Why I love my car

[polymathman]

I grew up in the country, in the '50s. Things broke on a regular basis, and you either fixed it or did without - new was never an option.

My dad liked Dodges, and we had a half dozen or so in various states of salvage. You needed a part, you got one off an old one. He would say "If one man can make it, another feller can figure it out and fix it."

I was stationed in Germany in 1970, and one of the guys had a 190SL with starter and windshield motor problems. Took apart the starter and I was impressed by how well it was made. The problem was a worn bushing on the clutch end. Walked down to the MB dealership and the parts guy looked at it, opened a small drawer and handed me a new bushing. Cost me a Deutschmark (@ $.25). Bought 2. Wiper motor was the same - came apart easily and sensibility, and MB had the parts. I went back and REALLY looked at the car's mechanical design. Things were easy to get at, looked really well made and were designed to be fixed. And everything looked like, with care, it would last forever, unlike the Dodges which were designed to wear out. I was in love!

I bought the car from the guy for $1,000 and shipped it home to West Virginia. We put it in the barn and for weeks we spent our evenings taking it apart and putting it back together over and over again. No manuals, and we made the special tools for disassembly. Ran like a Swiss watch. Years later, when I got my first Mercedes Benz Workshop Manual, I stayed up all night reading it, marveling at the detailed procedures and satisfied on how close we had come on fabricating the special tools. Many times, when I'm working on my car, I wish I was back there again.

The W116 was one of Friedrich Geiger's best designs and one of his last. After that, necessity dictated that the company move to more mass production.
I can understand this.
I look at Old Blue sitting next to my wife's 2005 C320 4Matic and think that mine was made by a bunch of old school guys and her's was made by their kids - after they went to MIT.

[Squiggle Dog]

And this is why I don't want to own a newer car than what I currently drive. It was made before I was born, but I marvel at how well it was built. The car companies can keep producing what they are today, but they won't have my business (except when I buy parts for it from The Classic Center--Mercedes has it right to keep making parts for their older models).

[beagle2022]

Beautifully written reflection.  My first Merc was a 1959 220s.  I was 18.  I crawled over every part of that car and like you came to love the craftsmanship and thoughfulness that was evident in the design and execution of the vehicle.  I suspect that if corrosion was taken out of the equation my 116 could last almost forever.  I love the fact that I can work out what each part actually does and that small scale, regular maintenance keeps it running reliably.  I know there is constant commentary on the forum about the low commercial value of our cars, but the upside is that they are accessible to lots of folk who will never get near a gullwing. 

[daantjie]

Indeed.  I find even the huge motor of the 6.9 relatively easy to work on.  Today's modern engine compartments are so cramped with plastic and sensors and all kinds of crap, makes me nauseous just to look at it!
I do feel though that with Benz slapping an AMG badge on everything nowadays it has definitely cheapened the brand.  To me the pinnacle of Benz was in the 60/70/80 era.  Solid cars running pretty much forever if they are maintained even to a marginal level. 

[floyd111]

I second those thoughts.
I may not be the mechanic you guys are, but I share the emotion of appreciation for all things well-built.
Even as a kid, looking at a old Merc, I stood amazed, looking at the details in design, the heavily chromed bits and bobs that were everywhere, with perfectly fitted shiny screws holding them in place. If only a W116 would have been fitted with the chrome seat mechanism panels..
I marveled -and still do- at the flowing elegant features on a W111, the Teutonic, indestructible face of a W116, the superstar charisma of a Gullwing and the over the top, bigger than life appearance of a Grosser Mercedes.

Last year I got to sit in a W111 for a minute. It was parked in a poorly lit basement garage, catching dust. I don't know if it was restored or not, but it was flawless. I hate red interiors, but I loved the red interior. I loved the dash, the seats, the carpets, the front window and the chrome panels on the side of the chairs. I loved the smell of the old leather..
My mind was desperately trying to come up with a scheme that would allow me to cough up 25 grand. It failed.
When I got out of the car, and closed the door, I nearly fainted by what I heard.
I opened the door once more, and closed it again, now even more careful not to use any excess force.
The sound.. what a sound.
How perfectly it closed. How intricate the mechanism. The combination of those high and low tonal frequencies that make up the sound of a perfectly built closing door.
As I took a few steps back, I drank in the beauty of the exterior and imagined owning it, driving it, being the fortunate one that had the luxury of closing that very car door every evening.
Maybe next year.

The Gullwing is immaculate, for sure.
It is gorgeous, fantastic and unattainable.
It would also be a nightmare. Where to park it? How to drive it without the risk of anyone hitting you in traffic? What if my belt buckle accidentally tears a scratch in the upholstery? How to keep it from getting stolen? How to drive it daily without worrying about replacing worn down parts?
The list is endless, and that is because they are non-questions. You can't drive that car. It belongs in a fortified museum and is to be observed only. That, to me, is no fun.

This is where the W116 shines. Even though they are not fetching lush sales prices yet, they are yet another masterpiece of classic German engineering. A well-fitted door almost sounds as amazing as a W111, with the additional tonalities of a closing vault's door.
The interior is as roomy as a Bentley. The driving experience is relaxed as a Jaguar. One never needs to be in a hurry getting anywhere.
If per chance, you find yourself with damage, it can be fixed. It can be replaced.
In our lifetime, we will not run out of affordable options to keep driving these cars.
In most cases, one needs not be worried about thieves stealing a W116. No excess security required.
Unlike MB Sport cars, and AMG cars, the W116 does not feed the ego. You can drive this chromed Behemoth to your factory job, and use it as a wedding car as well.
This car will never make one look like a rich prick or a German farmer.

What would happen to these advantages if suddenly the W116 sells as high as a classic SL?
We'd find ourselves driving a W126. Not bad, but not the same.
Let's enjoy it while it lasts.

[JasonP]

I would hate to talk behind Irene's back, but I will soon be due another W116. (Irene is my 1979 300SD).

I feel as all of you do. I purchased this car when I was in dire straights for $1k, because it was all I could afford and I needed something reliable. I have put about $2 - $3k in it over the past 4 years (that price would be double or triple if not for my parts car), and I commute 100 miles a day, but the rust is just getting too much. I hear pieces flying off randomly now on the road.

I know banks do not give loans for used cars, because they would make no money off of them if they had to repo them. But I do not want a new car. I want a 300SD. Forever. The comfort, the style - holy shit, the style, it is a masterpiece of classical design - the ability fix almost anything on my own, I do not want a modern car. Any suggestions on how to acquire one of these with little rust, and not break the bank?

Every once in a while I do rent a car and enjoy the modernity of it all, but I love my 1979. I just feel it is more noble. It has more quality, more class. And I am not going to pay anybody $200 to change my oil. That would be surrendering my Man card.

[floyd111]

Are you not in the very best country, as far as finding a 300SD, as well as finding one with little rust, is concerned?
Go on a roadtrip, head south, and go see a couple of craigslist offers in person.
Maybe go look for a breaker that has decent, stripped chassis' for a few bucks, and transplant your car parts onto a better chassis.
At least, that's what I'd do, when faced with a passion for W116, and limited funds.-in the USA
And, different from me, it sounds as if you know your way mechanically..

[wbrian63]

Having owned W116's, W140's and W220's, I'm of the opinion that the W116's were not the last of the "designed to a standard, not to a budget target" cars. I've not owned a W126, but those that do usually say the biggest difference is the availability of "creature comforts" vs the W116's (think power seats, memory seats, ABS - yes, available on late-production W116's, but available on all W126 cars), etc.

"Far as I can tell", the biggest problem W116's have is R U S T. After that, the Chrysler-sourced auto-climate controls in US-delivered models, tied with cast-aluminum frames on the window regulators. Other than that, they're nearly indestructible.

The W140 I had (a '92 300SE) was an amazing vehicle, both in a positive and a negative way. Fortunately, someone had already replaced the underhood primary wiring harness, so I was spared that problem, but other issues prevailed. Much of what was wrong with the car was due to previous owner's lack of maintenance and care. And - whomever in Germany thought it was a good idea to put a 228hp engine in a 4500# chassis and saddle it with a 5sp auto that started in 2nd gear - was an idiot. You had to drive the car like you stole it to keep up with city street traffic. Best I ever got in mixed driving was 16mpg - long highway trips might net 19, but keep it under 75mph. Moved up to a W220 AMG S55 - 355hp and usually got about 17 in mixed driving - highway driving at 75 returned 21 or so. Of course, that car was as much like my 6.9 as my iPhone is like a hand-crank party line phone from waaay back in the last century.