For sale is my 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with 60,430 miles. I have put a lot of work and money into this Mercedes to make it right and tight. I had intended on keeping this vehicle for a long time as my second car.I purchased the vehicle in early June of this year and I am the 3rd owner.I spent a lot of time conversing with the previous owner and have a good idea of how the vehicle has been cared for. I have corrected almost all of the issues it had when I purchased it. The remaining issues are listed below.Due to unforeseen circumstances with my job, will soon be relocating to the coast and cannot take this vehicle with me.
Please take time to read through the service history timeline, nd review all of the photos I have uploaded. I have done my best to accurately describe the current cosmetic and operational condition. Please contact me regarding any questions you may have about the vehicle. This vehicle is being sold as-is, ith no warranty. Read the listing thoroughly and review all the photos before bidding.
Payment/Logistics Terms:
U.S. bidders only. The buyer has 24 hours to pay a deposit of $500 (via PayPal) for the vehicle following the close of the auction. The buyer has 7 days from the close of the auction to pay for the remaining balance and pickup the vehicle. Remaining balance must be paid in cash or by cashier’s check. Buyer is responsible for shipping fees and vehicle transport.
Major pluses on this 560SEL:
- Very low mileage for a 1987 vehicle
- Clean title
- Rare Desert Taupe exterior color
- Plastic headlight surrounds (covering the fog lights) are very clear, ot hazed over
- 3 keys included; 1 original and two made by VIN at the Mercedes Classic Center. Keys are all identical and work in the locks and ignition tumbler
- Heater blows hot and A/C blows cold
- A/C system already converted to R134a
- Vacuum locks and climate control system work
- Cruise Control works
- Front power seats work
- Sunroof works
- No issues with ABS or SRS
- All 4 door strikers recently replaced so the doors close like a Mercedes should
- All 4 tires are Firestones that have ~90% of tread life left. Front 2 tires are brand new with less than 500 miles. Rear tires were measured by a Firestone technician to have 90% remaining and they did not recommend replacement.
- The SLS system has had extensive work performed so that it rides level, omfortable and does not sag overnight.
- While not 100% mint, he interior is still in nice shape. The first thing my independent Mercedes shop commented on was how nice the interior is.
- No cracks in the dashboard
- Netting behind the front seats is not stretched out
- Modern HD Radio head unit accepts USB/Aux input and CDs
- New speakers sound much better than the original system (see specifics below)
- Chrome is in good shape
- No rust in the wheel wells and no tacky chrome wheel arches trying to cover up rust like some do
- Has original Mercedes tool kit and first aid kit
Known cosmetic issues:
- Minor nicks and scratches. There is a small scuff on the front bumper (pictured).
- The passenger side mirror glass is starting to deteriorate (pictured).
- When I went to take off the speaker grill covers in the back to replace the rear speakers, he originals were brittle from age and broke apart. Purely a cosmetic issue, ut I want to be transparent.
Known electrical/mechanical issues:
- Electric rear seat recliner does not work.
- Passenger side electric mirror adjustment does not work. Driver’s side mirror is manually adjusting and adjusts smoothly.
- Antenna is a Hirschman Universal, o it either goes all the way up or all the way down. You cannot adjust the Hirschman Universal to a specific height like you could with the original Hirschman antenna. It works great, ut those sensitive to complete originality should be aware.
Service history timeline
6/5/2013 at S&M’s Imports, TD. in Kansas City, O
- Check vehicle for needed repairs
- Customer states wheels feel off balance; Balance 4 tires
- Perform front end alignment
- Customer states check A/C operation; Evacuate and recharge A/C R134A
- Climate control panel not working correctly; Replace climate control panel
- Customer states replace power steering filter and flush system; Replaced power steering filter and flushed system
- Customer states replace heater valve; Install heater regulator valve
- Customer states change suspension fluid, eplace filter, nd clean tank; Pump fitting broke while removing tank; Install used suspension pump, leaned tank, hanged fluid, nd filter.
Before purchasing the vehicle I had a complete pre-purchase inspection performed at Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City. Overall they stated it was a solid vehicle and the only major issue was the center tie rod had play. The front tires had uneven wear due to the center tie rod being worn out. Center tie rod and front tires have since been replaced (see below).
7/2/2015 at Cordel Foreign Motors in Omaha, E:
- Replace center tie rod assembly and perform alignment
- Replace rear door striker; Technician drilled out bolts due to damaged heads and replaced striker (previous owner replaced other 3 door strikers but could not do this one because the bolt heads were damaged).
- Customer states flex disc is worn, angs into reverse; Diagnosed driveshaft is bad and needs replacement. Replaced driveshaft (professionally rebuilt by Powertrain Industries) and replace shaft flex disc.
- Customer states SLS system rides hard and doesn’t think it’s level; Technician recommends replacement of both rear accumulators, uspension filter, nd suspension hoses. Replaced suspension filter, uspension hose (both sides), enuine Mercedes accumulator (both sides), nd suspension fluid.
- Customer requests brake fluid flush; Performed brake fluid flush with DOT 4 brake fluid
- Customer requests rear differential service; Performed rear differential service using 75W-90 Redline Synthetic Gear Oil
7/30/2015 at Firestone Complete Auto Care in Omaha, E:
- Two new Firestone FR710 P205/65R15 tires with 65,000 mile Limited Warranty mounted, alanced and installed in the front; Added road hazard protection
7/31/2015 at Cordel Foreign Motors in Omaha, E:
- Replace rear SLS valve; I supplied a Genuine Mercedes SLS valve from FCP Euro and have that receipt
- Replace SLS pump; I supplied a resealed SLS pump from Michael Ramay out of Las Vegas and have that receipt
- Add new suspension fluid and bleed system
I have receipts for the following which I have replaced myself:
- New Meyle 026 022 7949 Steering Damper (steering strut)
- New pair Philips X-Treme Vision headlight bulbs
- New Pioneer A-series 4x6” 3-way speakers for the front, ioneer A-series 5.5” speakers for the rear
- New Pioneer X5710HD head unit with HD-Radio, D player, SB, nd Aux-In
- New Genuine Mercedes Air Cleaner intake hose 1170941982
- New KYB Gas-A-Just front shock absorbers
- MercedesSource Fuse upgrade kit to upgrade original aluminum fuses to copper ones
- New Genuine Mercedes expansion tank cap
- New Nissens radiator with Zerex G-05 coolant
- New set of RainX wiper blades
- New set of Bosch headlight wiper blades
- New muffler hangers
I also put in 2x new Sylvania LEDriving bulbs for the instrument cluster to improve brightness, ut I don’t have that receipt. That upgrade alone was around $20, ince quality LED bulbs are expensive.
Extra goodies included:
-CarFax report from when I purchased the vehicle a few months ago
- 2x MercedesSource front seat reinforcement kits (passenger seat is pretty strong; driver’s seat is weaker than the passenger seat, ut not as bad as those I’ve seen on higher mileage examples)
- MercedesSource SLS suspension troubleshooting/repair manual
- MercedesSource Fuse Box upgrade manual
- MercedesSource voltage regulator replacement manual
- MercedesSource W126 Front Seat Repair and Restoration manual
- MercedesSource brake manual
- MercedesSource W123 and W126 Front Suspension Troubleshooting and Parts Replacement Guide
- MercedesSource W126 Instrument Cluster Removal and Component Replacement manual
- Monark voltage regulator (Kent Bergsma recommends keeping a spare for road trips)
- OTC Mercedes Dash Kit to remove dash components like the instrument cluster
- Aftermarket mirror glass replacements for both sides
- 6 gauge Everstart booster cables
- 19 piece metric Kobalt socket set