W116.org

I cant remember the last time i saw a healthy supply of daily driven 116's - Infact, i cant even remember the last time i saw some 116's that I havent seen before!

There is one cream 280SEL in good condition, ive seen twice this week, and once last week... Where have they all gone?

Is it the price of petrol, or simply the weather... Whats going on?! 

Most of them have disappeared, unfortunately. There are a few good ones around here being used as daily drivers, mainly by eccentric retired gentlemen.

My 450 has become the daily driver for the week as my Volvo is having a rest down at Fremantle.

Tim

You're a bit young to be an eccentric retired gentleman 

when Tim said the volvo was down at freo, he meant he sold it to the slav wrecker!

serioulsy though, ive seen more good 116s in the last 2 months than i have in the last year or two...i even drove like a demon to catch one on the freeway, but alas it was like a mirage as i got stuck in peakhour to see it crawl away from me not knowing the mohican had been stalking him

There are several in Kalamunda but you do see them a lot less often now.

Bill

I see them quite often around Adelaide, but then I seem to recall we may have the oldest 'fleet' in Australia. In the last week I have seen a 280se and 450sel that were rough as rough, paint trim etc, full of all sorts of stuff in them, one looked like it was lived in! but obviously still used constantly and doing really good service! Mine gets used daily.

A couple of years ago I crudely guessed that there was about 7000 registered w116's in Aus based on the number of w116's spotted in my town per capita.  Of the approximate 8-9 from memory seen back then, there's been a couple come and go in between but now I only know of my 350 and a gold 280SELwhich was in good nic.  I say was because although I see it regularly, today I saw this 280 with it's front end caved in  . I'll try and grab a pic soon but the rest have faded into history. 

Of late, the Tassie 450sel with a decent dent in one of the B-pillars hasn't been seen since late last year.  The bomby milan brown 6.9 with dented doors has been awol for two years and a couple of white 280's I used to see regularly up the street have also vanished since last year. So apart from one stunning pristine cypress green 280 that I spotted about two years ago disused in a farmers's garage, I'm close to having the best w116 in all of Griffith.  Not sure if that's something to brag about yet or not.  There's simply not much to compare with anymore.

Yes, I have noticed a very sharp decline in the number of 116s on the road as of late, I'm glad i wasnt the only one.

I guess after all the bangers are gone, only the good ones will be left ? Some of them are better left to die with dignity rather than be tortured by plebs who dont appreciate them..

Definitely.  When a few of the dodgy ones appeared, came and went they had pieces missing.  I got paranoid about leaving my car on the street during an evening shift and always brought my car inside the plant room in town thinking that my 350 might be treated as a parts car by one of these transient w116 owners.  It happened to me before when I had the 1985 ZD Fairlane.  Centre caps got stolen whilst I left it out on the street one evening.  There were too many other white ones in town that also had an odd cap missing,  I didn't know who to blame.

Well I see W116's in my garage every day, but aside from that, its very unusual now to see one around.  At a guess, I probably only see one every second week.  This week gone, I saw GrantV's 6.9, but that kind of doesn't count since he's a friend. 

also in holland its fading , i went to switzerland last weekend and on the highway in holland no W116 or an other oldtimer i have seen on the road and on the german autobahn i saw just one oldtimer and that was an opel diplomat from the early seventies but most germans who saw my W116 gave me an positive greeting just like you greet an old gentleman , and also some german ladies couldnt resist the W116 , and an W140 600SE who past me fast as lightning he blowed his horn when passing me , but such positive reactions gives an good feeling , but with modern plastic cars people dont notice you like that , but its strange that the oldtimers are fading away on the road also in holland    .                     

I spend a lot of time on the road - and while I dont see 116's on the highways I see them commuting about town(ships) with 6 or 7 passengers and their baggage stuffed in like sards - with not much left for rear springs and riding on the narrowest tyres available. Disgusting.
But there is one other 116 with a decent owner - it is an earlyish beige 280S manual with mud flaps and steel hubcaps which still looks very good. I often see the lady driver cruising the local farm road rather briskly on her way to drop the kids at school.
And then I think: that is probably what that car did 30 yrs ago.

Another one lives in Bethlehem in the Free State - elderly owner, late model thistle green 280S a/t, sunroof, loaded - and that is the best looking 116 I've seen in the dry climate of central SA.

I see a few around Melbourne. About 12 months ago I posted that I'd average seeing a couple everyday, don't think much has changed.

koan

Well, today I'm sh*tty and just put Max up for sale.

Obscurity perhaps well deserved.

Dissolve like instant soup cubes - mine has rust despite not seeing RAIN for 20 yrs!
Incredible 100% failure rates of core luxury components (windows/locks/sunroof/AC-heat systems)
Suspensions and other rubber components made of some sort of self-degrading material
Wind Noise
Low power to weight ratio (450SEL USA example)

Beautiful to behold, yes - to own -  AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!   My pass window stuck down due to regulator flex and I can't even PULL it out of the door to avoid humiliation when driving on cool or rainy days.   Door panel and inner buttress require Herculean efforts to remove both trim AND component affected.   

Fuel economy could only be worsened by chaining car to tree.

Wind noise so phenomenal at 70MPH even I began to wonder - AFTER replacing seals.
(note - mentioned in brochure)

Rode in buddy's 1976 Cadillac Coupe deVille yesterday:

ICE on AC vents
Windows could cut arms off!
19MPG from 472 CUBIC INCHES on highway
Sunroof had a GLASS PANEL and WORKED

Rust was on the sway bars ONLY - and it was a lifetime Indiana car!

(&(*&&&   IT!

Thinking of joining the Lincoln "Turbine Wheel Appreciation League"  -

1981 Lincoln Towncar, 76000 miles - $2900

this is a very sad day john.  if only you were in wa (western australia), we could have another meeting and get your spirits up.

poor max...