1979 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

6.9 Sedan

6.9 V8 M100

Automatic

11603612005195

Clear

Gasoline

This is a nice driving low mileage Mercedes that has no immediate needs but I will list the few irritating items as I describe the car.   This is a 3-owner car with me being the 4th, however, I have never registered it. It comes complete with ALL services records from the day it was bought. It even has the original window sticker. The 100% complete owners manual with every single piece of factory paper it came with. It has been extremely well maintained from day 1. Now after 35 years it has patina to be expected.   I bought this Benz after the third owner got frustrated when the front drivers suspension hose fitting failed and the left side dipped enough for the tire to grab and bend the fender lip a bit (super easy fix). As you can see, bare metal exposed no rust - this is how the southwest is.....dry! I paid to repair the leaky fitting (records included for that service). The rest of the suspension still works flawlessly and I have service records indicating the years of maintenance the suspension has received including new accumulators.   The engine pulls very strong, shifts great and the AC blows cold (for a German car of the era!). The radio was sent to Becker some years ago for a rebuild and works equally well. The power antenna is not working needing to be pulled up manually.   The car is 35 years old and the driver’s seat has some wear through and is a bit worn and squishy. The other leather seats are near minty with the exception of the backside of the passenger head rests where seams have come undone from the sun shrinking. These may skillfully be sewn or replaced. The rear window deck shows the worst on the whole car with sunburn in a strange burn/stain marks to the toasted material. Probably the easiest part to recover for some instant gratification. The door panels are very nice, headliner is not torn, sunroof works and can accommodate a bazooka easily (Ronin!), windows work although front passenger side sticks a bit and the rear passenger side has been intermittent. Both drivers’ side windows are excellent. There are service records of the window motors having been serviced in the past. The dash has a few usual cracks but not horrible compared to some I’ve seen (in my opinion).   Tires have good tread but are showing some checking from age and eventually should be replaced.   One of the fog light lens is missing. Presumably broke. There is a small dent on the passenger side rocker panel underside – not visible from above but if you go to repaint should be an easy pull. The rear bumper looks great but the drivers side is slightly pushed in a bit more than the passenger side – should be adjusted.   The paint still shines very nicely despite the crappy pictures I posted - any abnormalities in the pics is simply dust and dirt. It may be a re-spray but it’s too hard to tell as it is a high quality job and I can’t find any overspray. No visible rust or rust patches and I can't find any bondo or fillers. Wheel arches and wells look fantastic. The driver’s side is missing the rocker trim strip. The car shines nice but again is a bit dusty / dirty in the pictures - I apologize. Thats New Mexico for you.   Just address the drivers seat recover, recover the rear window deck and a little elbow grease and this car could really be a presentable survivor with all its service history! Much cheaper option than some of the recent auctions I have seen for the same model.   Dare I say fly in and drive home? I'll pick you up at the Albuquerque Airport! However, I would join AAA first. Being in the old car hobby I’ve gambled bought cars and drove them home and in some cases broke down. It really allows you to learn the car and flesh out any problems immediately if you have time and patience for such a journey. Otherwise I’m happy to work with your shipper and get the car loaded on a transporter. I sometimes entertain trades or partial trades for vintage euro sports cars and vintage motorcycles but it will need to be approved before you bid.