For sale or swap: w126 merc 560sec taxtest reduced £500

[Cavcraft]

You can indeed but if you run out of money or stuff either costs way more than you thought/you can't fix it yourself, then it'll end in tears.

I have to be honest and say whilst it's easy to think 'future classic/potential goldmine' it's going to be a fair while before any of that happens and you're stuck with a car that it sounds like you'll struggle to run and maintain.

[messerschmitt owner]

I have never ever treated a single car I have bought as an investment - some have been bought as they were cheap and sold on for more but the vast majority I have bought for no other reason than I wanted to own them (the fact that quite a few have turned a huge profit is neither here no there, it was right time right place and a decade in storage). A £550 Merc will break for more - what's the issue?

 

Buy it, run it, break it if you can't sell it.

 

If you have to think rationally about why you might want it, then don't buy it.

[Justin Case]

That's the whole point of the 'investment' part. Unlike 99% of the stuff we all love and drive, you can throw some money at getting this car sorted and have a realistic chance of getting some of it back when you come to sell it.

 

Unlikely, when you see what one a little bit better fetches:

 

http://classiccars.brightwells.com/view ... hp?id=2898

 

No, this sounds a basically decent car and honestly described. Buy it and enjoy until something goes bang in a big way, then remove the Becker stereo, weigh it in and the worst that can happen is that you've lost less than a month's payments on a new Focus. Also, Merc coupes aren't classed as sports car so insurance will be surprisingly reasonable on a classic policy. It really looks the sort of car you could just waft around in, just spending enough to keep it safe and reliable, and even allowing for the petrol it shouldn't break the bank. I would have it without a moment's hesitation if I was in the market for something like that, but I prefer something sportier and less Germanic

[dollywobbler]

It is a shame that values are so low. They deserve to be higher. I very much enjoyed a drive in a 560SEC a while back. The refinement levels are staggering. I actually DID think the engine had stalled when I came to a halt.

[HillmanImp]

How has this not sold? Thankfully i have not been drunk and logged into Autoshite a la 'council estate' Volvo 740.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

That's the whole point of the 'investment' part. Unlike 99% of the stuff we all love and drive, you can throw some money at getting this car sorted and have a realistic chance of getting some of it back when you come to sell it.

 

Unlikely, when you see what one a little bit better fetches:

 

http://classiccars.brightwells.com/view ... hp?id=2898

 

No, this sounds a basically decent car and honestly described. Buy it and enjoy until something goes bang in a big way, then remove the Becker stereo, weigh it in and the worst that can happen is that you've lost less than a month's payments on a new Focus. Also, Merc coupes aren't classed as sports car so insurance will be surprisingly reasonable on a classic policy. It really looks the sort of car you could just waft around in, just spending enough to keep it safe and reliable, and even allowing for the petrol it shouldn't break the bank. I would have it without a moment's hesitation if I was in the market for something like that, but I prefer something sportier and less Germanic

 

That's the 'toy' part. No risk either way. I've found some really decent insurance, too...

[dieselnutjob]

I'm very impressed. We're thinking of going halves on it with my shitist mate.

 

What sort of MPG do you get out of it? Is it a reasonable 25ish or something completely comical like 14?

 

Have you got any idea of the mileage? Does it come with any history?

 

It's a £550 5.6 litre Merc. It won't do anything like 25 mpg, and if you're expecting to be able to use SOGA you're bang outta luck.

 

Clue, my old 5.0 W126 did between 11-14 mpg. 18ish just about possible on a run. This one is the 5.6.

 

You really don't know anything about buying big old barges do you? What Car / Parkers Buying Guide / Trading Standards / Small Claims courts do not apply here. Big cajones and a willingness to lose a few quid if it all goes wrong is how it works when you're buying 20+ year old 5.6 litre V8 Mercedes for less than a couple of weeks wages.

 

Service history would be a bonus, but it ain't a haggling point. The thing is damn cheap as it is.

 

25 mpg.... from a 5.6 litre, 300 bhp, £550 V8 Merc which weighs in at close to 2 tons. Yeah, that's likely....

 

feeling better about 604 consumption now. thanks Pete

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

PM sent.

[Barry Cade]

SMEG, I've just bought a 300SE too... Tell you what Luxo- buy it, run it until there's a weeks MOT left, them PM me and I'll give ya 500 notes for it.

[Des]

I've shown this to my brother and he wants it if it's still available, no messing like, he'll turn up when he says, pay, and cruise off into the sunset doing 8 mpg.

[HARDCORE]

Hmmm... I don't suppose a '90 750i V12 BMW would tempt you to part with any hard-earned along with this? I really shouldn't, but I need to sell it and don't want to be without a bit of pimp..

[HMC]

Hi to all people who have pm'ed me I have a prospective buyer coming to view tomorrow, will let you know if he doesnt go ahead with the purchase

[HMC]

Hi, car still available, buyer had argument with girlfriend and had to pull out!

 

Plus price drop to 500

checked, it has 10 months mot 5 months tax

[Negative Creep]

Someone please buy my car so I can buy this!

[Des]

I'll have it, no messing, (I can be gangsta) when can I collect it?

[HMC]

Car now sold

[Largactil]

Car now sold

 

Phew - Both sad and glad to hear.

 

It was an absolute cracker...

 

(£58k in 1986 = £135k in today's money! )

 

As the days it remained unsold ticked by, I was formulating the logistics of taking this off your hands - Went as far as getting an insurance quote / working out petrol costs from Devon to Stirling / working out costs to replace the sunroof and windscreen seals, service it and fix the paint / noised up a mate about storing in his barn till Spring...etc etc

 

Hope the new owner keeps us updated with the car's progress

[skattrd]

I'm also glad its gone, as it was very tempting.

 

I'd worked out it would cost me somewhere around £150 in pez to drive it home, and a trip to the office and back in it would cost £45-50

[HARDCORE]

Thank jeebus for that

 

Congrats on the sale - an expensive temptation removed!

[Guest]

+1 on any comment regarding removing the temptation. Hope the new owner enjoys!

[Des]

I am the heroic fool who has stepped up to spare you all temptation, insured today without drama, the internet says £75 for a train ride in the morning, just add fuel, lots and lots of fuel.

[trigger]

Yeah!, Now looking forwards to the collection thread!

[messerschmitt owner]

Yeah!, Now looking forwards to the collection thread!

that'll be Des goes by train to Devon, Des picks up car, Des stops at petrol station in Plymouth (it's always cheap in Plymouth, Des), Des drives to Honiton and fills with petrol, then he gets to Yeovil and tanks the car again, then again at Andover and once more at Basingstoke and a last tankful at Chobham...

[Largactil]

I am the heroic fool who has stepped up to spare you all temptation, insured today without drama, the internet says £75 for a train ride in the morning, just add fuel, lots and lots of fuel.

 

Well jel, innit.

 

Think these have a 90 litre fuel tank, so £120 ish to fill, which should see you around 280-300 miles - But I can think of few better ways to travel 280-300 miles in such style & quality...

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I'm annoyed we couldn't get insurance for this (my mate is 27 and I couldn't find a policy that would allow him on it), but glad it's staying within the shite fraternity.

[purplebargeken]

Truly magnificent purchase.

[rml2345]

Well done Des! Looking forward to some sort of epic petrol station filled collection thread.

[Morgan84]

Wonderfull to drive,and very comfortable - lets hope it gives many more happy safe miles. Every filling station rejoices when one pulls up !

[Station]

Do you call it '560 S E C' or '560 Sec'? I think 'Sec' is better.

[Des]

Just wasted many frustrating hours fixing my laptop, so could do with going on a little murdering spree to help me calm down, but instead I'll push my 'dark passenger' to the back seat and recount the Merc acquisition.

The story starts with agreeing to buy the thing over the phone on Wednesday night, arranging to collect Friday lunchtime giving me time to organise insurance, I got cover for this and another car for 250 yo yos. Looked into train times and it was a case of arriving a little late or way early, procrastinated a while and finished up going Thursday night, in preparation I arrange an eighties thermos, eighties sunglasses, make a cheese sandwich, grab a book, and pull a handful of cash from under my mattress.

 

 

Catch train at 11.30, booked short notice so cost £100-ish for the journey, would rather sleep than sit bored and I should be home early on Friday to get on with my big work backlog. I didn't read the ticket printout until I was sat in my empty carriage, I had stupidly looked at departure times rather than arrival, 10 hours, 5 changes and I'll be waiting at Bristol from 02.47 to 05.24, GR8. Managed some sleep, but nowhere near enough. Not the worst place to be stuck mind.

 

 

 

Continued journey, some nice scenery when morning broke.

 

 

Rocked up at Gunnislake Station at 09.30, 4-ish miles from my objective, Gunnislake is the end of the line, not much going on, no taxi rank, I popped into a nearby petrol station, asked for a local cab number, they only know of one, old Den, but his number goes to answerphone where a message explains he doesn't work on Wednesday or Friday, I pop into a nearby garage, who put me onto a young lad who rebuilds lawnmowers, he very patiently finds me a number via a laptop with a very intermittent internet connection, I made my way back to the road and began to dial the number, as I do a minicab passes, I note the number on the side and it's the number I'm just dialing, it's answered after a while, but turns out I've just seen the only cab, and it's on its way to an airport run. Then a bus passes, I follow and find a bus stop, I deduce from the faded to near nothing timetable that I've just witnessed the 10.05 bus, the next is at 10.20 and will take me to my goal, brilliant, but then an elderly guy rocks up wearing a bright blue jacket with 'Country' embroidered on the front, emblazoned across the back as well, he then recounts the story of said jacket, and his love of all things country, I'm outside my M25 zone of hostility so remain polite but was I ever glad to see the bus arrive.

 

 

Interesting £1.60 bus ride, pretty hilly area so quite rollercoasterish, and an impressive deafening howl from the diff when on the over-run, GR8 for unexpectedly locking up the rear on a bend. The bus went right to the town centre, and I wandered in a random direction and found / stumbled on my destination easily. The smoothest of transactions follows, vendor a pleasure to meet, I jump in and head for home.

The return trip is uneventful, the car is in good order, the usual Merc lack of squeaks or rattles does feel taut and together and seems to improve with use. It pulls well, very wunschklang, every bit as good as the last similarly over-engined car I had, I think most of the horses are still present, the handling is a surprise as well, far better than expected, and not at all tiring to drive. Opening all the windows to enjoy the pillarlessness made things nicely breezy, until the rear headlining suddenly popped down to do a curtain number across the back screen, (need a word with you Luxo re. soga) I intended to stop for a nap but managed without, not that there's any danger of falling asleep in any German car seat, squabs like paving slabs the lot of them. Tanked it in Exeter, had my sarnie and finished the thermos off, then tucked the headliner back and added some black tape, the rebuild has begun!!

 

 

Traffic thereon was terrible, payday innit, so most roads heaving, every gantry sign displaying 40 or 50 limits due to accidents, one warned of pedestrians in road, I left and returned to the motorways a few times to get around the stationary bits, didn't get home until 6, knackered, look how I parked the thing.

 

 

Filled the tank for the second time, took £70 something, not bad at all, wasn't an economical journey mixing with the great unwashed, jumping on and off motorways.

 

Plans for the car then, I haven't opened the bonnet as yet, but I don't expect any problems, seems pretty much together, and will be easy to improve. The most urgent attention needed is the screen seals, damp will destroy any car, I will probably attempt a neatish tigerseal repair. Most bodywork is still nice but many localised repairs needed, these are a pain and probably as easy to completely respray, (maybe black, NOT matt), then I suppose an LPG conversion would make sense. Finding time to do this won't be easy for me just now, so it's looking like it will be put straight into use, damned good way to do the mid-life crisis thing though.