Merc V12s.... and possible alternatives...

[Pete-M]

I've been offered a 600 SEL for sensible money. Kinda tempted to buy it and give it the Mugabes for a while.

 

Thing is, I don't know the first thing about 'em. Now, I'm not daft enough to buy one that sounds rough or needs a load of work, but I don't know what to look for on 'em other than rot and general decreptitude.

 

Anyone got any pointers?

[Peter C]

I want one too!

 

W140 600SEL?

 

Some (if not all) have air suspension, which tends to go wrong as the car gets old. Suspension bushes take a lot of stick (the W140 is a heavy car).

 

Massive spec - everything electric, lots goes wrong. Some of the trim is a bit cheap and doesn't last.

 

The V12 is generally bomb proof but expect low teens MPG at best.

 

W140s generally don't rust, unless accident damage.

 

I plan to sell my W126 300SE in late October and a big motor W140 is on my shopping list. Approx 6 months ago I saw a maroon 600SEL for sale locally with 12 months ticket for £1,250. I still hate myself for not buying it!

[Pete-M]

Pretty much what I expected then.

 

I'm not expecting more than low teens mpg, expect the V12 will do about a billion miles if serviced properly. I'd forgotten about the air suspension, so I'll check that out properly.

 

I don't rate MB plastics that highly, never had an intact one when it comes to that kinda stuff. Always seem to have broken glovebox handles.

 

Hmm. It'll be double glazed I should think.. bet it has issues with delamination....

[Peter C]

The side windows are double glazed but they are NOT sealed units. The inner and outer glazing can be lowered individually to enable cleaning - more to go wrong!

 

Gearbox electronics are also a weak point, although the 'boxes are ok if the oil hasn't pissed out.

 

I recall reading an article in Mercedes Enthiusiast magazine a few months ago about a bloke who bought a cheap 600SEL and spent ££££ on fixing it. That was a long story!

 

When new the car was over £100k. Cheap as chips now, but more of a liability compared with the W126 cars.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

If you have double glazing problems, just get Safestyle UK to come round and replace the lot. You buy the drivers side windows and they'll chuck the passenger ones in free.

 

DIAL 0800 106 107 NOW! THATS 0800 106 107! SAFESTYLE UK! wankers

[pogweasel]

LOLZ!!!^

 

To be honest I would think that a motor like this would require VERY deep pockets to keep in good order, and that trying to run at a 'normal car' budget would lead to total meltdown of either the car or your will to live. Or both.

[Pete-M]

Lolz @ Safestyle.

 

I don't expect it to be cheap to run, but my 'car budget' isn't a bad one. I fully expect to put a few bob into keeping something this ludicrous on the road.. I might even use it as Czech wheels, if it breaks I'll just flog it to the Krauts for what it cost me.

[Rocket88]

If everything still works, it usually means that someone looks after it. If a few minor things don't work, maintenace has been a bit more sketchy, ad nauseum etc ad nauseum etc.....................

[ChinaTom]

LOLZ!!!^

 

To be honest I would think that a motor like this would require VERY deep pockets to keep in good order, and that trying to run at a 'normal car' budget would lead to total meltdown of either the car or your will to live. Or both.

I'd go further than that actually - you'll need deep pockets to keep the thing on the road full stop. Upon correcting "minor issues", the "while you're there" list will form. Fault finding always turns into a nightmare as it becomes a necessity to fire-fight in order of least expense which turns out to be just as expensive as starting at the other end. Worst of all though is that it's difficult to build confidence in such a monster if you don't really know its history. It removes the fun of driving it.

 

Having said that, it's a 5.4 litre super-comfy V12 so that'll probably outweigh any common sense. Just take your AA card and be prepared for the inevidability that you'll have just stuck £90 of petrol in it when it throws a wobbly.

[Justin Case]

Whatever happens you will regret not buying it more than you will regret buying it

[Mr_Bo11ox]

When I ran an Audi V8 as a daily i was forever fretting about the fuel consumption, desperately trying to eke the 'AVG CONS' figure on the telly past the magic 25mpg mark instead of concentrating on the fuggin road. I dont think I could hack using a V12 Merc, i'd drive myself mental about my abject failure to achieve 23 at a steady 65mph.

[Tayne]

.

[Albert Ross]

CPAS faults aboud on these. I think the post-97 models had a recall to correct the guidance/avoidance telemetry.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/date ... 510615.stm

[Pete-M]

Pah, she carked it in a 280. Pauper.

[warren t claim]

Pah, she carked it in a 280. Pauper.

I'm surprised that 280 got up to enough speed to kill a hedgehog.

 

Back o/t, This 600 isn't blue and curently living in Birkenhead is it?

 

TBH even a Merc fan like I iz this week would probably choose a 928 Porker over a 600. Easier and cheaper to work on and a better choice of scrapyard donors. Mind you I think they do share a gearbox IIRC.

[Pete-M]

Nah, tis in Liverpool in a mates garage.

 

Oh, you couldn't get a useable scruffy 924 for what I'm thinking of paying for this thing, never mind a 928.

 

Have you seen what even dog rough 928s fetch? I think you're right about the 928 auto using a Merc 'box, but I don't think it's from a 600.

[pompei]

I know NOWT about Mercs other than FIL has a 3 year old one and still prefers his P reg V6 Camry.

 

Is this one like the old one Clarkson drives?

[pogweasel]

Clarkson owns the 600 grosser featured a couple of years back vs. May in a Bentley.... JC's one is probably into 6 figures...

 

[Pete-M]

Noooo. Grosser Clarkson drives is about 100k worth.

 

It's one of these I'm thinking about. (Just rustier and more battered).

 

 

[warren t claim]

I think you should PM our resident Tagora hoarding Mercedes spannerman for some proper advice. Mind you, I doubt many have crossed his workshop recently.

[Pete-M]

I think you should PM our resident Tagora hoarding Mercedes spannerman for some proper advice.

He'll tell me not to. They always do. Where's the fun in that?

[myglaren]

This one's gone all Yank-

 

 

[pogweasel]

This one's gone all Wank

 

EFA

[warren t claim]

I think you should PM our resident Tagora hoarding Mercedes spannerman for some proper advice.

He'll tell me not to. They always do. Where's the fun in that?

Pete-M, Autoshites one man Top Gear challenge!

[r.welfare]

I saw an R-plate S280 the other day in silver. Riddled with rust, far worse than any W210 E-Class or even C-Class I have seen.

 

If it's cheap, why not? Deutschland-based sometime poster TheScrapMan has had a few and has broken even/profited from breaking a couple, if I'm not mistaken.

[Guest]

Are you buying a pig farm next?

Goody gumdrops.

[sporty-shite]

Are you buying a pig farm next?

Goody gumdrops.

Do you know what nemesis means?

[Lord Sterling]

Nice cars the W140, been for a brief ride in one but never driven one. On my shopping list of cars to own.

 

Sorry, nothing useful to add here......

[25v6turbo]

i ALMOST bid on this??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1993-MERCEDES-500 ... 4cf0aae2bc

[garethj]

When I used to go to Taiwan a few times a year, the hotel would pick me up from the airport in one of these. They had a couple on the fleet and they pretty much never cooled down, always on the road between Taipei airport and the hotel in Hsin Chu.

 

Fabulously comfortable in the back, you could hear a pin drop inside and with a short Taiwanese driver, the legroom in the rear was more than in my flat.

 

I think it's the only car I've fallen asleep in, something I couldn't do in another hotel's Toyota Camry even after 30+ hours of travelling

 

No idea about driving it, that's for the staff to concern themselves with