1982 380 SEL - Any details anyone knows of?

Well that would have been not much help. Nathan, in order,

1. Yes this is a good car.
2. Depends on whether its been looked after, been in a bingle, parked by the ocean, etc.
3. Depends on whether its been looked after, driven hard, serviced regularly, etc
4. Depends on whether its been looked after, although my 380 is now developing Transmission kickdown/up problems but then mine has over

1. You'll probably find minor stuff if you look hard enough, possibly trim issues like worn seat covers and minor paint probs.
2. Hi octane Unleaded.
3. Spare arent a problem.
4. 150,000km on the clock for - K Australian, is reasonable if it's immaculate. I have a 1983 380SEL and I love it, it has been looked after both before and since I got it, one of the people in the merc club in your area may be able to assist you with a Loan of a Mercedes CD Manual.

Mark -

Thanks heaps for the details. :)

I'll see if there are any merc clubs close by and what they might be able to tell me about them :)

Thanks again.

Nathan.

Mark wrote:

an 82 380SEL would be one to stay away from in my opinion

if it's in mint condition then maybe ... but a lot of these old w126 S classes are developing problems... the w126 refresh (86+) is a much better model to look for

every pre-86 S class i've driven has had a lot of problems ... gearboxes giving a huge kick on change, engines running rough and burning a ton of oil (lots of smoke), hydo-pneumatic suspension going...

the pre-86 V8 (380 and 500) uses a ton of fuel, have a look for mileage figures, i'm pretty sure the 420 uses less fuel than the old 380

they look nice from a distance, but most of them have been through a considerable amount of owners, and each one has treated the car more poorly than the last

if you can find one with few owners and a service history, then it may be something to go for... 150000k is quite low, i would expect a model of that year to have closer to 300000, so maybe it's been treated well

spares aren't really a problem, and the cars are solidly built so they don't break down often... but if you do need a part, prepare to pay for it... for example, a broken seat spring (there are two under each seat) is $500... if you lose the gearbox or something you'll be up for a *huge* bill

personally, i much prefer the look of the 86+ S-class, with the smooth door panels, updated bumpers and wheels...

i've run an 88 420sel off normal unleaded for ages (when the prices were like $1.10L), but you're supposed to use premium

look for rust around the bottom of the rear windshield, just above the bootlid ... that's pretty much the only spot i've seen rust form...