Faults:

I bought this as a drivable project. It had been neglected by previous owners over the last 10 years. During my year of ownership I have done the following so far...

Full engine service (including an 18 litre oil change).

Replace all 5 suspension spheres with new MB.

New exhaust (half from MB, half custom).

New brake hoses, calipers, discs, pads and park brake shoes, all around.

Fix blower motor.

New headlight wipers.

Various other small parts.

Extensive underfloor rust renovation.

General Comments:

What a fantastic car that I feel lucky to own. It has so far cost me a fortune to bring it up together, and next year it will be going into a body shop to have a full strip down respray, and I'm toying over whether to leave the seats original or refurbish. The wood will be refurbished.

With the new spheres it drives like no other, the comfort is uncanny. The engine is a work of art and I also just enjoy looking at the car.

Don't worry about fuel costs, that will be the smallest expense of owning one of these. Parts are mainly expensive, lots are NLA so you have to be creative.

Prices are rising all the time, so if you want one, get it whilst you can, but make sure you have deep pockets!

Faults:

None so far.

General Comments:

The car rides like a dream --- super comfortable.

So far, it is very dependable; never failed me.

A/C could be colder, but the old York compressor is dying.

Steering is straight as an arrow; no vibrations anywhere.

One air leak in driver's door; fix it later.

Paint is beautiful (white); the car turns heads now and then.

Gas mileage is not great; 14-15 in and around town.

All said, I love it, and plan to fix the little things.

Faults:

Small things which you can expect from a car of 28 years old.

- Electric roof doesn't work.

- mechanism of left front window needs to be replaced

- Sometimes rear right window doesn't work, usually it does work fine.

- Central door lock doesn't work anymore, it leaks vacuum somewhere.

- Cruise Control doesn't work anymore, has something to do with the vacuum.

General Comments:

Except the small problems with the window and roof it's a great car. The engine is great and very strong. Has a great deep V8 sound and with the 225 HP and huge torque it's very fast. The interior is very German, but very functional. The handling of the 450 is great and you have no idea that you're driving a big car (except for the fuel consumption).

Faults:

General wear and tear; spark plugs, points needed replacing. Central locking system takes getting used to -- it shouldn't.

General Comments:

With the exception of a bit of normal wear and tear, this car is certainly a beautiful ride. It floats along like a boat, so may not be suited to sportier drivers, however it is about as comfortable as a car could be. Also, it is uber-reliable. With 375000 on the clock, it starts every turn, blows no smoke, and rides like a dream. The largest problem I am facing is that this is my first car. After owning a Mercedes, what can one upgrade to?