1993/1995 S500 a good car to buy or not

[tomtaylor1]

I have seen a number of 93/95 S500 Saloons advertised, various prices, 250.000 to 350.000 Baht, original Mercedes V8 5 litre engines.

Would one of these represent good value, a lot of car for the money, or just asking for a lot of problems. I understand it depends also on how well the car has been looked after.

The spares issue, are they plentiful here. Have looked on the internet, many new parts available on line. 

Understand they do around 7 kilometers per liter, one of the cars has LPG.

Would a car like this be readily re sold on at a later date.

Thank you in anticipation.

Regards Tom

[raffo77]

odometer would probably be rigged

[kartman]

Just now, raffo77 said:

odometer would probably be rigged

Would not matter for 250/350kBaht you buy that value Merc on driving and using your eyes would it sell on later of course if it is dirt cheap i would say they are for life cars  ideal for Tom

Edited April 28, 2017 by kartman

[canthai55]

How it has been maintained is key. Get it up in the air - check the underside for collision damage. Suspension parts easy to repair. If the engine oil looks good and the engine itself makes no noise, auto transmission fluid looks red and does not smell like burnt toast, further inspection warranted. Cylinder leakdown test easy to perform with an adapter made from an old spark plug, pressure gauge and air compressor. Will tell you if rings and valves are good. Being 25 years old will be a plus as the electronics will not be so complicated. You have experience in judging old cars ? If not, a professional will help you make the decision.

[tomtaylor1]

Hi, All, thank you for the info.

Still debating whether to take the plunge or not.

Must say, have owned an 1995 Cherokee, a 1998 and 2004 Jeep Wranglers without any significant issues.

Regards Tom

[commie]

Funny that, I'm thinking the same after being fed up with my W212, which is crap. W140 is one of the last models you could truly call Mercedes, very reliable with proper maintenance and can go forever. M119 engine is quite good (esp. post restyle one) but it's worth changing the chain when you buy it - unless previous owner has proof it was already changed. Chain resourse is ~250.000 km and it can give you major headache later. Check body through for rust, most common problematic points are wheel arches, space beneath headlights, trunk near the lock, sunroof, sides at upper border of plactic side skirts. Run car VIN and see what options it has, everything electric must work, including trunk retractable handle, folding rear headrests, door closing assistants etc. Anything not working properly will cost a lot to replace/fix. Also check the glass, esp. rear one - it may start exfoliating with time, original one costs a fortune, aftermarket ones aren't the same as they are much thinner. Quite a lot of parts should be original only, like spark plug wires, suspension springs etc. Even quality aftermarket replacements aren't the same. On the other hand you can buy quite a few aftermarket parts that are okay to be not original, like filters, suspension rubbers etc, just make sure it's quality ones like Lemforder.

These are just few things to look at. Tons of information about the car on the internet, most (but not all) parts are easy to get and it's only a matter of replacing them in time and the car will give you nothing but joy. You can even find check lists that will help you in choosing the car to buy.

[Hereinthailand]

Prob a nice car until you have to start buying expensive parts for it, and finding a good exp. mechanic to fix it.

[tomtaylor1]

Hi Commie and every one, for the information given to date.

Regards Tom

[tomtaylor1]

Hi Commie and every one who contributed to my posting.

Thank you All.

Regards Tom