[Chadahar]

Yepper!
My Euro 500sec has the 2.24 also. At 60 MPH is turning 1800 RPM. Not bad off the line(no breaking loose 235/50/16's) but hell on wheels between 40 and...and....and...anything twice the speed limit on a given road here in So CA.

Mariah (560 SEC)with the 2.47 and 225/50/15's will burn the tires off at a light, Chirp through. and still do the TTSL thing if i choose to let her horses out. Surprisingly, the the RPM's are only 2000 RPM 's at 60 MPH. This car's speedo is dead on at 80 MPH with the GPS.
Blue Bird's is about 4 mph slow at 80 MPH according to the GPS.

 

[bondavi]

You sure?

car wasn't running

>>

I noticed your economy gauge at idle - once you get that vacuum leak sorted out the idle should be smoother.

 

[48hp]

You sure?



>>

Am I sure? Obviously not, lol. Thought I had used this photo:

 

[48hp]

The filthy old lady from San Jose.

As noted previously the AMG came with very few records.

I was pleasantly surprised today while flipping thru the German owners manual. A little piece of stationary slipped out of it with a couple dozen hand written phone numbers. Ahhh, at last a little window into yesterday.
Most of the numbers were individuals of the San Jose area, Mark, Frank, Betty, etc. Some of the numbers were for local day spa, country club, laundry services, etc. But one of the numbers was about to enlighten me as to the SEL's past. The number was for a shop in San Jose.
A couple of clicks on the net and it turns out that shop specializes in high end body work and restoration with nearly 30 years experience. An older gent answered the telephone, introduced himself as the man on the stationary. With only a brief description of the AMG and he knew the vehicle I was referring to. The PO was a meticulous regular customer. "Young man, you've got yourself a million dollar Mercedes there," he exclaimed. "Anything that needed attention was given attention and no expense spared. The last thing we did on that car was replace all the rubber from head to toe and it wasn't cheap," he said. And then he went on to tell the cliché "about the little old lady from pasadena." Only she was the filthy rich little old lady from San Jose. The shop owner knew more than I could have hoped about the vehicle and the vehicle's one and only real owner.
The story goes...the madam fled for europe during a messy divorce and purchased the vehicle new with the AMG treatment already completed. She galivanted thru europe for several years in her new toy and with her lover. Later returning to the US with the AMG and not the other.
She drove and serviced the vehicle religiously for nearly two decades after returning to the US. The family ultimately intervened. "Mother, this led sled does not represent who your are today, let us get you into something newer, safer, more reliable, just as black and just as beautiful. And so, she got the new S series and the SEL got the shaft. The shop owner wasn't surprised that the SEL ended up on the chopping block because the "family was rash like that."

So there is a little bit into what I hope to be more on the filthy old lady from San Jose.

 

[Dr.Grillz]

Heinric... thats an excellent story:thumbsup: Back tracking the car's history is half the fun and gives you an account of the car's "life" Congrats once again on a beautiful example:thumbsup:

 

[Chadahar]

I called the brother of the PO of the Blue Bird. He was very happy that his brother's car had been saved from the crusher. His comment "He LOVED that car for 20 years". Close as I'll ever get to the PO as he passed on in 2005.
I could tell he loved the car as it has all the records from importation into the country in 1988.

 

[Dimmuburger]

That's a GREAT story! I wish I knew more personal history like that about my car.

 

[Roland500SEL]

When i got my Brabus 300TE i got the original documents for the car. In Germany its called Fahrzeugbrief and it
contains all previous owners and the city they lived in. Nowadays we got a new document, but therein is only
the current owner.

I searched for al 7 POs and found 6 of them. The first owners were totaly surprised, that their old car still exists. Since
I lived not far from them, they invited me to visit em. Two weeks later we agreed upon a date and had a nice time with
tea and cookies When I wanted to say good-bye, they gave me a large envelope. In it were copies of all documents
of the car. There was the sales contracts from Mercedes and Brabus. The total price amounted to approximately 112,000
D-Mark :O

BTW - the odometer stopped working at 287.000 km - in 1996!! Together with the previous owners I calculated that the
still original engine has run over 500.000 km - still going strong .

 

[Chadahar]

I LOVE these stories!

48hp,
Great find, Great story, Maybe you can talk to the PO as well. I'm sure she'd love to know that her "Baby" was being taken care of.

Roland500SEl,
Wonderful story. I love doing the research on these cars.

 

[48hp]

I LOVE these stories!

48hp,
Great find, Great story, Maybe you can talk to the PO as well. I'm sure she'd love to know that her "Baby" was being taken care of.

The shop owner sounds very protective of the women's identity. Maybe when I'm up in the Bay Area I'll pop by his shop and he may be a bit more relaxed.

As an aside...Anyone in Los Angeles with a dark vehicle, stay away from the sprinklers and hot sun. They are a lethal combination. Two hours and two detailers later the water marks have finally been removed d#$m it.

 

[Huntrtylr]

The shop owner sounds very protective of the women's identity. Maybe when I'm up in the Bay Area I'll pop by his shop and he may be a bit more relaxed.

As an aside...Anyone in Los Angeles with a dark vehicle, stay away from the sprinklers and hot sun. They are a lethal combination. Two hours and two detailers later the water marks have finally been removed d#$m it.

Excellent excellent read. Yes especially if it is from the well. Hard water stains = rust here in Florida, it also stinks real baaad!

 

[POS]

That's a fantastic story; I love finding gems in a car I just bought on faith.

 

[48hp]

I noticed your economy gauge at idle - once you get that vacuum leak sorted out the idle should be smoother.

bondavi, thanks for the heads up. i've located the leak... it was the four way vaccum line split at the firewall on the driver's side near the fusebox. correcting the vaccum leak and adjusting the timing to tdc helped smooth things over.:thumbsup:

 

[1985_500sel]

where did you order your headlights from?

 

[Roland500SEL]

That looks great Hendric! :bowdown:

Just a question - gen I headlights have two sealed beam bulbs for frontlight
and fog. Is there a chance, the gen II fogs got reflectors like this?

Roland

 

[48hp]

That looks great Hendric! :bowdown:

Just a question - gen I headlights have two sealed beam bulbs for frontlight
and fog. Is there a chance, the gen II fogs got reflectors like this?

Roland

Thank you Roland. And yes they look like the reflector posted.

 

[48hp]

where did you order your headlights from?

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/1441400-beware-rare-french-euro-headlights-ebay.html

 

[1985_500sel]

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/1441400-beware-rare-french-euro-headlights-ebay.html

so I'm guessing ebay. noted. I'll keep looking.

 

[48hp]

I recently spied this on the SEL:

 

[48hp]

these came back having been restored, looking absolutely beautiful! rare staggered set 16X7; 16X8: