Big 560 Benz on the Autobahn. Does it get any better?

Have You Considered Every Benz But SECs?

I say "Nice Price"  well.. maybe a bit high.. but the SEC cars are some of the best Mercedes ever built.. and in my opinion of the finest cars ever made...  

http://jalopnik.com/5910973/for-6950-have-you-considered-every-benz-but-secs

The Mercedes 126... another owners love for one of the greatest cars ever made

Well, as my readers probably know by this point, I am a huge fan of the Mercedes-Benz 126 chassis cars. They are one of the finest crafted automobiles ever made in my opinion. And if you don't believe me, just ask someone who owns one! Here is an email and picture I received from one of my readers who loves their 126 Benz. Thanks to Stevan for sharing his thoughts and a picture of his beautiful 1990 300SE!

I have a 1990 300se in excellent condition! This is all due to my car being a solid, well built machine that does not require more than replacing general parts. I could say that my 1990 MBZ still has 90% of it's original parts! (excluding the "usual things" for every car). Otherwise my 300se has been a "thoroughbred" in which it had become pampered. Good things are meant to keep! After 18 years & 189.000 miles, this car will NOT be replaced anytime soon! After all this time, mechanics and car dealers are still drawn to it with wonder.





Thanks Stevan! that pretty much sums it up!

1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SE

From previous post I've done, most of you may know how big a fan I am of the Mercedes-Benz 126 chassis cars. It was a time when Mercedes build quality was the finest in the world. Here is a challenge to my readers, take notice next time your on your daily commute. See how many 126 Mercedes you see on average over the week. I can guarantee there are more of them on the road than any other car from that era!

Towards the end of the long run of the 126 Chassis, Mercedes brought to the U.S. some non V8 powered 126 cars. From 1989-1991 Mercedes offered the 300SE & 300SEL for sale in the U.S. With a bullet proof, 3.0 Liter strait 6 engine, the 300 series cars offered all the prestige and quality of it's top of the line 500 series brothers, without the high gas bills. The 3.0 wasn't a slouch on power either, pumping out around 180hp and 190lbs ft. torque. Good by even modern standards.

These are just fantastic cars, and you really don't see a lot of the 300 series around due to their short production run for the U.S. A very special thanks to Chelsea for sharing her beautiful 1991 300SE featured in the pics below! This car is her baby, and has seen much TLC over the years. A labor of love and that is what these cars are all about!!! (oh ya, and check out those Euro lights!!)

As always, if anyone has a car they'd like to share.. drop me an email at cartestride@yahoo.com

The Search for my next car: A Testament to Durability- The 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL

It has been a while since I've posted a review on the quest for my next car. To be honest I haven't really even looked at any new cars lately. I've been playing around with the idea of purchasing an older used car and doing away with car payments all together.

Now for most people this would be a pretty simple ordeal. There are tons of great used cars available for an affordable price. One could be sensible and pick up a nice used Honda Civic or Toyota Camry.... But, of course not me! I have been playing around with the idea of purchasing a Mercedes-Benz 560SEL/SEC for years. These cars have always epitomized the pinnacle of Mercedes build quality in my opinion. For me purchasing an older car couldn't just be something cheap and sensible, it would have to be something I would feel passionate about driving. A car I would wake up every morning and look forward to glancing at the over polished shiny paint sparkling in my garage. For me all the quirks of an older car make it seem more human... The aggravation of expensive repair bills seem daunting.. but those perfect moments when a classic old Benz is running like the day it pulled out of Stuttgart would make it all worth while!

As I mentioned before this search has been years in the making. In particular the 560 SEC coupe is one of the cars I always dreamed owning. The market for 126 (official chassis number)Mercedes is a strange one. 560 SEC's can be had for as little as $1500 for a beater, all the way up to the high 20K range for a 6.0 AMG car. The tricky part has been finding a middle ground for a nice dependable 560 SEC that isn't going to break the bank. I wouldn't rule out the 4 door SEL version if I found the right car, but these cars seem to run the gamete as well.

Just so happened I ran across an add for a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL at a local used car dealership. After a quick chat on the phone with the sales manager I went to check this car out knowing only a few things.... One it was white over Blue... Two it had high mileage. As I arrived at the dealership I noticed the old gal sitting proudly up front among cars half its age. As described the Car was white over blue (the quintessential Florida car mind you) with chrome period correct rims with gold plated Mercedes stars (Blah!!). The sales manager I had spoke with then met me by the car and handed me the keys and stated "take it for a spin.. it hasn't been started in a few weeks, but should be fine." This did concern me as I preceded to check over the car for any rust and other imperfections. As I sat down in the cushy drivers seat, I noticed the odometer read 196K+ miles. The little flaws this car showed were really starting to make me want to just walk away now. Interior wasn't awful, but it did show wear of a 21 year old car with close to 200K miles on the clock. The only thing running through my mind was "this car needs a ton of work."

By this point I figured I might as well take it for a drive and to my surprise I turned the key and with one crank, the old girl came to life! Within a minute or so of letting the car warm up, the AC was blowing cold air (a must for these cars, as AC repairs can be very expensive). All warmed up and ready to roll I proceeded to pull out of the dealership. Now before I go any further, I must say the road I tested the car on was just perfect. A newly paved 4 lane strip of road with minimal traffic and a 55mph speed limit. Merging into traffic at about 40% throttle I immediately noticed how powerful the 5.6 liter engine was. With close to 200K miles on it this engine ran like a top! Now this is a very large, steel, heavy car and I really expected it to handle like a late 80's Lincoln Towncar. This was definitely not the case! Although the seats are very bouncy and soft, the car has a very stiff suspension you can tell is tuned to handle well at high autobahn speeds. Driving this car about a mile then shooting a U-turn it felt very nimble and I all but forgot how big this car actually is. After I made the turn to head back towards the dealership it just so happened a very impatient gentleman in a new Cadillac Escalade (no comment) proceeded to get right on my bumper and fling his arms all about for me to speed up. Who am I not to conform! I stood on the throttle and with a large puff of carbon smoke all over his pretty new pearl paint the old Benz took off like a rocket! This car pulls hard at rolling speeds and 30-60 went by in an instant!

Once back at the dealership I gave the car another once over and did notice some blue smoke sporadically puffing out of the top of the engine. All in all I think this particular car needed thousands to make it right and I will continue my search. With that in mind it still stands as a testament to near perfect Mercedes build quality! Nothing about this car felt "old." It was powerful, handled well, stopped like any modern car, has an incredible safety record, and all the bells and whistles you find standard today. This is a car I could drive everyday, and even though it is 20+ years old it still looks as prestigious as any new 100K super luxury ride! If the right Mercedes 560 comes along, it just may be my next new (used) car.