Beautiful 560 SEC

[ivan1983]

If it's r12 and needs a regas I suspect there will be a leak somewhere.

R12 doesn't escape as easy as r134.

Also agree that the monoblocks don't quite suit the car, 17" split rims would be my choice.

Price seems very strong, maybe correct if it was low mileage/ original?

 

[grober]

One issue I forgot to mention was hose permeability. The implication being that while an R12 to R134a conversion may work after a fashion, hose permeability may be an issue leading to the necessity for frequent topups as your refrigerant gas leaks away and what was a minor leak with R12 may be more significant with R134a?? In the interests of balance this issue is not merely confined to Mercedes but all cars of that vintage with A/C
https://codan.com/assets/codan-rubber---modern-cars-need-modern-hoses-web.pdf

 

[alabbasi]

Correct, r12 has larger molecules so rubber hoses can be used. All R134a systems use what's called barrier hoses which are lined on the inside.
No system designed for R134a should leak but converted systems may have a very minor leak and require top up every few years

 

[Eddy77]

Overlooking the air con issue I absolutely LOVE that car. I also like the wheels on it. I’d have it if I was in the market for a twenty grand SEC. is that strong money these days for a good example? It seems ok for a really well sorted car but I may be out of touch. Love it.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

Love that......... reminds me of when I tried and miserably failed to get my parents to help me buy a silver R107 SL500 for my first car...... an early 80's model, which I desperately wanted in the year 2000. It took me a further 18 years to actually buy a Mercedes......

I had aspirations but in hindsight I am rather glad they didn't as no doubt it would've been impossible to afford to maintain on my meager salary! Ah youth...........

 

[alabbasi]

It's kind of interesting. I bought my SEC's when they were kind of cheap. It was in the 2008-2013 era when ever classic car was cheap. I'm starting to see them creep up in price in the US but there are still a few beaters that can be bought for under $3000. They're usually worn out mechanically but the body is likely to be more solid than anything surviving in Europe. Watching what people are asking for in Europe make me wonder how long before all the good ones in the US get bought up and shipped back.

They're fantastic cars to drive and they check all the boxes. Formula 1 drivers drove them, rappers sung about them and action hero's drove them in movies. They should be worth a lot more than they are today.

 

[SG1]

It's kind of interesting. I bought my SEC's when they were kind of cheap. It was in the 2008-2013 era when ever classic car was cheap. I'm starting to see them creep up in price in the US but there are still a few beaters that can be bought for under $3000. They're usually worn out mechanically but the body is likely to be more solid than anything surviving in Europe. Watching what people are asking for in Europe make me wonder how long before all the good ones in the US get bought up and shipped back.

They're fantastic cars to drive and they check all the boxes. Formula 1 drivers drove them, rappers sung about them and action hero's drove them in movies. They should be worth a lot more than they are today.

Agree with this. How many Pagoda's have been imported to Europe from the US! Now it's currently the R107..someone in my area has bought 4 560's and a 380 from the US! Will only be a matter of time before the SEC is next.

Lovely SEC by the way, one of my favourite colours with the best wheels in my opinion I have three SEC's but I need to sell two!

 

[Swotty]

I looked at a 560 SEC in 2015 .... was £10K with over 90K miles on it, which I thought was too much.

I bought a '54 Sunbeam Talbot 90 and a '65 Wolseley 6/110 instead.

My a*se is still aching after all the kicking!

 

[Teego]

I looked at a 560 SEC in 2015 .... was £10K with over 90K miles on it, which I thought was too much.

I bought a '54 Sunbeam Talbot 90 and a '65 Wolseley 6/110 instead.

My a*se is still aching after all the kicking!

Chrissake, I learned to drive in my father's 6/110. 3 speed box and overdrive operated by a handle under the dash. And it freewheeled on the overrun when the OD was engaged. Brakes didn't like that. Even so, it was good for 110 mph on the M1 which was faster (and thirstier) than anything else except for Plod's Jaguar.
Those were the days when Aston Martin were at Newport Pagnell and used the M1 as their free test track.
Journo to AM test driver: "How do you check your mirrors at 160mph?"
AM driver to Journo: "I don't. Anyone driving faster than me can look after himself."

 

[alabbasi]

Agree with this. How many Pagoda's have been imported to Europe from the US! Now it's currently the R107..someone in my area has bought 4 560's and a 380 from the US! Will only be a matter of time before the SEC is next.

Lovely SEC by the way, one of my favourite colours with the best wheels in my opinion I have three SEC's but I need to sell two!

Yep, I know a fellow in Berlin who bought up several 107's in recent years. The smart money is to avoid the 380 anything as they were horribly under powered for the US market, making only 155hp. Furthermore, the first couple of year models had single row timing chains which would break. I also have 3 SEC's at this time. 1986 Euro 500SEC and the 1988 Euro 560SEC that you see above, plus a white 88 US 560SEC that's probably going to be a parts car. They're still underrated but they won't be for long.

 

[Swotty]

Chrissake, I learned to drive in my father's 6/110. 3 speed box and overdrive operated by a handle under the dash. And it freewheeled on the overrun when the OD was engaged. Brakes didn't like that. Even so, it was good for 110 mph on the M1 which was faster (and thirstier) than anything else except for Plod's Jaguar.
Those were the days when Aston Martin were at Newport Pagnell and used the M1 as their free test track.
Journo to AM test driver: "How do you check your mirrors at 160mph?"
AM driver to Journo: "I don't. Anyone driving faster than me can look after himself."

Mine's the 4 speed manual without o/d , Black Maria well, black!

It's just had all the bodywork done, rust removed, rust-proofed etc, a complete renovation, and next week being repainted in 2-tone grey as this goes with the red interior.Only 25K warranted and proven miles with engine rebuild.

Bought her in Holland (UK rhd original car) 2 years ago and drove her back via Paris in a day and a half. No trouble keeping up motorway pace. Really looking forward to getting her back. Hoping to show her at the annual Périgueux Classic Auto Show, this year "The swinging Sixties ... 60 years on" in late February.

 

[Teego]

Mine's the 4 speed manual without o/d , Black Maria well, black!

It's just had all the bodywork done, rust removed, rust-proofed etc, a complete renovation, and next week being repainted in 2-tone grey as this goes with the red interior.Only 25K warranted and proven miles with engine rebuild.

Bought her in Holland (UK rhd original car) 2 years ago and drove her back via Paris in a day and a half. No trouble keeping up motorway pace. Really looking forward to getting her back. Hoping to show her at the annual Périgueux Classic Auto Show, this year "The swinging Sixties ... 60 years on" in late February.

IIRC the 6 pot motor was pretty lazy and undeveloped but had so much torque that it almost didn't matter what gear it was in. Father's car was dark blue with blue interior. Plod had these cars so you always eased off at night if you saw an illuminated Wolsely sign in your mirror.

 

[Swotty]

IIRC the 6 pot motor was pretty lazy and undeveloped but had so much torque that it almost didn't matter what gear it was in. Father's car was dark blue with blue interior. Plod had these cars so you always eased off at night if you saw an illuminated Wolsely sign in your mirror.

Mines' a '65 MK2 with the 3 litre and twin carbs. The same motor as in the Healey but with triple carbs (and less weight). I agree about the torque - first gear is only necessary on a steep incline start. The engine is whisper quiet.

Blue interior is nice on that model. I prefer the red, though.

Yes, it was suggested I dress it as a plod car for the shows, but I find the black far too austere now and that model looks good in bi-colour anyway. Hope to post pics if I can figure out how to get Dropbox to work for me.

 

[SG1]

Yep, I know a fellow in Berlin who bought up several 107's in recent years. The smart money is to avoid the 380 anything as they were horribly under powered for the US market, making only 155hp. Furthermore, the first couple of year models had single row timing chains which would break. I also have 3 SEC's at this time. 1986 Euro 500SEC and the 1988 Euro 560SEC that you see above, plus a white 88 US 560SEC that's probably going to be a parts car. They're still underrated but they won't be for long.

Yes I was never a fan of the 380 to be honest..would always just rather go for the 500. In the UK they seem to be the cheapest/least desirable.

Lovely! Good UK cars are worth fair money now but I think they've still got some way to go. I have a 1989 560 in white, 1990 560 in blue black and a 1985 500 widebody in 040 black.

In my opinion...the best coupe Mercedes has ever made followed by the W111!

 

[Teego]

Back to the SEC. Can you imagine how much Jay Manek's widebody with 1 AMG reg could be worth?

 

[BTB 500]

Back to the SEC. Can you imagine how much Jay Manek's widebody with 1 AMG reg could be worth?

A fair bit, although of course it is a modern replica rather than an original car..

 

[Teego]

A fair bit, although of course it is a modern replica rather than an original car..

So it won't rust away.

 

[UtterPiffle]

£20K.. Sigh.. Probably a good investment for that money too...
I bought a decent 560SEC for £1000 15 years ago. Before that a mint black/black 420SEC for £1500 and got given a mildly vandalised 380SEC before that. Didn't sell any of them over £2k (although I did destroy 2 of them with hydraulics)

Hindsight and all that, but I wish I had all three now...

 

[Eldomix]

my brother used to own a 500 SEC with a factory zender bodykit, its the only car he wished he still owned