AMG5pt4 said:
Both of my Gen I AMG steering wheels on my 84 500SEL AMG and 85 500SEC AMG Widebody have K.B.A. 70042 and Ati-4 stamped on the back. Having said that, I have seen poorly done Italvolante replica steering wheels on eBay and Instagram, but this steering wheel offered is a legit Italvolante steering wheel that is at the very least a well done replica. 99.9% of people looking at this wheel could not tell it was not original. There are not many of the originals in existence and the recent Bonhams auctions for Barry Taylor's stash of AMG bits showed prices from $2k to $3k for genuine wheels. The leather seam on the outer rim offered here is correct at the 4 o'clock position. https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/29954/lot/100/a-used-amg-for-mercedes-benz-grey-leather-steering-wheel-16-inches-in-diameter-1-inch-in-height/ The correct hub for this wheel is made by Atiwe and would have 500x stamped on the base of the hub with either smooth vinyl or accordion shaped hub. Here are two examples that sold yesterday (Jul 29) in Part 2 of the Bonhams AMG auction https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/30524/lot/317/a-nos-aitwe-for-amg-21mm-steering-wheel-hub-grey-leather-wrapped-years-1980-1995/ https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/30524/lot/315/a-nos-atiwe-for-amg-21mm-steering-wheel-hub-in-black-vinyl-years-1980-1995/
BTW, just yanking Cam's chain at DC Motorworks. He is a good man.
Worst part about this Gen I SEC is the license plate. THWG! Too bad about the old cell phone antenna drilled through the trunk lid. Sacrilege! And Cam worked on this? Sigh. Really nice SEC and a stone's throw from me...
Yep, another E500E from Japan with RHD/LHT headlights and ROW (rest of world) headlights are No Longer Available and very hard/expensive to find new/used.
So according to Xentry, this SEC was originally 735 Silver and has been color changed to 040 Black. This car has the very early ASR I system (available on Euro W126's), offered as an option on US w126's only in 1991. I see that the cruise control ASR module is not hooked up to the throttle linkage. Are there any dash warning lights from the ASR system when the car is running/being driven? The ASR system can be a problem child to keep in working order. The engine # in Pic 122 matches Xentry, so the 10:1 compression is correct. Who did the widebody modifications? The door card inserts and rear side panel inserts with the pleated leather are from an 89-91 SEC. Nice upgrade from the vinyl inserts.
@sirmathrocks go to https://126board.com/ and register and contact me using the same handle as this site
Very fortunate as to no cracks in the blue dash pad. I urge the new owner to wipe down the dash pad with Aerospace 303 Protectant to minimize IR/UV ray damage to the dash pad (plus 303 when wiped down makes the dash look like new).
Post pics of the exhaust manifold on each side - if they are stock Euro logs or AMG headers. Any cracks in the blue dash - especially at the speaker grills? W126 Blue dash pads are famous for cracking.
Nice Gen I SEL. Despite the lack of original AMG paperwork, this car has the look and patina and the right parts for me to conclude this is a legit AMG Germany car. I have a fully documented 84 500SEL Euro AMG with the same front Recaros and similar AMG bodykit (mine has the smaller trunk/boot spoiler) and other bits. I also have a NOS front sedan spoiler/air dam and mine has the AMG part # embossed in the exact same place as on this car. Very correct. I see that the car has an AMG sticker on the air cleaner and Spark Plug stickers on the valve covers. Have you taken the valve covers off to see if the car has AMG cams and solid lifters? The air cleaner sticker states 203kw, which equates to 272hp, which is way more than the stock 228 output. I will bet this is a 5.0L AMG engine with solid lifters and AMG cams. My 5.4L AMG engine with cams, headers, solid lifters was 310hp from AMG. I strongly suggest you take off the valve covers (have a set of new valve cover gaskets and the little copper crush washers for re-install to only 8-10 Lbs/ft torque). If you have AMG engine work, your car's value will double or triple. You can easily remove the valve covers by removing the 12 or so long 8mm bolts around the edge of the valve covers (have to remove the spark plug wires - put a piece of tape around each wire before removing and label them so you don't get them mixed up!). Then take a small mirror and flashlight and check the back end of the camshafts for AMG markings - mine show 50.1 AMG stamped on the back. My early set had these markings hand engraved instead of stamped. Take a pic of both valve trains with the valve covers removed and post pics. If your engine is modified and original = gold. Finally, get under each of the four corners and check each shock absorber to see if they are AMG Bilstein shocks - look for remnants of AMG stickers and maybe AMG letters engraved on each lower shock tube.
@Seller - Please advise about the rear window that is cracked in lower right corner. Is this NLA from Mercedes and there is no glass to be found? Any aftermarket options for this glass?
I have two of this exact same steering wheel that I know are authentic. The leather on both of my steering wheels is much smoother leather - the grain on your steering wheel is very pronounced. On the back of my two steering wheels, the stampings from Italvolante are K.B.A.70042 and ati-4 which are different from the stampings on your steering wheel. The shape of the AMG letters are different on my two steering wheels vs your steering wheel. Also, the date of your wheel is 1986. This style of AMG steering wheel by Italvolante for AMG was a Gen I 81-85 version that was replaced by the Gen II AMG steering wheel made by Momo that was used for both W124 and Gen II W126 cars. I have seen similar steering wheels as this one on eBay that also have a K.B.A. 70027 stamping. IMO, this is a legit Italvolante steering wheel but not an original AMG steering wheel that was recovered and the center pad embossed with AMG letters. Finally, the correct hub has 500x right side up and upside down next to each other. Very nicely reproduced steering wheel, though.
@48hp is correct - the overall length of this exhaust system would be set for a coupe or SEL. If the sum of the pieces is for an SEL, the Y pipe front piece would have to be modified to fit an SEC (shortened), if set for an SEC, the front Y pipe would have to be lengthened. The middle resonator section, zooming in on the label says SE, SEL, SEC, so the Y pipe would have to be adjusted. There isn't enough of the original label left on the front piece to know if that is for an SEL or SEC.
The stamps on the underside of the three components VS, MS NS stand for Vorneschalldampfer (front exhaust), Mittelschalldampfer (middle exhaust) and Nachschalldampfer (rear exhaust)
BTW, these components will fit Gen I or II the same. The rear exhaust component is the smaller oval shaped exhaust that was the initial Gen I design. Gen II design is much larger boxier shape that is quieter than the Gen I version. Both styles fit Gen I/II W126's sedan or coupe. One thing that is a head scratcher about the exit point of the AMG Sebring exhausts and the correct AMG rear bumper valance don't line up - there is a relief molded into the rear bumper valance that does not line up with where the AMG exhaust tips exit the underside of the car. AMG missed on that!
Nice set of Gen I W126 exhaust pieces. These exhaust components are made of steel (as opposed to modern hi end exhaust components that are made from stainless steel or aluminized steel for corrosion reduction purposes. These Sebring components were famous for rusting - that is why so few original used AMG exhausts still exist, making NOS components very rare and desirable for a proper restoration. The center resonator section in this auction would have "spreader bars" or tubes that attached to the mounting hooks that are missing from this set. Not a deal breaker by any means - any competent exhaust shop can fabricate the missing parts. Pic 51 showing the center resonator section has the two tube stubs - the missing spreader tubes would slide into these tube stubs and be held on with bolts through the holes.
Stunning 107, Blakley! Magnificent paint and interior. Right amount of miles - used enough to keep her in order.
Nice front spoiler. And a "spoiler" alert to anyone who thinks this is a replica - it's not! This is genuine. I have a NOS Gen I front AMG spoiler (with the ears) and this is legit.
Congrats to @Chester on winning this amazing and original Gen I WB. I have some parts that may be available to help this car get back to greatness. Jono @ Blueridge knows me.
@MP91 that is good news re: the front fenders. I had never heard of front glass flares mounted to steel front fenders. Basic fiberglass repair on the fronts would be all that is needed. This is a really neat car with the entire body kit intact. I would bet the engine is a 5.4L given all the other AMG goodies present. Looks like all 4 of the original Bilstein AMG shocks are still present. They can be rebuilt, but not by Bilstein any longer - they now outsource rebuild service. Too bad, because their in-house rebuild service in San Diego was quick and OEM quality and only $85/shock. Now, the 3rd party rebuild service doesn't want to deal with these older shocks and want $400/shock (!) for a fee. I rebuilt the 5.4L in my 84 sedan using new forged pistons from Wossner that are much, much lighter than the cast Nural pistons AMG used. Don't dismiss a well re-built 5.4L AMG engine with 50.1 cams and solid lifters. Stock was 310hp and about 325 Lbs torque. I know my engine is much more powerful now and is way more reliable than the quad cam engines. My engine is easily 330/350 now.
There is no way to private message in MBM, so I have to reply in the auction forum. The prior auction you linked was a bargain for a legit WB that was missing the extremely valuable 32v AMG heads - and the low price was a too hefty discount. A complete 6.0 32v would have quadrupled the value of that car, IMO. Mark's car was painted and he installed a newer late Gen II interior that looked nice. The WB on offer in this auction is also a legit WB with all the pieces in place - still a SOHC engine, but a fully legit SOHC engine. Hard to put a value on these ultra rare cars, especially when this one needs a lot of paint/body work. All of the cracking on all 4 fenders indicates the seams where the glass flares were glued to the original steel body. IMO having gone through this ordeal, the glass flares need to be removed and any underlying rust on the original steel needs to be addressed properly and the flares re-attached. I would also be highly mindful of the steel trunk metal under the rear glass - I suspect there is corrosion there that needs attending. If I were personally interested in this car, I would go see it and pay careful attention to the interior. If the interior is in solid condition with a deep cleaning needed with some minor repairs that is a big plus. I would also hook a fresh battery to the car - not to start it - but to make sure all the electronics work - interior switches, lights, seats, windows, sunroof, seatbelt extenders, HVAC buttons. You have to identify what is good and what isn't. You know the car needs a lot of paint/body attention. I suspect the engine will be fine from looking at the pics and the camshafts. The wheels alone are worth $8-$10k! The beauty of this car is it is all there - nothing is missing. IMO, around $40-50k in paint/body/interior. If the engine runs, then another $10k for suspension/brakes/HVAC/fuel (you will need a new fuel tank). Removing glass flares without damaging the original flare profiles is not easy. Properly remediating the steel before re-attaching the flares is important - don't want rust and cracks to reappear. Lots and lots of time blending in the flare seams and flare profiles to look right and line up with the door hip line. Do not believe that all of the flare cracking can be chipped away and smooth sanded! There will be rust under all those cracks.
Have looked at all the pics provided several times. The one area I keep coming back to are the front fenders. Have not seen front widebody fender cracking before. My WB front fenders are 100% glass. The very late Gen II widebody fenders may have moved to all steel - I have access to a late Gen II WB - I should check if they are all steel. This car seems to have glass flares glued to the original steel fenders. Would be great if the Seller could put a magnet on the top of the front fenders to see if they are steel. If they are glass flares applied to the original steel fenders that would be interesting and would point to this car being a particularly early WB conversion. AMG was constantly changing/updating their body kits from early Gen I to Gen II to late Gen II. Bumper aprons, side skirts, WB side cladding, trunk spoilers all evolved over time. Each one of these cars is unique - no two are the same.
If (big "if") AMG stamped the block in this car, it would show next to the engine serial # - back of the block Driver side. With the engine installed, you need a strong light and mirror to see the engine serial number. It is often covered in crud and grime, so a new can of Brake Kleen and a stick/rag to clean the serial # ledge helps. AMG rarely stamped the displacement on Gen I blocks. Absent original paperwork, best way is to drop the lower oil pan and measure one of the cylinder openings. PITA to do this, but no other option really. The 5.4 Gen I M117 would have a cylinder bore of 98.5mm and stroke of 88.9mm for 5,417mm displacement.
@martystein and any other past or future posters on this auction - please don't comment in terms of absolutes! I have two Gen I 5.4l AMGs - one sedan done @ Affalterbach and one widebody done @ Affalterbach. One of my blocks is very much stamped "5.4" and the other is not. Everyone thinks they are an expert in all things AMG. Truth is, AMG was not very consistent on what they did or didn't do. Sometimes they used the original block, sometimes they used an engine already modified and re-stamped the blocks. As to the seats, maybe that car was originally completed with stock seats and then added. Without the original paperwork, hard to say. Maybe AMG N America or Beverly Hills Motoring added the seats later. https://amgclassic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15876&hilit=5.4+stamp#p15876
Well, congrats to MBM to bring this car to market. Totally original and legit Gen I 500SEC widebody with an AMG SOHC engine. No mention on if the displacement of 5.4l is verified (engine stamp) or otherwise. No mention of original AMG paperwork. Can't fake what is presented, though. My 85 widebody was in similar condition a few years ago. Lots and lots of paint/body work ahead for this car, but it will be worth it. Its never just the problems you can see, its always the problems you can't see... Good luck to the Seller and hope for good decision making to the Buyer.
The original OZ Racing AMG wheels are 8.5x17 ET18 and the rears 10x17 ET17. These wheels are all ET25, very small offset differences that *shouldn't* cause any fitment issues ore require spacers. HOWEVER, these are 18" diameter vs the original 17" - Seller really should state if there would be any rubbing on popular chassis like the W126. These wheels vs OZ Racing wheels would be inset into the wheel opening by 7-8mm or about 1/3". Risk would be rubbing particularly on the rear. These should also bolt onto R129 SL's and probably ok for W124 E500E's.
It's more than the owner put Bundt wheels on this SEL - these are very rare 15" versions of the bundt wheels - all of the Bundts used from the late 60's to around 1985 were 14"s. MB made a batch of 15" Bundts and this car has a set. These wheels are very lightweight forged alloy and worth a lot more than a set of stock Gen II wheels! They are also wider than the old 14s allowing wider tires. Similar to the steel wheels used on most 60's MBs with the painted wheel "hubcaps" - the vast majority were 14s but MB made 15's for the W100 limos that looked the same, but were the larger diameter - very rare and valuable.
< $10k to redo all the leather in the interior (dash, center console, door panels, seats F/R, fridge, etc...) and all the wood and some engine work? Leather replacement alone would be north of $30k (can't imagine how many full hides would be required - lets say 6 full hides @ $4,500/hide), wood $6-$8k (I just had Madera Concepts restore a significant number of burl wood pieces for an AMG I am restoring - cost was > $6k) and then you can start on the mechanicals.
Very nice SEC. Has some very tasty AMG mods - Recaros, body kit, door burl wood, correct Gen I AMG steering wheel. The 8"/9" wheels are especially nice, although the 9" rears were probably a later change to what the car may have had originally. Hard to say when the AMG mods were done and by whom (AMG Germany, AMG N America) without paperwork, but this certainly has the look of an original AMG modified car. Can the Seller opine on when/if the wood was refinished?
Also, remember that this car is way over the 25 year age threshold for EPA/DOT regulations - no EPA or DOT hurdles to deal with into the US - the car is exempt from all of these regulations. Other than a Bill of Sale, a Certificate of Export from NZ and someone at a US port to accept the car as an import broker for DHS stamp of approval, the process of clearing into the US is relatively easy. The state you are trying to register the car in is another story. Forget it if you are in California - probably won't happen. Any state that would require emissions testing will be a challenge. This car does not have cats on it, and it would be a shame to cut up the original Sebring exhaust system to add cats. I was lucky, in Georgia any car > 25 years old is exempt from emissions testing.
Whoever might be fortunate to win this auction, I have shipped a car from Japan (a 1990 560SEC....) several years ago and the prevailing thought was roll-on/roll-off was the best option and cheapest. And I have read other posts in various forums who say cars shipped in containers get damaged more frequently than roll-on/roll-off. Suggest the buyer research this before committing. Just my $0.02... I shipped my car to Jacksonville port. I used an importer to hand-hold me through the process on the US side, but they did very little for $500 I paid them. The biggest issue I had after I got the car was getting it licensed in Georgia - buying the car in Japan, shipping to the US and getting the car out of Customs/DHS was very smooth - getting a license plate was a PITA. Mainly because the export certificate from Japan was, drum roll, in Japanese and I had to have that document translated by a certified translation company.
Excellent and authentic widebody. I recall many years ago this car being for sale in NZ and I so badly wanted to buy it (for a heck of a lot less than what this car will sell for now!). I have a fully documented 84 500SEL AMG 5.4L SOHC and these are very nicely tuned engines. My engine has the full performance treatment - cams, ported/polished heads, headers, solid lifters, full Sebring non-Cat exhaust. I rebuilt my engine and bored the 98.5mm diameter cylinders to 99mm and had new forged pistons fitted. Very capable engines and quite robust. I also have an 85 5.4L widebody (authentic as well) with the DOHC 32v big engine that I am restoring. I too love the Gen I's as well for the same reasons mentioned in this auction. And, the WB five-spoke wheels are hands down better looking than the 3-piece OZ Racing wheels that are found on the Gen II cars. There are many little differences between the Gen I and Gen II widebody cars - the profile of the rear flares are a little less flared out and are not as linear as the Gen II rear flares (a little curvy). My car has glass front/rear flares - Seller are the rear flares on this car glass as well? The fronts are all glass. The color combo on this car is the same as mine. Best of luck, Seller, this is a stellar offering!
Supply of head gaskets are not an issue - Cometic has the M117 template and has made 99mm bore gaskets for me and I know for a fact they make 100 and 101mm gaskets for the M117 engine.
Yes, the 32v heads are known to be a little weak on the castings and leaks are not infrequent. The center recessed spark plugs are also a known area for oil to accumulate. The Gen I widebody fenders were all fiberglass, like my Affalterbach car. AMG changed to rear steel flares for Gen II widebody kits - exact date is not known. The five spoke wheels are considered Gen I wheels, but AMG N America (Chicago) was known to use the five spoke wheels on Gen II widebodies. I know of at least one other. These Gen I wheels are much better looking that the OZ Racing 3 piece wheels, IMO, and do not suffer the cracking the OZ wheels are known for. As to the extended door wood - that was a customer preference. If the customer wanted to spend the $$ for extended wood on the door panels, they chose that option. These were very a la carte. This car may have had the AMG suspension (special Bilstein shocks). Shocks are a wear item and most people tossed them when they wore out. It happens. This is a legit AMG WB created by AMG N America. I will say the craftsmanship of the N America widebody SECs was much better than what came out of Germany. All authentic widebody SECs are unique in some manner. This car is no different.
Mark - didn't see your Seller name - sorry for not noticing! GLWTA - still working on my 85 WB restoration. Love the front license plate delete panel - ultra rare. I have one as well.
Car is a little mis-matched as to years of components. Wheels are Gen I widebody vs the Gen II 3-piece OZ racing wheels (although I much prefer the much better looking Gen I wheels). The interior looks to be a swap in from an 89-91 SEC - at least the seats, door panels and rear side panels. The engine was 95% certain a DOHC engine at one time - the giveaway is the R107 SL oil filter housing swapped onto the engine in place of the W126 oil filter housing. Because of clearance issues with the quad cam heads, the W126 oil filter housing wouldn't work on the 32v engines- the 107 housing points downward. Mark - when the heads were off, did you measure cylinder diameters to see if the car is/was a 6.0L? The 6.0L cylinder bores were 100mm.
Most people who are looking at this car or an A124 Cab know all about the wiring harness issue. This car is low mileage, so more than likely has never had any engine work done. The issues crop up when the wiring is moved and then the insulation crumbles (replace a 27 year old water pump and thermostat or similar repair). The fact that inspections have been made is irrelevant - this car has a junk harness that will have to be replaced at some point. Figure that into the buy price. The upper harness for this car is NLA so you have to find a used one for sale - and it has to exactly match what this car's harness P/N and spec - especially the ASR option which was not very common for E320's. Replacing the harness is not difficult - finding a correct one may be. But, what a gorgeous Cab with rare and beautiful colors. This would be one to buy and care for despite the harness and hydraulic cylinders upcoming maintnenance costs.
This engine started as an early M119 engine (I believe M119.960) from a 90-91 R129 500SL. The engine was modified by taking the front timing cover from an M117 560 engine and installing it along with a distributor to the M119 engine to use the EZL and ECU from the 560SEL. It's more complicated than that (lower oil pans had to be swapped), but that is the basics. Maybe someone with more knowledge of the conversion can chime in to correct any errors I may have stated. The early M119 engine used the same KE-Jet fuel system as the M117, making the fuel system easier to interact with the 560SEL electronics. The M117 and early M119.960 blocks were very similar. You get the reliability and extra power (32v engine) of the M119 without some of the challenges of the very rare AMG M117 DOHC 32-valve engines. Sure would be nice if the Japan market headlights would have been changed to US/ROW market headlights - they are readily available. Looks like from close up views of the 3-piece OZ wheels that 3 of the 4 wheels have at least one crack between the center bore and a lug bolt hole. Seller can confirm. Odd that the car would have been repainted Silver vs the original 199 Blue Black Metallic - they made a lot of these cars in both colors! Although, silver with a black interior was not as common. Neat car with lots of AMG mods to the interior. Would be fun to own.
"looks like it has been replaced" - is that a definitive yes or a guess?
Because the weather is perfect 90% of the time in Cali and the roads are good. Weather (snow/ice) sucks in the NE 30% of the year and a goodly amount of rain the other months, the roads are pretty bad (ex-interstates and toll roads) and people don't care about cars in the NE as they do in Cali. Add in very low humidity in Cali and you get what you see - great cars in Cali and crappy cars in the NE. I travel to NJ 3-4 times/year (Newark, Morristown area) and the side roads are pretty bad. Was in Brooklyn 2 weeks ago for a wedding and the streets were generally horrible. Freezing temps with water = bad for roads. Saline coating for winter = really bad for cars and paint.
This is a beautifully done car with some love it/hate it wood treatment (zebra wood style) done. But the interior and exterior and mechanical work seems very well done (have never seen this car in person, though). No question the car is a clone WB and has never been purported to be an original AMG car. IMO, the biggest misstep in the original build was not adding performance to the package. Lots of eye candy.
@anton28 just have to Google the VIN.... https://www.classic.com/veh/1989-mercedes-benz-560-sec-custom-wide-body-by-bes-wdbca45e2ka451786-4Vgjodn/
I have a widebody I am also restoring and they are not sleeper cars, for sure - they are in your face cars and coupled with a quad cam M117, they have the bang under the hood to go with the body. Having said that, the Hammer has an aura of mystique that has accrued over the many years when the first Hammer brought to the US was grandly unveiled to Motorsports Press members. Were there W126 sedans and coupes that first got the AMG quad cam engine? Yes, but those cars (like mine) were quietly built and sold and owned. The cache of the Hammer will never be equaled by a widebody SEC. And I am jealous of that cache. But, I lusted after a widebody and am lucky to have one. Both AMG models are rare as hens teeth. Real hammers are easily less than 50 - the original Signal Red Hammer brought over from Germany (press car), the 13 made in the US by AMG N America and then a few more made in Germany and Japan. The number of 500/560 SEC widebody cars plus W126 sedan/coupe unmodified body cars (narrow body) a couple hundred or so - who knows? AMG made about 275-ish of the quad cam engines. This car is very special and should go for lots of $$$. Best of luck to the new owner.
This is an insanely important car. Wish I had $500k lying around.... Real Hammer, Coupe body style, amazing condition, low miles and so forth. I bet less than 5 real Hammer coupes ever made. I know of 3 including this one.
Well bought.
Another Japan market car with what looks like right hand drive (RHD), left hand traffic (LHT) headlights. From a super close up look at the Passenger side headlight (pic 35), it appears the little arrow is pointing to the left - Seller please verify if I am seeing this correctly. 500E/E500 headlights are unique to these cars vs standard W124 headlights. These are non-US headlights on this car and (if my assumption is correct) they are for Japan/UK/Australia market. The reflectors and the lenses are specific for RHD/LHT and if used in the US or ROW, the headlights will direct light the wrong direction and into oncoming cars/eyes at night. 500E/E500 headlights are NLA and nearly impossible to find new or used. If a set is found, the price for a NOS set for this car will be $5,000 or so. Sellers who import cars from Japan rarely, if ever, take the time and expense to convert or provide proper LHD/RHT headlights for the US/ROW. Buyer beware, or don't drive the car at night. If I am incorrect, Seller can provide additional pics of the little arrows for each headlight (especially the Passenger side) and I will graciously retract my comment. Beautiful 124.036 and I especially like the plaid interior.
I see the roll-top console box in the trunk of one of the pictures, belay that question.
Does the original steering wheel and the roll-top center console (that has been replaced with the cup holder) come with the car? Nice looking SEC
Hard to say how much time was spent on this car, except for applying Duraflex panels and paint. The rear window seal is not even an MB seal and there are no aluminum strips installed in the seal (can't because it isn't an MB seal - check out the walk around video at 1.45 and you will see what I mean). Seller should point out any major maintenance work - engine maintenance (timing chain, rails, tensioner), suspension work (ball joints, SLS, etc.), or other major areas. These cars can be expensive to catch up on deferred maintenance. Would also like to know if there are any pics of the panel work done when the Duraflex flares were applied to the car - did the body shop stiffen the panels/flares to provide needed structural rigidity? What adhesive was used to affix the panels? Any rust found under the rear glass?
Seller, from the walk around video, the rear glass should have an aluminum trim insert into the rubber seal that frames the rear glass. This aluminum trim seems missing from the video. Please advise if my eyes are playing tricks!
Beautiful example in classic colors for the A124. My brother has this exact car with 54k miles on it and I have done a good bit of work on his. All the big questions have been asked and answered, so the new owner will have several items to address - upper wiring harness (mandatory), lower wiring harness, Electronic Throttle Actuator (same eco junk wiring - mandatory), hydraulic cylinders (mandatory), head gasket and front timing chain seal (mandatory at some time in the future). The wiring harness is NLA but can be bought off eBay as an updated used harness - just make sure the F.D. date is post 1990's and the harness was removed carefully. The lower harness is not as critical as the upper harness is - also NLA. The ETA is the throttle body and has the crap wiring. Don Roder in Alabama is THE guy to source one from. The hydraulic cylinders are a guarantee failure point and they will all have to be replaced - this is a proactive item so you don't get stuck with a soft top that won't open and won't get stuck with a puddle of hydraulic fluid somewhere. Top Hydraulics is a great choice for the rebuilt cylinders. I would also recommend the new owner buy and replace the 3rd brake light assembly (the whole thing not just the lens) as the rubber seal around the lens fails and water gets into the trunk. Buy two and save one for later. These aren't minor maintenance items - figure $8-$12k. When all done, this Cab will be a wonderful and classy car.
Spirited auction. Well bought.
Unicorn color and as new interior in stunning condition.
Would make a great parts car for a special 500E/E500 with mushroom interior. Just sayin... JK, great car!
@MBZ_vs_Everybody Yes, that is my car - 1984 500SEL AMG, 5.4L SOHC, with the amazing Clarion G-80 rack stereo.
Upper/Lower wiring harnesses replaced and also the EHA wiring rebuilt? Gorgeous car and the interior mushroom/beige is as good as I have seen, and mushroom leather is hard to keep nice. Well preserved car.
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Italvolanti AMG Steering Wheel
AMG5pt4 said:
Both of my Gen I AMG steering wheels on my 84 500SEL AMG and 85 500SEC AMG Widebody have K.B.A. 70042 and Ati-4 stamped on the back. Having said that, I have seen poorly done Italvolante replica steering wheels on eBay and Instagram, but this steering wheel offered is a legit Italvolante steering wheel that is at the very least a well done replica. 99.9% of people looking at this wheel could not tell it was not original. There are not many of the originals in existence and the recent Bonhams auctions for Barry Taylor's stash of AMG bits showed prices from $2k to $3k for genuine wheels. The leather seam on the outer rim offered here is correct at the 4 o'clock position. https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/29954/lot/100/a-used-amg-for-mercedes-benz-grey-leather-steering-wheel-16-inches-in-diameter-1-inch-in-height/ The correct hub for this wheel is made by Atiwe and would have 500x stamped on the base of the hub with either smooth vinyl or accordion shaped hub. Here are two examples that sold yesterday (Jul 29) in Part 2 of the Bonhams AMG auction https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/30524/lot/317/a-nos-aitwe-for-amg-21mm-steering-wheel-hub-grey-leather-wrapped-years-1980-1995/ https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/30524/lot/315/a-nos-atiwe-for-amg-21mm-steering-wheel-hub-in-black-vinyl-years-1980-1995/Euro-Spec 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC
AMG5pt4 said:
BTW, just yanking Cam's chain at DC Motorworks. He is a good man.Euro-Spec 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC
AMG5pt4 said:
Worst part about this Gen I SEC is the license plate. THWG! Too bad about the old cell phone antenna drilled through the trunk lid. Sacrilege! And Cam worked on this? Sigh. Really nice SEC and a stone's throw from me...1995 Mercedes-Benz E500 Limited
AMG5pt4 said:
Yep, another E500E from Japan with RHD/LHT headlights and ROW (rest of world) headlights are No Longer Available and very hard/expensive to find new/used.Modified Euro 1988 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC
AMG5pt4 said:
So according to Xentry, this SEC was originally 735 Silver and has been color changed to 040 Black. This car has the very early ASR I system (available on Euro W126's), offered as an option on US w126's only in 1991. I see that the cruise control ASR module is not hooked up to the throttle linkage. Are there any dash warning lights from the ASR system when the car is running/being driven? The ASR system can be a problem child to keep in working order. The engine # in Pic 122 matches Xentry, so the 10:1 compression is correct. Who did the widebody modifications? The door card inserts and rear side panel inserts with the pleated leather are from an 89-91 SEC. Nice upgrade from the vinyl inserts.Euro 1983 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL AMG
AMG5pt4 said:
@sirmathrocks go to https://126board.com/ and register and contact me using the same handle as this siteEuro 1983 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL AMG
AMG5pt4 said:
Very fortunate as to no cracks in the blue dash pad. I urge the new owner to wipe down the dash pad with Aerospace 303 Protectant to minimize IR/UV ray damage to the dash pad (plus 303 when wiped down makes the dash look like new).Euro 1983 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL AMG
AMG5pt4 said:
Post pics of the exhaust manifold on each side - if they are stock Euro logs or AMG headers. Any cracks in the blue dash - especially at the speaker grills? W126 Blue dash pads are famous for cracking.Euro 1983 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL AMG
AMG5pt4 said:
Nice Gen I SEL. Despite the lack of original AMG paperwork, this car has the look and patina and the right parts for me to conclude this is a legit AMG Germany car. I have a fully documented 84 500SEL Euro AMG with the same front Recaros and similar AMG bodykit (mine has the smaller trunk/boot spoiler) and other bits. I also have a NOS front sedan spoiler/air dam and mine has the AMG part # embossed in the exact same place as on this car. Very correct. I see that the car has an AMG sticker on the air cleaner and Spark Plug stickers on the valve covers. Have you taken the valve covers off to see if the car has AMG cams and solid lifters? The air cleaner sticker states 203kw, which equates to 272hp, which is way more than the stock 228 output. I will bet this is a 5.0L AMG engine with solid lifters and AMG cams. My 5.4L AMG engine with cams, headers, solid lifters was 310hp from AMG. I strongly suggest you take off the valve covers (have a set of new valve cover gaskets and the little copper crush washers for re-install to only 8-10 Lbs/ft torque). If you have AMG engine work, your car's value will double or triple. You can easily remove the valve covers by removing the 12 or so long 8mm bolts around the edge of the valve covers (have to remove the spark plug wires - put a piece of tape around each wire before removing and label them so you don't get them mixed up!). Then take a small mirror and flashlight and check the back end of the camshafts for AMG markings - mine show 50.1 AMG stamped on the back. My early set had these markings hand engraved instead of stamped. Take a pic of both valve trains with the valve covers removed and post pics. If your engine is modified and original = gold. Finally, get under each of the four corners and check each shock absorber to see if they are AMG Bilstein shocks - look for remnants of AMG stickers and maybe AMG letters engraved on each lower shock tube.1989 Mercedes-Benz 300CE w/80k Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
@Seller - Please advise about the rear window that is cracked in lower right corner. Is this NLA from Mercedes and there is no glass to be found? Any aftermarket options for this glass?Premerger AMG Italvolanti Steering Wheel
AMG5pt4 said:
I have two of this exact same steering wheel that I know are authentic. The leather on both of my steering wheels is much smoother leather - the grain on your steering wheel is very pronounced. On the back of my two steering wheels, the stampings from Italvolante are K.B.A.70042 and ati-4 which are different from the stampings on your steering wheel. The shape of the AMG letters are different on my two steering wheels vs your steering wheel. Also, the date of your wheel is 1986. This style of AMG steering wheel by Italvolante for AMG was a Gen I 81-85 version that was replaced by the Gen II AMG steering wheel made by Momo that was used for both W124 and Gen II W126 cars. I have seen similar steering wheels as this one on eBay that also have a K.B.A. 70027 stamping. IMO, this is a legit Italvolante steering wheel but not an original AMG steering wheel that was recovered and the center pad embossed with AMG letters. Finally, the correct hub has 500x right side up and upside down next to each other. Very nicely reproduced steering wheel, though.Premerger AMG W126 Full Exhaust (New Old Stock)
AMG5pt4 said:
@48hp is correct - the overall length of this exhaust system would be set for a coupe or SEL. If the sum of the pieces is for an SEL, the Y pipe front piece would have to be modified to fit an SEC (shortened), if set for an SEC, the front Y pipe would have to be lengthened. The middle resonator section, zooming in on the label says SE, SEL, SEC, so the Y pipe would have to be adjusted. There isn't enough of the original label left on the front piece to know if that is for an SEL or SEC.Premerger AMG W126 Full Exhaust (New Old Stock)
AMG5pt4 said:
The stamps on the underside of the three components VS, MS NS stand for Vorneschalldampfer (front exhaust), Mittelschalldampfer (middle exhaust) and Nachschalldampfer (rear exhaust)Premerger AMG W126 Full Exhaust (New Old Stock)
AMG5pt4 said:
BTW, these components will fit Gen I or II the same. The rear exhaust component is the smaller oval shaped exhaust that was the initial Gen I design. Gen II design is much larger boxier shape that is quieter than the Gen I version. Both styles fit Gen I/II W126's sedan or coupe. One thing that is a head scratcher about the exit point of the AMG Sebring exhausts and the correct AMG rear bumper valance don't line up - there is a relief molded into the rear bumper valance that does not line up with where the AMG exhaust tips exit the underside of the car. AMG missed on that!Premerger AMG W126 Full Exhaust (New Old Stock)
AMG5pt4 said:
Nice set of Gen I W126 exhaust pieces. These exhaust components are made of steel (as opposed to modern hi end exhaust components that are made from stainless steel or aluminized steel for corrosion reduction purposes. These Sebring components were famous for rusting - that is why so few original used AMG exhausts still exist, making NOS components very rare and desirable for a proper restoration. The center resonator section in this auction would have "spreader bars" or tubes that attached to the mounting hooks that are missing from this set. Not a deal breaker by any means - any competent exhaust shop can fabricate the missing parts. Pic 51 showing the center resonator section has the two tube stubs - the missing spreader tubes would slide into these tube stubs and be held on with bolts through the holes.1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL w/47k Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Stunning 107, Blakley! Magnificent paint and interior. Right amount of miles - used enough to keep her in order.W126 AMG Front Lip Spoiler (New Old Stock)
AMG5pt4 said:
Nice front spoiler. And a "spoiler" alert to anyone who thinks this is a replica - it's not! This is genuine. I have a NOS Gen I front AMG spoiler (with the ears) and this is legit.Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
Congrats to @Chester on winning this amazing and original Gen I WB. I have some parts that may be available to help this car get back to greatness. Jono @ Blueridge knows me.Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
@MP91 that is good news re: the front fenders. I had never heard of front glass flares mounted to steel front fenders. Basic fiberglass repair on the fronts would be all that is needed. This is a really neat car with the entire body kit intact. I would bet the engine is a 5.4L given all the other AMG goodies present. Looks like all 4 of the original Bilstein AMG shocks are still present. They can be rebuilt, but not by Bilstein any longer - they now outsource rebuild service. Too bad, because their in-house rebuild service in San Diego was quick and OEM quality and only $85/shock. Now, the 3rd party rebuild service doesn't want to deal with these older shocks and want $400/shock (!) for a fee. I rebuilt the 5.4L in my 84 sedan using new forged pistons from Wossner that are much, much lighter than the cast Nural pistons AMG used. Don't dismiss a well re-built 5.4L AMG engine with 50.1 cams and solid lifters. Stock was 310hp and about 325 Lbs torque. I know my engine is much more powerful now and is way more reliable than the quad cam engines. My engine is easily 330/350 now.Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
There is no way to private message in MBM, so I have to reply in the auction forum. The prior auction you linked was a bargain for a legit WB that was missing the extremely valuable 32v AMG heads - and the low price was a too hefty discount. A complete 6.0 32v would have quadrupled the value of that car, IMO. Mark's car was painted and he installed a newer late Gen II interior that looked nice. The WB on offer in this auction is also a legit WB with all the pieces in place - still a SOHC engine, but a fully legit SOHC engine. Hard to put a value on these ultra rare cars, especially when this one needs a lot of paint/body work. All of the cracking on all 4 fenders indicates the seams where the glass flares were glued to the original steel body. IMO having gone through this ordeal, the glass flares need to be removed and any underlying rust on the original steel needs to be addressed properly and the flares re-attached. I would also be highly mindful of the steel trunk metal under the rear glass - I suspect there is corrosion there that needs attending. If I were personally interested in this car, I would go see it and pay careful attention to the interior. If the interior is in solid condition with a deep cleaning needed with some minor repairs that is a big plus. I would also hook a fresh battery to the car - not to start it - but to make sure all the electronics work - interior switches, lights, seats, windows, sunroof, seatbelt extenders, HVAC buttons. You have to identify what is good and what isn't. You know the car needs a lot of paint/body attention. I suspect the engine will be fine from looking at the pics and the camshafts. The wheels alone are worth $8-$10k! The beauty of this car is it is all there - nothing is missing. IMO, around $40-50k in paint/body/interior. If the engine runs, then another $10k for suspension/brakes/HVAC/fuel (you will need a new fuel tank). Removing glass flares without damaging the original flare profiles is not easy. Properly remediating the steel before re-attaching the flares is important - don't want rust and cracks to reappear. Lots and lots of time blending in the flare seams and flare profiles to look right and line up with the door hip line. Do not believe that all of the flare cracking can be chipped away and smooth sanded! There will be rust under all those cracks.Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
Have looked at all the pics provided several times. The one area I keep coming back to are the front fenders. Have not seen front widebody fender cracking before. My WB front fenders are 100% glass. The very late Gen II widebody fenders may have moved to all steel - I have access to a late Gen II WB - I should check if they are all steel. This car seems to have glass flares glued to the original steel fenders. Would be great if the Seller could put a magnet on the top of the front fenders to see if they are steel. If they are glass flares applied to the original steel fenders that would be interesting and would point to this car being a particularly early WB conversion. AMG was constantly changing/updating their body kits from early Gen I to Gen II to late Gen II. Bumper aprons, side skirts, WB side cladding, trunk spoilers all evolved over time. Each one of these cars is unique - no two are the same.Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
If (big "if") AMG stamped the block in this car, it would show next to the engine serial # - back of the block Driver side. With the engine installed, you need a strong light and mirror to see the engine serial number. It is often covered in crud and grime, so a new can of Brake Kleen and a stick/rag to clean the serial # ledge helps. AMG rarely stamped the displacement on Gen I blocks. Absent original paperwork, best way is to drop the lower oil pan and measure one of the cylinder openings. PITA to do this, but no other option really. The 5.4 Gen I M117 would have a cylinder bore of 98.5mm and stroke of 88.9mm for 5,417mm displacement.Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
@martystein and any other past or future posters on this auction - please don't comment in terms of absolutes! I have two Gen I 5.4l AMGs - one sedan done @ Affalterbach and one widebody done @ Affalterbach. One of my blocks is very much stamped "5.4" and the other is not. Everyone thinks they are an expert in all things AMG. Truth is, AMG was not very consistent on what they did or didn't do. Sometimes they used the original block, sometimes they used an engine already modified and re-stamped the blocks. As to the seats, maybe that car was originally completed with stock seats and then added. Without the original paperwork, hard to say. Maybe AMG N America or Beverly Hills Motoring added the seats later. https://amgclassic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15876&hilit=5.4+stamp#p15876Barn Find: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody Project
AMG5pt4 said:
Well, congrats to MBM to bring this car to market. Totally original and legit Gen I 500SEC widebody with an AMG SOHC engine. No mention on if the displacement of 5.4l is verified (engine stamp) or otherwise. No mention of original AMG paperwork. Can't fake what is presented, though. My 85 widebody was in similar condition a few years ago. Lots and lots of paint/body work ahead for this car, but it will be worth it. Its never just the problems you can see, its always the problems you can't see... Good luck to the Seller and hope for good decision making to the Buyer.Custom 18" Gullideckel 3-Piece Wheels
AMG5pt4 said:
The original OZ Racing AMG wheels are 8.5x17 ET18 and the rears 10x17 ET17. These wheels are all ET25, very small offset differences that *shouldn't* cause any fitment issues ore require spacers. HOWEVER, these are 18" diameter vs the original 17" - Seller really should state if there would be any rubbing on popular chassis like the W126. These wheels vs OZ Racing wheels would be inset into the wheel opening by 7-8mm or about 1/3". Risk would be rubbing particularly on the rear. These should also bolt onto R129 SL's and probably ok for W124 E500E's.1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL
AMG5pt4 said:
It's more than the owner put Bundt wheels on this SEL - these are very rare 15" versions of the bundt wheels - all of the Bundts used from the late 60's to around 1985 were 14"s. MB made a batch of 15" Bundts and this car has a set. These wheels are very lightweight forged alloy and worth a lot more than a set of stock Gen II wheels! They are also wider than the old 14s allowing wider tires. Similar to the steel wheels used on most 60's MBs with the painted wheel "hubcaps" - the vast majority were 14s but MB made 15's for the W100 limos that looked the same, but were the larger diameter - very rare and valuable.1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL Carat Duchatelet "1000SEL Cullinan"
AMG5pt4 said:
< $10k to redo all the leather in the interior (dash, center console, door panels, seats F/R, fridge, etc...) and all the wood and some engine work? Leather replacement alone would be north of $30k (can't imagine how many full hides would be required - lets say 6 full hides @ $4,500/hide), wood $6-$8k (I just had Madera Concepts restore a significant number of burl wood pieces for an AMG I am restoring - cost was > $6k) and then you can start on the mechanicals.1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC AMG
AMG5pt4 said:
Very nice SEC. Has some very tasty AMG mods - Recaros, body kit, door burl wood, correct Gen I AMG steering wheel. The 8"/9" wheels are especially nice, although the 9" rears were probably a later change to what the car may have had originally. Hard to say when the AMG mods were done and by whom (AMG Germany, AMG N America) without paperwork, but this certainly has the look of an original AMG modified car. Can the Seller opine on when/if the wood was refinished?1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Also, remember that this car is way over the 25 year age threshold for EPA/DOT regulations - no EPA or DOT hurdles to deal with into the US - the car is exempt from all of these regulations. Other than a Bill of Sale, a Certificate of Export from NZ and someone at a US port to accept the car as an import broker for DHS stamp of approval, the process of clearing into the US is relatively easy. The state you are trying to register the car in is another story. Forget it if you are in California - probably won't happen. Any state that would require emissions testing will be a challenge. This car does not have cats on it, and it would be a shame to cut up the original Sebring exhaust system to add cats. I was lucky, in Georgia any car > 25 years old is exempt from emissions testing.1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Whoever might be fortunate to win this auction, I have shipped a car from Japan (a 1990 560SEC....) several years ago and the prevailing thought was roll-on/roll-off was the best option and cheapest. And I have read other posts in various forums who say cars shipped in containers get damaged more frequently than roll-on/roll-off. Suggest the buyer research this before committing. Just my $0.02... I shipped my car to Jacksonville port. I used an importer to hand-hold me through the process on the US side, but they did very little for $500 I paid them. The biggest issue I had after I got the car was getting it licensed in Georgia - buying the car in Japan, shipping to the US and getting the car out of Customs/DHS was very smooth - getting a license plate was a PITA. Mainly because the export certificate from Japan was, drum roll, in Japanese and I had to have that document translated by a certified translation company.1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC 5.4 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Excellent and authentic widebody. I recall many years ago this car being for sale in NZ and I so badly wanted to buy it (for a heck of a lot less than what this car will sell for now!). I have a fully documented 84 500SEL AMG 5.4L SOHC and these are very nicely tuned engines. My engine has the full performance treatment - cams, ported/polished heads, headers, solid lifters, full Sebring non-Cat exhaust. I rebuilt my engine and bored the 98.5mm diameter cylinders to 99mm and had new forged pistons fitted. Very capable engines and quite robust. I also have an 85 5.4L widebody (authentic as well) with the DOHC 32v big engine that I am restoring. I too love the Gen I's as well for the same reasons mentioned in this auction. And, the WB five-spoke wheels are hands down better looking than the 3-piece OZ Racing wheels that are found on the Gen II cars. There are many little differences between the Gen I and Gen II widebody cars - the profile of the rear flares are a little less flared out and are not as linear as the Gen II rear flares (a little curvy). My car has glass front/rear flares - Seller are the rear flares on this car glass as well? The fronts are all glass. The color combo on this car is the same as mine. Best of luck, Seller, this is a stellar offering!1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC 6.0 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Supply of head gaskets are not an issue - Cometic has the M117 template and has made 99mm bore gaskets for me and I know for a fact they make 100 and 101mm gaskets for the M117 engine.1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC 6.0 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Yes, the 32v heads are known to be a little weak on the castings and leaks are not infrequent. The center recessed spark plugs are also a known area for oil to accumulate. The Gen I widebody fenders were all fiberglass, like my Affalterbach car. AMG changed to rear steel flares for Gen II widebody kits - exact date is not known. The five spoke wheels are considered Gen I wheels, but AMG N America (Chicago) was known to use the five spoke wheels on Gen II widebodies. I know of at least one other. These Gen I wheels are much better looking that the OZ Racing 3 piece wheels, IMO, and do not suffer the cracking the OZ wheels are known for. As to the extended door wood - that was a customer preference. If the customer wanted to spend the $$ for extended wood on the door panels, they chose that option. These were very a la carte. This car may have had the AMG suspension (special Bilstein shocks). Shocks are a wear item and most people tossed them when they wore out. It happens. This is a legit AMG WB created by AMG N America. I will say the craftsmanship of the N America widebody SECs was much better than what came out of Germany. All authentic widebody SECs are unique in some manner. This car is no different.1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC 6.0 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Mark - didn't see your Seller name - sorry for not noticing! GLWTA - still working on my 85 WB restoration. Love the front license plate delete panel - ultra rare. I have one as well.1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC 6.0 AMG Widebody
AMG5pt4 said:
Car is a little mis-matched as to years of components. Wheels are Gen I widebody vs the Gen II 3-piece OZ racing wheels (although I much prefer the much better looking Gen I wheels). The interior looks to be a swap in from an 89-91 SEC - at least the seats, door panels and rear side panels. The engine was 95% certain a DOHC engine at one time - the giveaway is the R107 SL oil filter housing swapped onto the engine in place of the W126 oil filter housing. Because of clearance issues with the quad cam heads, the W126 oil filter housing wouldn't work on the 32v engines- the 107 housing points downward. Mark - when the heads were off, did you measure cylinder diameters to see if the car is/was a 6.0L? The 6.0L cylinder bores were 100mm.25k-Mile 1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Cabriolet
AMG5pt4 said:
Most people who are looking at this car or an A124 Cab know all about the wiring harness issue. This car is low mileage, so more than likely has never had any engine work done. The issues crop up when the wiring is moved and then the insulation crumbles (replace a 27 year old water pump and thermostat or similar repair). The fact that inspections have been made is irrelevant - this car has a junk harness that will have to be replaced at some point. Figure that into the buy price. The upper harness for this car is NLA so you have to find a used one for sale - and it has to exactly match what this car's harness P/N and spec - especially the ASR option which was not very common for E320's. Replacing the harness is not difficult - finding a correct one may be. But, what a gorgeous Cab with rare and beautiful colors. This would be one to buy and care for despite the harness and hydraulic cylinders upcoming maintnenance costs.1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL 6.0 AMG
AMG5pt4 said:
This engine started as an early M119 engine (I believe M119.960) from a 90-91 R129 500SL. The engine was modified by taking the front timing cover from an M117 560 engine and installing it along with a distributor to the M119 engine to use the EZL and ECU from the 560SEL. It's more complicated than that (lower oil pans had to be swapped), but that is the basics. Maybe someone with more knowledge of the conversion can chime in to correct any errors I may have stated. The early M119 engine used the same KE-Jet fuel system as the M117, making the fuel system easier to interact with the 560SEL electronics. The M117 and early M119.960 blocks were very similar. You get the reliability and extra power (32v engine) of the M119 without some of the challenges of the very rare AMG M117 DOHC 32-valve engines. Sure would be nice if the Japan market headlights would have been changed to US/ROW market headlights - they are readily available. Looks like from close up views of the 3-piece OZ wheels that 3 of the 4 wheels have at least one crack between the center bore and a lug bolt hole. Seller can confirm. Odd that the car would have been repainted Silver vs the original 199 Blue Black Metallic - they made a lot of these cars in both colors! Although, silver with a black interior was not as common. Neat car with lots of AMG mods to the interior. Would be fun to own.1994 Mercedes-Benz E420
AMG5pt4 said:
"looks like it has been replaced" - is that a definitive yes or a guess?1992 Mercedes-Benz 300CE
AMG5pt4 said:
Because the weather is perfect 90% of the time in Cali and the roads are good. Weather (snow/ice) sucks in the NE 30% of the year and a goodly amount of rain the other months, the roads are pretty bad (ex-interstates and toll roads) and people don't care about cars in the NE as they do in Cali. Add in very low humidity in Cali and you get what you see - great cars in Cali and crappy cars in the NE. I travel to NJ 3-4 times/year (Newark, Morristown area) and the side roads are pretty bad. Was in Brooklyn 2 weeks ago for a wedding and the streets were generally horrible. Freezing temps with water = bad for roads. Saline coating for winter = really bad for cars and paint.1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody Reimagined
AMG5pt4 said:
This is a beautifully done car with some love it/hate it wood treatment (zebra wood style) done. But the interior and exterior and mechanical work seems very well done (have never seen this car in person, though). No question the car is a clone WB and has never been purported to be an original AMG car. IMO, the biggest misstep in the original build was not adding performance to the package. Lots of eye candy.1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody Reimagined
AMG5pt4 said:
@anton28 just have to Google the VIN.... https://www.classic.com/veh/1989-mercedes-benz-560-sec-custom-wide-body-by-bes-wdbca45e2ka451786-4Vgjodn/1988 Mercedes-Benz 6.0L AMG Hammer Coupe
AMG5pt4 said:
I have a widebody I am also restoring and they are not sleeper cars, for sure - they are in your face cars and coupled with a quad cam M117, they have the bang under the hood to go with the body. Having said that, the Hammer has an aura of mystique that has accrued over the many years when the first Hammer brought to the US was grandly unveiled to Motorsports Press members. Were there W126 sedans and coupes that first got the AMG quad cam engine? Yes, but those cars (like mine) were quietly built and sold and owned. The cache of the Hammer will never be equaled by a widebody SEC. And I am jealous of that cache. But, I lusted after a widebody and am lucky to have one. Both AMG models are rare as hens teeth. Real hammers are easily less than 50 - the original Signal Red Hammer brought over from Germany (press car), the 13 made in the US by AMG N America and then a few more made in Germany and Japan. The number of 500/560 SEC widebody cars plus W126 sedan/coupe unmodified body cars (narrow body) a couple hundred or so - who knows? AMG made about 275-ish of the quad cam engines. This car is very special and should go for lots of $$$. Best of luck to the new owner.1988 Mercedes-Benz 6.0L AMG Hammer Coupe
AMG5pt4 said:
This is an insanely important car. Wish I had $500k lying around.... Real Hammer, Coupe body style, amazing condition, low miles and so forth. I bet less than 5 real Hammer coupes ever made. I know of 3 including this one.1989 Mercedes-Benz 300SE w/32k miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Well bought.Euro 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E
AMG5pt4 said:
Another Japan market car with what looks like right hand drive (RHD), left hand traffic (LHT) headlights. From a super close up look at the Passenger side headlight (pic 35), it appears the little arrow is pointing to the left - Seller please verify if I am seeing this correctly. 500E/E500 headlights are unique to these cars vs standard W124 headlights. These are non-US headlights on this car and (if my assumption is correct) they are for Japan/UK/Australia market. The reflectors and the lenses are specific for RHD/LHT and if used in the US or ROW, the headlights will direct light the wrong direction and into oncoming cars/eyes at night. 500E/E500 headlights are NLA and nearly impossible to find new or used. If a set is found, the price for a NOS set for this car will be $5,000 or so. Sellers who import cars from Japan rarely, if ever, take the time and expense to convert or provide proper LHD/RHT headlights for the US/ROW. Buyer beware, or don't drive the car at night. If I am incorrect, Seller can provide additional pics of the little arrows for each headlight (especially the Passenger side) and I will graciously retract my comment. Beautiful 124.036 and I especially like the plaid interior.1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC w/74k Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
I see the roll-top console box in the trunk of one of the pictures, belay that question.1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC w/74k Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Does the original steering wheel and the roll-top center console (that has been replaced with the cup holder) come with the car? Nice looking SEC1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody Tribute
AMG5pt4 said:
Hard to say how much time was spent on this car, except for applying Duraflex panels and paint. The rear window seal is not even an MB seal and there are no aluminum strips installed in the seal (can't because it isn't an MB seal - check out the walk around video at 1.45 and you will see what I mean). Seller should point out any major maintenance work - engine maintenance (timing chain, rails, tensioner), suspension work (ball joints, SLS, etc.), or other major areas. These cars can be expensive to catch up on deferred maintenance. Would also like to know if there are any pics of the panel work done when the Duraflex flares were applied to the car - did the body shop stiffen the panels/flares to provide needed structural rigidity? What adhesive was used to affix the panels? Any rust found under the rear glass?1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody Tribute
AMG5pt4 said:
Seller, from the walk around video, the rear glass should have an aluminum trim insert into the rubber seal that frames the rear glass. This aluminum trim seems missing from the video. Please advise if my eyes are playing tricks!1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Cabriolet w/41k Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Beautiful example in classic colors for the A124. My brother has this exact car with 54k miles on it and I have done a good bit of work on his. All the big questions have been asked and answered, so the new owner will have several items to address - upper wiring harness (mandatory), lower wiring harness, Electronic Throttle Actuator (same eco junk wiring - mandatory), hydraulic cylinders (mandatory), head gasket and front timing chain seal (mandatory at some time in the future). The wiring harness is NLA but can be bought off eBay as an updated used harness - just make sure the F.D. date is post 1990's and the harness was removed carefully. The lower harness is not as critical as the upper harness is - also NLA. The ETA is the throttle body and has the crap wiring. Don Roder in Alabama is THE guy to source one from. The hydraulic cylinders are a guarantee failure point and they will all have to be replaced - this is a proactive item so you don't get stuck with a soft top that won't open and won't get stuck with a puddle of hydraulic fluid somewhere. Top Hydraulics is a great choice for the rebuilt cylinders. I would also recommend the new owner buy and replace the 3rd brake light assembly (the whole thing not just the lens) as the rubber seal around the lens fails and water gets into the trunk. Buy two and save one for later. These aren't minor maintenance items - figure $8-$12k. When all done, this Cab will be a wonderful and classy car.One-Owner 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E Sportline w/36k-Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Spirited auction. Well bought.One-Owner 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E Sportline w/36k-Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Unicorn color and as new interior in stunning condition.One-Owner 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E Sportline w/36k-Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Would make a great parts car for a special 500E/E500 with mushroom interior. Just sayin... JK, great car!One-Owner 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E Sportline w/36k-Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
@MBZ_vs_Everybody Yes, that is my car - 1984 500SEL AMG, 5.4L SOHC, with the amazing Clarion G-80 rack stereo.One-Owner 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E Sportline w/36k-Miles
AMG5pt4 said:
Upper/Lower wiring harnesses replaced and also the EHA wiring rebuilt? Gorgeous car and the interior mushroom/beige is as good as I have seen, and mushroom leather is hard to keep nice. Well preserved car.