S-Class W126 Need W126 300SE wisdom, Wimmer?

[FC123]

Hi,

I am seriously contemplating purchasing an 86 W126 300SE aut.

Some questions:

What's the gearing like on these? As far as I can tell, they run a 3,46 diff and a 1:1 transmission in 4th. Does this mean the engine gets loud at a cruising speed of 110 km/h, or is the sound insulation so good, it doesn't really matter?

Fuel economy, am I mad to hope for approx. 10L/100 km at a steady 110 km/h cruise? (90 % of my daily driving).

How's the parts situation? I can get everything I need for my W123.

Are all 300s made after they started galvanizing the W126?

Oh, and as I'm in DK, the cheapest one advertised is approx 13,000 USD, so I don't want to make snap judgments.
Thanks!

 

[cawimmer430]

Hi,

I'll do my best. You do know that I sold the 300SE, right? My neighbor now uses it for his "chauffering newlyweds" around.

What's the gearing like on these? As far as I can tell, they run a 3,46 diff and a 1:1 transmission in 4th. Does this mean the engine gets loud at a cruising speed of 110 km/h, or is the sound insulation so good, it doesn't really matter?

I left my big Mercedes Bible at home in Mühldorf with the specific gearing information for all W126s. Damn! I can tell you though that the loudness of the engine depends on the condition of the motor. In my case there was a damaged rocker on the engine camshaft and that produced a slight knocking sound at higher speeds. Generally though, the engine is not struggling at high speeds and is reasonably quiet. Cockpit sound isolation is decent for a car of that era but you can hear the engine. The faster you go, the louder the engine sound. At 110 up to around 140 km/h the motor is pretty quiet so you actually don't have to worry about anything here.

Fuel economy, am I mad to hope for approx. 10L/100 km at a steady 110 km/h cruise? (90 % of my daily driving).

A long time ago when we were traveling as a family in this car we average 11 L / 100 km with four people and their luggage in the car and cruising at 160 km/h on the French highways, even though 130 km/h was the limit. The 300SE is surprisingly economical. Spirited driving can see the car use 12-13 L / 100 km which is acceptable. If you drive really carefully and look ahead you can even achieve 9 L / 100 km but that is rarely though.

What can be problematic is that the engine needs a lot of oil as it gets older. It wasn't uncommon for me to fill up a liter of oil after every, 1,000-1,500 km. That's one of the major downsides. A professional Mercedes technician with 35+ years of experience on older Mercedes' told me that this is "normal" for the W126 6-cylinders.

How's the parts situation? I can get everything I need for my W123.

Same for the W126. Lot's of spare parts available. Mercedes even offers original engines etc. for the W126. No worries here.

Are all 300s made after they started galvanizing the W126?

The 300SE is a facelift model meaning post-1985. Prior to that you had the carburated 280S and the fuel injected 280SE (SEL) models. The 260SE and 300SE were new for 1985. It's a good deal considering the 260SE is a bit of a slug and needs more gas than the 300SE.

Oh, and as I'm in DK, the cheapest one advertised is approx 13,000 USD, so I don't want to make snap judgments.
Thanks!

Hope my info helped.

Remember, a good-condition W126 is a good investment. They're reliable and cheap to maintain. The biggest problem facing you is RUST. This is common on older Mercedes' so make sure you find one that is in good condition.

 

[FC123]

Brugte biler > Brugt Mercedes > Mercedes 300 SE 30 4-dørs '85 km 16...

That's one of the candidates.

I know the color is not "normal", but I quite like it.

The oil is no problem. My W123 does the same thing. The manual even states you should refill a bit every 1000 km or so.

Otherwise thank you. If you can find the specs that would be great.

 

[cawimmer430]

The condition looks excellent inside and out. A well-taken care off car from the looks of it. Looks like a good buy if you ask me.

I personally would remove those rims and the clear front blinkers are not to my liking also.

Just make sure you have enough money to buy the motor oil this thing will need every 1,000-1,500 km!

 

[FC123]

The condition looks excellent inside and out. A well-taken care off car from the looks of it. Looks like a good buy if you ask me.

I personally would remove those rims and the clear front blinkers are not to my liking also.

Just make sure you have enough money to buy the motor oil this thing will need every 1,000-1,500 km!

It does look very good.

I testdrove a 91 w124 300E-24 today. A world of difference to my w123, going to testdrive another tonight. The guy with the w126 doesn't respond to my mails or calls.

Don't know about the w124 300E-24, it doesn't feel very Benz-like next to a w123.

 

[cawimmer430]

It does look very good.

I testdrove a 91 w124 300E-24 today. A world of difference to my w123, going to testdrive another tonight. The guy with the w126 doesn't respond to my mails or calls.

Don't know about the w124 300E-24, it doesn't feel very Benz-like next to a w123.

The W124 300E has the same engine as a W126 300SE. Think of the 300E as a more compact W126 with better handling but not as comfy.

Hmmm, not to pass judgment but those clear-light blinkers upfront make me think that the current owner was a boy-racer or something. It looks very...improper on a car like that.

 

[DaSilva]

Brugte biler > Brugt Mercedes > Mercedes 300 SE 30 4-dørs '85 km 16...

That's one of the candidates.

I know the color is not "normal", but I quite like it.

BUY IT!!!!
LOOKS AWSOME!
What a stunning condition on that car...

 

[Gullwing]

The W124 300E has the same engine as a W126 300SE. Think of the 300E as a more compact W126 with better handling but not as comfy.

Hmmm, not to pass judgment but those clear-light blinkers upfront make me think that the current owner was a boy-racer or something. It looks very...improper on a car like that.

The W124 300E had a 12 valve cylinder head the W124 300E-24 had a 24 valve cylinder head.
The 24 valve head came about in the early 90s I think so it is slightly different then the one in a mid-last 80s W126.

 

[cawimmer430]

The W124 300E had a 12 valve cylinder head the W124 300E-24 had a 24 valve cylinder head.
The 24 valve head came about in the early 90s I think so it is slightly different then the one in a mid-last 80s W126.

The W124 300E had the same engine as the W126 300SE with 2 valves per cylinder. The 300E-24 had a different, newly developed engine. The post-1993 W124 E320 was a bored out version of the 300E-24.