1991 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Sedan

3.5 litre inline six cylinder turbodiesel

Automatic

WDBCB35D1MA590728

Clear

Diesel

For your consideration, on offer today is a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350SDL. Built in the final year of W126 production, here is a very nice example, finished in DB040 Black over Palomino leather and showing just a little over 169,000 miles on the odometer with a clean Carfax report and comprehensive service history. Sold new by Bill Ussery Mercedes-Benz in Coral Gables, Florida, and subsequently going to Texas later on in its life, this car has been spared the ravages of many winters and was bought by a customer of mine here in Ohio from Bob Ross Buick/Mercedes-Benz in Dayton a number of years back. He has commissioned me to sell the car on his behalf, so please continue to read on for more details about this fine automobile. I will note that we are a Mercedes-Benz specialist workshop and very rarely will we sell a car unless it is in exceptional condition, has a documented history and has been thoroughly gone through by us prior to sale. EXTERIOR: Finished in classic 040 non-metallic Black, the exterior of this car shows very well for its age with a very nice finish overall and very few flaws, commensurate with age and use. The paintwork retains a rich, deep gloss and has recently been given a complete detail by us so as to highlight any imperfections for the potential buyer. As shown in the photographs, there are a few light scratches, one on the sunroof panel and one on the left rear door, along with a few door dings, however overall this is one of the nicest 126s I’ve come across in quite some time, with the body being completely devoid of rust, along with the undercarriage. The bumpers are in nice condition and free of any abrasions or gouges and the side cladding is all present and in good condition, with just a bit of flaking of the paint on the jack point covers. All chrome and anodized aluminum trim is present and in fine condition, as well as all rubber seals for the doors, sunroof and trunk lid. I do not see any evidence of any prior accident repair anywhere on the vehicle. The original 15 hole alloys are in decent condition but could stand to be stripped and refinished, however they are free of any structural damage. INTERIOR: The interior, finished in beautiful contrasting Palomino leather, is in very nice condition throughout, with no tears in any of the seating surfaces, and a perfect, crack-free dashboard. The door panels, carpets and headliner are all in nice, original condition with no flaws to note, and the timber across the fascia and on the doors and console is in nice condition, save for some light cracking of the lacquer on the shifter surround wood. The car has never been smoked in and still smells like a new Mercedes of this vintage should. There are no squeaks or rattles and all comfort and convenience features are working properly. When the car was new, a light tint was added to all of the windows, which no doubt has contributed to keeping the inside of this car in such nice condition and free of UV damage. ENGINE: The OM603 inline six cylinder turbodiesel powerplant in this car runs absolutely beautifully. Always starting immediately, hot or cold, and with no stumbling or excessive smoke. I’ve always loved these engines for their refinement over the stout but noisy 617 engine. The torque output places this car in a league with its gasoline-powered stablemates in terms of performance but outpaces them in efficiency by a huge margin. We have serviced this car for the owner for quite some time and are happy to report that there are no internal issues with this particular example (zero oil consumption, minimal blowby, etc..), which I know can be a point of contention when considering any of the 3.5 litre diesel Mercedes. TRANSMISSION/DRIVELINE: The transmission is in perfect condition and has recently been totally overhauled by a local specialist who works on Mercedes-built and ZF gearboxes. It grabs all four forward ratios crisply and cleanly with no hesitation or slippage whatsoever. Reverse is engaged immediately as well. The fluid and filter were of course replaced when the overhaul was done so there should be no attention required until the next transmission service is due in approximately 25,000 miles. There are no noises or vibrations from the driveline of the car, and the driveshaft carrier bearing was recently replaced at our suggestion to cure a rumble which was noticeable when leaving a standstill. BRAKES/TIRES/SUSPENSION: The car is riding on a matching set of Michelin Pilot Exalto radials with approximately 75% treadlife remaining. It runs down the road straight and without any pulling or vibration. The brakes were checked during the car’s most recent service and show to have approximately 50% life remaining, front and rear. The suspension is tight and free of any untoward noises, clunks, thumps or issues otherwise. Everything was checked, front to back, and found to be in good shape. The rear sway bar links were noted as having been recently replaced during our inspection. EXHAUST: 100% factory original and in good condition, including all rubber hangers. ELECTRICAL: Everything electrical on the car is in proper working condition—windows, locks, seats, sunroof, instruments, interior and exterior lamps, HVAC system which gives ice cold air conditioning and strong heat. We recently replaced the sliding jaw on the right rear door window regulator, which is a common fault on these cars. The battery was replaced within the past couple of years and is an OE Mercedes item. The only non-original aspect of the car is the hi-fi system. The Becker quit working reliably and was replaced with a Kenwood CD deck with integrated Bluetooth audio and telephone streaming. The original Hirschmann aerial works properly. RECENT WORK: We have performed some maintenance on the car in order to qualify it for sale, along with some other work undertaken by the owner himself, which is outlined below; -Oil and filter change using Shell Rotella 5W-40 full synthetic oil. -Air filter replaced. -Fuel filters replaced and Red Line 85+ dose added to fuel system. -Radiator replaced and coolant flushed using Mercedes-Benz ‘blue’ Anticorrosion mixture. -Brake fluid flushed with Pentosin DOT 4 type. -All glow plugs replaced. -Windshield replaced with OEM Pilkington glass (original was sandblasted). -Driveshaft carrier bearing replaced. -Rear sway bar links replaced. -RR door window regulator sliding jaw replaced. -Door and hood hinges and latches cleaned and lubricated. -Throttle linkage disassembled, cleaned and lubricated. -Sunroof sliding rails cleaned and lubricated with special MB ‘Gleitpaste’. -Shift linkage bushings replaced. ANY NEEDS?: The only thing remaining which we noted as needing attention will be replacement of the hood insulation pad on the car. This is something we will be happy to handle for the new owner, or can also just supply the part if he/she wishes to do the job themselves. PROVENANCE: The original handbooks are in the glovebox, along with the service booklet which is stamped for all services up to the major 90K. We are happy to provide documentation for all work which we have performed on the car since we began servicing it. I do not know if there is more than one master key for the vehicle, but they are available from Mercedes-Benz at minimal cost (appx. $25.00) if not. SUMMARY: If you are looking for a fine example of one of Mercedes’ finest works of engineering, here it is. The W126 was, in my opinion, the last of the truly cost-no-object S-Class cars. While the W140 which succeeded it was a great car, they have tended to not hold up throughout the years quite as well as the much simpler W126 has. The reliability and efficiency of the Mercedes-Benz diesel engine is legendary and there’s no doubt that they’re not building them like this any longer. This would be a perfect choice for someone running a car service (or driving for Uber or Lyft), as it affords all of the luxuries one would need yet returns quite respectable economy at the same time and is straightforward to service with excellent parts availability at reasonable cost. PAYMENT/SHIPPING: A deposit in the amount of $500.00 is due no later than three days after auction end. Remainder of balance due no later than seven days after auction end. All monies to be paid using either cash, certified check or federal wire transfer directly to the owner of the car. The clear Ohio title and vehicle will be released to the new owner only after confirmation of funds by our customer. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer however we will of course assist in any way to help make this a smooth, pleasant transaction. If you wish to fly in to Cincinnati and drive the car home, we can arrange to pick you up at the airport. Thanks for looking and if you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I can be reached directly on (513) 519-7302 Monday-Friday 10AM-7PM.