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Money no object......

Started by James R, 27 December 2006, 12:12 PM

oscar

The pressure's on. Styria help! :D

True the 280 ones on my 280s are different but have 110 numbers.  My car is 2 hours away atm, but if I get to Wagga this week I shall walk in and get the number.  Failing that I'll ring my mech and ask him to look.  I could end up with egg on my face.  How do you delete posts again ;D 
1973 350SE, my first & fave

BAR

If one was to go down the road of throwing good money after bad: speculation would see me finding a 300SL.

Then the investment in a full factory strip down and rebuild might have a payback in quality, uniqueness and improved value.  Of course it would need modern Airconditioning, Satellite Nav and Cruise Control [stay away from the heavy speeding fines in NSW].

Other considerations such as rebuilding a 6.9 etc would not make sense compared with the driveability and performance of new MB cars such a the E55 etc.

Des

Quote from: Michel on 05 January 2007, 03:52 PM
Quote from: BAR on 05 January 2007, 02:38 PM
Other considerations such as rebuilding a 6.9 etc would not make sense compared with the driveability and performance of new MB cars such a the E55 etc.

common..... it's the uniqueness of the W116 look and the rarity of the 6.9 that makes it all worthwhile..
otherwise we might as well all buy turbo charged Japanese rice burners that all look like fridges on wheels! ::)

Exactly!

Would I buy a Mercedes 170D for its performance? Or its driveability? Comfort? Features?

I would buy one because I appreciate the styling, the care and workmanship that went into the car, the passion from the company who strived to build the best cars in the world, no compromises. The 6.9 is seriously undervalued at the moment, it is the 2nd high performance saloon Mercedes released, the first being the 300SEL 6.3, factory muscle in a 4 door car to rival sports cars of the period. Wasn't it Car and Driver that rated the 6.9 as the greatest Mercedes ever produced up until that point? That says a lot.
Just look at the prices of 300SEL 6.3's, when the few remaining good examples pop up for sale they command prices over $20k AU. Give it 5-10years and the same will be of the 6.9. Are they an investment? No, are they are stunning, rolling example of German craftsmanship? Dedication to perfection, well yes. I'm not that fussed about value, sure its nice to know that I own something that is a little rare, a little bit special, something you don't see everyday on the road. I am very happy with my 6.9, and I guess I just have a little bit of pride that when I drive it I just feel better than everyone else on the road.

michaeld

#18
Quote from: s class on 27 December 2006, 04:46 PM
Like that car I would also want the extra wood.  15" Bundts, BIG bore dual pipe, no badges on the back.

Quote from: Des on 28 December 2006, 02:15 AM
18" AMG Hammer wheels, upgraded breaks, I want 1000HP out of the motor, actually they could replace it with the W140 V12 if that was easier to upgrade, turbos, supercharges, modern fuel management, full AMG bodykit, no badges

Quote from: oscar on 28 December 2006, 05:58 AM
The no badge idea is a good one.  It's leaves a bit of mystery to the car.

This "No badges" mentality sounds vaguely familiar?  Have I heard it said somewhere before?  Oh, yes, THAT'S where I remember it from:

"Badges!? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!!"
                     -From the wit and wisdom of Gold Hat in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948.

So you can only imagine for yourself what Gold Hat would say if he walked into a Mercedes-Benz dealership to buy a 6.9 and were asked if he wanted a trunk badge...

Terribly, sorry, boys.  But that little bit was all I really had to add to the discussion.
Mike

James R

I would argue that our cars are not even that uneconomical when you consider how long they've lasted. So-called environmentalists never take this into consideration when they're bashing large cars.

Your average ''turbo charged Japanese rice burner that looks like a fridge on wheels'' [absolutely loved that one] probably lasts no more than 10 years. The oldest W116 is 35 years old this year. Surely its far worse for the environment to produce 3.5 as many cars than one car that drinks a bit more gas than average. I have no guilt.
1978 450SEL 6.9 - GONE!

1979 450SEL - GONE!

Brian Crump

To trash a useable 116 and replace it with a new 'appliance' will generate more carbon and other 'pollutants' and use more of the Earth's resources than to continue to use a 116....end of argument as far as I am concerned. ;D
Guilt is for fundamentalists who want to fill their own coffers or who lack the perception to see that they need help...end of argument as far as I am concerned. ;D
As an historian and economist (qualified), I am still not convinced that global warming is totally a product of human endeavours. Perhaps it is not best to get me started.  :-\
Enjoy your 116 and ignore another forum where a contributor suggested that even one 116 left on the roads was one to many... :-[
Regards,
Brian
PS; No; I don't own a private petrol supply but the 450 is working on it for me.

Des

Interesting point about disposable cars, most modern cars are simply that, 3-5 is their life expectancy, even if you wanted to keep them longer the parts availability from the auto makers is nearly imposable.

Used to own a Holden Statesman, simple things like tail lights, trim pieces are no longer available after 5 years, what a joke, What is that saying to someone who forks out $60k for a car?

No we don't care about our products, the money you have invested, we are only here to make products, sell it, use it, throw it away and come back for another one in a few years time.

A Mercedes is a rolling statement of human achievement, man conquering the elements, Mercedes invented the automobile, that three pointed star symbolizes human advancement, engineering advancements, German dedication, almost stubbornness to a commitment to providing the best, without compromise. That is why I drive a Mercedes. It's not simply a means to an ends. Its a bold statement in a suttle yet elegant package.


oscar

Well said to three above.

Whether it's MB ingenuity or legislation, it's good to see MB's being made recyclable.  But one has to ask, does that mean they; have a definite shelf life these days, wont last long enough to be collectable, and whether the energy required to strip, melt, reconstitute, purify base ingredients uses up more energy that it becomes a useless excercise.  The 30 yr old merc is green yet again.

Re the money no object.  I'd also like one of each W116, painted the same colours, new condition.  As if I had collected the whole set of scale models of the w116, just on a 1:1 scale basis ;D
1973 350SE, my first & fave

s class

Oscar,

The W140 was a bold publicity act.  It was designed to be recyclable (the fist MB to be so thoroughly so) and they got a lot of publicity mileage out of this fact. 

Sadly, it does have a "use by" date.  I vaguely recall reading somewhere it was intended to last 10 years.  Most are now past that point, and keeping the car going is very costly indeed.  Typical W140 problems are needing to replace the wiring harnesses because the insulation has "biodegraded".  I have had to replace all the rubber baffles, gaskets, seals, O-rings, tubes etc on the inlet and vacuum system because they have simply degraded and collapsed.  My R107 has about the same mileage as my W140, the W116 has double the mileage.  Both the 116 and 107 are twice the cage of my W140, and yet show considerably less degradation in rubber items. 

Bascially the feeling is that W140's won't easily last long enough to be collectable, but obviosuly there will be a few nutcases like myself who will attempt this. The result that the W140 population is expected to decline steeply and quickly.  I suppose that may bestow some sort of rarity status on the remaining ones. 

Prediction : in 10 years time there will be fewer W140's (then 25 years old) than W116's (then 40 years old) or W108's (then 50 years old) running.

Ryan


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

Des

Oscar; MB's being green is not a new thing, when the W140 series S class was launched 15 years ago they were tauted as being friendly to the environment, water based paint, recycled metals in the bodywork, greener engines.

I think Mercedes is very aware of his cultural and historical significance, whats why we have places like the Classic Center.


oscar

The w140 is what I was thinking of remembering from an MBSpares newsletter an article about the biodegradable plastics or rather the insulation on wiring.  It would be a remarkable achievement (financial suicide) for MB to produce a vehicle completely recyclable yet virtually inert so the useby date is determined by the owner, - not UV rays, water and air pollution.
1973 350SE, my first & fave

s class

I believe that Mercedes have done the correct environmentally responsible thing with the W140 and subsequent cars.  Its just a bit discouraging for owners like myself. 

Some things have improved though, although the dashboards look to be made of a softish plastic or vinyl, they least well and I've never seen a split one. 

Ryan


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL