Hi, I'm new to this forum and a brand new Benz owner, at that. I was true and loyal to BMW but I just bought a 1985 500SEL and I think Mercedes stole my heart. Can anyone tell me a little more about these cars? It is a direct import from Germany

 

Congratulations I think. I bought one too. My hesitant congratulations comes not from the marque because the w126's are legendary. I would rather have a pre-90 merc than anything since. My w126 is also a direct import from Germany. What makes this problematic is defining the vehicle for parts purposes. My first recommendation is scour for a happy mechanic. If they give you a big sigh then keep on looking. Im lucky to have found a real Mercedes fan in my mechanic and even with the enthusiasm he sees the car as a puzzle that the devil is in the details.
Let me say without reservation that my 500 SEL is a tomahawk cruise missle. It runs quite well but there are creature comforts that need to be addressed and there in lies the mystery of what precise part. If Ive been told correctly your 85 may have been the year the car was sold but in engineering and features the car may more represent an 83 or an 87 or anything in between. Cars were being assembled and finessed all the time and at some point were stamped with a year and sold. If there are other grey market owners here that know more about w126's Id love to have them rip my ideas apart and teach me more..because honestly its been a driving dream and a confusion information.

 

i used to have a grey market w126. mine was sold as a 1984 500SEL. it had every available option for the year, including the power reclining rear seats.

it was a great car for me, even though the grey market aspect was a pain sometimes. i found that most american spec parts will fit on the car, and even the us spec wiring and pneumatic diagrams are close enough that you can make something out of them. the biggest psoblem i had was the constant and great variance from 126 to 126. the chassis was in production from 1983 until 1991, and being the flagship benz, the technology involved was constantly changing. you cant even count on it being the same within a model year, let alone from euro to us spec. if you want it properly kept up, you better be willing to do some serious research, or find a tech who really truly loves the cars and the challenge.

the truth about the 126 is that if taken care of, it will run forever, and will always be a blast to drive. the looks are timeless, and the technology continues to stand apart even 20 and 25 years later.