[W126 Coupe] need advice on buying an SEC!!

[Jay Manek]

Sounds like an OK car. 

The ticking noise will be a hydraulic lifter slightly sticking, this can be caused by blocked oil ways and a common issue/characteristic of these engines... 
Although you may find once properly warmed, the noise will dissapear. Not a cause for concern unless it really does get loud. 

The interior is an issue but of course im sure you can find somewhere to retrim properly... I have no idea on prices in your area but in the UK a decent job would be around 1.5-2K GBP for a full interior.

The chrome trim on the rear lid is not cheap from mercedes but you should get a good one from any second hand supplier. 

The roof could get expensive... parts arent cheap for these and its a fiddly job... Id say live with this if you can.. if not then budget up to 500-800 USD as you will probably need a combination of used and new parts to get this working again. 

The japs love to add aftermarket rubbish in their cars. We used to import jap cars and we were forever removing silly radios and equalizers etc etc... its usually junk! If they have screwed into the dash you will need an auto upholstery repairer who may be able to repair and repaint the area concerned. 


Good Luck! 


Many Thanks & Regards

Jay Manek | www.mercland.com| 07716 349949


From: usef nazzal 
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 11:31 AM
To: mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com 
Subject: [W126 Coupe] need advice on buying an SEC!!



Dear All

Hope youre  all doing well. Am Yousef
 am sending this mail form Dubai, UAE.
Ive always wanted to venture into a W126 however after seeing the SEC
i just fell in love with it. 

We have had a W124 and W202 (both M104 280 engines) in the family.

I have been doing all the DIY maintence possible for the w202 and w124
with help of our beloved forums, given that i had the tools. Thats
because am a DIY person and also due to my bad experience with mechanics in this
country.

Now i have been searching the UAE market for 6 months and managed to
understand the SEC's market. Ill give you a summary:

-SECs are rare however spare parts are available
-SECs in the UAE are mostly Euro specs
-normally come imported from japan (left hand drive)
-a "clean" SEC (good interior & exterior..below 100K km.. Service
maintenance required) should cost between $6300 to $4900 USD.. Getting
ripped off would mean $8200 plus
-service maintenace would cost $1000 in parts only ( bushings,
filters, seals, pads& discs)

Now i have managed to find a decent dealer who bids and imports from
Japan.. His prices are resonable but according to him SECs are becoming rare
and going at high prices....

However he has ONE SEC which needs alot of work.. To me alot of work
means alot of fun... And money .. i have graduated and started about a year ago.. 
i managed to save some money but am not rich (yet :P)
 So i need your advice on whether its worth a go or not.. Here are the pros and cons of the car..:
PROs

- its going for $3400
-idle is stable at around 650rpm
-the car goes. It picks up well.. Reached only 120km\hr due to lack of
a proper road. but no problems
-gear changes are smooth no jerks.. Changes happen between 2000 & 3000
rpm at normal driving
-didnt try the kickdown button but it responded by going down a gear
when stepped on the pedal bit over halfway
-brakes are good
-no visible rust.. checked under the trunk lid (havent gone under the
car yet though)
-these dealers give a guarantee on the engine, gearbox and chasis so i
can get my money back if i find a major issue (before registering the car). However i do not wanna
go through the hastle and arguments. 

CONs
The interior (my biggest concern)
-the front seats are in bad condition.. Batches of leather are torn
off as if smthing was glued on the seat then snatched off..
-some 2 add-on devices.. i couldnt make out what they are i suspect its
for the sound system..also stuck to areas of the dash near the
driver's door
-the roof seems to be jammed you can hear the motor trying to wrk but
nothin moves

The exterior
-damaged rear bumper but replacement is not necessary
-chrome on the trunk lid is damaged.. i dont think it reached the lid itself
-both of the above seem to have happened during shipping

Engine compartment
I went through Satish's buyers guide and  he mentioned that we should "run
away" if we hear a "clang clang" noise (crankshaft problem).. Well i
heard more of a ticking sound (you have to listen to notice it) coming
from the end of the engine.. That scared me.. could it be the begining of a problem?.

Other than that it seemed ok .. Opened the oil cap and there was to
steam\gas .. No white smoke off the exhusts.. I reved the engine on
park and it backfired black smoke.. Ofcourse the service is definatly
needed ..

I hope this information is helpful .... Am willing to spend on this car but 
i would also like to be sensible ..
Please help :).. i cant wait to be an SEC owner!!

Thanks in advance
---------------------------
Yousef Nazzal
---------------------------



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