I didn't mean to buy it. (W126 300SE)

I didn't mean to buy this car. 

There I was... minding my own business, swapping cars for work with a friend and wholesaler, when I spied this sad looking old Mercedes in the corner. Clearly not a car that came from a dealer somewhere. "whats up with that thing?" I had to know. 

"Well..." he started "its actually pretty nice. It's from down south and spotless underneath, nice interior, and even drove here. It could be yours if you scrounge up five hundred American Dollars. I bought it with a bunch of other cars from a guy who had a stroke"

Berk. I'm not buying a car today. Lets go take a look. 

Not much clearcoat left on the top sides, but the body is very nice. The underside is spotless. The interior is nice. It smells like all 80s Euro cars do.

I don't need it. 

The next day, as though they were possessed, my hands sent a text that read "So... you think that Mercedes would drive itself back here?" The repsonse that quickly followed was "the tires are really bad, but I'm sure the car would do it".

Goddammit. 

"Alright, I'm sold."

Earlier this week I picked it up and drove it "home", very gingerly on account of the BADly dry rotted tires. After much scrubbing of the exterior I was left with this:

It's an 89 300SE. M103 inline 6, gas, slow. 159k miles. 

According to Carfax this car was in California from new until 2003 after which is spent a few years in Washington and another few years in Tennessee before making its way here to Vermont in 2014. There was a 199 mile difference in odometer reading between the sale on the TN title to the car sitting in my work parking lot, including the 35 mile drive to get it there. It still wears a 2014 inspection sticker. Clearly, the PO didn't drive this thing much. 

Today I picked up some used Michelins off FB marketplace for $100 and threw them on the car, allowing me to take it for a real test drive... which went well. 

The car drove VERY well, right up until a pressurized fuel line ruptured. I guess that's one way to get rid of all the 5+ year old gas in the tank.

Free tow via AAA and the driver was able to drop it through a bay door and onto a lift, and it was running again almost before I got back from the hardware store with hose clams. Can't complain. 

Gave me some extra time to admire that underside. I am deep in the rust belt... this is quite a sight. 

You may notice there is a pretty good trans fluid leak that I will likely need to address. 

If you leave it leak, its self revitalized rust proofing. 

Just for S&Gs, try pulling the gear selector all the way back once you are stopped and leave it there long enough to get the car rolling. See if it feels a little more lively. I think MBZ automatics from this era usually start in second from Drive. 

Oh my, that cleaned up very nicely. What a great find for $500!

They do start from second and the reason the trans have a bad rep is due to leaks; the low fluid eats the B2 which is also reverse. Keep it full and it’ll last forever.

Wow, that is a really clean Benz.  Mercedes from this era were truly built to last forever.  

Yes, they start in 2nd unless you hit the kickdown switch. 

Thanks guys. The slowness is not an issue... it's honestly better than I expected. While not fast, that engine is smooooth.

I'm liking this car more than I hoped I would. 

Awesome. I love the w126 platform and used to dd a 300sd with over 300k miles.

At least if you get pulled over you have diplomatic immunity!

Love old big Benzes 

Beautiful car. Color me envious.

Been dead at work so I've been passing time by cleaning up the Benz. Of course in the process I put all the windows down and, naturally, only three of them went back up. Since the plastic window regulator sliders are $3... I bought 2.  It'll be good to have on hand the next time one breaks. 

Scrubs up alright for a 30 year old car, I'd say.

I've also put more miles on it in the past week than the previous owner did in five years, so there's that...