W140 As a daily?

sc_rufctr · 11:43 PM

Local car that I could buy for next to nothing. ($2,800)

1996 6 cylinder version so it should be fairly unexciting to drive.
Paint is tired but the rest of the car looks fine & no leaks on the driveway it's been sitting on.
Considering it's traveled about 159,000 miles it actually drives well & looks OK in real life.

I've always loved these cars. Do you remember the buzz surrounding them at the time of release?
At the time they seemed gigantic. Now compared to the average SUV, not so much.

Was looking at a much newer one but at $2,800 I figured why not?

Am I nuts? (Not worried about fuel costs & I plan to DIY.)

greglepore · 05-04-2017, 02:30 AM

I have dd'd a w140 for 3 yrs. had a 320 wagon before that. The 32 engine is susceptible to external head gasket leaks, around a 2 k fix but by 96 mostly fixed. Don't buy any pre 96 cars as they have biodegradable soy wiring insulation. A/C evaps can go and its a 3k job. Again mostly sorted by 96. Usual heavy german car issues with suspension bushings etc.
The good news is they are super highway cars, dead quiet and stable. Killer audio if you stick a modern headunit in, leave the stock amp. Excellent forum for diy. They are vaults on wheels and were built to a standard to compete w RR etc.
I currently have a v12 coupe and also an r129 roadster or the same era. PM me if you want more info

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

slow&rusty · 07:42 PM

No problem using one as a daily. I currently own the model before that (W126) and I could easily daily its reliable, well built and safe.

I assume that the one you're looking at has the 3.2L? If so, check when the head gasket was done as that is the only weak link on these engines. Other than that, these cars are bank vaults with a three pointed star on each end.

island911 · 05-04-2017, 05:11 AM

head gasket ? Well at least that has to be easy (Sooo much room in that engine bay; w/ a 6.)

160k+ on a '97 here. My complaint is the seats are not all that comfortable. --I have high expectations for an S-class on that. fwiw, the W140 coupes have a more comfortable version of seat. (softer).

greglepore · 05-04-2017, 07:11 AM

FWIW the Aussie guys over at Benzworld complain about parts costs down there, might want to check in a bit.

Other common issues involve the pumps-one in the trunk for the soft close stuff and one under the rear seat for locks and seat bladders-these often fail. Seat bladders themselves are often dead as well - they don't age great. That's all "if you care" stuff.

Fabulous cars though.

javadog · 05-04-2017, 07:45 AM

I owned a 500SEL for a long time. Nicely built but any parts needed will be eye-wateringly expensive. Even routine maintenance parts will cost a ton of money. Lots of very complicated systems on those cars, too.

An Audi A8 is far more fun to drive. A W140 likes to go straight, not so much to go around corners.

JR

MauleM5-235 · 05-07-2017, 06:09 PM

I have been daily driving a 1998 S500 for almost a year now. It is as comfortable a car as you can find and is a great highway driver. It is not so great for driving in the downtown core, but is not any worse than a big SUV such as a Suburban. The mileage is OK. So far my running costs have been OK, neither great nor horrible. I think you have to go into it knowing that you have to buy them correctly and then also know that a single large repair (while unlikely, it is possible) can cost so much you just decide to get rid of the car (whether that is donate it to charity, give it away or sell it for whatever you can get for it).

Our teenage daughter will use it as her car beginning in September. It is big, very safe and relatively inexpensive. If she destroys it, the financial impact will not be that bad and the chances of her being hurt in an accident in it are small.

sc_rufctr · 05-07-2017, 06:16 PM

Thanks for the input. Just one question around the head gasket issues of the 6 cylinder engine.

Does replacing the head gasket when (if) it fails solve the problem for good or does it reoccur latter on?

There's mixed info about the issue on-line.

sc_rufctr · 05-09-2017, 05:52 PM

Different car. "Stuffed" seat but look at the arm rest... Yuck

greglepore · 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Thanks for the input. Just one question around the head gasket issues of the 6 cylinder engine.

Does replacing the head gasket when (if) it fails solve the problem for good or does it reoccur latter on?

There's mixed info about the issue on-line.

Allegedly the head gasket was redesigned and the updated gasket is less problematic. Assuming you have head milled etc you should be fine. The problem is that because the leak is external, many folks let them go until they fail catastrophically causing a major overheat. Then its an issue of making sure the head/block interface is perfect again before installing the new gasket.

When mine in the e320 wagon let go I was on the highway. Ended up milling the head and replacing pretty much the entire cooling system. This was at around 160k. Car was given away, now has over 200k and is going strong.

BTW, the secret to success with these cars, like most depreciated luxury cars, is condition and care. They are not cheap to keep up, which is why low demand keeps the prices down. As a consequence, folks buy them and use them up-like 944's were for a while.

island911 · 05-10-2017, 05:35 AM

in my experience, Interior bits are expensive. Other hard parts are pretty typical in price and easily found.

sc_rufctr · 05-10-2017, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

in my experience, Interior bits are expensive. Other hard parts are pretty typical in price and easily found.

The pic I posted above is a "country" car. Paint, engine, gearbox it's good but it would take some effort to sort out the interior.
The drivers seats is the worst of it. The rest is grubby but nothing some elbow grease wouldn't sort out.
(Wood trim etc. is actually pretty good)

Meanwhile there's a guy in the US selling a seat full cover set that looks like it's the same color.
He doesn't ship to Aus but my sister who lives in Denver could buy it for me and ship it to Aus.

US $275.50 Not so bad.

island911 · 05-10-2017, 05:49 AM

Yeah, not bad.

I've had a sun-visor loose detent, and a rear-view mirror bezel crack.(common) The mirror (with auto dim) is sold only as assemble at ~1k USD. --I 3D printed a replacement bezel.

With so many being sent to the scrap-heap, used parts ought to become more common.

sc_rufctr · 05-13-2017, 01:13 AM

Picked her up this afternoon. 400 km+ round trip!

S420

nzporsche944s2 · 05-13-2017, 03:25 AM

Congratulations!

I've always liked that model - incredibly well engineered.

Also the model Princess Diana died in

sc_rufctr · 05-13-2017, 04:06 AM

She's a beast. I floored it to overtake a B-double & she was at 150 kph in a few moments.

I'm writing a to do list right now but as she stands she's pretty good. Everything works including the soft close function and central locking.
I got a full set of keys & service history as well.

greglepore · 05-13-2017, 04:58 AM

Cool.
They guy in the US that does those seat covers is an enthusiast. He pulls the leather off of rear seats in scrapyards and makes front seat covers. There are lots of 140's in US scrapyards due to high cost of repair.

enzo1 · 05-13-2017, 12:53 PM

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Kz01PM-xoDnqsiuwTn5og

sc_rufctr · 05-20-2017, 05:54 PM

Thanks Enzo. I've been spending some time watching his videos.

Meanwhile... What a car! I regret waiting this long to get one. The V8 is as sweet as a nut.
Cleaning and detailing right now. I'll post some pics when I'm done!

enzo1 · 05-20-2017, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Thanks Enzo. I've been spending some time watching his videos.

Meanwhile... What a car! I regret waiting this long to get one. The V8 is as sweet as a nut.
Cleaning and detailing right now. I'll post some pics when I'm done!

Cool!. Please don't tell me how much You like it. I'm just looking for an excuse to buy 1. No pic's! They might give me an itch. HA!