13th Oct 2009, 12:20
1984 MERCEDES 500 SEL.
I'm thinking about purchasing a '84 500 SEL EURO M210 engine. The body is fair with '92 S class rims, the interior is trashed, wood trim is missing, passenger seat won't operate. During test drive she sucks gas like a "drunken sailor", and for some strange reason engine temp seemed high. Would this car be a good purchase for $1900, or should I run from it?
Any suggestions?
16th Oct 2009, 15:02
Well the 500 was not known to be economical by today's standard, but should not be too excessive. Might need a good old tune up. And the temp in those cars do sometimes get high past the half mark after a long cruise in hot weather, or sitting in traffic for very long time in hot weather. If the temperature gauge gets up there just in normal everyday driving, that means the wrong mixture and or coolant is being used, or the there could be a partial block or the fan clutch is gone or going. None of those are too expensive to replace part wise if you shop around. But the kicker is that if the car is getting close to over heating on a test drive, chances are that it was overheated at some point before, and then it's time to run unless you plan on gambling with warped heads and things.
To get the interior from trashed to right - you'll put in a pretty penny a very pretty penny, make that a pretty chunk of silver if it's leather. Now if that 500 came with burlwood, good luck on finding replacement parts and the dealer will close early from the money they will rake in if you order them through them. Zebrano pieces are bit easier to find, but if I'm not mistaken, the 500 usually came with the burlwood, but who's to know if you replace all the wood anyways.
The motors for the passenger seats is a bugger to DIY, but not too hard. And dealership will see dollar signs if you get them to do it though.
I wouldn't personally buy that car for 1900, because of the cash you most likely will have to put in it to get it right anyways. 1500 from what you described assuming everything else is average condition is about as high as I will go, unless the AC works, then I might consider 1900 because a working AC saves thousands dollars worth of work.
2nd Nov 2009, 01:53
126s could be very expensive to repair. I would not touch one that has so many works outstanding. I am personally looking for a 300 SE or SEL to buy, but it must be in good working condition. Paul.
19th Nov 2009, 00:10
I bought a 1985 500 SEL in 1987 at 13500 miles. I still own it.
So far I have replaced the water pump, spark plugs, electronic ignition module, front and rear shocks, tires 5x, camshaft and valve lifter. It has 67,000 miles now. I make 13-15 miles per gallon, steering has a play, rear defogger gave out. All the rest are working.
I love this car very much.
Also would like to mention that the engine runs hot most of the time, but never overheated. I'm keeping my car until it dies.
G.
27th Nov 2009, 19:27
I need some help here fast. Here is the deal. I was driving through this town, and lo and behold, I saw a 1985 SEL 500 and it's in unreal, wonderful condition. It was in a guys garage and he is the 2nd owner. Anyway, we took it for a ride and, wow, what a nice machine. You can eat off the floor and it still smelled brand new.
My question is this. In the U.S., what is this car worth with 115,000 miles on it? He has it for sale and wants 4,000 U.S. dollars... please help me cause I am thinking this is a great deal to own a great car. I am new to Benz. It would be my first. Thanks... my e mail is landstar8891@yahoo.com
12th Mar 2010, 03:09
Hello I have a 1985 Mercedes 500 SEL, I am having a problem with the fuel pump receiving charge. I tested the fuel pump and it's good. I tested the wires from fuel pump relay to pump and they are good, I thought it was the fuel pump relay, I bought a new one and it won't send juice to the fuel pump. Besides the fuel pump relay, what can it be?
I am now looking into the lambda control unit or the fuel pump safety circuit, which I don't really know about, but read about them in the library.
Help to narrow my search.
Thank you.
12th Jun 2010, 14:48
I just bought a 1985 Mercedes Benz 500SEL for $500. It's overheating when I drive it, high idle, and hard to start. So I replaced the water-pump, thermostat, and flushed the cooling system. It's not overheating anymore; running hot 80c to just below 120c. Fan activates, so that's not the problem. Did some research and have seen that the vacuum hoses were all mixed up. I corrected it, but now I can hear a buzzing noise under the air-cleaner. Still idles high and takes a few tries before it starts.
Besides all that, the car runs good and fast. Has anyone had this problem, and how did you fix it without spending so much with a dealer? THNX!
23rd Jul 2010, 09:59
I have a 1985 500SEL with 150k. It runs great; just had a tune up, did it myself. I paid 2k for the car, and it drives better than most new cars. I have thought about selling for a sports car, but like the way this tank drives. My mechanic said it's good for another 150k easy.
Old cars are fickle, but this one's worth it.
JM.
8th Oct 2010, 10:02
1985 MBZ 500SEL - My high idle issue is that it will idle correctly most of the time, but about once a day, it will not step down below 1500 RPM. Still trying to figure this one out. Vacuum lines are good and the car is a beast that I do not ever want to part with. Can you help? Please send an email to koplinhagen@hotmail.com
16th Aug 2009, 18:02
Great car - I live in the Midwest USA. I bought my 85 SEL 500 at a car auction in 2008. I paid 1000 for it.
Well it has transmission problems; it's rough in 1st gear, reverse and park. The car has 234,000 miles on it, but other than the tranny, it kicks ass. It's a tank.
She still rides smooth. The body is a little beat, but its glazy grey paint job still looks nice.
The inside is in fair condition; it's a lighter grey.
They can be expensive to fix, unless you know the right people. I've been seeing a lot of them around on the net in my area for sale at way more reasonable prices. I'm actually considering selling mine to find one in better shape. The range can be from $900 to $5000. I hear the value is going up on these cars. There's lots of models that look similar to the SEL 500; the 300s, the 420s, the 300SDs, the 300Ss. But they are not as good as the SEL 500.. If you are looking for one look in the Midwest, you might find a good deal. I'm considering letting mine go for $1200.00.