Topic: Anyone here ever owned an sec?

[gf]

Anyone owned/ own one? What are they like?
One day if I can ever afford a double lockup garage i might consider one.

[floyd111]

Aaah, the SEC's. Had posters of those on my walls as a kid, staring at them for hours, for years, in absolute awe, for their design, the perfect lines. A true designer masterpiece, I thought. Still do today. I still badly want one.
I been shopping around for a SEC for quite some time in the past, and in the end had to walk away simply because of the insane road taxes they charge for large engines here in Taiwan, and 280SEC's are near impossible to find here. That said, I learned from several owners that one is best off picking a first gen SEC, the ones that did not have the modern ECU systems yet. Told me that maintenance is heaps easier on those, regarding electrical/electronical issues. That is as much as I know about them. Considering how cheap they still are in a regular condition, I would expect that one needs top prepare for big repair bills along the way.

[karmann_20v]

This is Daniel's fault, I swear! I was fortunate to pick this fine example late last year and never looked back.
What would you like to know?

[gf]

Wow! Love the colour and are those flag posts at the front?
How's it compare to the w116 in terms of
Reliability
Comfort performance  and handling
Repair and running costs
Parts availability
Personal gripes you've encountered  with the type
 Do they drive much different to the w126 sedans?

[TJ 450]

They are great cars, although some specific body and trim parts can be hard to get from what I’ve heard. Mechanically they are similar to the W126 short wheelbase sedans so they retain the same comfort and reliability, which is great even today. They are a lot more refined than the W116 and are really a thoroughly improved and revised version rather than something entirely new like the W124/201.

Personally I would look for an update (post 86 model) as they offer better performance and the CIS-E Injection is nothing to worry about (they will even run with the ECU unplugged albeit not optimally). I would still buy a preupdate in good condition though.

I had an early 500SEC for a while, which was fantastic to drive but quite rusty hence I didn’t hold onto it for long.

Tim

[floyd111]

This is Daniel's fault, I swear! I was fortunate to pick this fine example late last year and never looked back.
What would you like to know?

That IS the color of colors...

And with all windows down, it's enough to get wobbly feet if the light strikes it from the right angle.

[rumb]

W126 is a great platform. plus they are all at the bottom of the price curve so now is a good time to pick a nice one up.

[karmann_20v]

Wow! Love the colour and are those flag posts at the front?
How's it compare to the w116 in terms of
Reliability
Comfort performance  and handling
Repair and running costs
Parts availability
Personal gripes you've encountered  with the type
 Do they drive much different to the w126 sedans?

Thank you for the complements!
My car is the "RUF" version of the 560SEC, which is the high compression (10:1) 300HP non-catalytic equipped one. It blows my 450SEL out of the water acceleration wise and I like that it is a SWB and it shows on the twisties, compared to the 420 and 560SELs I had many moons ago. I did replace a fair bit in the front suspension, brakes and steering and it feels very tight.  I'd say that the repair and running costs are similar to the W116, however it is a more complex car with rear SLS, ABS and KE-Jetronic (CIS-E). As Tim mentioned, SEC specific parts tend to either be NLA, or super expensive if available. That being said, they aren't exactly that rare either, so used parts can be sourced with relative ease.
Rather than talk about the reliability, I would say that the newest C126 is 27 years old and even low mileage examples will require a fair bit of "refreshing", if it hasn't been done. I am referring to the cooling system, fuel system, vacuum system and any other aged/dried component such as rubber bushings, etc.
They were solid cars, one of the last generations to back "Das Beste Oder Nichts" MB slogan.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

[gf]

Thanks guys! What colours the interior floyd? 300hp would be more than adequate for me! Love the styling as much as the sedan versions. sounds like they would be difficult to part with a good one.
Rents and property prices here have practically doubled which makes a second garage space doubtful in the near future. Unfortunately I'm not  prepared to exchange my beloved but not perfect w116.

[floyd111]

It's Mitternachtsblau 904 that paintjob, not?

[UTn_boy]

and 280SEC's are near impossible to find here.

They didn't make a 280 SEC.  No wonder you can't find one.   

The coupe` models only came in:

380SEC
500SEC
420SEC
560SEC. 

[floyd111]

Hahaha!  Indeed, never checked, always presumed, but now you mention it.. indeed. Never saw one. Clearly confused and mixed up the R107 product line. That's it for my SEC dreams then. 3800CC is more then 250usd per month in taxes.. Auch!

[karmann_20v]

It's Mitternachtsblau 904 that paintjob, not?

I somehow missed that. It is 904 indeed, but on the buildsheet it is referred to as Dunkelblau