[W126 Coupe] A different perspective

[Sam Sisic]

My apologies for carrying on about a Volvo on an MB site, but I must say the P1800S is one of the most beautiful designs I've ever seen. Too bad they were rust prone. Very difficult to find one here... If you have this mechanic's contact information, I would appreciate it.
Sam

560SEC


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Message: 16
Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 17:58:27 -0400
From: "Louis Miller" <millerlh at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] A different perspective
To: "Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists" <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
Message-ID: <410-22007521521582760 at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Wow! A lot in common on this site. I know this is a pretty much dedicated site, but:

Due mainly to age, I've owned a lot of cars that I wish I still had, but the one I still pine for is my red, 1962 P1800 (body by Jensen) that I traded, like a dolt, on a new, "cool" 1972 Javelin because I had just received my first livable pay check!

I've had my eyeball on a red 1965 for a couple of years now, owned and restored by one of my high school classmates, but can't shake him loose.

If anyone else has any interest in the P1800, there is a mechanic who specializes in restoring and just fixing them on Route 32 in Ottsville, PA, between Riegelsville and Easton PA.

On a more appropriate note, my SEC just passed NJ inspection and I am now relatively free from worry.

Enjoy the warm weather, those of you who are on the East Coast, USA.

Lou Miller


----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Hogarth
To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists
Sent: 5/15/07 5:17:25 PM
Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] A different perspective


Yeah! SAAB Sonnets and Volvo P1800s.
What a noisy rough ride- But fun as hell!
-RPH

From: mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com [mailto:mbcoupes-bounces at mbcoupes.com] On Behalf Of toelsner at comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 12:48 PM
To: mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com
Subject: [W126 Coupe] A different perspective

Hi Everybody,
I would like to present a different perspective on a topic raised a few weeks ago. A person was trying to decide if he should repair his existing 560SEC or buy another one for $5k with less mileage. The consensus was either sell his and buy the other one or buy and keep both.

My '90 560SEC has 177k of HARD miles on it. It is my daily driver and I have driven it to places and on job sites that would make you cringe (me too on reflection and I should have told my former employer where to go). It had finally gotten to the point where I could no longer hold off on getting my valve guides & seals done and repairing a broken sunroof rail. So I bit the bullet and drove the car almost 3 hours to a shop somebody on this site recommended in the LA area. They test drove the car and this is what they came up with in addition to the valves and sunroof: leaking radiator, 1 fuel pump leaking, idler control arm bushing (cause of my front end creak) and gas door vacuum element (what fun when running on empty and your gas door solenoid won't fully engage). The total cost for all this, including tax, is around $5,300. I also had to rent a car for 3 weeks (just my luck the afternoon before I brought it in a Jag was towed in needing the heads done so I lost a few d ay
 s). fyi...Alternator was replaced 2 months ago and the timing belt and tensioner have around 30k on them.

Now, should I have bagged the car and bought another one that might have all the maintenance records etc. or am I better off making the repairs to a car that once the repairs are made I know what I have got. I still need to figure out why the AC belt keeps shredding but once this is done, all I have left is some body work and a new paint job and some leather repair. Frankly, I think the wiser choice is to go with what I have and know. Comments?

I know this is a MB site, but if there are any fans of the old Volvo P1800 out there, the new C30 is awesome..not available in the US yet. I drove a Turbo Diesel 5 speed (all nomenclature and digital readouts were in Swedish)..great pickup, solid suspension and this thing was getting 62mpg hwy driving. It didn't meet CA emissions so Volvo won't sell it in the US yet. Gas version should be out first. I'm 6'2" 245 pounds and the seat felt good with enough legroom.

Tom Oelsner
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