Yet another rookie seeking advice.

Aodh

Hi everyone, like loads of people who've posted here I need advice on buying my first classic. I'm really sorry if these posts are wrecking your heads.

I'm 25, I've had full licence for a couple of years and I don't have much mechanical knowledge but I'm willing to learn.
I looking for a car to use at weekends, I live in dublin so I won't use it for commuting, and for a few trips to the far end of Mayo.

I have a budget of about €12,000 and after a bit of research I'm looking to buy a 60's Mercedes SE Coupe (W111).

If anyone has owned one of these I'd be really grateful for any advice on the SE's reliabilty, running costs, any problems they have, etc.

The advice you all have given people has been loads of help to me so far, so I'm hoping you'll be able to impart a little more knowledge.

Thanks in advance.

MercMad

Well I own a W113 (Pagoda) which we use very regularly. Its very similar mechanically to the Coupe you speak of. I will be buying a Coupe later this year too ! There are quite a lot of these cars being used daily !

Anyway these cars are very welkl built, robust and if well looked after they will provide years of sterling service. They are quite complex and finding someone over here to look after one, particularly the complex fuel injection is nearly impossible, hence I taught myself !

If you buy one at €12000 you would probably be talking about a decent 220SE or possibly a 250/280 but just ensure you get one with a rust free body. You can fix any mechanical item, everything is available new, but body parts are extremely expensive and few people want to get involved with the bodywork or have the skills to repair these cars correctly (They were hand finished at the factory).

Check that the car starts easily from cold and idles well, then before you drive away let it idle and warm up and ensure it still idles correctly. Drive it literally for about two miles and see if it starts again easily. All of the above will tell you whether the injection system is working properly as parts for this are expensive to set up correctly.

Also check the usual stuff like does it smoke when accelerating or when you back off and re-apply the throttle. They suffer from vavle guide wear so budget on €600-€1000 to get that done.

If you need any further help let me know or join the Club at www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk, we have a Leinster section that meets once a month in Dublin.

Aodh

Thanks for all the advice.
I think I saw a picture of your Pagoda posted here before, they're beautiful cars but way out of my range.

I've been aiming for a 220SE, so its good to hear I can get a decent one with my budget. I've mostly been looking on the internet so far but I'll have to extend my search.
Do you know if Mercseller.com is any good? I found this car on there:
http://www.mercseller.com/popup.cfm?p_n=267724&p_i=267724
I'm fairly cautious as so many people have warned against buying from dealers.

This is probably a really basic question but are classics usually converted over for unleaded? Or do people just use the lead replacement stuff?
I know it involves replacing parts in the engine but is it feasible or even possible on very old cars?

Thanks again for your help, its hugely appriciated.
Aodh.

ds20prefecture

Aodh wrote:

This is probably a really basic question but are classics usually converted over for unleaded? Or do people just use the lead replacement stuff?
I know it involves replacing parts in the engine but is it feasible or even possible on very old cars?

It depends on whether the seats of the valves depend on lead content in the fuel for lubrication. Generally, if your classic was sold in the US after 1970 you should be fine on regular unleaded without additives. I've put 30000km on my 1972 DS using regular 95RON unleaded. Another thing to look for is if the car can be converted to LPG. There is no lead in LPG, so the car will run fine on unleaded if this is the case.

I don't know about the Mercedes - but if you join a club, and indeed a specialist mercedes forum, you should get the answer.

A different concern is the octane of the petrol used. Most European cars of that vintage relied on 98 octane fuel - using 95 will cause pre-detonation or "pinking" under load. This can be worked around either by using an octane booster (not to be confused with lead additive) or by retarding the ignition timing a little. The latter gives you a slight drop in power, but much better running on the lower octane fuel.

mike65

For disscusion on the olde worlde Merc try here

Here are some keyword searches 250 Se w111


Mike.

MercMad

Firstly I know numerous people who have purchased from Richard in Mercseller, he provides a good service ! Bear in mind he is only putting buyer and seller together and you should have someone experineced to check each vehicle properly !

These Mercs will run on unleaded 95 without an additive and may only require a mild adjustement to the ignition timing, mine didn't! I overhauled the cylinder head which was original and discovered that despite 10 years of using unleaded fuel there was no valve seat reccession or damage. This is consistent with what the Clubs technical people say and I have done over 45k in mine using only unleaded. The valve seats were made much harder than even modern cars so whatever you would use to replace the seats would be softer !

Good luck and happy hunting !