Hello all!
I am considering getting a very beautiful, one-owner 1972 w109 300sel 4.5 in really good condition.
My concern is the mileage, with over 300K miles. It's had R&R on cylinder heads, new valve guides and seals, and had the valves and seats machined at about 220K miles. It's also had transmission and torque converter replaced at 230K miles.
What good advice would you guys have?
Thanks in advance!
You describe many power train refreshes . . . however the other systems, suspension, braking, electrical, cooling, etc. should also have been refreshed by this mileage level as well.
If the car has been maintained and is in good working order mileage is rather irrelevant as stated above. In this case the high mileage will only have some impact on the value of the car but not on much else. I would definitely make sure that the suspension and front end is not worn. These can all be fixed of course. The M117 engine which powers that car is incredibly robust. I had a 1980 450 SEL (which had essentially the same motor) with over 330,000 miles on the original non-rebuilt engine.
Great feedback!
Agree with you re:suspensions: everything felt right, and a lift at the garage should tell us more!
Stricht8: you mention something about value of the car. If I held on to this car for another 15-20 years, and continued to maintain it religiously as the current and only owner has, as well as do a full restoration at some point, can I expect it to appreciate a bit?
Sure it might appreciate but that model will probably never be a big appreciator. If you maintain the car it is highly unlikely to lose any value. There can never be a replacement for a low mileage original car! A concours restoration however is kind of like starting fresh despite the mileage.
A transmission with only 70k miles on it will likely last you a good long time. Those tranmissions are known to be robust.
That engine/transmission combo, unless severely abused, will go for a really long time.
The real issue you face with a 300 is the suspension. The air bags are known to dry out and leak, and once the system starts getting leaky, it can be tough to chase down the problem(s). Expect thousands of $$ to replace the bellows and associated parts.
As for parts availability, I've never had a problem finding parts for my car. I steer clear of the dealership because of the expense, and easily find identical parts at Kragen, Napa and other parts places.
An old addage I've learned to trust is to buy the most expensive (good condition) Benz your budget will allow.
There are many of our cars out there with over a million miles on them. Just go for it.
Tom,
Thanks! I did follow your advice a couple of months ago, and I couldn't be happier for it!
The previous owner treated this car like a daughter (or son...), and it shows.
I am going to enjoy it for the next year, then will start to work on it with the hopes of a full restoration...
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Karim,
The answer to that question is, almost never.
My late M-B mechanic used to say that there is no Mercedes that can't be fixed and for which parts are unavailable. As long as replacement parts are available for a particular model, so long can that car be kept in good working order, regardless of miles. So parts availability is the criterion I use.
You might contact the Classic Center to check on parts availability for that 39-year old car.
Alex Rosner
Member, NYC-Long Island Section