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What do you think? Red 500SEC AMG

6K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  Panzerkampfwagen CXXVI 
#1 · (Edited)
Well I am thinking of selling the Benz and the GTR and buying a nice W126 that doesn't need thousands spent on it so it can be driven comfortably (mine is leaking out, blowing fuses, drinking horrible amounts of fuel -9mpg) like my current one.

Here is one I'm thinking of:

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars...rc=allcarhome&__Ntk=CarAll&__Nne=15&__Dx=mode

It has full AMG kit, suspension. Wheels would be replaced with my 17" AMG OZs, and eventually by body-coloured 16x8" pentas. Steering wheel would go to. Pristine condition.

AMG things are pretty rare down here in Aus, and this one has full documentation (service history, import papers, photos, everything) from it's purchase in Germany, through france, england, to australia (all one owner)

problem is.... is it just too red? anyone got any more examples in this colour scheme?

My other option, which will be similar price wise, is a nice gen 2 560SEC or 560SEL...

The best thing about an original AMG is that I won't be tempted to respray/supercharge/fiddle with it. If anything, headers, exhaust, maybe AMG cams and lifters one day...

What do people think? Is this a good enough piece of history or would a 560SEC/L be better?
 
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#2 ·
I would much prefer a 560 SEC over a 500 if the only thing AMG about it is the bodykit. if the car had any other AMG parts, it might change my mind.
 
#3 ·
this car, if maintained, with it's provenance will out perform most others over time, $ wise.

The full documentation this car has, combined with Craig's (given they shared a container over together) very rarely comes along. It is what collectors will ultimately appreciate. Providing the car is maintained and cared for.
 
#7 ·
that thing is sweet!
 
#9 ·
The red is awesome
Nothing wrong with 500sec as this car is 1st gen 500 is the top model
Wheels and steering wheel are totaly wrong
But that would be a nice start

PS if you have a clean fairly stock R32 GTR they are approching valuble classic status alot quicker than SECs are in a few years that will have been an unequitable trade IMO

I knew a guy once who back in the late 80s swaped an XY GT for an r31 skyline hows that for sound financial decision LOL
 
#11 ·
Thanks all... Yeah the detailed history and how unique the car is makes me like it a lot more. You guys have much more access to AMG stuff overseas, so to hear your opinions on this one is great, thanks

Change steering wheel and wheels would be easy and compulsory. Here's some chops I did with my current OZ wheels to see if it would look better, which is does ten fold.








Yeah R32 GTRs are cheap as chips here. Having trouble getting interest in it, despite it being fairly stock and in VGC. I was hoping the price would be going up, but it really seems to be only the aussie delivered ones that are. Alas, ours is a grey import.

Unlike SECs, which seem to be asking anywhere from 15-30k AUD. Obscene isn't it.





JoeSEC- Any widebodys running around NZ I could import?



;)
 
#12 ·
hands down the way to go...



a fellow member in NZ had his 5.4 wide body listed for sale not long ago. it was listed on trade me. do not know if it's still available.
 
#16 · (Edited)
That black car is a left hand drive Jap import with no documentation on the 5.4 conversion ,unless the owner procured it from AMG japan after buying it from the dealer that imported it here, although I believe it to be the real deal
That dealer sold it to the current owner at a much higher price than the market here would stand and I suspect at around double if not more than the price it was landed for,It hardly flew off the lot,and the current owner has invested big $$ into it and based on his attempts to sell is hoping to recoupe his investment in the car
It is a wonderful car however with many desirable AMG mods
(it even had a period dash tv when it was in Katikati)
And if you want one and money is no object whos to say what a car is worth
Please dont get me wrong Im not in anyway baging the car or its owner
PS I am basing my opinion soley on what I know was the list price last time I saw that car on the yard and comments made by the owner on this forum and on his TM listings I do not know the owner in anyway and the statements above are purley speculation extrapilated from the information I know...

There was a silver widebody sold NZ new supossedly fully documented that was floating around in the low $20ks that would have been the business
I last saw it on Trade Me about a year ago....
 
#17 ·
IIRC the 5.4 was listed for 16k on trade me...

here are a coupla more picts.
 

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#18 ·
IIRC the 5.4 was listed for 16k on trade me...
16k start not resurve (Its worth more tha 16k NZD!!)
Someone offered around 20k IIRC on the Q&A of one auction and was told buy the seller to go by a standard SEC
I think Ive got a pretty good idea of what the seller wants but Its not my place to speculate on a specific car on a public forum

Its my experience when someone is not forthcoming with the price they want for anything its not because they are selling it too cheap!

There is however no dening that it is a truly spectacular example of an iconic car
as your pics show
 
#19 · (Edited)
What makes me scratch my head regarding this nice looking red 500 SEC is this:

You state the history of the car being bought in Germany, then traveling with the current owner to France, then England then to Australia. Germany and France are both LHD locations, I would be highly skeptical of this part of the story. If I were to buy such a sweet ride in Germany not planning to immediately sent it down under I would get the model specific to the country(ies) I would be living and driving in. Getting it in Germany and then driving in France as well tells me the PO was, at best, uncertain of his return time to Australia and as such makes me wonder if the story doesn't make sense then the other claimed history (maintenance) falls under suspicion.

Looking at the close up pic of the wheel shows a pretty badly gouged rotor, a car that has been meticulously maintained, as claimed, would NOT have this a) on the car & b) as an example picture of why to buy the car.

I am not saying to buy, or not buy, just a friendly Caveat Emptor.
 
#20 ·
the provenance of both the red and blue SEC is well documented and has been scanned and posted to this forum previously. I know the current owner of the blue one, who is in contact with the owner of the red one.

They are known and well documented cars, built for Australia and picked up by their original owners in Europe, driven around Europe for a bit before being transported to Australia.

The original owners were well known in the Australian motoring scene in the 80's.
 
#21 · (Edited)
cheers for the heads up with the widebody guys, appreciate it.

i may have got the history a little wrong, but basically

very rich bloke (race car drive iir) from aus bought two (one for him and his mate) being the blue one. cant remember, but he bought them in europe. perhaps uk then? anyway, he had a house in france too, lived it up a bit, then came back here and shipped the cars himself.

an ozbenz member owns the blue car, and has all the photos, paperwork and everything for both the blue and red one. the guy who had the red car was killed in a tarmac rally i think?

anyway, my point is the history is sound, unlike my story telling ability...

EDIT: Ross is onto it!
 
#25 ·
Nice car man! Really love that red. Isn't the obvious colour (good thing). If your swapping wheels, think about some 16" Rials which are period-correct and probably not so hard to get. BBS 16" will do also. AMG used both before they came with the Penta wheels.

Btw, those plates on the 80's photo show German export-plates, which should mean the car wasn't bought in the UK (maybe helps?)
 

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#26 ·
The BBS/Rial meshies are actually quite nice! Thankfully someone in Aus has already offered me a set of pentas so may see what they're like! (And I haven't even sold the GTR yet, let alone bought the red car)

And yes, re reading the links from Ross, the car was ordered from Germany RHD from Australia. The guys flew over there to pick them up, partied around in their house in france for a bit, and came home IIRC
 
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