[prince_pervez]

WOW! The first thing that came to my lips was "She's beautiful" and she really is.
Congrats man!

[nandishpal]

Happy new year guys! As promised i will upload loads of pictures today, i cudn't clean the interiors this morning.though i gave it a good wash at the washing station yesterday,it rained in the evening.i guess i will keep all this work pending for the weekend.just started the car & kept it in idling for 3 minutes,took it for a 3km spin & trust me i feel different

[khan_sultan]

Good, get it a good wash, shine, coat of wax and it should be ready to go. I would not mind a ride with you in this some time :-). Can travel to your place to have a look at this beauty that you have got for yourself :-)

[arnabchak]

Congrats!!!

Great gift for a New Year.
Enjoy the ride.
She looks beautiful from outside.

[nandishpal]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Good, get it a good wash, shine, coat of wax and it should be ready to go. I would not mind a ride with you in this some time :-). Can travel to your place to have a look at this beauty that you have got for yourself :-)

i did that yesterday sultan & trust me i wasn't expecting rains yesterday,
though i didnot get the exteriors polished as i want to clean up the interior first,which i want to do myself,you are always welcome to drop in & have a look at the baby.

[nandishpal]

ok as promised here are the exterior pictures of the car.had lots of plans for the car this morning but did not materialise as was partying last night & just couldn't wake up.
i am posting these exterior pictures just to have a before & after comparison for myself & for bhpians to help me make it what it deserves to be.
the paint looks very clean in the pictures but there are cracks in the paint on some parts of the car.
i have been getting advise to get a coat done,get it stripped & build it from the scratch but as of now i am in no mood to touch the company paint as it has lasted for 25 years this good.
i am going to give it a good rubbing & polishing in the next few days.
the roof of the car is scratchless & some how has managed to retain the company shine.
the interior,boot & the engine bay pictures will follow in a while.
i need your advise so feel free,i am open to ideas.

[the VTEC guy]

very regal/royal! enjoy your ride. W140 is also on my wish list.

Just make sure the 3 pointed hood ornament is in place.

[nandishpal]

a few pictures of the interior.
the auto seat adjustment switches are broken but works absolutely fine.the springs of the seat have lost the strength & i think needs to be checked.
has a pioneer cd player with a 6 cd changer in the boot.i want to change it to blaupunkt with the mercedes branding on it.
the speedo & the rpm meter works but just needs a good check up.
the blower is working fine but the cooling is low,i think i need to check on the gas.
the stepney has never been used,a little shocking but its true.
its got the manufacturing date,michelin made in germany tyre.
the front hood ornament is broken & missing.
the roof is clean.i had read some where on team bhp that this should not be cleaned as it would fall of.

[f1fan]

For a 25 year old car, the interiors and exteriors are really clean. 33K on the odo is also very little.
The car looks majestic. Enjoy your new year gift for years to come.

Cheers!

[V-16]

Firstly wish you a very happy new year Nandish and all team mates. Congrats, thats a great car. So finally you got yourself the car you had been so eagerly looking for.

This will serve you for many years without trouble provided you drive her regularly. As Ajmat pointed out, the twin Carbs need adept hands to tune and if not used, some kind of additive they put in unleaded petrol will block the jets and clog the carbs, making them a handful to maintain, so rule number one, use regularly, at least twice a week to enjoy uninterrupted service.

About the top, i dont think it will fall off if cleaned. The tops of older cars do tend to sag over a period of time, given the heat and the original gum outliving its life. Have a proper professional detailer clean your car inside out. SHould not cost more than 3-4K (at least thats what it costs here) for a complete job, inside out including carpets, under bonnet and in the boot etc etc. This also includes a through polish job.

Regarding changing to a Blaupunkt CD changer, its possible only if the deck also is of the same company or else the sockets dont match, hence dont go buying something which will be an issue to fit.
The A/C is probably a system leak or maybe due to non usage for a long time, the gas does tend to leak out. Get a leak test done by a good A/C person.

Enjoy your car on the highway when she develops a different character once you surpass a certain speed and RPM.

[subhasis_999]

Congratulations for the awesome find nandishpal. 25 yrs and 33K in the ODO is like almost a new car. As suggested by V16 in many of the Merc Topics get the car checked by a reputed mechanic / dealer and enjoy it for many more years to come.

[nandishpal]

gogi bhai first of all thanks to you & abhishek to help me take a decision.
i am planning to use it almost every day.just want to bring it back to a reliable condition.
gogi,if i am not wrong you had mentioned about the roof falling on one of the threads.
ya we have a place called 3m i am thinking to leave it there for a complete clean up.
i will check with the socket if it is doesnt match with blaupunt i will stick on to pioneer.
without the AC i dont think i can drive in the city.so thats on the priority list.
i am waiting for the weekend to take her on the highway.

[canonball]

Hi Nandish you finally got something, she is indeed intact and a good car. She seems like a more recent import possibly from HongKong as I see Zung Fu mud flaps common on these. there a several good w126's in HK in fine shape. happy motoring, by the by the Mumbai w140 280s was I think snapped up by a lady driver

[nandishpal]

@ canonball thanks bro!ya i finally got a s class.i have learnt so much in these 3 months.mercedes is so special in its own way.i have bought the w 126 but the search for the w 140 is on.
the reason to quit the w 140 280 was it would be a small engine.i thought atleast a minimun of a 5 litre is required.
the car is very much from hong kong.it also has the previous service history in the dash board boot,with all contact nos.by the way you have eagle's eye. ;-)
you kidding me a lady bought a w140?i am sure she is reading our threads on team bhp.

[harit]

Originally Posted by nandishpal

finally after a long search for the w140 i ended up buying a w 126,s280.was a very tough day for me today but it is worth.for now enjoy two pictures,all other detailed report will come in by tomorrow & please don't ask me how much i bought it for as i am tired of answering this since noon & also getting negative feed back by family & non enthusiast friends.search for w140 is still on.

Hi Nandishpal,

Congrats on your purchase. A 126 is a very good car if you handle the car correctly.
If the car has been regularly and properly maintained by the previous owner, expect to pay a proper price. Maintainance is expensive, and you must continue to maintain her properly amd spend money. AND never go to a roadside mechanic for mechanical work. That has killed many 126's. I can tell you that the resale value of these cars is not much, and so people were hesitant to spend on high service bills. You must be aware that some 126's even landed up in chor bazar as they were mechanically finished. I remember that when Concorde motors for Mercedes-Benz in Mahim closed shop, they had about 3 to 4 126's lying there where the owners had abandoned them as the repair bills were higher than what the car was worth. Later, when Sanghi opened their Merc sevice center, they dealt with very few 126 as the repairs were expensive. I remember that one day when I went there, a 126 was lying. Nice looking, but dead. They told me that the car came on a truck, the estimate for repairs was about 6L, the problem was with the electronics, they first had to put in a part costing 60K and then follow further. But when the car was done, what a runner. And the owner was so happy. But they had spent a lot.
The need to emphasise is that 126's are expensive cars to maintain, and if you do not do it properly, the car will fail. There are absolutely no shortcuts.
As far as this car is concerned, I would suggest to use her for atleast the next 3 months, since you are in Bangalore go even upto Mysore. Enjoy the car and be convinced that mechanicals and electricals are upto date. Meanwhile collect bits of missing trim. The paint should be looked into later. Music system is also not a priority.

bout cost price and people laughing, well this I can assure you has happened before. You have to develop a thick skin, and keep trusting your judgement.
I would suggest that you do this car mechanically to top level, hopefully she is already tops, and then look for a W140. Maybe 280 is too small, go for a 320. The V12 engined cars are again difficult and expensive to run. I have not seen Speedy zipping on the road as yet. His M series Merc has no V12 monogram either.

Jokes apart, a very nice car you got there, just maintain it properly with the right mechanics.
Happy Benz-ing!!

Cheers harit