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What to look for when buying a W108/9

These are very rewarding cars to own – very robust, reliable, beautifully engineered and a delight to drive, especially on the open road. They make a fine daily driver and have the performance, safety and comfort of a modern car but with the style and solid presence of a German classic. In my view they are still seriously undervalued with immaculate examples less than $20,000 and sound daily drivers for half that.

But when buying one keep a look out for these faults. Cheap cars needing work are invariably more expensive in the long run than a good original or restored car. Get someone objective to assess the car before you buy. It could save you many thousands.

Most of the repairs listed are once every 30 years' repairs.

· aircon not working - expensive if the compressor and hoses need to be replaced, and make sure it has been retrofitted to R134a.

· heater taps blocked and heater controls disconnected from the cables - the parts are not expensive but the taps are inaccessible. A very common fault.

• heater core corrosion. The heater core is against the firewall and the dash and a/c need to be removed to get to it. If you have to do this job replace all the heater taps and consider using it as an opportunity to refinish the dash.
• worn valve guides - the car will smoke on deceleration. Repair of the heads $1500 - $2000 for a 6 cylinder motor and $4000 plus for a V8.
• rust - wells on either side of the boot are prone to it, as are door sills, the panels behind the front wheels and the brace under the radiator.

· slack in the drive train.

· harsh gear changes - insist on driving the car from cold. If the changes are harsh, slow or there is a ‘flair’ between changes you might need to recondition the box. $2500.00 for reconditioning and $750.00 for a used one.

• the steering box has a habit of cracking the chassis rail where it bolts on, check this very carefully.
• the engine mounts sag with age, and the right hand exhaust manifold will eventually make contact with the steering box. This can result in a range of noises and vibrations especially when the engine is under load. Engine mounts are about $70 each plus labour.
• front suspension repairs can be expensive, typically a front end rebuild starts at $1000.00. There should be only minimal movement in the king pins.
• wear between the rocker ball stud assembly and the rocker arm. This causes intermittent tappet noise that does not respond to adjustment – more of an irritation than a serious problem. The ball stud and rocker arms need to be replaced as a pair. There are 16. If you replace the whole set it is expensive.
• replace door rubbers - $800.00
• install retractable seat belts - $500
• replace shock absorbers $400 - $500
• fix leaking central locking system. Parts are expensive new but second hand can be found. Buy a $100 vacuum pump and track the leak yourself.

Avoid any car with

• more than light rust
• panels that don't fit correctly
• a non-original or damaged interior. :MB-Tex should last forever, but leather interior replacement is astronomically expensive.
• no service history - high mileage doesn''t worry these cars but neglect does. A full history is worth thousands of dollars.

Look for a car that has

• a straight rust free body
• a comprehensive, up-to-date service history
• a good interior
• matching, correct tyres (often an indicator of a caring owner)
• receipts showing repairs by a reputable specialist

“Collectability” is further enhanced if the car is

• comprehensively optioned – especially a sunroof.
• towards the end of the model run – chassis number or data card will tell you where it came on the model run. Check that against the total numbers made.
• well documented

The W109 300 series has other common faults. In particular the air suspension components may need repair or replacement. Each valve is $375.00, two at the front and one at the rear. Each air bag is about $350.00 each, and there are four of those.

The cost of owning and maintaining a W109 6.3 V8 in good order is usually estimated as being three times the cost of a 3.5. The parts catalogue for these magnificent cars is much more limited than that of the 3.5, although US enthusiasts are starting to manufacture replacements.