Great to see my old car! I owned this exact car from 2006 to 2011. I would be embarrassed to say how little I sold it for! Also slightly embarrassed to say that I had the exhaust that Ian criticised fitted! It was a fast car, I hit 130mph with ease in it. I miss it, full of character, but I was skint at the time and I needed the money so it had to go. Thanks Ian, I never thought I would watch you review a car that I actually owned! Made my day!
Bruno Sacco deserved a Nobel Prize for his design work at M-B. This car always reminds of the one old guy who had one in my hometown. It was a US spec, champagne over beige model, reeking of cigar smoke. I appreciate the cars despite that I wouldn’t have had one in the day.
This is my favorite era of MB - the muscular styling, the beautifully restrained interior and massive drivetrain and powerplant engineering- this era is absolutely the pinnacle of the MB auto design spectrum (in my opinion) - I just love the exterior styling and presence!
You should have a look at what a supercharged Mercedes of the 1930's, particularly in Spezial Roadster form, looks like. Or a Mercedes 680S Saoutchik. These are the cars with spectacular styling and unbelievable road presence. The 1980's are the best of the modern era, but they are nowhere near the leagues of where the top models of the 1930's or 1950's were like.
My mate's dad had a 500 SEC and he took us out on the M3 back in about 1986 and got it up to 140mph. I have never been faster. That was a beast in the day and this 560 is even better...they built them properly back then.
"Engineered like no other car, MERCEDES BENZ" Great presentation Iain. You do honor MB with respect. No negative opinionated bias, just accurate facts. Thank you. Another car that Formula 1 Drivers drove for pleasure. I used to test and adjust for full throttle opening on all cars that came into my service bay. From lowly 240D up to 6.9. Clients would call back after picking up their car and complement how it never ran so good before!. I'd be careful about sharing the steering box adjustment. Non MB trained sods might get to happy with twisting things they shouldn't. There is a friction torque spec with conditions while measuring that should be adhered to. It is a component that is directly related to drivers safety and operation. Set wrongly and it could cause!💥!. As always I love your clear sober delivery.✌️ Healthy New year 2023 from a retired (47 MB dealer years) in New Hampshire 🇺🇲👍
I owned one of the last off the production line... a Jan 1991 fully specced LHD Euro version with exact same colour scheme as this one in the vid... dark blue with grey leather... I loved that car... used to say I'd be buried in it... but for various admin reasons I literally had to give it away... I've never found one with same spec since... It even had the rare trip computer... makes me teary-eyed and nostalgic to think about it... If I could find one now I'd snap it up in an instant...!!
I am so so so sad that these cars are considered as classics these days. Ageless and timeless beauties, still cabable to run with modern counterparts. I would live to own one and be crazy enough to use it my daily driver. Again amazing episode of Tyrrell's Classic Workshop. One of my favorite UA-cam channels. ❤
I lived in Germany as a kid in the 1980’s and the sight of the S-class, and to a lesser degree the BMW 7-series, made every autobahn journey interesting. Back then, no speed limits meant a noisy, temperature-gauge-scrutinised, real-world 80-odd mph for the vast majority of cars (the magic 100mph or 160kmh was achievable for plenty of cars but definitely not easy or quick to reach). Even Golf GTi’s clearly knew their place in the pecking order! The odd 6-cylinder 3-Series BMW would venture into the big league of constant left-lane high-speed cruising but they clearly had an issue with rapid throttle closure from high speed because many headed straight to the hard shoulder in clouds of burnt oil immediately after being forced to halve their speed by an inconsiderate truck pulling out. The really memorable sight though, partly due to rarity but also due to styling and a bit of national pride, was the occasional Jag XJ12 reminding everyone that it’s not a 2-horse race.
I've worked on a lot of W126's over the decades since they were introduced and I'm still working on them. This car is the Ne Plus Ultra of the whole W126 range. What I look for on UK delivered cars is the 4 separate exhaust manifolds which were part of a bit of a scam Mercedes were conducting. What Mercedes told their customers was the USA demand for cat cons would eventually arrive in Europe ,so they made these high Compression (10-1) engines with free flowing exhausts. So When or If the predicted regulations arrived,the cats could be fitted and no appreciable loss of power would be felt. The Top speed mentioned of 155MPH is correct,but the cars were actually governed to 155 MPH through a lead from a switch in the speedo head,to the Over voltage Protection relay. (ovp) .So by cutting that lead and fitting a 6500 RPM fuel pump relay a damn site more than 155 MPH is easily reached. Although the injection is KEjet with electronic cold running regulator they don't have a computer control so getting extra power was quite easy. I mention UK delivered cars because the RHD W126 560 delivered to the UK has the 10-1 engine but USA,Australia had the slug 9-1 compression engine which do not have half the power . Japn and Hong Kong also got the occasional High comp 500 and 560's. A couple of other things which made them different was the EZL ignition with anti knock control and the over load protection in the trans. The latter also being connected to the OVP ,cutting out the ignition if the trans started slipping because of operator abuse.
That was the pinnacle of quality ❣️👌🏼 So sad that these times are over. Never again you get these quality on cars ❕ So massive... build for eternity 😊 When I could affort a car the C126 is my dream. 1000 times better as any new car 👍🏼
This is the epitome of MB engineering, alas never to be seen again. In the 80’s this was THE car to have. The timeless styling is Saccos’s masterpiece Iain is so knowledgeable and yet so modest with it. Greetings from Greece!
Drove a 560 SEC AMG in 1991, the lady who owned it traded it in for a 911 Turbo. Her family built Meadowhall shopping centre. It was a lovely car. It was great to see someone move it around in the workshops and the seatbelt butler touch them on the shoulder! The salesman offered it to me for 20k-which was 2 years pay back then
Proper car. We used to blast down the autoroutes to Frejus in the late 70's and through the 1980's. Was usually the S class Mercs stuck to the back bumper at 90+mph flashing the main beam because they just could not wait to get past 🤣 120mph in one of these feels like 70mph in a normal saloon car. Engineered like no other car...
I started working for MB in the early 80’s so regularly worked on these especially being close to kings road & the city where all the money was had plenty of S class 126 chassis in. The 560 was a beast but beautifully smooth at the same time. Our director had several 560 sec & his commute to work was all of 2 miles he’d always complain to my manager it was running lumpy again (whilst sucking on his cigar in the boardroom) so once a month I’d have the pleasure of giving it a Italian tune up down the A3 😊. Boy I loved it 100 mph & it’d still kick down a gear with a step on the gas pedal & even wheel spin in the wet with a little wiggle to boot 😂. You could put it in drive hold your foot down hard on the brake floor it & light the rear wheels up then release the brakes wheel spinning down the road leaving rubber marks & a cloud of smoke behind all whilst sitting in the most comfortable leather chair. Engine was bullet proof & these along with the E class 124 & 190E 201 where the last built like a tank models. As much as I loved the SEC I always preferred the 560 SEL that was super plush. Ah memories of better times
Truly, the high watermark of excellence relative to the disposable (i.e. high initial cost, unreliability, rapid depreciation, etc.) models Mercedes puts out today.
Peak Mercedes right there. Nothing better for long distance driving. I used to have a 190E and the build quality was just as good as the top of the range S class. It would eat up the miles so effortlessly and the ride quality was so good. I wish i kept it. No mercedes of today can compare to the cars from that era.
I had a beautiful 560 SEC in Abu Dhabi. A friend was leaving and needed to sell in a hurry, so I acquired it for a little over 3,000 pounds. I loved the fact that it was sleek and fast but so incredibly comfortable smooth to ride in. Of all the amazing tech inside it wasn't the fancy windows, or the fact it handed you your seatbelt that got me. I was most fascinated by being able to switch between the 2 different horns. I fell out of love with it when I did an online VIN check on it and found out that the VIN plate said it was supposed to be a 1979 VW Microbus. 25 years later it's still one of the most amazing cars I have ever owned.
Brian Sewell, an art historian and critic, had one of these for many years and drove it on one of his roving documentaries. A very cle er man and an excellent writer, if slightly waspish at times. It brought a smile to see him driving a 560 coupé. He enjoyed excellent things and he drove an excellent car.
As a mechanic, I sat in one, and when the seat belt butler snuck into my peripheral vision, I thought a black shiny alien was attacking me. Heart-stopping.
Love the euro-spec bumper and headlights with wipers, and the grill from the R107. Love how they actually tried to differentiate it from the Sedan and Estate.
Not even close. Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A & Spezial roadster are the most beautiful, spectacular and desirable Mercedes of all time, along with their smaller 290/320 siblings (provided they have the ultra desirable and rare Cabriolet A & Spezial roadster bodies). Post-war, most people would probably think the 300 SL roadster (and smaller sibling, the 190 SL) are the prettiest Mercedes. The W126 in saloon and coupe form are the most beautiful Mercedes of the last 30-40 years without any contest. I've owned a 500 SEC and would gladly own one again. But they aren't the most beautiful MB of all time, the competition is just too strong at this level.
This era Mercedes S-Class are my favorites 😊❤️ remember in the 80’s seeing these on the Autobahn in Germany, in Monaco and in France ❤ these ones has stood the test of time 😍 this is the 560 SEC but I can settle for the more humble 500 SEL or SEC 😂😊 they are so beautiful❣️
I love the Bruno Sacco-designed Mercedes from the 80s and 90s. No SEC (yet ...) but I have been fortunate enough to own an SL 500 (R129) and a 190 E 2.6 (W201). I currently have an E420 (W124) with the 'small' 4.2-litre V8 and standard body, a complete sleeper.
I had a 1993 400E that I loved very much. Amazing car and the m119 v8 was fantastic. It was not without issues however. Namely, it had vast low rpm torque and was very front heavy due to the v8; no traction control of course, so if the road was damp or there were some leaves you could find yourself doing a 360 while making a left hand turn or fish tailing out and doing a 180 going straight. Unlike its big brother, the 500e, the wheel arches were not flared so you could not put a wide and sticky enough tire on it to compensate. A few hundred pounds of sand in the trunk helped a bit. Second, I live in a hot climate and that v8 pit out a lot of heat in an engine bay designed for a v6. It never overheated as the cooling system was massive. However, all the plastics and rubber parts got baked and brittle very quickly. Indeed, it was worse after you parked as the heat from the engine did not vent and the temperature climbed. I took to opening the hood at home, but nothing you could do when out. The belt tensioner worked via giant rubber or elastomeric flange that disintegrated due to the heat like clock work every 18 months. The belt went every year. radiator hoses etc cracked if you looked at them. Vacuum tubes..and there were lots of those as the whole car used them for everything from door locks to engine management tended to get loose at the pressure connectors as the rubber bake . Engine mounts every three, spark plug wires the same. And it was hard to get to lots of things due to lack of space and the engine went back past the hood opening. The heat caused issues in the dual distributor caps too in the form of condensation forming inside the caps when parked, corroding the contacts and creating misfires. I finally sold it when the timing chain and transmission started making noise and acting up. It had just over 200k miles so both were due for replacement and at least a rebuild respectively The timing chain is a double wide beast that is not easy to roll in without special tools and required something like over 20 hours of labor to replace, in part because everything in front of it had to cone out due to lack of space. It is an interference engine and not for the faint of heart to get right. And if you don’t there goes your block. Oh yeah, the engine needed a main seal gasket replacement and head gaskets too, because, well it was old car in a lot of heat. Hated to get rid of it but the maintenance was getting to be not only super expensive but too annoying as well. I mean it was nice and is still my favorite carI have owned but it was not an SEL or w124 500e (tuned by Porsche) or anything. But man, any Mercedes after the w124 era seems like cheap junk when I get in one. Albeit junk with traction control, better abs and rack and pinion steering. For me, That w124 generation e class was the last great vintage by Mercedes (though the w124 interior was not as nice in many ways as the w123, even it it looked sleeker. I agree with Ian that the s class w140 was just too bloated. Though I came close to getting a 1996 600sel v12 until reason returned (those eras v12 was literally two v6 engines put together and could be super expensive to maintain as many of the systems were literally doubled.
Tyrrell u're too much you really know "classic legends I m fond of,I'm now thinking of coming over to your workshop all the way from Zimbabwe"u're worth the trip!!!😊😊😊
I believe one of these models holds the records for the most parts used in one car: 666,000, if I remember right. It might have been a later version, not sure. Still, this generation of M-Bs will never be seen again. They were over-engineered and overbuilt, meant to last a million miles and not fall apart right after the warranty expires like most modern M-Bs. The design is a classic too, still holds up even today. I drove a sedan version of this car (the S-series) and was awed. It surged ahead like a tidal wave and was whisper-quiet the entire time. A fantastic cruiser, you can take these cars on long drives and never get tired of being behind the wheel.
I used to work for Gerrard Mann in Birmingham and used to work on these. The 560SEC was my absolute dream car...never did get one in the end, but settled for the much lower spec 230E
Great car. My boss had 1992 W124 230 in the convertible, coupe and the estate. They were all beautiful to drive. Faultless and effortless in all aspects of use. Also beautiful shape. The dashboard of the 560 and interior appointment reminds me of the smaller W124. The greatest style Era in my opinion. Thank you for the great video.
Thank you for this video, after watching it I had my mechanic check my 560 sec' accelerator linkage : came out my car had same problem as yours, I had it fixed, it now is a completely different car ! Thank you very much !
Love these cars,had a ride in a D reg 420sec in 1987 it was only a year old,blue with a blue interior so smooth and felt so fast compared to my dad's Sierra..🤣
I have to say I really do like Tyrell. I he really does what is great about cars. Most people nowadays when they make videos about cars, they just wont shut and self vacillating. I want to hear the car, I want to get the driving experience. With Tyrel, he's clear, calm, straight forward; he's obviously a very refined and educated mechanic and when he get's out on the road and open it up.. Like I said he really appreciates what is great about cars, the driving the experience, the shift, the properly executed corner, the sound of the motor picking up through the gears. With this car the experience was a very nice sedan that when you put down the pedel, it meant business, this was a drag race opening out a corner onto the straight away with a V8 motor. I will say I owned a similar car, a 1984 300SDL with 380,000miles on it. One thing about these cars is they don't weight very much 3200lbs, similar to a volvo 760 with a turbo 4, so with a 300hp V8 it's going to haul. Also their handling is competent, but one area where the really excel is they are great off road rally cars (unlike BMW's) these cars fly over speed bumps like they're not there, these cars are fun to drive off road quickly.
I used to own a W126 420SEL and it was a weapon of a car. I remember my first overtaking manoeuvre back in period, and the sudden change down and burst in torque sent me into the weeds on the other side of the road. My father had a drive and accelerated before pulling out and we nearly rear-ended a tractor! Till this day we still joke about how we didn't expect such a large barge to hustle so quickly. Thanks for sharing this video Iain.
Great video. Such nice cars to enjoy. So glad you mentioned adjusting the tie rods to straighten the steering wheel- to keep the box centered. Too few people understand that! With that mileage the cam timing would be a few degrees off but still ok. And the tensioners getting brittle. Lots of life left in that car - my 500se is on 290000miles with unopened engine.
In New Zealand I had a 1987 420SEC - after 5 previous Mercedes over the years, this was the best!!! Not quite the beast that the 560 is, but pretty good nonetheless. I bought it in 2002 and then sadly sold it in 2010 to sail my vintage timber built 12 ton Gauntlet yacht offshore. One has to make choices and sacrifices, but this one was particularly hard. Now I am living permanently in Colombia (having sold the yacht) and I have a 1993 W124 E320 (107,000 miles). No motorways around here so speeds are relatively modest. The W124 will be the last car I own. Very pleased with it.
This proves how the "sweet-spot" cars often get ignored: something you can have fun with whenever you want, but can still hunker-down for the day-to-day needs of just-getting-around. You've definitely earned your keep (as usual) getting this one back in shape, but it's always an education to see just how much is involved in the process.
My Dad's cousin had the 560 SEL from New in 85' and kept it for 15 years. It was a beast of a car and sill is the fastest car I have been in. Another great video.
In 1984 I was sent to Stuttgart. My work was to assist in the first installation and modifications of this engine. The project was to power the first Mercedes-Benz Sauber Grp C cars.
I loved that era of Mercedes. They had a great style to it. Gee it pulls well and sounds great. The boy racer in me would love to hear more of it with an exhaust tweak 😊
It is the same colors inside and out as my '91 350SD. which we bought new and still have with 110K miles on the odometer. These are special automobiles. Like a Swiss watch, it doesn't matter how old it is if it has been well maintained.
Great video Iain Some info about the difference between the US spec M117 and euro spec engine. The US spec did have the dual intake filter box runners, but only the 560 model. The 420's and 380's only had the single plenum intake box. US spec engines had these terrible exhaust manifolds where it consolidated the left and right hand manifolds then down in a single down pipe with Catalytic converter. This was unfortunately a serious restriction in the exhaust system, and killed performance. Euro engines had proper dual down exhaust manifolds (commonly called euro logs). This 560 doesn't have the stock standard euro manifolds, it has what is called "tri-y" which is a special spec manifold for the "ECE/RUF" model cars. They are basically the ultimate setup for the M117, and have a price associated with trying to score a set. The AMG "TRI-Y's" of the period are also extremely rare to get a hold of and are of similar design (tubular vs the factory style casted TRI-Y's"). They can seriously liven up one of these engines when installed. US spec engines also had lower compression pistons, and different cam profile to help meet the emissions standards in NA. The euro cars had more aggressive ignition timing profiles to help performance. All these changes are the reason why euro M117 (w126/c126) cars can be a very spicy and fun car to drive on the hwy. One of the things Ian touched on which i couldn't agree more is, a lot of these cars have had so much improper tinkering and adjustment on the throttle and transmission linkages that it gets everything out of sync, reducing performance and improper transmission shift points that can seriously kill any performance the car could of had. The Bosh KE-jetronic systems (mechanical efi these later 126's have) have a full throttle enrichment switch that is only activated obviously at full throttle. When engaged, you can really feel the extra power from a richer fuel mixture. KE-jetronics were not suited towards performance, and were always designed to run relatively lean/economical. That extra few points of enrichment really makes a difference to full throttle acceleration. It should be activated at full throttle, but before kickdown switch engagement behind the pedal. The transmissions (722.350 for the 560's), can be tuned to have near perfect shift points, great kickdown performance, and firm shifts. Which considering they were non electronic transmissions, can be very impressive. Another awesome vid for the 126 cars! Thanks Iain!
Sold mine this year after fifteen years of ownership. It was a match for the one in this video. My ownership had run it’s course as increasing traffic, cameras, and speed bumps in suburbia took the pleasure out of use. After seeing your video the pangs of regret have started.
I got to drive this as a dealer flunky boy in the 80's and I must say they sure left an impression! Drive them hard, they'll do that, drive them in a relaxed manner, they can do that, too. Quiet and solid. Thanks for the tip on the steering box. I've got 110K miles on my W124 and it certainly needs looking at, but I must also say, with two tie rods and a center link, that's six joints that can get sloppy with the miles, too, adding up to a lot of slop.
I invested my earth pounds in a 2000 CL500 a couple of years ago. Absolutely love the driving the CL for its comfort, refinedent and power delivery. What a machine. The only downside is its size, too long to fit in the car port and you are always concerned about where you are going to be able to park!
These were/are justly fantastic. Specially as ‘Autobahnkreuzer’ on the most left lane, they were such a joy zooming over 220 km/h with utmost ease and without any limiter. Fabulous. Thank you for this wonderful upload for a Sunday’s evening.
@stefan skoglund back in 89/90 155 mph /250kmh + was a very big deal , yeah there were a few bmw,s that could do that too , also jaguars, Porsches and Audi,s Amongst others but it was warp speed then and still fast now!
They were limited actually, through a simple switch in the speedo head,via white lead running to the OVP. By cutting that lead the speed limiter was disengaged.
Ha ha... Back on the late 80s and early 90s I would cross West Germany/Germany on an unfaired motorcycle by Autobahn. 110mph was a realistic maximum, with head tucked right down. Mirrors were useless at high speed, so I had to look backwards under my arm... Turning the head in the usual way would remove the visor. The cars that were usually approaching from behind at speed were Porsches and V8 Mercedes. There were others that sat at 130-150mph, but the great majority were from those two marques. Things may have changed now....
Excellent Iain. I have owned a couple of these years ago, and you are quite right, they are continent crushers. They were the darling of Grand Prix drivers back in the day, who mostly drove to the European circuits rather than the current trend of private jets. Most of them owned one of these and covered huge annual mileages in them too.
I've been waiting for Iain to present us with a W126/C126. The 560SEC is one of my dream cars. A friend had a euro-spec example and is was the first Mercedes-Benz that I ever drove. I never understood what "build quality" meant until I drove this car. It was 20 years old and felt like a new car. One of the Best. Thanks Iain.
Good coffee and a Tyrell Classic video, great way to start the day. Amazing how many old Mercs are pottering around the world, testament to the engineering.
I’m sure the owner was over the moon to get the car back and working as it should . Great information Iain . Your wealth of knowledge knows no boundaries. Great video again . Thank you.
Living in a magical time period, where cars from the sixties through to 80s were something to get excited about! I cannot foresee anyone getting excited over the cars as manufactured today. All Mercedes from this time period (if looked after) should become a solid investment. I do not know much about the high-class saloons of this period, but I once had a friend who owned a 6.9 litre. It would be good to see the Specs on this big Merc. Love the show, the technical details - and issues that you encounter. Greetings from Australia.
I can only imagine the breadth and depth of knowledge housed in Ian’s brain. A wonderful way of explaining the intricacies of the mechanical world as well. Thank you Ian.
The last of the over engineered big Merc coupes, always remember a black on black 560sec in Sydney when I was a young man, number plate DVADER, pretty sure the owner did something nefarious for a living, Rj in Oz
This has always been and still is one of my dream cars! I have only driven a US spec 560 SEL (1987) and the torque on that car just blew me away. What a beautiful piece of Mercedes engineering in a typically understated looking body, which is another thing I love, by Bruno Sacco.
@@iain_tyrrell I've been driving a 380 SEC since 2001 and I love it, I'm the second owner, I've still had the same muffler since I bought it, but I never drive it in winter
Dear Iain, thanks for this enlighting video. And this because I still own my late father's W123 230, (76 model), but after 27 years of daily driving I had the carbureted motor replaced by the newer model's 2299cc fuel-injected engine (of course with a 5-speed manual gearbox and ventilated disc brakes, to suit the power). With this video, you reminded me the problem with the fuel distributor of the Bosch mechanical injection system, that I did had, but also you made me try to fix the steering problem that has started to be annoying after almost half a million km that I have covered in this car. So, many, many thanks!
A lovely car and one of my favs, the real rarity is the run out 560SE. I believe MB had surplus 560 engines as production wound down so just built a few standard wheelbase models. I also remember seeing at least one 560 estate appear for sale in Germany.
I remember on a famous italian magazine a test done by Michele Alboreto on the 500SEC upgraded by AMG (wich at time, was a separate entity from MB), and he was thrilled with the car.
I remember the time when these were worth nowt and folks were just driving them letting the rot so its thing and not keeping up on oil changes! Mad really. They were excellent and still are. Always worth looking after properly and they don't demand too much upkeep. Very solidly engineered
Lovely video. My grandmother had a W123 and her brother had a couple of different R107s. MB was so well engineered. I was lucky to drive the W123 but the R107s were gone by the time I was driving age. The W123 was a slow 240D but solid as rock. Every switch and input was well engieered. My Uncle traveled for work and my father was always more than willing to help get the R107 flavor of the year to the next location if the chance or excuse could be thought up. American hot rodders refer to the style of exhaust as Tri Y. Doug Thourley is most known for the design on V8s but Pfadt has made versions for Corvettes. The 97-04 Corvette mufflers are similar to the 560. Corsa is known for being quiet in side the car, if you need to adapt something. Always enjoy seeing the engineering behind great cars, C126 or the F40 :) in the backgound.
This was my favorite era of Mercedes. Way back when I was in high school one of the cars I would have loved to have as a daily driver was a 560 SEL. These were very simple and straightforward. You could do a lot of work on them yourself. Mercedes built now are computerized/electronic nightmares.
Again, we received a great information package about the technology of that model and the small differences to other similar MB SEC versions.Thanks for the great ride!
How exciting to find this video! I have what could be called its twin wee mine a 560 instead of a 500. Mine has a few more miles on the "clock", but, MY exhaust is orginial and,,, NO Rust! Thank you for making my day.
I uses to deliver car's in the early 90s I was lucky enough to drive one of these sleepers I'll never forget how the whole car rocked when I blipped the throttle. Epic
Seat belt butler…I remember being 10 or 11 so 90 or 91 and going past a Mercedes and seeing the butler in action. I thought I must have imagined it for a good 15 years until I saw them on videos
I remember, here in Germany we called the wheels "Gullydeckel" which means sewer or mudhole cover and the car was the Zuhälterschleuder (Pimpride)....I used to have one in the 2000s when they were still affordable, but good ones are hard to find these days..
Great to see my old car! I owned this exact car from 2006 to 2011. I would be embarrassed to say how little I sold it for! Also slightly embarrassed to say that I had the exhaust that Ian criticised fitted! It was a fast car, I hit 130mph with ease in it. I miss it, full of character, but I was skint at the time and I needed the money so it had to go. Thanks Ian, I never thought I would watch you review a car that I actually owned! Made my day!
For such a tiny and improvised exhaust, it held up well during 11 years.
Small world, I guess the owner after the repairs will receive more out of the car in performance and handling
Amazing! What’s the chances?! What year car is this?
Is this a dual exhaust there's two pipes but connected to single muffler?
Wow that’s a great story!
The greatest era of Mercedes. The build quality and design was spot on.
Those Mercedes cars of that era are the best cars ever built in my opinion. Pure class.
They were great cars with style. Unfortunately Mercedes only make garbage now. Made to fall apart as soon as the warranty is out.
Lexus LS 400 & 430 are the greatest car ever to come off a production line. Period.
@@marcelpatel9017 These really want to have the same presence but they really dont have it as this coupe
Yes, that is the universal consensus for everyone on the planet who knows anything about cars...
It's so sad that these quality never come back ❕😒
It was the pinnacle of car engeneering ❣️👌🏼
Build for eternity 😅
Love from Berlin 🇩🇪
Ramsi 🙋🏻♂️
Bruno Sacco deserved a Nobel Prize for his design work at M-B. This car always reminds of the one old guy who had one in my hometown. It was a US spec, champagne over beige model, reeking of cigar smoke. I appreciate the cars despite that I wouldn’t have had one in the day.
Bruno Sacco designed the W140 S-Class , this is the coupe version of a W126 S-Class (C126)
@@neilwalsh4058 Bruno Sacco was the designer of the w126 sedan and coupe for your information. Cheers
This is my favorite era of MB - the muscular styling, the beautifully restrained interior and massive drivetrain and powerplant engineering- this era is absolutely the pinnacle of the MB auto design spectrum (in my opinion) - I just love the exterior styling and presence!
Agreed brother, what a car it was when it emerged on the motoring scene in the late eighties.U were a BOSS if u owned one,motoring perfection!💪💪💪👊👌👌
Completely agree, the last of the hewed from rock Mercs!
@@ianmedium the new MBs are meh - 'cept the AMGs and they are pick and choose problematic
@@ianmedium wait til the repair bills and warranty issues start coming in with the EVs
You should have a look at what a supercharged Mercedes of the 1930's, particularly in Spezial Roadster form, looks like. Or a Mercedes 680S Saoutchik. These are the cars with spectacular styling and unbelievable road presence.
The 1980's are the best of the modern era, but they are nowhere near the leagues of where the top models of the 1930's or 1950's were like.
My mate's dad had a 500 SEC and he took us out on the M3 back in about 1986 and got it up to 140mph. I have never been faster. That was a beast in the day and this 560 is even better...they built them properly back then.
Best looking Merc of all time.
"Engineered like no other car, MERCEDES BENZ"
Great presentation Iain. You do honor MB with respect. No negative opinionated bias, just accurate facts. Thank you.
Another car that Formula 1 Drivers drove for pleasure. I used to test and adjust for full throttle opening on all cars that came into my service bay. From lowly 240D up to 6.9. Clients would call back after picking up their car and complement how it never ran so good before!. I'd be careful about sharing the steering box adjustment. Non MB trained sods might get to happy with twisting things they shouldn't. There is a friction torque spec with conditions while measuring that should be adhered to. It is a component that is directly related to drivers safety and operation. Set wrongly and it could cause!💥!. As always I love your clear sober delivery.✌️
Healthy New year 2023 from a retired (47 MB dealer years) in New Hampshire 🇺🇲👍
I owned one of the last off the production line... a Jan 1991 fully specced LHD Euro version with exact same colour scheme as this one in the vid... dark blue with grey leather... I loved that car... used to say I'd be buried in it... but for various admin reasons I literally had to give it away... I've never found one with same spec since... It even had the rare trip computer... makes me teary-eyed and nostalgic to think about it... If I could find one now I'd snap it up in an instant...!!
I am so so so sad that these cars are considered as classics these days. Ageless and timeless beauties, still cabable to run with modern counterparts. I would live to own one and be crazy enough to use it my daily driver. Again amazing episode of Tyrrell's Classic Workshop. One of my favorite UA-cam channels. ❤
I lived in Germany as a kid in the 1980’s and the sight of the S-class, and to a lesser degree the BMW 7-series, made every autobahn journey interesting. Back then, no speed limits meant a noisy, temperature-gauge-scrutinised, real-world 80-odd mph for the vast majority of cars (the magic 100mph or 160kmh was achievable for plenty of cars but definitely not easy or quick to reach). Even Golf GTi’s clearly knew their place in the pecking order! The odd 6-cylinder 3-Series BMW would venture into the big league of constant left-lane high-speed cruising but they clearly had an issue with rapid throttle closure from high speed because many headed straight to the hard shoulder in clouds of burnt oil immediately after being forced to halve their speed by an inconsiderate truck pulling out. The really memorable sight though, partly due to rarity but also due to styling and a bit of national pride, was the occasional Jag XJ12 reminding everyone that it’s not a 2-horse race.
I've worked on a lot of W126's over the decades since they were introduced and I'm still working on them. This car is the Ne Plus Ultra of the whole W126 range. What I look for on UK delivered cars is the 4 separate exhaust manifolds which were part of a bit of a scam Mercedes were conducting.
What Mercedes told their customers was the USA demand for cat cons would eventually arrive in Europe ,so they made these high Compression (10-1) engines with free flowing exhausts. So When or If the predicted regulations arrived,the cats could be fitted and no appreciable loss of power would be felt.
The Top speed mentioned of 155MPH is correct,but the cars were actually governed to 155 MPH through a lead from a switch in the speedo head,to the Over voltage Protection relay. (ovp) .So by cutting that lead and fitting a 6500 RPM fuel pump relay a damn site more than 155 MPH is easily reached.
Although the injection is KEjet with electronic cold running regulator they don't have a computer control so getting extra power was quite easy.
I mention UK delivered cars because the RHD W126 560 delivered to the UK has the 10-1 engine but USA,Australia had the slug 9-1 compression engine which do not have half the power . Japn and Hong Kong also got the occasional High comp 500 and 560's.
A couple of other things which made them different was the EZL ignition with anti knock control and the over load protection in the trans. The latter also being connected to the OVP ,cutting out the ignition if the trans started slipping because of operator abuse.
That was the pinnacle of quality ❣️👌🏼
So sad that these times are over.
Never again you get these quality on cars ❕
So massive... build for eternity 😊
When I could affort a car the C126 is my dream.
1000 times better as any new car 👍🏼
Iain has such a humble and likeable personality, and is so knowledgeable, that these videos are just a treat to watch! 👍👍 More, more, more!
This is very close to 'the' perfect car. The best model built during the best time of perhaps the best car maker of them all.
This is the epitome of MB engineering, alas never to be seen again.
In the 80’s this was THE car to have. The timeless styling is Saccos’s masterpiece
Iain is so knowledgeable and yet so modest with it.
Greetings from Greece!
Drove a 560 SEC AMG in 1991, the lady who owned it traded it in for a 911 Turbo. Her family built Meadowhall shopping centre. It was a lovely car. It was great to see someone move it around in the workshops and the seatbelt butler touch them on the shoulder! The salesman offered it to me for 20k-which was 2 years pay back then
I think that same lady has recently "recovered' Grantley Hall Hotel near Ripon, worth a visit if you have some spare cash.
Paul Sykes ex wife
this channel is an absolute gem
Owned a 1987 560 SEC in the mid 90’s. Everything you’d talked about, handling, problems, power delivery when healthy, totally on point.
Gotta be one of the most satisfying shows of its type on the internet. Thank you.
GREAT video. Thank you!
Proper car. We used to blast down the autoroutes to Frejus in the late 70's and through the 1980's. Was usually the S class Mercs stuck to the back bumper at 90+mph flashing the main beam because they just could not wait to get past 🤣 120mph in one of these feels like 70mph in a normal saloon car. Engineered like no other car...
Thank you very much Mr Tyrrell, just bought a Mercedes C220 CDI Estate, it’s a 2013 model and we love it, 👍.
Should have got the S205....
I started working for MB in the early 80’s so regularly worked on these especially being close to kings road & the city where all the money was had plenty of S class 126 chassis in. The 560 was a beast but beautifully smooth at the same time. Our director had several 560 sec & his commute to work was all of 2 miles he’d always complain to my manager it was running lumpy again (whilst sucking on his cigar in the boardroom) so once a month I’d have the pleasure of giving it a Italian tune up down the A3 😊. Boy I loved it 100 mph & it’d still kick down a gear with a step on the gas pedal & even wheel spin in the wet with a little wiggle to boot 😂. You could put it in drive hold your foot down hard on the brake floor it & light the rear wheels up then release the brakes wheel spinning down the road leaving rubber marks & a cloud of smoke behind all whilst sitting in the most comfortable leather chair.
Engine was bullet proof & these along with the E class 124 & 190E 201 where the last built like a tank models.
As much as I loved the SEC I always preferred the 560 SEL that was super plush.
Ah memories of better times
Thank you, I have been waiting for a SEC video. Understated, solid and elegant coupes.
Truly, the high watermark of excellence relative to the disposable (i.e. high initial cost, unreliability, rapid depreciation, etc.) models Mercedes puts out today.
Peak Mercedes right there. Nothing better for long distance driving. I used to have a 190E and the build quality was just as good as the top of the range S class. It would eat up the miles so effortlessly and the ride quality was so good. I wish i kept it. No mercedes of today can compare to the cars from that era.
My Sunday evening just got a lot better 👌
Lovely!
I had a beautiful 560 SEC in Abu Dhabi. A friend was leaving and needed to sell in a hurry, so I acquired it for a little over 3,000 pounds.
I loved the fact that it was sleek and fast but so incredibly comfortable smooth to ride in.
Of all the amazing tech inside it wasn't the fancy windows, or the fact it handed you your seatbelt that got me. I was most fascinated by being able to switch between the 2 different horns.
I fell out of love with it when I did an online VIN check on it and found out that the VIN plate said it was supposed to be a 1979 VW Microbus.
25 years later it's still one of the most amazing cars I have ever owned.
Brian Sewell, an art historian and critic, had one of these for many years and drove it on one of his roving documentaries. A very cle er man and an excellent writer, if slightly waspish at times. It brought a smile to see him driving a 560 coupé. He enjoyed excellent things and he drove an excellent car.
As a mechanic, I sat in one, and when the seat belt butler snuck into my peripheral vision, I thought a black shiny alien was attacking me. Heart-stopping.
I have a 126 300SEL and absolutely love the car. The C126 560SEC is an absolute dream!
Yep., same issues with the steering and injection. If only I had Ian as my mechanic… 😢
Love the euro-spec bumper and headlights with wipers, and the grill from the R107. Love how they actually tried to differentiate it from the Sedan and Estate.
I just love the Mercedes-Benz / Bruno Sacco 1980's! Still the most beautiful MB's ever made. Thanks for sharing this car Iain.
Not even close. Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A & Spezial roadster are the most beautiful, spectacular and desirable Mercedes of all time, along with their smaller 290/320 siblings (provided they have the ultra desirable and rare Cabriolet A & Spezial roadster bodies). Post-war, most people would probably think the 300 SL roadster (and smaller sibling, the 190 SL) are the prettiest Mercedes.
The W126 in saloon and coupe form are the most beautiful Mercedes of the last 30-40 years without any contest. I've owned a 500 SEC and would gladly own one again. But they aren't the most beautiful MB of all time, the competition is just too strong at this level.
This era Mercedes S-Class are my favorites 😊❤️ remember in the 80’s seeing these on the Autobahn in Germany, in Monaco and in France ❤ these ones has stood the test of time 😍 this is the 560 SEC but I can settle for the more humble 500 SEL or SEC 😂😊 they are so beautiful❣️
I love the Bruno Sacco-designed Mercedes from the 80s and 90s. No SEC (yet ...) but I have been fortunate enough to own an SL 500 (R129) and a 190 E 2.6 (W201). I currently have an E420 (W124) with the 'small' 4.2-litre V8 and standard body, a complete sleeper.
Wow what a great set of cars. never knew an E420 existed!
I had a 1993 400E that I loved very much. Amazing car and the m119 v8 was fantastic. It was not without issues however. Namely, it had vast low rpm torque and was very front heavy due to the v8; no traction control of course, so if the road was damp or there were some leaves you could find yourself doing a 360 while making a left hand turn or fish tailing out and doing a 180 going straight. Unlike its big brother, the 500e, the wheel arches were not flared so you could not put a wide and sticky enough tire on it to compensate. A few hundred pounds of sand in the trunk helped a bit.
Second, I live in a hot climate and that v8 pit out a lot of heat in an engine bay designed for a v6. It never overheated as the cooling system was massive. However, all the plastics and rubber parts got baked and brittle very quickly. Indeed, it was worse after you parked as the heat from the engine did not vent and the temperature climbed. I took to opening the hood at home, but nothing you could do when out. The belt tensioner worked via giant rubber or elastomeric flange that disintegrated due to the heat like clock work every 18 months. The belt went every year. radiator hoses etc cracked if you looked at them. Vacuum tubes..and there were lots of those as the whole car used them for everything from door locks to engine management tended to get loose at the pressure connectors as the rubber bake . Engine mounts every three, spark plug wires the same. And it was hard to get to lots of things due to lack of space and the engine went back past the hood opening. The heat caused issues in the dual distributor caps too in the form of condensation forming inside the caps when parked, corroding the contacts and creating misfires.
I finally sold it when the timing chain and transmission started making noise and acting up. It had just over 200k miles so both were due for replacement and at least a rebuild respectively The timing chain is a double wide beast that is not easy to roll in without special tools and required something like over 20 hours of labor to replace, in part because everything in front of it had to cone out due to lack of space. It is an interference engine and not for the faint of heart to get right. And if you don’t there goes your block. Oh yeah, the engine needed a main seal gasket replacement and head gaskets too, because, well it was old car in a lot of heat.
Hated to get rid of it but the maintenance was getting to be not only super expensive but too annoying as well. I mean it was nice and is still my favorite carI have owned but it was not an SEL or w124 500e (tuned by Porsche) or anything.
But man, any Mercedes after the w124 era seems like cheap junk when I get in one. Albeit junk with traction control, better abs and rack and pinion steering. For me, That w124 generation e class was the last great vintage by Mercedes (though the w124 interior was not as nice in many ways as the w123, even it it looked sleeker. I agree with Ian that the s class w140 was just too bloated. Though I came close to getting a 1996 600sel v12 until reason returned (those eras v12 was literally two v6 engines put together and could be super expensive to maintain as many of the systems were literally doubled.
@@SavedbyHim It was only built in LHD. Most went to North America, but I live in France and bought a two-owner car originally sold new in Germany.
Tyrrell u're too much you really know "classic legends I m fond of,I'm now thinking of coming over to your workshop all the way from Zimbabwe"u're worth the trip!!!😊😊😊
Brings back memories of my old ‘89 126 500SEL, best MB I ever had, true kings of the road and a marvel of engineering and build quality
I believe one of these models holds the records for the most parts used in one car: 666,000, if I remember right. It might have been a later version, not sure. Still, this generation of M-Bs will never be seen again. They were over-engineered and overbuilt, meant to last a million miles and not fall apart right after the warranty expires like most modern M-Bs. The design is a classic too, still holds up even today. I drove a sedan version of this car (the S-series) and was awed. It surged ahead like a tidal wave and was whisper-quiet the entire time. A fantastic cruiser, you can take these cars on long drives and never get tired of being behind the wheel.
I had one in Arizona in 2009 for over two weeks. What an amazing car. Hated saying goodbye to it.
That was a truly fantastic and useful episode. The segment of late 80's / Early 90's Mercedes videos is such unfulfilled on UA-cam, thank you again!
I used to work for Gerrard Mann in Birmingham and used to work on these. The 560SEC was my absolute dream car...never did get one in the end, but settled for the much lower spec 230E
Great car. My boss had 1992 W124 230 in the convertible, coupe and the estate. They were all beautiful to drive. Faultless and effortless in all aspects of use. Also beautiful shape. The dashboard of the 560 and interior appointment reminds me of the smaller W124.
The greatest style Era in my opinion.
Thank you for the great video.
i agree !...i drove a 1995 W124 220 Coupe for 15 years .
Thank you for this video, after watching it I had my mechanic check my 560 sec' accelerator linkage : came out my car had same problem as yours, I had it fixed, it now is a completely different car ! Thank you very much !
Love these cars,had a ride in a D reg 420sec in 1987 it was only a year old,blue with a blue interior so smooth and felt so fast compared to my dad's Sierra..🤣
Always loved the look of the SEC models.
I have to say I really do like Tyrell. I he really does what is great about cars. Most people nowadays when they make videos about cars, they just wont shut and self vacillating. I want to hear the car, I want to get the driving experience. With Tyrel, he's clear, calm, straight forward; he's obviously a very refined and educated mechanic and when he get's out on the road and open it up.. Like I said he really appreciates what is great about cars, the driving the experience, the shift, the properly executed corner, the sound of the motor picking up through the gears. With this car the experience was a very nice sedan that when you put down the pedel, it meant business, this was a drag race opening out a corner onto the straight away with a V8 motor. I will say I owned a similar car, a 1984 300SDL with 380,000miles on it. One thing about these cars is they don't weight very much 3200lbs, similar to a volvo 760 with a turbo 4, so with a 300hp V8 it's going to haul. Also their handling is competent, but one area where the really excel is they are great off road rally cars (unlike BMW's) these cars fly over speed bumps like they're not there, these cars are fun to drive off road quickly.
I must admit l have a soft spot for classic Mercs, once again Ian you’ve done this car justice. Excellent review.
I used to own a W126 420SEL and it was a weapon of a car. I remember my first overtaking manoeuvre back in period, and the sudden change down and burst in torque sent me into the weeds on the other side of the road. My father had a drive and accelerated before pulling out and we nearly rear-ended a tractor! Till this day we still joke about how we didn't expect such a large barge to hustle so quickly. Thanks for sharing this video Iain.
Great video. Such nice cars to enjoy. So glad you mentioned adjusting the tie rods to straighten the steering wheel- to keep the box centered. Too few people understand that!
With that mileage the cam timing would be a few degrees off but still ok. And the tensioners getting brittle. Lots of life left in that car - my 500se is on 290000miles with unopened engine.
I just love seeing old experienced people explaining things. Real knowledge just spews out of them effortlessly. I love this channel. Great work Sir.
I didn't see any old people? Are you talking about the same channel?
Europeans have invented everything in the modern world. I suppose you people can appreciate this more. Coming from where you do.
@@stringer-ik1pc what does this have to do with what I said in my comment?
Thanks! I was one of the Mercedes Nerds who requested a video on this a while back, it's great that you've done it.
Magnificent beast. One of my favourite cars ever. 40 years old & it still looks beautiful. And the built quality is superb.
In New Zealand I had a 1987 420SEC - after 5 previous Mercedes over the years, this was the best!!! Not quite the beast that the 560 is, but pretty good nonetheless. I bought it in 2002 and then sadly sold it in 2010 to sail my vintage timber built 12 ton Gauntlet yacht offshore. One has to make choices and sacrifices, but this one was particularly hard.
Now I am living permanently in Colombia (having sold the yacht) and I have a 1993 W124 E320 (107,000 miles). No motorways around here so speeds are relatively modest. The W124 will be the last car I own. Very pleased with it.
Good to hear
This proves how the "sweet-spot" cars often get ignored: something you can have fun with whenever you want, but can still hunker-down for the day-to-day needs of just-getting-around. You've definitely earned your keep (as usual) getting this one back in shape, but it's always an education to see just how much is involved in the process.
My Dad's cousin had the 560 SEL from New in 85' and kept it for 15 years. It was a beast of a car and sill is the fastest car I have been in.
Another great video.
Drove an NAS 560SL cross country when I was 16. Started my german car obsession. Always wanted a euro spec coupe like this.
Fabulous car, I cried when my dad sold our F reg 500SEC black on black, many moons ago..
I feel your pain,
In 1984 I was sent to Stuttgart. My work was to assist in the first installation and modifications of this engine. The project was to power the first Mercedes-Benz Sauber Grp C cars.
Thanks for sharing
Glorious. I'm not Mercedes' biggest fan but I do love a pillarless coupe...
Always brilliant watch as an engineer myself not in the motor industry I find these informative and Iain is very pleasant and relaxing to watch.
Delighted to know you enjoy the videos Baz
I loved that era of Mercedes. They had a great style to it. Gee it pulls well and sounds great. The boy racer in me would love to hear more of it with an exhaust tweak 😊
It is the same colors inside and out as my '91 350SD. which we bought new and still have with 110K miles on the odometer. These are special automobiles. Like a Swiss watch, it doesn't matter how old it is if it has been well maintained.
Great video Iain
Some info about the difference between the US spec M117 and euro spec engine.
The US spec did have the dual intake filter box runners, but only the 560 model. The 420's and 380's only had the single plenum intake box.
US spec engines had these terrible exhaust manifolds where it consolidated the left and right hand manifolds then down in a single down pipe with Catalytic converter. This was unfortunately a serious restriction in the exhaust system, and killed performance.
Euro engines had proper dual down exhaust manifolds (commonly called euro logs). This 560 doesn't have the stock standard euro manifolds, it has what is called "tri-y" which is a special spec manifold for the "ECE/RUF" model cars. They are basically the ultimate setup for the M117, and have a price associated with trying to score a set. The AMG "TRI-Y's" of the period are also extremely rare to get a hold of and are of similar design (tubular vs the factory style casted TRI-Y's"). They can seriously liven up one of these engines when installed.
US spec engines also had lower compression pistons, and different cam profile to help meet the emissions standards in NA. The euro cars had more aggressive ignition timing profiles to help performance.
All these changes are the reason why euro M117 (w126/c126) cars can be a very spicy and fun car to drive on the hwy.
One of the things Ian touched on which i couldn't agree more is, a lot of these cars have had so much improper tinkering and adjustment on the throttle and transmission linkages that it gets everything out of sync, reducing performance and improper transmission shift points that can seriously kill any performance the car could of had. The Bosh KE-jetronic systems (mechanical efi these later 126's have) have a full throttle enrichment switch that is only activated obviously at full throttle. When engaged, you can really feel the extra power from a richer fuel mixture. KE-jetronics were not suited towards performance, and were always designed to run relatively lean/economical. That extra few points of enrichment really makes a difference to full throttle acceleration. It should be activated at full throttle, but before kickdown switch engagement behind the pedal.
The transmissions (722.350 for the 560's), can be tuned to have near perfect shift points, great kickdown performance, and firm shifts. Which considering they were non electronic transmissions, can be very impressive.
Another awesome vid for the 126 cars! Thanks Iain!
What do I do with that information?
@@tastypymp1287 Absolutely nothing if you dont own or plan to own one of these
@@TheMoistpotato But for those of us do it's practically erotica. Thanks
Sold mine this year after fifteen years of ownership. It was a match for the one in this video. My ownership had run it’s course as increasing traffic, cameras, and speed bumps in suburbia took the pleasure out of use. After seeing your video the pangs of regret have started.
I got to drive this as a dealer flunky boy in the 80's and I must say they sure left an impression! Drive them hard, they'll do that, drive them in a relaxed manner, they can do that, too. Quiet and solid.
Thanks for the tip on the steering box. I've got 110K miles on my W124 and it certainly needs looking at, but I must also say, with two tie rods and a center link, that's six joints that can get sloppy with the miles, too, adding up to a lot of slop.
Well that took me back, I was a Mercedes mechanic in the late 80's and these cars where soo much quicker than the 500s Sublime!
For whatever reason every single video Ian does on a Mercedes is incredibly enticing & informative.
I invested my earth pounds in a 2000 CL500 a couple of years ago. Absolutely love the driving the CL for its comfort, refinedent and power delivery. What a machine. The only downside is its size, too long to fit in the car port and you are always concerned about where you are going to be able to park!
These were/are justly fantastic. Specially as ‘Autobahnkreuzer’ on the most left lane, they were such a joy zooming over 220 km/h with utmost ease and without any limiter. Fabulous. Thank you for this wonderful upload for a Sunday’s evening.
Not any longer (unfortunately) most BMW will be faster.... so keep a sharp lookout to the rear while in the left-most lane.
@stefan skoglund back in 89/90 155 mph /250kmh + was a very big deal , yeah there were a few bmw,s that could do that too , also jaguars, Porsches and Audi,s Amongst others but it was warp speed then and
still fast now!
Indeed. Cruising at 220 km/h and still being overtaken by a Ferrari or Lambo as if I was standing still, lol. Such is not a rare experience...
They were limited actually, through a simple switch in the speedo head,via white lead running to the OVP. By cutting that lead the speed limiter was disengaged.
Ha ha... Back on the late 80s and early 90s I would cross West Germany/Germany on an unfaired motorcycle by Autobahn. 110mph was a realistic maximum, with head tucked right down. Mirrors were useless at high speed, so I had to look backwards under my arm... Turning the head in the usual way would remove the visor. The cars that were usually approaching from behind at speed were Porsches and V8 Mercedes. There were others that sat at 130-150mph, but the great majority were from those two marques. Things may have changed now....
Excellent Iain. I have owned a couple of these years ago, and you are quite right, they are continent crushers.
They were the darling of Grand Prix drivers back in the day, who mostly drove to the European circuits rather than the current trend of private jets. Most of them owned one of these and covered huge annual mileages in them too.
A real monster from the 80's. My 2004 V8 5 litre Mercedes also pack as punch and very smoothly. Beautiful engines.
I've been waiting for Iain to present us with a W126/C126. The 560SEC is one of my dream cars. A friend had a euro-spec example and is was the first Mercedes-Benz that I ever drove. I never understood what "build quality" meant until I drove this car. It was 20 years old and felt like a new car. One of the Best. Thanks Iain.
Good coffee and a Tyrell Classic video, great way to start the day. Amazing how many old Mercs are pottering around the world, testament to the engineering.
I’m sure the owner was over the moon to get the car back and working as it should . Great information Iain . Your wealth of knowledge knows no boundaries. Great video again . Thank you.
Living in a magical time period, where cars from the sixties through to 80s were something to get excited about! I cannot foresee anyone getting excited over the cars as manufactured today. All Mercedes from this time period (if looked after) should become a solid investment. I do not know much about the high-class saloons of this period, but I once had a friend who owned a 6.9 litre. It would be good to see the Specs on this big Merc. Love the show, the technical details - and issues that you encounter. Greetings from Australia.
I can only imagine the breadth and depth of knowledge housed in Ian’s brain. A wonderful way of explaining the intricacies of the mechanical world as well.
Thank you Ian.
The last of the over engineered big Merc coupes, always remember a black on black 560sec in Sydney when I was a young man, number plate DVADER, pretty sure the owner did something nefarious for a living, Rj in Oz
This has always been and still is one of my dream cars! I have only driven a US spec 560 SEL (1987) and the torque on that car just blew me away. What a beautiful piece of Mercedes engineering in a typically understated looking body, which is another thing I love, by Bruno Sacco.
nice video !!! the Best Benz !!! Absolutely timeless 😍Bruno Sacco is the greatest designer 😍
He certainly had an impressive portfolio
@@iain_tyrrell I've been driving a 380 SEC since 2001 and I love it, I'm the second owner, I've still had the same muffler since I bought it, but I never drive it in winter
Dear Iain, thanks for this enlighting video. And this because I still own my late father's W123 230, (76 model), but after 27 years of daily driving I had the carbureted motor replaced by the newer model's 2299cc fuel-injected engine (of course with a 5-speed manual gearbox and ventilated disc brakes, to suit the power). With this video, you reminded me the problem with the fuel distributor of the Bosch mechanical injection system, that I did had, but also you made me try to fix the steering problem that has started to be annoying after almost half a million km that I have covered in this car. So, many, many thanks!
A lovely car and one of my favs, the real rarity is the run out 560SE. I believe MB had surplus 560 engines as production wound down so just built a few standard wheelbase models. I also remember seeing at least one 560 estate appear for sale in Germany.
What a car! What a noise! Just a treat to watch.
I remember on a famous italian magazine a test done by Michele Alboreto on the 500SEC upgraded by AMG (wich at time, was a separate entity from MB), and he was thrilled with the car.
I remember the time when these were worth nowt and folks were just driving them letting the rot so its thing and not keeping up on oil changes! Mad really. They were excellent and still are. Always worth looking after properly and they don't demand too much upkeep. Very solidly engineered
Lovely video. My grandmother had a W123 and her brother had a couple of different R107s. MB was so well engineered. I was lucky to drive the W123 but the R107s were gone by the time I was driving age. The W123 was a slow 240D but solid as rock. Every switch and input was well engieered. My Uncle traveled for work and my father was always more than willing to help get the R107 flavor of the year to the next location if the chance or excuse could be thought up.
American hot rodders refer to the style of exhaust as Tri Y. Doug Thourley is most known for the design on V8s but Pfadt has made versions for Corvettes. The 97-04 Corvette mufflers are similar to the 560. Corsa is known for being quiet in side the car, if you need to adapt something. Always enjoy seeing the engineering behind great cars, C126 or the F40 :) in the backgound.
The 420 sec I owned 20 years ago is still the best car I've ever owned. These coupes are perfection.
This was my favorite era of Mercedes. Way back when I was in high school one of the cars I would have loved to have as a daily driver was a 560 SEL. These were very simple and straightforward. You could do a lot of work on them yourself. Mercedes built now are computerized/electronic nightmares.
Again, we received a great information package about the technology of that model and the small differences to other similar MB SEC versions.Thanks for the great ride!
How exciting to find this video! I have what could be called its twin wee mine a 560 instead of a 500. Mine has a few more miles on the "clock", but, MY exhaust is orginial and,,, NO Rust! Thank you for making my day.
Pleasure- thank you
This and Harrys Garage are my favourite car channels
Harry the greedy old tosser
Definitely better than Mat Armstrong. What an utter unlikeable rat.
Mine too! More recently I have discovered "Kidd in a sweet shop", which has phenomenal car content as well.
@@dinispaulino7512 You mean Jodie Kidd.
"Kidd in the sweet shop" I've never heard of. Jodie Kidd, we all know. Thanks for the tip.
@@tastypymp1287 Yes, it's her youtube channel.
Great episode as always. This car was considered one of the best engineered cars you could buy back then. And it pulls like a tank!
The power comes from below and goes evenly up. It is a pleasure to drive these engines.
Fantastic car. Used to enjoy working on and driving them as an apprentice and technician at Mercedes-Benz. Early 90s.
I uses to deliver car's in the early 90s I was lucky enough to drive one of these sleepers I'll never forget how the whole car rocked when I blipped the throttle. Epic
Seat belt butler…I remember being 10 or 11 so 90 or 91 and going past a Mercedes and seeing the butler in action. I thought I must have imagined it for a good 15 years until I saw them on videos
I remember, here in Germany we called the wheels "Gullydeckel" which means sewer or mudhole cover and the car was the Zuhälterschleuder (Pimpride)....I used to have one in the 2000s when they were still affordable, but good ones are hard to find these days..
My favorite car channel. Thanks again for making all these videos for me.
It's not only the car but the preventer who makes the difference. I always enjoy your videos Iain. Regards from Greece.