Hello and to introduce myself as a new forum member, I live in Adelaide Australia, 43 yr old married New Zealander been here 13 years and love it.
Am looking to purchase a 1991 500 SEL .
What are the main things to look for in a second-hand car ?
Seller states that it needs a carby rebuild which costs around $800 Aus, does this sound right?

Been reading as much as I can about this model and it ALL sounds like they are a fantastic vehicle, very reliable, well made, very comfortable ride, extremely well engineered, and made to last.

Look forward to ANY comments or advice.

Very much look forward to owning a Merc and to contributing to this forum.

Kind Regards
Paul

 

Didn't know they put carbs in the S-class up to 91. I learn something new everyday.

the main thing is that a well cared for benz is good. a lazy owner benz can be bad. Get records they can be very helpful. And "Dealer Maintained" is over rated. It may not mean a darn thing. Or they only took it in when something broke i.e like after over heating the engine block and getting towed.
then at tht age a few electrical gremlins with things like power seats, a window or other comfort creatures may to act weird sometimes. the complicated AC from what I;ve seen is hit or miss. some never have a ripple of a problem but most usually have a blower motor or some other AC component on it's last leg. But as long as the mechanic don't have to go into the dash to fix it, it's not too expensive in compare. But if they do have to get into the dash, it can get scary.

Mechanically, they are solid car and with basic care,they will outlast most cars on the highway and look good doing it.