would you guys hate if me if i bought a 500SEC

[rob101]

http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsales/!cs_content.private_vehicle?total_rec=8&search_distance=25&selected_model=57&vehicle_id=3371905&state_id=-1&current_rec=3&search_type=20&model_id=1886&used_rec=0&make_id=12&category_id=3
:p its so cheap, i am struggling to resist her charms.

[Fetch]

I would :P :)

[rob101]

the question is, who wants my manual child killing non-vanos m50 engined 525?

[angrypancake]

keep it!

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

for converting to the Benz

[ThoreauHD]

Looks nice. I guess 14K for a 1983 car makes sense if you are collecting old cars. I guess I would buy it.. maybe.. sorta. Not really. I hate black.

[winfred]

no, you would be hating yourself enough for all of us :D


would you guys hate if me if i bought a 500SEC
http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsales/!cs_content.private_vehicle?total_rec=8&search_distance=25&selected_model=57&vehicle_id=3371905&state_id=-1&current_rec=3&search_type=20&model_id=1886&used_rec=0&make_id=12&category_id=3
:p its so cheap, i am struggling to resist her charms.

[Paul in NZ]

if you do Rob I beleive its very important to get it checked by a Benz Specialist.My mate bought one that looked so good he couldnt resist,even tho his indy said to him never never never buy one without letting me check it for you first.
The gearbox cost him thou$ands....

[winfred]

i love the looks and interior ergonomics of the 126 body benzes but despise working on them, all of the vacuum **** that dies, bosch K-jetronic, back pain inducing seats, ac evaporator job from hell, the feeling of dragging the door handles on the ground during turns. theres a reason i got rid of my 126, i didn't want it around when it fell apart (87 300sdl sold with a little over 100k miles and the hvac vacuum **** had allready started but the locks were still cool)

[rob101]

yeah, i don't think i will buy it. i just have to stop looking at it :p
i'd probably rather buy a porsche 944 or 928S for that kind of money

[winfred]

don't get me started on porsches with front engines, id rather have the benz


yeah, i don't think i will buy it. i just have to stop looking at it :p
i'd probably rather buy a porsche 944 or 928S for that kind of money

[rob101]

don't get me started on porsches with front engines, id rather have the benz
please start, i am interested in hearing your opinion. i don't really know much about the maintenance of those cars. I have a feeling the 928s are a nightmare in terms of maintenance though. what about the 944s?

[mattyb]

if you want a v8 get a 540 . I too looked at a 500 sec before geting the 540. looks good just not the same. I think the e34s age better and keep their looks at the same time. The 500 is a bit of a tank and is starting to look like one,or rather has been fopr a while now.

[Paul in NZ]

540 six speed rob......theres one for sale

[rob101]

540 six speed rob......theres one for sale
and its 30k
if i wanted to spend that much i'd probably get either that or an M5. i've driven a 540i auto. it was a nice machine thats for sure!

[Paul in NZ]

i think it dropping its ben on the market for a bit.Is #36 ?

[rob101]

lol i wonder if my constant replying is conforming with Bo's expectation of manners on the forum

[winfred]

bmw parts and service are a fair bit cheeper then benz and benz gets blown outta the water by porsche (in my part of the world) wanna be porsches like 924/944 are not particularly fast or attractive imho, 928s have some power but are more expensive yet and more problematic, i remember back when a clutch kit for a regular 944 was over $1700 now it's less then half that but that's still about right for a 944s, and the labor wasn't too far below that to install it (one job i have managed to avoid long enough to get to the position where i can tell em to get ****ed, i do remember the joy of pulling transaxles and torque tubes in the yard) i remember being underwhelmed by them back at my first job driving them around at the shop i started at when i was 16-17 when they weren't old turds, **** coming apart and buzzes like a bed in a cheep motel room, now when i see one it's just ugh glad we stopped selling used parts for those turds


please start, i am interested in hearing your opinion. i don't really know much about the maintenance of those cars. I have a feeling the 928s are a nightmare in terms of maintenance though. what about the 944s?

[Antrieb]

They are very cool cars!

I used to own a black on tan 1985 500SEL. Bought it for $500 :)

[Evan]

theres a 540/6 for sale... let me find the link and show it to you guys.

Here's the listing:

BMW 1995 540 6 SPD
WBAHE5323SGA64283 Green with taupe/tan leather interior, am/fm cassette with cd changer, sun roof, sport seats, clean under the hood, Jim Comforti chip, mechanically sound, engine replaced by BMW at 97,000 miles currently 210,000, non-smoker, no accidents, $7,000. have pictures Contact Al at 410.544.2644 or ajrwolf@yahoo.com located in Millersville, MD. (expires 10/2/2006)


someone snap it up

[rob101]

hmmmm coool, thanks for the opinions winfred et al.
i think i'll stick with the Bayerische Motoren Werke cars then.

[Incantation]

nice find

[rob101]

well considering thats about 4k less than a friend bought a 1995 540i for. you americans are lucky cars over there are cheap as chips. over here you can't really get a decent car for less than about $10 000

[winfred]

remember they are just like *******s everyone has one


thanks for the opinions winfred et al.

[rob101]

remember they are just like *******s everyone has one
yes but some are more informed than others, as a young mech engineer in the maintenance game. I've come to respect mechanics opinions very highly when it comes to maintenance.

[ThoreauHD]

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m25/spitfirejoanna/*******.jpg

[rob101]

Thoreau, i've been meaning to ask you where you get all your images from?

[Michael999]

Buy it, and ill buy your M50 :D

[CharlesAFerg]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h9/CharlesAFerg/BlackW140RearEDSM.jpg

Oh yes.

W140 S500 1997+
One of my dream cars, not even kidding. :D

[Airborne001]

you americans are lucky cars over there are cheap as chips.
Yeah, but you have all the hot women. :)


Is the US to AUS exchange pretty much 1:1?


#

[Yiorgos]

Yeah, but you have all the hot women. :)


Is the US to AUS exchange pretty much 1:1?


#

Dollar-wise? No. At the moment it takes about 75 US cents to make 1 Aussie dollar.

[Macv]

The 500sec is awfully nice.... it would be a toss up, but I don't think I'd ever sell my 5. :)

[joshua43214]

I worked in an independant MB shop back when the 126 chassis where common in the aftermarket and there was still alot of 116 chassis arround. Even back then they where expensive to maintain and now they will be even worse with age. You will really hate yourself for giving up an e34 for one, they are just not as reliable and are more expensive to maintain. Many parts such as the belt tensioner will fail, are very expensive part wise, hard to replace and can not be jiggered arround to keep the car going for a while.

After I left the MB shop, I went to a general repair shop as a Euro tech, we worked on every thing from Renault to Jaguar. One of my first jobs there was to replace a power steering hose in a front engine Porsche, the job was a total nightmare of squeezing into micro spaces with mini wrenchs. Timing belt replacement is frequent and a pita, and the tensioner tool is almost mandatory and very expensive. Inpsite of all the things that make a 928 or 944 a major pain to work on, you do get power accessories, AC that actualy works when its hot and you can even *gasp* let off on the throttle when you go into a turn really hot with out going into a tail spin. The turbo versions are pleasantly fast and look very cool imo. I would love to own one as a toy, but never a daily driver, but then I chose a 540i and would give it up for an 850csi even though I should know better.

[Tiger]

Wimp... you couldn't handle a diesel? Nah... I had a W126... and I think it is the best Benz built... the most reliable... Tell me... how many time did you actually fix the vacuum problem on your car? Once? Is that too much?

[liquidtiger720]

Why not get a 560sec>??


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC02442Small.jpg

[Thayne]

Never have really been a Benz fan but thats a nice car.

[mamilapon]

Mate, I wouldn't hate you for buying the Merc. This model would have to be one of the finest ever to come from Mercedes. I almost succombed to the same idea a year ago but they were still quite expensive (in Sydney). If you can afford it and you have space to garage it then go for it.

[Wes F]

This is really interesting reading about different opinions and experiences with other cars. While we're at it, anyone know about/have any experience with the 911 Carrera 3.2, like 87-89? Definitely one of my favorite cars, and one my list to buy next. Always wanted one of these...

http://www.midwestperformancecars.com/images/imagesForId191/01.JPG.jpg

[winfred]

i agree the 126 is one of the best benzes, i never fixed whatever servo that was leaking under the dash (non critical, probably a mixing flap), didn't give enough of a **** and sold it like that, i use to work on those bastards daily and didn't feel like working on another in my spare time, if i don't enjoy working on a car i don't want to, diesel ain't got **** to do with it i wouldn't own a gas benz (cept for maybe a good condition 6.9, the only problem is the turd that huge motor is wrapped in) my first car was 75 240d 4 speed, the diesel is/was the best part


Wimp... you couldn't handle a diesel? Nah... I had a W126... and I think it is the best Benz built... the most reliable... Tell me... how many time did you actually fix the vacuum problem on your car? Once? Is that too much?

[mattyb]

my neighbor has a 1981 911. beautiful car! he shopped for two years before buying it. he said that after 83 and through to 91 the power output was deliberatley less and that anything non turbo between these years is not worth getting. His opinion not mine as i wouldnt know but shared cause you asked.

[shogun]

would you guys hate if me if i bought a 500SEC

No, it is an excellent car
I would prefer a 500 SEL

[Paul in NZ]

I looked at a 911 Carrera 4 in a car yard the other day with a sorta mild interest.It was $199,000.I wlked nonchalanty away.Was pleased to see it is now selling for 175,000.!

[genphreak]

I looked at a 911 Carrera 4 in a car yard the other day with a sorta mild interest.It was $199,000.I wlked nonchalanty away.Was pleased to see it is now selling for 175,000.!I love any 944 design and form wise. Would really like to have one with a 928 engine in it but an M60 would really be the **** as I expect it'd weigh less and you don't ever want to upset the weight distribution in a little frame like that. Then again, for all I know the little 4 and 6 pot 944 engines may weigh very little in the beginning. If that was the case and one was limited to keeping an expensive to maintain engine, you'd be way better off going a factory turbo so you'd be looking for an S2/3/4 version and they are expensive- very. Parts for Porsche are hell in Australia, even using BMA you'd be knackered. I've driven a very new 944S2 a fair bit and loved it, but an e34 does many things it can't and is better as you can fit your mates in and NOT worry it will get stolen... any Porsche has 'steal me' written on it in Neon, so its really only a weekend fun thing that you have to garage. You can always leave it till you are 60 like everyone else Rob!

Ages ago I had 3 bosses that were all Benz freaks, except for the one with the 944 who also had 911s and Ferarris. Now the Benz fellas never thrashed their cars but were forever seeing problems with them and Benz would have to be worse to maintain parts/cost/help-wise here in Australia.

Also, you have to get over the MONG steering wheel, Valiant driving position (yep, just like a Valiant Regal but with an old-style Gypsy-Moth aviation-style, dashboard). The wretched seats are more useful installed in your living room and the damn bodies weigh near to 3 tons so use 3x the fuel.

Sure we'd hate to see you stray from the path of the righteous, so I am glad you are seeing sense: There are days I hate my e34- ie difficult repairs, painfiul issues, sintering connectors, tempermental troubles and so on.. but at the end of the day it also pays stay with what you know.

I had an M30B35 powered E28 before Heidi and they share so much drivetrain and electronics it made life soooo much easier. Also, once you have the mindset switching to another marque means you often can't intuitively work out the fix and have to spend longer fixing **** or screwing things up to find out that the Benz boys do things a in a somwhat 'different way'...

[genphreak]

I like the 126 until I get into it.

But a Benz is a car you buy for build quality- not design, performance or function. It really defeats the purpose to buy a 'rebuilt one'. You might be better off buying a Ford.

I bet that one has had a rear end repair and the mechanicals/electrics are no longer 100%. It is pretty easy to tell as the panel fit and paint on a Benz is one of the best in the world. So all trims and gaps must align perfectly. :) Nick

[rob101]

I'd guess it would have blow a head as well and overheated. rebuilt head and radiator are a give away.
anyway i am over it, as matty pointed out, 540i would be better.
i think for fun and functionality the 525i m50 manual is a tough combination to beat, hell i get 9L/100 km on fuel these days. and cruises effortlessly at 120 kph.

[genphreak]

I'd guess it would have blow a head as well and overheated. rebuilt head and radiator are a give away.
anyway i am over it, as matty pointed out, 540i would be better.
i think for fun and functionality the 525i m50 manual is a tough combination to beat, hell i get 9L/100 km on fuel these days. and cruises effortlessly at 120 kph.Yep, you have the best of many worlds and can always go a turbo one day. Scalability to boot!!!

I only suggest the rear-ender as the rear trim didn't line up quite right. Dead giveaway on a Benz as I was saying. Maybe it did the head too...

Anyway, congratulations. I guess we'll not kick you out of the fold just yet then... (not before the east-cast e34 meet at least...)

[rob101]

well i was only 1/2 serious. but thats kind of like your evil half you have to keep in check, the 1/2 that says:
"go on do 160 in 4th gear its not that faaaaaaaaast!"

[Zeuk in Oz]

lol i wonder if my constant replying is conforming with Bo's expectation of manners on the forum
The pressure is on, Rob !

Re Mercedes and other marques, I fear you probably need to go to a Porsche before you get something that handles better than the E 34.

I often drive the new C class as a loan car when my M class is being serviced, and it is terribly underwhelming, even compared to an E 46, let alone an E 34.

My M class isn't in the same handling class as the X5,but I needed a 7 seater at the time I bought it.

Strangely enough, my dream car aesthetically is a 1973 Volvo P 1800 ES manual in light blue. (Dons asbestos suite to survive the flaming this will cause). Just something about its glass-back and shape. Apparently nothing special to drive.

[rob101]

there used to be a P 1800 at UQ when i was a student there (its not THAT long ago) nice car. i think volvo's boring overlords of safety must have been on sabbathical the year they designed it.

[Wes F]

This thread is great! I love hearing opinions on other cars, it seems many e34 owners also have similar taste on other cars (Porsches, Benzes, Volvos, etc). Ok, how about this one. This is another one of my favorite cars, a must have one day when I have money to burn and a 10-car garage, a '94 or so e500 Benz. Call me crazy, but I just love the look of that boxy 4 door mid-nineties e-class, but add flared fenders and a sweet V-8, and you got somethin' that's just badass! Any thoughts on this one???

http://i5.ebayimg.com/03/i/08/5e/0a/fc_12.JPG

[winfred]

i have a 67 122 almost as cool, and one day if a don't get a hair across my ass and sell it, it may get a modern forced induction drivetrain :D



Strangely enough, my dream car aesthetically is a 1973 Volvo P 1800 ES manual in light blue. (Dons asbestos suite to survive the flaming this will cause). Just something about its glass-back and shape. Apparently nothing special to drive.

[winfred]

the 124s are not too bad, just the usual mercedes crap


This thread is great! I love hearing opinions on other cars, it seems many e34 owners also have similar taste on other cars (Porsches, Benzes, Volvos, etc). Ok, how about this one. This is another one of my favorite cars, a must have one day when I have money to burn and a 10-car garage, a '94 or so e500 Benz. Call me crazy, but I just love the look of that boxy 4 door mid-nineties e-class, but add flared fenders and a sweet V-8, and you got somethin' that's just badass! Any thoughts on this one???

http://i5.ebayimg.com/03/i/08/5e/0a/fc_12.JPG

[genphreak]

Hmmm... no comment. I just don't get the styling on these cars. It's as if the German engineers designed the cars they made in this era, not Designers.

A heavily modified 190 5-speed turbo of this time might be acceptable. Dunno about the 200 and 300 series cars... an old 560SL maybe if I had the garage, but I doubt I'd be able to get over the Mong wheel and Gypsy-Moth dash.

A W126 560SEC perhaps? I agree with Erich that a 560SEL would be nicer. But it is too extravagant and it still has that freaky cockpit.

An old 450SEL 6.9 would be nice of course, or a 600 limo. A mate of a mate has a 180S (or something like that) which he's owned for 40 years plus. It's a red 2-door convertible, gorgeous car. That'd be worth it too.

[Boom n Zoom]

Had a guy I worked with at a Toyota Dealership that was a European BMW tech tell me once,
'On the Autobahn, if a BMW goes past you very, very quickly, shortly after there will come a Mercedes Benz trying to catch it'
Of course much laughing afterwards.

On Porkers particularly 928's, my brother has two 928's a '94 Auto and an '82 Manual.
Unfortunately the '94 had a misshap on the Freeway in Melbourne involving a VL Commodore and wet weather, the Porker came off second best after travelling some distance offroad between trees, rocks and concrete verges. The amazing part was my brother managed to drive it back up onto the side of the road and then about 20 Kms to his house.
Consequently it hasn't gone anywhere since and is now up on stands slowly being stripped.
The '82 has 300K on it and is in amazing shape (bodywise) considering the abuse it seems to have had mechanically (I say this as it appears to have just been driven and not really serviced regularly). Since he has owned it he has rebuilt the gearbox (new bearings, syncro's) new clutch, pressure plate, swapped the suspension from the '94 (Springs and Shocks) is looking at swapping the engine out of the '94 into the '82 and the list goes on.

His take on the Porsche is, if you are passionate about your vehical you can and will forgive it anything, having said that he also added that with 928 ownership comes the realization that your never going to have all the features all working at the same time, but so long as the basics like the engine, gearbox, diff, brakes, lights, wipers and the fuel gauge (very important!!) all work, you can live without the rest until you need them knowing that something else will stop working in order to have that one extra thing. He doesn't have a great deal of Mechanical Knowledge but he is passionate enough about the Marque to forgive it and fix it mostly himself.
As for the driving of said 928, he showed me a test that was run in some mag between the 928 and the 911, basically the driver of the 928 had it all over the 911 on the open road but when confronted with a mountain pass, the 911 ran away but not as convincingly as was expected. Basically the 928 has the poise and tractability to be used for the everyday commute and the weekend run along your favorite road, the down side is that he unfortunately drives it hard most of the time and then bitches about the fuel it's using, he will learn eventually (shakes head)

Can't give you anything much on the Merc's my parents did have a '70 250C way back, drove it a few times, was really unimpressed with the way it accelerated, changed gear, steered and the brakes were good but not exactly confidence inspiring. That about sums up my personal MB experiance.

Cheers!!

[Booster]

If the Benz has been well maintained, you'll love it. I had a 91' 560 SEC blk/blk AMG that I loved and drove for about 6 years. Only had to replace a few things such as AC comp. and alternator. Well those and a few sets of expensive wide rubber for the AMG 18" rims.:(
The 560 engine is a marvel of engineering too. Smooth and really powerful and fun.It would roast the tires out of the gate right up til 2nd shift and still get a nice 3rd chirp.I am not certain if the cams were AMG or stock...if stock then WOW !
Hold out for a 560 for the fun factor.The 500 was only so-so.
.............Vinny

[The Bigfella]

Many parts such as the belt tensioner will fail, are very expensive part wise, hard to replace and can not be jiggered arround to keep the car going for a while.

Um, what belt tensioner? These things have double row timing chains.

I've got a 500SEC that I've been driving for about 7 or 8 years (time flies and I'm not about to look up when I got it) I brought in a 560 SEC from Honkers as a spares vehicle (<50k on it) and I've just got around to putting the 560 motor in the 500. There is a big difference in grunt 240 hp to 300+

I just threw away the 500SE that we also ran for the same time - I used it as a tow car whilst doing up my boat - so it got its arse dipped in the salt water on average 6 times a week for 8 years - lasted a long time before I had to weld a few bits in to the boot floor - amazing really. The SE was quicker than the SEC for some unknown reason and has been known to blow away HSVs on several occasions - and a current E Class whilst towing the boat - boy was he pissed off!

They do not weigh that much more than an E34 either. They are about 1800kg IIRC.

Consumables are NOT expensive - disks, pads, etc.

That said - an E34 is a nicer drive. The 535 feels slower but is nicer to drive and there is no comparison with the M5 and either the 500SEC or 560SEC.

Ian

[emw525E34]

Yikes, thats like a boat!. What a difference in driving feel compared to E34 or even E32. SEC just does not handle, it leans like crazy, i got sea-sick driving the darn thing ....sorry not for me.

[zhandax]

Well, I have the 124, but it was on jack stands getting a factory sportline suspension (OK I'm slow) when my 528e died which is why I ended up with the 540i. I had already spent 1K on a rental car during Christmas (about a month) and the pain was getting too much. Bought the 540i on eBay for $4700 and thought I would drive it until I got the Benz working and sell it for a profit. Problem is I like the 540 too much. I can't imagine the 300E even with a sportline suspension will be as much fun. I am single and have absolutely no need for two cars, but after 3K for the sportline suspension, I can't get my money out of the 300E. I should have the Benz done in the next couple of weeks. What is a guy to do?

[genphreak]

Well, I have the 124, but it was on jack stands getting a factory sportline suspension (OK I'm slow) when my 528e died which is why I ended up with the 540i. I had already spent 1K on a rental car during Christmas (about a month) and the pain was getting too much. Bought the 540i on eBay for $4700 and thought I would drive it until I got the Benz working and sell it for a profit. Problem is I like the 540 too much. I can't imagine the 300E even with a sportline suspension will be as much fun. I am single and have absolutely no need for two cars, but after 3K for the sportline suspension, I can't get my money out of the 300E. I should have the Benz done in the next couple of weeks. What is a guy to do?Find a good freind who needs and will appreciate a good car. Then make them a better freind! :) Nick I'd keep both... but that would be a bad move. Best I can say is keep the one that is going to be most fun and at least reasonably reliable and enjoy life with it. Let the other one go as they say about most much loved but outlived affiars.

[rob101]

Find a good freind who needs and will appreciate a good car. Then make them a better freind! :) Nick I'd keep both... but that would be a bad move. Best I can say is keep the one that is going to be most fun and at least reasonably reliable and enjoy life with it. Let the other one go as they say about most much loved but outlived affiars.
yeah i tried that with my dad and my e28,
didn't work, although it might not help that he is a disgrustled semi-retired civil engineer.

civil engineer, bah he can't even design stuff that moves

[genphreak]

yeah i tried that with my dad and my e28,
didn't work, although it might not help that he is a disgrustled semi-retired civil engineer. civil engineer, bah he can't even design stuff that moves:D Did you never see those cool concrete car projects Rob? They were getting R&D support form the oil companies up until they decided to invest in Wars instead...

Go easy on him! Tell him the e28 can fit 16 bags of readymix in the boot and still drive well. He'll kick your door down to get the keys...

[winfred]

:D the beast sneers at loads under a half ton http://members.cox.net/kitlou/triptruck.JPG
when i got home from this trip i dropped the trailer and went to the home center and picked up just under 1200# of oak flooring with the slate pool table still on the bed :D ****er still wasn't on the helper springs, it starts riding sweet with around 1000# on it with our crappy roads, 4 full 55 gallon drums of jet fuel against the front of the bed slicks it out nicely too (around 1500# + weight of the drums)


Go easy on him! Tell him the e28 can fit 16 bags of readymix in the boot and still drive well. He'll kick your door down to get the keys...

[rob101]

:D Did you never see those cool concrete car projects Rob? They were getting R&D support form the oil companies up until they decided to invest in Wars instead...

Go easy on him! Tell him the e28 can fit 16 bags of readymix in the boot and still drive well. He'll kick your door down to get the keys...
actually seriously i think he has various earthmoving tools in the boot at any given time

[TheMissile]

This is really interesting reading about different opinions and experiences with other cars. While we're at it, anyone know about/have any experience with the 911 Carrera 3.2, like 87-89? Definitely one of my favorite cars, and one my list to buy next. Always wanted one of these...



911 Carrera 3.2........no....but I do have experience with a '69 911T and a tree !! 11 days driving, 3 years paying. Nice. Photos available for those who feel the need. That was my first car... second car .....'72 Merc 280SE with VINYL seats !!! mmmm. Maybe I should start another thread.....cars we have owned...

[The Bigfella]

Well the 500SEC will hold, IIRC, 11 cases of beer, some wine casks and a few bags of ice in the boot (trunk) and still be reasonable on the road.

[rob101]

Well the 500SEC will hold, IIRC, 11 cases of beer, some wine casks and a few bags of ice in the boot (trunk) and still be reasonable on the road.
damn!
thats right you have a 500 with a 560SEC engine don't you? or maybe i am getting confused with another aussie m5 driver

[CarloE34]

I hate you Rob:D :D ;)