Recovering the beast of an 80s Bahnstormer - Mercedes-Benz C126 560 SEC | Tyrrell's Classic Workshop

Iain's back in the workshop this week and featuring a car that regular viewers may have seen lurking in the background over several previous episode as it's been in for some time. Iain and his team have been gettting to the bottom of why this once mighty 80's Bahnstormer was no longer quite the beast it once was. Join Iain as he covers the history of the car and then explains the journey taken with this particular lovely example to restore it to its former glory, before a final road-test to check that everything is indeed in order.
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00:00 - Sponsors
00:15 - Car history
07:42 - Throttle linkage
08:10 - KE-Jetronic fuel injection system
09:07 - Plug chop
10:08 - Exhaust system
13:28 - Steering box adjustment
15:51 - Seatbels
16:35 - Roadtest
26:15 - Outro
This video was brought to you by Aston Lark - www.astonlark.com/tyrrellswor...
Also brought to you by PM Classic - pmclassic.co.uk/
Supported by Eurospares - www.eurospares.co.uk/
Filmed and edited by Whipp3dCream - whipp3dcream.com/
Interested in purchasing a classic car? Check out Iain's guides with Supercars Monaco - / @supercarsmonacotv7831
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IMAGE ATTRIBUTION:
ilikewaffles11 (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., „Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole (27077480052)“, crop by TCW, creativecommons.org/licenses/...

[@cuberjoe16]

Great to see my old car! I owned this exact car from 2006 to 2011. I would be embarrassed to say how little I sold it for! Also slightly embarrassed to say that I had the exhaust that Ian criticised fitted! It was a fast car, I hit 130mph with ease in it. I miss it, full of character, but I was skint at the time and I needed the money so it had to go. Thanks Ian, I never thought I would watch you review a car that I actually owned! Made my day!

[@TBendez]

For such a tiny and improvised exhaust, it held up well during 11 years.

[@dafalzonAUS]

Small world, I guess the owner after the repairs will receive more out of the car in performance and handling

[@nuancepill8066]

Amazing! What’s the chances?! What year car is this?

[@V8_screw_electric_cars]

Is this a dual exhaust there's two pipes but connected to single muffler?

[@pasquale78]

Wow that’s a great story!

[@newsnowireland4028]

Those Mercedes cars of that era are the best cars ever built in my opinion. Pure class.

[@briancarton1804]

They were great cars with style. Unfortunately Mercedes only make garbage now. Made to fall apart as soon as the warranty is out.

[@marcelpatel9017]

Lexus LS 400 & 430 are the greatest car ever to come off a production line. Period.

[@Keckegenkai]

@@marcelpatel9017 These really want to have the same presence but they really dont have it as this coupe

[@literallyshaking8019]

The greatest era of Mercedes. The build quality and design was spot on.

[@joelhenderson4450]

Bruno Sacco deserved a Nobel Prize for his design work at M-B. This car always reminds of the one old guy who had one in my hometown. It was a US spec, champagne over beige model, reeking of cigar smoke. I appreciate the cars despite that I wouldn’t have had one in the day.

[@neilwalsh4058]

Bruno Sacco designed the W140 S-Class , this is the coupe version of a W126 S-Class (C126)

[@carloscanziani1644]

@@neilwalsh4058 Bruno Sacco was the designer of the w126 sedan and coupe for your information. Cheers

[@rustybearden1800]

This is my favorite era of MB - the muscular styling, the beautifully restrained interior and massive drivetrain and powerplant engineering- this era is absolutely the pinnacle of the MB auto design spectrum (in my opinion) - I just love the exterior styling and presence!

[@craigmorgan4676]

Agreed brother, what a car it was when it emerged on the motoring scene in the late eighties.U were a BOSS if u owned one,motoring perfection!💪💪💪👊👌👌

[@ianmedium]

Completely agree, the last of the hewed from rock Mercs!

[@rustybearden1800]

@@ianmedium the new MBs are meh - 'cept the AMGs and they are pick and choose problematic

[@rustybearden1800]

@@ianmedium wait til the repair bills and warranty issues start coming in with the EVs

[@richardprice7763]

My mate's dad had a 500 SEC and he took us out on the M3 back in about 1986 and got it up to 140mph. I have never been faster. That was a beast in the day and this 560 is even better...they built them properly back then.

[@moyadapne968]

As a mechanic, I sat in one, and when the seat belt butler snuck into my peripheral vision, I thought a black shiny alien was attacking me. Heart-stopping.

[@thomassassen9174]

I remember, here in Germany we called the wheels "Gullydeckel" which means sewer or mudhole cover and the car was the Zuhälterschleuder (Pimpride)....I used to have one in the 2000s when they were still affordable, but good ones are hard to find these days..

[@Hannu_H]

I am so so so sad that these cars are considered as classics these days. Ageless and timeless beauties, still cabable to run with modern counterparts. I would live to own one and be crazy enough to use it my daily driver. Again amazing episode of Tyrrell's Classic Workshop. One of my favorite KZbin channels. ❤

[@twainjones]

Iain has such a humble and likeable personality, and is so knowledgeable, that these videos are just a treat to watch! 👍👍 More, more, more!

[@shanefoster7524]

Drove a 560 SEC AMG in 1991, the lady who owned it traded it in for a 911 Turbo. Her family built Meadowhall shopping centre. It was a lovely car. It was great to see someone move it around in the workshops and the seatbelt butler touch them on the shoulder! The salesman offered it to me for 20k-which was 2 years pay back then

[@tomosorio7530]

I think that same lady has recently "recovered' Grantley Hall Hotel near Ripon, worth a visit if you have some spare cash.

[@timothyking2248]

Paul Sykes ex wife

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

This is very close to 'the' perfect car. The best model built during the best time of perhaps the best car maker of them all.

[@rampanttwattery4844]

My Sunday evening just got a lot better 👌

[@clevelandaeromotive]

Owned a 1987 560 SEC in the mid 90’s. Everything you’d talked about, handling, problems, power delivery when healthy, totally on point.

[@CiscosDisco22]

Gotta be one of the most satisfying shows of its type on the internet. Thank you.

[@rjnation5042]

The last of the over engineered big Merc coupes, always remember a black on black 560sec in Sydney when I was a young man, number plate DVADER, pretty sure the owner did something nefarious for a living, Rj in Oz

[@TheMoistpotato]

Great video Iain Some info about the difference between the US spec M117 and euro spec engine. The US spec did have the dual intake filter box runners, but only the 560 model. The 420's and 380's only had the single plenum intake box. US spec engines had these terrible exhaust manifolds where it consolidated the left and right hand manifolds then down in a single down pipe with Catalytic converter. This was unfortunately a serious restriction in the exhaust system, and killed performance. Euro engines had proper dual down exhaust manifolds (commonly called euro logs). This 560 doesn't have the stock standard euro manifolds, it has what is called "tri-y" which is a special spec manifold for the "ECE/RUF" model cars. They are basically the ultimate setup for the M117, and have a price associated with trying to score a set. The AMG "TRI-Y's" of the period are also extremely rare to get a hold of and are of similar design (tubular vs the factory style casted TRI-Y's"). They can seriously liven up one of these engines when installed. US spec engines also had lower compression pistons, and different cam profile to help meet the emissions standards in NA. The euro cars had more aggressive ignition timing profiles to help performance. All these changes are the reason why euro M117 (w126/c126) cars can be a very spicy and fun car to drive on the hwy. One of the things Ian touched on which i couldn't agree more is, a lot of these cars have had so much improper tinkering and adjustment on the throttle and transmission linkages that it gets everything out of sync, reducing performance and improper transmission shift points that can seriously kill any performance the car could of had. The Bosh KE-jetronic systems (mechanical efi these later 126's have) have a full throttle enrichment switch that is only activated obviously at full throttle. When engaged, you can really feel the extra power from a richer fuel mixture. KE-jetronics were not suited towards performance, and were always designed to run relatively lean/economical. That extra few points of enrichment really makes a difference to full throttle acceleration. It should be activated at full throttle, but before kickdown switch engagement behind the pedal. The transmissions (722.350 for the 560's), can be tuned to have near perfect shift points, great kickdown performance, and firm shifts. Which considering they were non electronic transmissions, can be very impressive. Another awesome vid for the 126 cars! Thanks Iain!

[@tastypymp1287]

What do I do with that information?

[@TheMoistpotato]

@@tastypymp1287 Absolutely nothing if you dont own or plan to own one of these

[@arthurdardalis]

This is the epitome of MB engineering, alas never to be seen again. In the 80’s this was THE car to have. The timeless styling is Saccos’s masterpiece Iain is so knowledgeable and yet so modest with it. Greetings from Greece!

[@bandagefreak]

"Manhole cover wheels" - I just about choked on my cornflakes!!! :'@D

[@sorenklausbo5685]

I just love the Mercedes-Benz / Bruno Sacco 1980's! Still the most beautiful MB's ever made. Thanks for sharing this car Iain.

[@garethgrundy8087]

Proper car. We used to blast down the autoroutes to Frejus in the late 70's and through the 1980's. Was usually the S class Mercs stuck to the back bumper at 90+mph flashing the main beam because they just could not wait to get past 🤣 120mph in one of these feels like 70mph in a normal saloon car. Engineered like no other car...

[@julianbrown.]

Thank you, I have been waiting for a SEC video. Understated, solid and elegant coupes.

[@mudkipsarekool]

This and Harrys Garage are my favourite car channels

[@bolshevikproductions]

Harry the greedy old tosser

[@tastypymp1287]

Definitely better than Mat Armstrong. What an utter unlikeable rat.

[@dinispaulino7512]

Mine too! More recently I have discovered "Kidd in a sweet shop", which has phenomenal car content as well.

[@tastypymp1287]

@@dinispaulino7512 You mean Jodie Kidd. "Kidd in the sweet shop" I've never heard of. Jodie Kidd, we all know. Thanks for the tip.

[@dinispaulino7512]

@@tastypymp1287 Yes, it's her youtube channel.

[@barrettwbenton]

This proves how the "sweet-spot" cars often get ignored: something you can have fun with whenever you want, but can still hunker-down for the day-to-day needs of just-getting-around. You've definitely earned your keep (as usual) getting this one back in shape, but it's always an education to see just how much is involved in the process.

[@ravipeiris4388]

Truly, the high watermark of excellence relative to the disposable (i.e. high initial cost, unreliability, rapid depreciation, etc.) models Mercedes puts out today.

[@wouterleenders]

Brings back memories of my old ‘89 126 500SEL, best MB I ever had, true kings of the road and a marvel of engineering and build quality

[@prophetate]

This era Mercedes S-Class are my favorites 😊❤️ remember in the 80’s seeing these on the Autobahn in Germany, in Monaco and in France ❤ these ones has stood the test of time 😍 this is the 560 SEC but I can settle for the more humble 500 SEL or SEC 😂😊 they are so beautiful❣️

[@ploneuk]

Best looking Merc of all time.

[@johndeere1951a]

"Engineered like no other car, MERCEDES BENZ" Great presentation Iain. You do honor MB with respect. No negative opinionated bias, just accurate facts. Thank you. Another car that Formula 1 Drivers drove for pleasure. I used to test and adjust for full throttle opening on all cars that came into my service bay. From lowly 240D up to 6.9. Clients would call back after picking up their car and complement how it never ran so good before!. I'd be careful about sharing the steering box adjustment. Non MB trained sods might get to happy with twisting things they shouldn't. There is a friction torque spec with conditions while measuring that should be adhered to. It is a component that is directly related to drivers safety and operation. Set wrongly and it could cause!💥!. As always I love your clear sober delivery.✌️ Healthy New year 2023 from a retired (47 MB dealer years) in New Hampshire 🇺🇲👍

[@ruk2023--]

Seat belt butler…I remember being 10 or 11 so 90 or 91 and going past a Mercedes and seeing the butler in action. I thought I must have imagined it for a good 15 years until I saw them on videos

[@Julianpms]

I love the Bruno Sacco-designed Mercedes from the 80s and 90s. No SEC (yet ...) but I have been fortunate enough to own an SL 500 (R129) and a 190 E 2.6 (W201). I currently have an E420 (W124) with the 'small' 4.2-litre V8 and standard body, a complete sleeper.

[@SavedbyHim]

Wow what a great set of cars. never knew an E420 existed!

[@cityoflights3808]

I had a 1993 400E that I loved very much. Amazing car and the m119 v8 was fantastic. It was not without issues however. Namely, it had vast low rpm torque and was very front heavy due to the v8; no traction control of course, so if the road was damp or there were some leaves you could find yourself doing a 360 while making a left hand turn or fish tailing out and doing a 180 going straight. Unlike its big brother, the 500e, the wheel arches were not flared so you could not put a wide and sticky enough tire on it to compensate. A few hundred pounds of sand in the trunk helped a bit. Second, I live in a hot climate and that v8 pit out a lot of heat in an engine bay designed for a v6. It never overheated as the cooling system was massive. However, all the plastics and rubber parts got baked and brittle very quickly. Indeed, it was worse after you parked as the heat from the engine did not vent and the temperature climbed. I took to opening the hood at home, but nothing you could do when out. The belt tensioner worked via giant rubber or elastomeric flange that disintegrated due to the heat like clock work every 18 months. The belt went every year. radiator hoses etc cracked if you looked at them. Vacuum tubes..and there were lots of those as the whole car used them for everything from door locks to engine management tended to get loose at the pressure connectors as the rubber bake . Engine mounts every three, spark plug wires the same. And it was hard to get to lots of things due to lack of space and the engine went back past the hood opening. The heat caused issues in the dual distributor caps too in the form of condensation forming inside the caps when parked, corroding the contacts and creating misfires. I finally sold it when the timing chain and transmission started making noise and acting up. It had just over 200k miles so both were due for replacement and at least a rebuild respectively The timing chain is a double wide beast that is not easy to roll in without special tools and required something like over 20 hours of labor to replace, in part because everything in front of it had to cone out due to lack of space. It is an interference engine and not for the faint of heart to get right. And if you don’t there goes your block. Oh yeah, the engine needed a main seal gasket replacement and head gaskets too, because, well it was old car in a lot of heat. Hated to get rid of it but the maintenance was getting to be not only super expensive but too annoying as well. I mean it was nice and is still my favorite carI have owned but it was not an SEL or w124 500e (tuned by Porsche) or anything. But man, any Mercedes after the w124 era seems like cheap junk when I get in one. Albeit junk with traction control, better abs and rack and pinion steering. For me, That w124 generation e class was the last great vintage by Mercedes (though the w124 interior was not as nice in many ways as the w123, even it it looked sleeker. I agree with Ian that the s class w140 was just too bloated. Though I came close to getting a 1996 600sel v12 until reason returned (those eras v12 was literally two v6 engines put together and could be super expensive to maintain as many of the systems were literally doubled.

[@Julianpms]

@@SavedbyHim It was only built in LHD. Most went to North America, but I live in France and bought a two-owner car originally sold new in Germany.

[@busterboy7505]

Thank you very much Mr Tyrrell, just bought a Mercedes C220 CDI Estate, it’s a 2013 model and we love it, 👍.

[@tastypymp1287]

Should have got the S205....

[@Desertduleler_88]

I must admit l have a soft spot for classic Mercs, once again Ian you’ve done this car justice. Excellent review.

[@stoneylonesome4062]

Love the euro-spec bumper and headlights with wipers, and the grill from the R107. Love how they actually tried to differentiate it from the Sedan and Estate.

[@gpdl4438]

I remember on a famous italian magazine a test done by Michele Alboreto on the 500SEC upgraded by AMG (wich at time, was a separate entity from MB), and he was thrilled with the car.

[@Isthatyoudermot]

Great car. My boss had 1992 W124 230 in the convertible, coupe and the estate. They were all beautiful to drive. Faultless and effortless in all aspects of use. Also beautiful shape. The dashboard of the 560 and interior appointment reminds me of the smaller W124. The greatest style Era in my opinion. Thank you for the great video.

[@rafaelmartinmeuldijk6030]

i agree !...i drove a 1995 W124 220 Coupe for 15 years .

[@Rinkydink73274]

Love these cars,had a ride in a D reg 420sec in 1987 it was only a year old,blue with a blue interior so smooth and felt so fast compared to my dad's Sierra..🤣

[@Rockape501]

I used to work for Gerrard Mann in Birmingham and used to work on these. The 560SEC was my absolute dream car...never did get one in the end, but settled for the much lower spec 230E

[@cam2794]

What a beautiful Mercedes, Top German Engineering!

[@oldgeordiegeezer3086]

I had a beautiful 560 SEC in Abu Dhabi. A friend was leaving and needed to sell in a hurry, so I acquired it for a little over 3,000 pounds. I loved the fact that it was sleek and fast but so incredibly comfortable smooth to ride in. Of all the amazing tech inside it wasn't the fancy windows, or the fact it handed you your seatbelt that got me. I was most fascinated by being able to switch between the 2 different horns. I fell out of love with it when I did an online VIN check on it and found out that the VIN plate said it was supposed to be a 1979 VW Microbus. 25 years later it's still one of the most amazing cars I have ever owned.

[@miamimo70]

Fabulous car, I cried when my dad sold our F reg 500SEC black on black, many moons ago..

[@rjnation5042]

I feel your pain,

[@BanjoLuke1]

Brian Sewell, an art historian and critic, had one of these for many years and drove it on one of his roving documentaries. A very cle er man and an excellent writer, if slightly waspish at times. It brought a smile to see him driving a 560 coupé. He enjoyed excellent things and he drove an excellent car.

[@Shmee149]

That was a truly fantastic and useful episode. The segment of late 80's / Early 90's Mercedes videos is such unfulfilled on KZbin, thank you again!

[@edgeyt1]

Always loved the look of the SEC models.

[@PixelSchnitzel]

I bet that owner feels like he just got a brand new car. Awesome!

[@KeiranDavie]

My favourite bit of the video 20:23 Now I want an 80’s V8 Merc

[@peterduxbury927]

Living in a magical time period, where cars from the sixties through to 80s were something to get excited about! I cannot foresee anyone getting excited over the cars as manufactured today. All Mercedes from this time period (if looked after) should become a solid investment. I do not know much about the high-class saloons of this period, but I once had a friend who owned a 6.9 litre. It would be good to see the Specs on this big Merc. Love the show, the technical details - and issues that you encounter. Greetings from Australia.

[@AdamLeask]

I used to own a W126 420SEL and it was a weapon of a car. I remember my first overtaking manoeuvre back in period, and the sudden change down and burst in torque sent me into the weeds on the other side of the road. My father had a drive and accelerated before pulling out and we nearly rear-ended a tractor! Till this day we still joke about how we didn't expect such a large barge to hustle so quickly. Thanks for sharing this video Iain.

[@GeorgesChannel]

Great episode as always. This car was considered one of the best engineered cars you could buy back then. And it pulls like a tank!

[@jacoe2159]

Great video. Such nice cars to enjoy. So glad you mentioned adjusting the tie rods to straighten the steering wheel- to keep the box centered. Too few people understand that! With that mileage the cam timing would be a few degrees off but still ok. And the tensioners getting brittle. Lots of life left in that car - my 500se is on 290000miles with unopened engine.

[@hydorah]

I remember the time when these were worth nowt and folks were just driving them letting the rot so its thing and not keeping up on oil changes! Mad really. They were excellent and still are. Always worth looking after properly and they don't demand too much upkeep. Very solidly engineered

[@merlinzipp]

It is the same colors inside and out as my '91 350SD. which we bought new and still have with 110K miles on the odometer. These are special automobiles. Like a Swiss watch, it doesn't matter how old it is if it has been well maintained.

[@seanpaul3050]

Peak Mercedes right there. Nothing better for long distance driving. I used to have a 190E and the build quality was just as good as the top of the range S class. It would eat up the miles so effortlessly and the ride quality was so good. I wish i kept it. No mercedes of today can compare to the cars from that era.

[@davidbarnes6410]

I loved that era of Mercedes. They had a great style to it. Gee it pulls well and sounds great. The boy racer in me would love to hear more of it with an exhaust tweak 😊

[@alexwilk99]

For whatever reason every single video Ian does on a Mercedes is incredibly enticing & informative.

[@simonc4810]

I lived in Germany as a kid in the 1980’s and the sight of the S-class, and to a lesser degree the BMW 7-series, made every autobahn journey interesting. Back then, no speed limits meant a noisy, temperature-gauge-scrutinised, real-world 80-odd mph for the vast majority of cars (the magic 100mph or 160kmh was achievable for plenty of cars but definitely not easy or quick to reach). Even Golf GTi’s clearly knew their place in the pecking order! The odd 6-cylinder 3-Series BMW would venture into the big league of constant left-lane high-speed cruising but they clearly had an issue with rapid throttle closure from high speed because many headed straight to the hard shoulder in clouds of burnt oil immediately after being forced to halve their speed by an inconsiderate truck pulling out. The really memorable sight though, partly due to rarity but also due to styling and a bit of national pride, was the occasional Jag XJ12 reminding everyone that it’s not a 2-horse race.

[@lindaoffenbach]

These were/are justly fantastic. Specially as ‘Autobahnkreuzer’ on the most left lane, they were such a joy zooming over 220 km/h with utmost ease and without any limiter. Fabulous. Thank you for this wonderful upload for a Sunday’s evening.

[@TheStefanskoglund1]

Not any longer (unfortunately) most BMW will be faster.... so keep a sharp lookout to the rear while in the left-most lane.

[@muckle8]

@stefan skoglund back in 89/90 155 mph /250kmh + was a very big deal , yeah there were a few bmw,s that could do that too , also jaguars, Porsches and Audi,s Amongst others but it was warp speed then and still fast now!

[@lindaoffenbach]

Indeed. Cruising at 220 km/h and still being overtaken by a Ferrari or Lambo as if I was standing still, lol. Such is not a rare experience...

[@Mercmad]

They were limited actually, through a simple switch in the speedo head,via white lead running to the OVP. By cutting that lead the speed limiter was disengaged.

[@BanjoLuke1]

Ha ha... Back on the late 80s and early 90s I would cross West Germany/Germany on an unfaired motorcycle by Autobahn. 110mph was a realistic maximum, with head tucked right down. Mirrors were useless at high speed, so I had to look backwards under my arm... Turning the head in the usual way would remove the visor. The cars that were usually approaching from behind at speed were Porsches and V8 Mercedes. There were others that sat at 130-150mph, but the great majority were from those two marques. Things may have changed now....

[@eeclass20]

A lovely car and one of my favs, the real rarity is the run out 560SE. I believe MB had surplus 560 engines as production wound down so just built a few standard wheelbase models. I also remember seeing at least one 560 estate appear for sale in Germany.

[@jeremylockey3220]

Well that took me back, I was a Mercedes mechanic in the late 80's and these cars where soo much quicker than the 500s Sublime!

[@SonnyFastSpeed]

Again, we received a great information package about the technology of that model and the small differences to other similar MB SEC versions.Thanks for the great ride!

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Excellent Iain. I have owned a couple of these years ago, and you are quite right, they are continent crushers. They were the darling of Grand Prix drivers back in the day, who mostly drove to the European circuits rather than the current trend of private jets. Most of them owned one of these and covered huge annual mileages in them too.

[@christopherprose3881]

I believe one of these models holds the records for the most parts used in one car: 666,000, if I remember right. It might have been a later version, not sure. Still, this generation of M-Bs will never be seen again. They were over-engineered and overbuilt, meant to last a million miles and not fall apart right after the warranty expires like most modern M-Bs. The design is a classic too, still holds up even today. I drove a sedan version of this car (the S-series) and was awed. It surged ahead like a tidal wave and was whisper-quiet the entire time. A fantastic cruiser, you can take these cars on long drives and never get tired of being behind the wheel.

[@drsnooz8112]

GREAT video. Thank you!

[@andrewcameron1346]

I can only imagine the breadth and depth of knowledge housed in Ian’s brain. A wonderful way of explaining the intricacies of the mechanical world as well. Thank you Ian.

[@750coda]

Great video as always Ian 👍 That F40 in the background, can we have a video on that please 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@woodendoorgarage]

The Tri-Y exhaust manifolds with the stainless exhaust sounds great. The steering box adjustment looks very accessible on RHD W126. It is nightmare on LHD C107 with V8 engines. I will see this winter if loosening the engine mounts and lifting the engine few centimeters makes the difference.

[@cornishrider]

Thanks! I was one of the Mercedes Nerds who requested a video on this a while back, it's great that you've done it.

[@muhammadzailani7313]

I just love seeing old experienced people explaining things. Real knowledge just spews out of them effortlessly. I love this channel. Great work Sir.

[@tastypymp1287]

I didn't see any old people? Are you talking about the same channel?

[@stringer-ik1pc]

Europeans have invented everything in the modern world. I suppose you people can appreciate this more. Coming from where you do.

[@muhammadzailani7313]

@@stringer-ik1pc what does this have to do with what I said in my comment?

[@tylerlange4949]

I've been waiting for Iain to present us with a W126/C126. The 560SEC is one of my dream cars. A friend had a euro-spec example and is was the first Mercedes-Benz that I ever drove. I never understood what "build quality" meant until I drove this car. It was 20 years old and felt like a new car. One of the Best. Thanks Iain.

[@ideal1968]

The power comes from below and goes evenly up. It is a pleasure to drive these engines.

[@joaopombolopes7866]

Magnificent beast. One of my favourite cars ever. 40 years old & it still looks beautiful. And the built quality is superb.

[@komradkolonel]

This was my favorite era of Mercedes. Way back when I was in high school one of the cars I would have loved to have as a daily driver was a 560 SEL. These were very simple and straightforward. You could do a lot of work on them yourself. Mercedes built now are computerized/electronic nightmares.

[@kostasvassiliadis9178]

It's not only the car but the preventer who makes the difference. I always enjoy your videos Iain. Regards from Greece.

[@graham6229]

A real monster from the 80's. My 2004 V8 5 litre Mercedes also pack as punch and very smoothly. Beautiful engines.

[@lawrencerobbins8157]

Sold mine this year after fifteen years of ownership. It was a match for the one in this video. My ownership had run it’s course as increasing traffic, cameras, and speed bumps in suburbia took the pleasure out of use. After seeing your video the pangs of regret have started.

[@denseljosephs9500]

I uses to deliver car's in the early 90s I was lucky enough to drive one of these sleepers I'll never forget how the whole car rocked when I blipped the throttle. Epic

[@ruutbianchi4358]

One of the last real Mercedes' Benz cars. Very good build quality. Again very interesting video, although it's not one of my favourites, only a handful of Mercs actually! It does prove the beauty of a very well build premium class analogue car! Thans for sharing, Iain!

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

I had one in Arizona in 2009 for over two weeks. What an amazing car. Hated saying goodbye to it.

[@bernardwarr4187]

Modern cars might be more economical and obsolete in five years, but this Mercedes 560 is totally functional and unbeatable quality engineered motor car, built to be comfortable and useable. Another great video Ian

[@tonyd321]

My favorite car channel. Thanks again for making all these videos for me.

[@robertwelburn]

Great video as always TCW. My all time favourite car! Perfect colour and interior too. Lucky owner.

[@markstott8864]

I’m sure the owner was over the moon to get the car back and working as it should . Great information Iain . Your wealth of knowledge knows no boundaries. Great video again . Thank you.

[@Mercmad]

I've worked on a lot of W126's over the decades since they were introduced and I'm still working on them. This car is the Ne Plus Ultra of the whole W126 range. What I look for on UK delivered cars is the 4 separate exhaust manifolds which were part of a bit of a scam Mercedes were conducting. What Mercedes told their customers was the USA demand for cat cons would eventually arrive in Europe ,so they made these high Compression (10-1) engines with free flowing exhausts. So When or If the predicted regulations arrived,the cats could be fitted and no appreciable loss of power would be felt. The Top speed mentioned of 155MPH is correct,but the cars were actually governed to 155 MPH through a lead from a switch in the speedo head,to the Over voltage Protection relay. (ovp) .So by cutting that lead and fitting a 6500 RPM fuel pump relay a damn site more than 155 MPH is easily reached. Although the injection is KEjet with electronic cold running regulator they don't have a computer control so getting extra power was quite easy. I mention UK delivered cars because the RHD W126 560 delivered to the UK has the 10-1 engine but USA,Australia had the slug 9-1 compression engine which do not have half the power . Japn and Hong Kong also got the occasional High comp 500 and 560's. A couple of other things which made them different was the EZL ignition with anti knock control and the over load protection in the trans. The latter also being connected to the OVP ,cutting out the ignition if the trans started slipping because of operator abuse.

[@93455Driver]

Good coffee and a Tyrell Classic video, great way to start the day. Amazing how many old Mercs are pottering around the world, testament to the engineering.

[@GT380man]

I’ve no idea what the rationale is for the design of that exhaust, but it’s magnificent.

[@SimonWallwork]

Lovely!

[@INNIMA]

My childhood was spent in the back seat of these cars roaring down the highway at a whispers note.

[@ravington666]

My request was more than fulfilled,, one of your best video's to date ! Thank you Sir

[@andysalter4473]

My Dad's cousin had the 560 SEL from New in 85' and kept it for 15 years. It was a beast of a car and sill is the fastest car I have been in. Another great video.

[@markcarter9476]

I invested my earth pounds in a 2000 CL500 a couple of years ago. Absolutely love the driving the CL for its comfort, refinedent and power delivery. What a machine. The only downside is its size, too long to fit in the car port and you are always concerned about where you are going to be able to park!

[@AaronRandolphChen]

This has always been and still is one of my dream cars! I have only driven a US spec 560 SEL (1987) and the torque on that car just blew me away. What a beautiful piece of Mercedes engineering in a typically understated looking body, which is another thing I love, by Bruno Sacco.

[@jeremyfiester6243]

Drove an NAS 560SL cross country when I was 16. Started my german car obsession. Always wanted a euro spec coupe like this.

[@ArchimedeanEye]

One of a few 80s cars that is designed beautifully.

[@jefferysmith3930]

What a car! What a noise! Just a treat to watch.

[@FrankValchiria]

this channel is an absolute gem

[@bobbybobinson164]

I owned one of the last off the production line... a Jan 1991 fully specced LHD Euro version with exact same colour scheme as this one in the vid... dark blue with grey leather... I loved that car... used to say I'd be buried in it... but for various admin reasons I literally had to give it away... I've never found one with same spec since... It even had the rare trip computer... makes me teary-eyed and nostalgic to think about it... If I could find one now I'd snap it up in an instant...!!

[@jasxx1108]

Amazing 😉 fantastic beautiful stunning cars W126 nice 👍 video by Iain

[@paulelverstone8677]

Glorious. I'm not Mercedes' biggest fan but I do love a pillarless coupe...

[@lamarw9901]

Lovely video. My grandmother had a W123 and her brother had a couple of different R107s. MB was so well engineered. I was lucky to drive the W123 but the R107s were gone by the time I was driving age. The W123 was a slow 240D but solid as rock. Every switch and input was well engieered. My Uncle traveled for work and my father was always more than willing to help get the R107 flavor of the year to the next location if the chance or excuse could be thought up. American hot rodders refer to the style of exhaust as Tri Y. Doug Thourley is most known for the design on V8s but Pfadt has made versions for Corvettes. The 97-04 Corvette mufflers are similar to the 560. Corsa is known for being quiet in side the car, if you need to adapt something. Always enjoy seeing the engineering behind great cars, C126 or the F40 :) in the backgound.

[@martinboulden4388]

Great car, awesome video channel, and a fabulous presenter ! Thank you as I really enjoyed this episode.