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New here: Hello everybody!

2K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  tusabes 
#1 ·
With great pleasure I tip my hat to you all! Your knowledge, passion to a great piece of machinery, and dedication to helping others is what makes this place so special.

About my car: I just purchased a 1989 420SEL from Ebay (still can be seen: Mercedes-Benz : 400-Series SEL in Mercedes-Benz | eBay Motors). The only regret: is not a stick shift (I wish they had that option). Preparations are being made to have it shipped to me, probably at the end of the week. The car costed me $6,800 plus shipping from Miami (don't know yet how much). This my second German car, the other one was an Audi 5000 Quattro (kept it for 11 years :bowdown:).

About me: I am a mechanical engineer, born and educated in Romania, worked few years in Austria, and now reside in Atlanta. I would say that my engineering knowledge got completed in Austria, while I had contact with German engineering, for which I have great respect and admiration. When it comes to regular maintenance I am a “regular Sunday church man”, and when it comes to using the right tools and parts I like using “surgical precision and cleanness”. I am so picky, I can drive somebody crazy … maybe that’s why I am a QA engineer… Anyway, enough with the chit chat, I just wanted to say hello!

Roy
 
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#4 ·
welcome Roy !! Nice car. We have family in GA just south of you. Filini's pizza on Peachtree is the best EVER !! You will love your car and this is the best place for help and information. The experience of these guys is fabulous and their willingness to offer help continues to amaze me Welcome !!

for what it's worth, we are always looking for good mechanical engineers for our aircraft mod shop here in Texas if ever interested.
 
#10 ·
Probably very few may remember my first post in 2013. I thought it will be a nice journey, but after I got the car I found one problem after another. I started by fixing one thing, but in the process I was finding two more needing work. In the end the car proved to be a (very deep) money pit. It was supposed to be "a very good car", she had only 90k miles.

In the process of fixing what was broken I learned many things and some I shared with you all, but as years passed, I had to admit fixing her was becoming a loosing battle.

Ironically, today, after exactly 6 years from my first post, this will be my last post in connection with my 1989 420SEL. This morning she took her last trip and won't be coming back. All I drove her, was only 4 miles, back in 2013.

I am fine and made peace in my mind with the fact that I have to let her go. This morning I watched with sadness the tow truck leaving my driveway, thinking of all the work I put in her over the last 6 years.

Perhaps others can learn from my mistake (of assuming that everybody is honest). All I did was trusting a car salesman and buying w/o a PPI.
 

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#17 ·
Yes, I am fine, thank you.

Buying this car was a big mistake, but not the biggest. In Dec. 2016 I could have bought the 560SEL that magicbigdaddy offered here for sale for 9-10k (the previous owner was a brain surgeon that died). I had the money, but I did not buy it. That was the biggest mistake and I will never forgive myself for it. I should had bought that one and let my 420 go then. Three years later I let mine go anyway.

FYI - That car ended up on BAT two years later and sold for 28k.
 
#13 ·
Roy, reading your adventure makes me realize the issues I experience with my two 560 SELs are not unique. I parted out one of them last year and the remaining one is a constant money pit. I hope to get past two major issues by the end of September then settle in and drive. I really want to avoid "parting" the remaining one.

What was the issue(s) that exceeded your limits and caused her demise? -Tom
 
#16 ·
What was the issue(s) that exceeded your limits and caused her demise? -Tom
It was never a technical issue that I could not overcome, it was psychological one: the amount of work/time plus the quality of the outcome vs. the final value. It was just not worth it. The foundation of a good car to begin with just wasn't there, but it became most clear to me it after I bought the SEC.

I made my decision to let it go about 4-5 months ago. I wrote the post today so others can learn from my mistake and because by an ironic turn of events today exactly 6 years ago I wrote my first post here.
 
#21 ·
Lots of truths on several different levels in these posts.
It’s unfortunate that the car didn’t work out for you. I too have had a 420, live in South Florida, so I can speak from experience.
First, NEVER buy anything sight unseen from Miami. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment, and will only get upset with the outcome. Nott saying, that good deals can not be had, but you MUST inspect things in person.
Second, W420s (and 380s) are nigh useless for any real enthusiast. They are SLOW, (which is fine for some folks) but they are almost just as thirsty as their 500, or 560 counterparts. So what’s the point really? Therefore they will never hold, or appreciate in value like a 500 or 560.
Unless one’s sentimentality attached to one of these, or acquired a cherry mint one, the best you can do is drive it with the expectations, that it’s a consumable item.
I owed a w420, that I purchased for $350.00. It had a bad motor, due to bent valves, chain, guides, etc. You know the drill. I did redo the interior, engine, front end, did paint correction and on and on. Never was expecting it to be an investment, just liked the body style.
But then after all the work I’ve put into it, I just could not forgive it that it still only gets 14-15 mpg- just like my CL74!!!! But with a dog of a performance. (Btw, my SL600 gets 16-16.5 mpg).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating only big CC models. I ALMOST get the straight SIX models, for someone not crazy about power, but at the same time they’re somewhat reasonable on gas too.
 
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