W126's increasing in market value...

In my mind they are.
Since getting my first MB diesel a few years ago, an '82 240D, to now, with my '82 300SD under restoration in my garage, I have lost interest in any other cars. I used to really keep up on all the new offerings from many manufacturers, pouring over all the enthusiast mags and studying the specs. Now that I own a W126, other, new cars just don't have any appeal. I sat at a crowded interesction the other day, maybe a hundred cars in my view, and there was not a one that I would trade straight up fo the Benz.

i just registered my 500SEC AMG and 500SEL Lorinser as classics in pennsylvania, which increased by 100% the "Fixed Value" put on them by my insurance co.

Deathrattle....yours might increase more with a car wash aswell!

deathrattle who are those chicks standin next to your car???

They may if my bad experience trying to find a decent 300 SD is any indicator. [!]

The 126 is by no means an investment and still do not expect to get out of the car what you put in down the line but as good examples get rare due to accidents and neglect (read rust – excluding deathrattle) a well cared for 126 may slightly increase in value as time goes on.

thinkin' thinkin'......

... not so long ago I was tempted to buy a w140 600sel - sel 600 - s600l -....whatever, but seems that suddenly these 600 car's are for sale left right and centre for real cheap. Looking at other Merc. models I also see the arse falling out of their market value as well. To my mind too complicated - better value to be found in other makes, and so the three point star has really lost it's spark.
Whenever I look at my lovely 560sel, I see a now classic Merc. Yeah - so now I'm 50 - old stuff is retaining yesteryear values.
It's just that I'm not tempted anymore to upgrade.
Any similar sentiment on here?

RE: thinkin' thinkin'......

shrimpton - 2/17/2005 7:07 PM

... not so long ago I was tempted to buy a w140 600sel - sel 600 - s600l -....whatever, but seems that suddenly these 600 car's are for sale left right and centre for real cheap. Looking at other Merc. models I also see the arse falling out of their market value as well. To my mind too complicated - better value to be found in other makes, and so the three point star has really lost it's spark.
Whenever I look at my lovely 560sel, I see a now classic Merc. Yeah - so now I'm 50 - old stuff is retaining yesteryear values.
It's just that I'm not tempted anymore to upgrade.
Any similar sentiment on here?

Click to expand...

I don't see myself driving any other car other than a W126. Nothing out there impresses me. Well, maybe a SL65 AMG. But that's about it. []

CND..........

...... oooh yeah on the 600 quad cam beasties, but it's all the super expensive maintenance shit - ie: just when I can afford to buy one (locally the 600's are now 15-20k) all the vacuum door, wiring harness, aircon hassles,etc reduce their wow factor to.. limp dick. Plus they have now Zero "street sex" appeal to anyone that I speak with
I should state the obvious - which is that my wallet has a definite bottom, so determines to a large degree - affordability. My perception is that many Merc's that follow the w126 are destined to early oblivion. Comments?

The market value is what the Buyer would like to offer and the seller would prepare to take.

I bought my 420sel about 8 yrs ago and so far I have spent about AUD $30,000 to maintain it. (ie Overhaul the engine twice, rebuild Auto Tran. power steering, and rear hydraulic suspension....etc) Market value is less than AUD $20,000 here. If you were me, would you sell. The car is in near new mechanical conidtion. By the way, compared with my wife's new W210, I find it my W126 is far better in handling, except the E200K is lighter, faster on traffic light and the Braking power are more powerful.

I love my W126 ! It is my work horse. I drive like I hate it.

The only other car can make me excited is an OLD Bentlry Turbo R 1990 model. This is my dream car and no way I can afford a brand new one. It is my next project ! Get a early 90 Model Bentley Turbo R as my show car. The W126 is my work horse. My 96 Rangie is for off road.

The market value is what the Buyer would like to offer and the seller would prepare to take.

I bought my 420sel about 8 yrs ago and so far I have spent about AUD $30,000 to maintain it. (ie Overhaul the engine twice, rebuild Auto Tran. power steering, and rear hydraulic suspension....etc) Market value is less than AUD $20,000 here. If you were me, would you sell. The car is in near new mechanical conidtion. By the way, compared with my wife's new W210, I find it my W126 is far better in handling, except the E200K is lighter, faster on traffic light and the Braking power are more powerful.

I love my W126 ! It is my work horse. I drive like I hate it.

The only other car can make me excited is an OLD Bentlry Turbo R 1990 model. This is my dream car and no way I can afford a brand new one. It is my next project ! Get a early 90 Model Bentley Turbo R as my show car. The W126 is my work horse. My 96 Rangie is for off road.

Dude...I totally believe you. i am in the UK on business [again] and I am always shocked at how pricey it is over here. Don't get me wrong, I love the city of London. However, I would definitely have to say bye, bye to my benz if I lived here. I just paid 3 pounds for coffee and a roll [$5.85 USD]. i hope that I can get out of here with some change to spare.

as to the topic. After buying first benz, I swore off all other cars. After buying my first 560, are there any other cars? It only slightly gets better after MB.

The market value is what the Buyer would like to offer and the seller would prepare to take.

I love my W126 ! It is my work horse.

Click to expand...

No doubt about it. It's all marketing and perception. If you can make your car look like a million, and convince someone that it is worth a million, you'll get a million plus.

I do agree that the w126 bodies are one of the best, most affordable, and very user-friendly to work on. I just hate the MB vacuum system.

I wouldn't buy any other S-class but the W126. It was the most aerodynamic luxury car of its time, with a low coefficient of drag, luxurious, comfortable, and its a looker...

shrimpton - 2/16/2005 3:07 AM

It's just that I'm not tempted anymore to upgrade.
Any similar sentiment on here?

Click to expand...

No upgrades for me, either. Particularly if you’re talking about a newer MB. If anything I’m planning on ‘degrading.’ [][] I’d love to get a 280 SL w113. A nice example in good condition would cost about $28,000 USD, which compared to new car prices is not too bad.

shrimpton - 2/16/2005 3:42 AM

My perception is that many Merc's that follow the w126 are destined to early oblivion. Comments?

Click to expand...

I believe that perception is correct – especially if you listen to my mechanic curse at those ML SUV things made in Alabama. He says everything after the w126 chassis is ‘crap.’ Can’t argue with that.

I'm trying hard not to be biased here...

... to be honest, I have very little ownership/driving experience of Merc's other than an old 129 that I owned many years ago (wish always it had been a 220s). So my present car is my measurement standard. However, I trawl around the other forums on this site, and see little that encourages me to aspire to a newer model - all the talk is about computer type shit that affects everything, and sensors etc etc...Conversely, many on this forum are young people bemoaning lack of O.E.headrest DVD players on our old w126's - and then happy to spend $'s to achieve such short term updates. I say good on them!! - yet from a personal perspective (getting older type bastard) would prefer to hear more "VROOM" from my exhaust - whilst preserving the original exhaust system for my more senior years .Dunno if this makes sense to you, - but I'm enjoying your feedback on these thread issues after a hard day's work.
Cheers,
Dennis S.

My 123 was my first MB – a remarkably well-made and reliable car. The 126 was for fun, little did I know I’d enjoy it so much. I’ve had no experience with new MBs, which may make criticizing them inappropriate, but I know I don’t like the look of the cars (I always think of Hondas) and as you noted the technology seems to have run amok. My 300 D is 24 years old, I’ve got about another 25 to 30 years left of driving before they put me in the home – there may be another 126 or two in my future but they should last me in until my driving time is over. []

the w126 was and is my first automotive love. but the w124 has really grown on me, and for me the '95 E320/420/500 is the last of the great benzes. then there's nothing particularly appealing for a decade. i wonder how the current E and SL will hold up over the years -- they look great, IMHO. then there's the CLS, which also looks promising. we'll see. for now, i'll stick to the classics []

Oops..

..My first Merc. was not a 129 (my typing error), it was a 1955 219. Memory tells me it was about 2litres, but had bakelite door and dash trim, whereas the 220s had wood - and not the wafer thin laminated stuff we have to put up with on our w126's. Currently, such a 220s is for sale locally - well cared for and maintained at NZ$15k (circa: US10.5K)
I understand that Mercedes still has parts available for these lovely old machines - incredible when you think about it.
Tech savvy I am not, yet it is surely encouraging to know that dry solder joints on our old circuitry are easy fixes, whereas talk of gearbox replacements etc due to chip - sensor failure on more recent Merc's scares the hell out of me.
Remember Windows '95?. Bad memories?.
Thank God our cars were never so "sophisticated" - production finished four years earlier.