will I regret getting a 420 SEC instead of a 560

Not a great deal in it between the 420 and 500, the 500 has a bit more get up and go, but thats about it.

The 560 is like driving a different car altogether, it's very fast, even by todays standards on a motorway there aren't many cars that can live with it.

Far more toys and gubbins to go wrong on a 560, ASR (traction control) self levelling rear suspension.

I wanted one of these for 20 years, and bought one a year ago, I bought a

560, I love it. But, and this is a very big BUT, it is an absolute money pit. I expected that, I'm restoring it from the ground up including a brand new zero mile factory engine, brand new body panels, a full interior retrim etc. it's likely to have cost me somewhere between £30,000 and £40,000 by the time it's done. But even if I wasn't restoring it to this extent it would have been a money pit just keeping it on the road.

Nothing is cheap, these are all or nothing cars, theres a reason they cost £80K + brand new in 1990 and keeping all that gadjetry working and repaired isn't cheap.

If you want a clean daily runner that you're going to enjoy then sell on I'd say the 420 or 500 are actually better cars (personally I'd go with the

500).

If you want something special for life that you'll invest in then a 560 is the way to go.

Basically the 420 or 500 is like a high maintainance mistress, the 560 is the same mistress with a cocaine habit:-)

Alan M

1990 560 SEC currently in a state of flux.....

Alan thank you so much for your and useful advice. and a very good read. I'm now looking at a particular 560 SEC that has blown me away with its looks; silver on black interior. I would be using this car as a daily driver; I have always had unusual-ish daily drivers; TVR Chimaera, Mercedes W113, Ford (Euro) Capri 2.8... but never a gas guzzler like this. I do indeed feel like I might be entering 'the dark side' here! Do I need help or am I surrounded by junkies already?

I'm a junkie, my 560sec averages 15 mpg when I'm running around enjoying it.

Low 20's average on long runs.

Beware though, it turns into an obsession as you'll see if you take a look at other recent posts of mine:-)

I recently bought a 1991 560SEL, white/palomino 118k. I agree with the opinions of the car. Friggin awesome. I am in the process of timing chain/valve job, front and rear suspension consumables. Then exhaust system, then the twin turbo setup..... This car has the most comfortable seats of any car I've been in.

So perhaps the price on this one might not be that outrageous:

Ximinez

That looks like a reasonable price considering the mileage.

SEC's seem to have bottomed out in the UK, I've never seen them so cheap, but I'm reasonably sure this is because so many have now reached the end of their lifethere's a plentiful supply of breaking cars. The will dry up and the prices of good ones are only going to increase.

There is a lovely selection of genuine AMG sec's in Japan, 6.0 48 valve engines, the works. Not many of them are less than £25,000 ($50,000 - Euro

37,500).