy. The market is seriously over-cooked in my view and people are asking crazy money for cars which realistically need £4k spent bringing the bodywork up to snuff, £4k on the mechanicals and the same again on the interior.

Your second point I am less sure about. First, not all 560s had hydro-pneumatic suspension. It was an expensive option. Most have basic self-levelling rear suspension. This is a pretty simple system. It is the same as that fitted to generations of E-Class estates: engine driven pump, fluid reservoir, valve, struts, spheres. Not difficult to fix unless your mechanic is either a moron or incapable of doing about five minutes' reading. Second, though, the big cost with these cars is not single-ticket repairs but all the niggly little things that years of neglect have left. Rusty bumper chrome: £150 to £250 to buy, £100 for the fixing kit, untold hours fixing. Air con: it's always broken. The wood trim can be split (look around the light switch): it's NLA and a bh to fit. Stuff like unblinds, headlining, window motors, seat switches, headlamp levellers: there's usually something awry. Then there's the regular side of the suspension with all its worn out bushes; the engine mounts; the radiator.

Almost all of the cars on the market are projects, unless you can live with a shed.

I do recommend the 560. I had a 500 SEC which blew its engine. I replaced it with a 5.6. It was night and day different. The 560 is a fast car even by today's standards.

[EJH]

Many thanks for your advice; means all the more knowing (and having read) all the miles you have done in your cars and that you have always done the right thing by way of maintenance, etc.

I'm not sure I want to go shedding. Older cars take enough maintenance in the first place (or so my 911 and M3 have taught me) so I would rather start with a good car (as I was fortunate to do with previous cars) than have a car that's an end to end project!

[r129sl]

As long as you have your eyes open when you go in, then you won't be disappointed. I have come to realise that the only way to enjoy running an old car is to come to enjoy the process of diagnosing and repairing the inevitable defects and little failures. You have to make it part of the pleasure of owning a classic car rather than a price to be paid for that pleasure. Maintenance, repair and improvement have to become part of the hobby. Otherwise you'll just end up hating the car.

I would love another SEC. I really regret selling mine. I even wrote to the buyer earlier this week and asked if he would be interested in selling it back to me. I was 75%-disappointed, 25%-pleased to hear that he intends never to sell it, loves it to bits, wants to be buried in it &c. When I told my wife I had been in touch with him, her face lit up, so I guess that is carte blanche to find another one!

Good luck in your search.

[EJH]

r129sl said:

I have come to realise that the only way to enjoy running an old car is to come to enjoy the process of diagnosing and repairing the inevitable defects and little failures. You have to make it part of the pleasure of owning a classic car rather than a price to be paid for that pleasure. Maintenance, repair and improvement have to become part of the hobby. Otherwise you'll just end up hating the car.

I couldn’t agree more. The 911 and my M3 both taught me a great deal about fixing bits on cars…which is more than I ever thought I would be able to (lots of it is common sense and old German cars are like meccano so armed with common sense and OCD/lazy-perfectionism, there’s a lot that can be fixed easily) but I have always sub-contracted jobs that arise beyond my limited level of talent!

The 911 was quite problematic in the first year as the first owner hadn’t really used it for the last 7 years he owned it (bought a 996 and kept the 911 as well as the p/ex quote was bad). This meant that, even after a thorough recomissioning, there was lots to be done in the first year (like all 5 heating and ventilation fans, etc…)

I remember an SEC I looked at in late 2002. 560SEC, pale cranberry metallic on beige and ~45,000 miles. It was lovely…and only £5k. Small problem at the time was I was 23 (and insurance would have been punishing)…and I wasn’t really old enough to realise what wonderful cars they are!

I’m still trying to work out if I have time for a 3rd car as, not least as last month’s mileage was a whole 40 miles <<hangs head in shame>>