Storage lot Find & Save: 1985 M-B 500SEL (Pics & Video)

[slow&rusty]

I wasn't looking for another car let alone a 37-year-old S-Class

But while travelling this week, I received a call from a close friend, another realtor friend whose dad passed away bought this '85 500SEL brand new as a private import. Just after he passed away, the car needed servicing, so his elderly wife took it to their Mechanic and then unfortunately she also got very sick (hospitalized for months). The Mechanic's shop gave up trying to get a hold of the elderly owners and so the car was pushed outside and then finally towed to a Police Impound lot where it sat for months. The police impound lot contacted the daughter (realtor) and said if they do not pay the storage fees, the car will be auctioned and if it is not bought during the auction it will be sadly crushed.

In a bit of a panic, the daughter reached out to everyone she knew and asked if anyone would be interested in her Dad's old Benz, no one was interested and then a friend of mine remembered I really liked these cars and also remembered my own '91 560SEC so then he called me.

So today, I rescued it after paying $1,500 in storage fees (!).

Condition is surprisingly good.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the car is a Euro model with the slim bumpers and high compression V8, great paint, leather is good and has rare Orthopedic seats, 124k miles, the Michelins are less than a year old. Car does not run, but it might just need a battery as it has been sitting for 6+months.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with it...but wanted to share.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwxkr1b-oPI





More to come!

Yasin

[rfuerst911sc]

I would give that car a good detailing inside and out . Get it running well and enjoy driving it .

[908/930]

Nice car, I like the licence plate.

[ZOO]

Cool car! Needs Euro lights to be perfect. I'd happily wager 1500 bucks on that.

[Scott Douglas]

The wheels alone are probably worth what you paid. Nice get!

[matthewb0051]

I have an idea on what you can do with it.

Deliver it to San Antonio and I'll take good care of it.

[matthewb0051]

I got my son's Land Rover Disco 2 from a tow company. The PO had abandoned it on the street in Arlington VA. Tow company got title after the waiting period. IIRC, we paid $1,500 as well.

It had a few things needing attention but nothing horribly serious. The biggest issue was replacing two brake hard lines that had ruptured.

[Superman]

A 500SL of about that era came to me when my father passed. Euro/grey market. The "Hart To Hart" car. Pretty cool. Remarkably heavy. That's when I learned that a Mercedes is basically just a German Cadillac.

[herr_oberst]

If that fell into my lap, I'd do some research and then find a mechanic to check it out. I'd spend several months trying to determine if I 'had a good one' or if this car was vexed.
If I decided it was vexed, I'd just get what I could. BaT maybe.

If I thought it was as close to stone-fokking-reliable as a 37 year old S-class Merc could be, I'd maintain the bejeezus out of and NEVER SET FOOT IN AN AIRPORT FOR ANY FLIGHT IN THE US or CANADA AGAIN!!

Luxury frickin'liner.

[matthewb0051]

My first ever German car was an '88 MB 190E 2.6. One of the tightest, best put together, cars I've ever owned.

Isn't this vintage for MB known as the most over engineered and hand built eras?

The OP's car even looks like it has non-US front springs (Edit: I just realized it is a 500 not 560, so it should sit like it does). The front end is not way up in the air. I know BMW during that era had different spring heights for US and Euro markets. Stands to reason that MB would as well.

[DonDavis]

Great score!

Take plenty of before/after pics for us.

[masraum]

Reading the description, I pictured this car as having been sitting in lot after lot for 2-5 years, but 1 year old tires, and the looks, it must not have been sitting too long. It looks like a great score for $1500.

[A930Rocket]

Lucky you. Looks like a cool car and I like the color.

[slow&rusty]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the positive comments.

Yes this is the overbuilt bank vault Benz from the '80s

$1500 was a low risk purchase especially after seeing the car and its condition. And I will definitely take lots of pictures along the way. I hope to have it up and running soon...so more t come.

[LWJ]

A Teutonic Sled.

Edit: not really certain what that means. It sounded right, thought.

[sc_rufctr]

At $1,500 that car was a steal. Nicely done!

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

The wheels alone are probably worth what you paid. Nice get!

The wheels are aftermarket and only worth their scrap value. The perfect looking Euro bumpers, OTOH, are possibly worth the entire purchase price. The car looks clean in the photos!

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by speeder

The wheels are aftermarket and only worth their scrap value. The perfect looking Euro bumpers, OTOH, are possibly worth the entire purchase price. The car looks clean in the photos!

I've never seen those wheels before, I think they make the car compared to what could have been on it. The Euro bumpers are vastly better than the diving boards you usually see on this model.
I'm waiting for pics of the ortho seats. Never heard of them before either.

[MRM]

That is one of my favorite cars of all time. I still prefer the SEL models to the S Class that replaced them. The SEL was the car when I was in college. One summer a smoking hot and remarkably young brunette started her residency at the hospital where I worked in the kitchen. She had one with a personalized license plate that, if I recall correctly, was LAD1Y or LA1DY. My friends and I worshipped her. One day as I was delivering meals we passed in the corridor. She caught my eye and smiled at me. It was one of the highlight of my young life.

[pavulon]

Diving board bumpers on otherwise great European cars kill a lot of interest. A better performing engine is definite bonus. Good on you for taking a chance on a great looking big girl!