1973 Mercedes-Benz 450SE
1973 Mercedes-Benz 400-Series 450SE Description:
For sale is my 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450SE. The car is in beautiful shape inside and out and would make an excellent, reliable driver for any Mercedes-Benz enthusiast. It's had extensive servicing recently and needs absolutely nothing to be a comfortable daily driver. I am the second owner and the car has spent its entire life in Omaha, NE. It was originally purchased at Chick's Morton Motors of Omaha in August of 1973. It hasn't seen much (if any) winter driving, and has been garaged religiously.
Engine: The vehicle starts quickly and cleanly every time, no matter the temperature. There is absolutely NO smoke upon start or when running. The oil pressure is excellent and it idles smoothly. There are no leaks of any kind and it doesn't consume any oil. It has excellent power and will pull strongly all the way to redline. It tends to average around 16 mpg, which I think is perfectly acceptable. The engine's timing chain, chain guides, and chain tensioner were replaced around 5,000 miles ago. The plastic ends on the camshaft oiling tubes were also replaced. In the last 500 miles it's had a 10W40 conventional oil change with a MANN filter, a MANN air filter, valve adjustment, 2 valve cover gaskets, new distributor cap and rotor, new ignition coil, and the cold start system was refreshed with a few new hoses, gaskets, and a cleaning of the system.
Transmission: The transmission shifts perfectly through all gears with nice, positive shifts. There is no slipping or chattering of any kind. The transmission fluid and filter were both replaced around 500 miles ago. There are no leaks. All of the shift linkage bushings were also replaced very recently, so the shifter engages smoothly.
Suspension/Steering: In the last 500 miles, both tie rod assemblies (Lemfoerder brand), drag link (Lemfoerder brand), steering damper (Genuine Mercedes), upper control arms (FEBI brand), shock absorbers (Sachs brand) front and rear, sway bar bushings (Meyle brand), and rear sway bar links (Meyle brand) were replaced. The suspension is tight and the car rides and handles extremely well. The steering box does have a little play in it, as is typical for many Mercedes of this period. The power steering fluid is clean and there are no leaks of any kind.
Tires: The vehicle is wearing 4 nice Hankook Optimo tires with excellent tread all around. However, the tires are nearly 10 years old. I purchased a set of 4 brand new General AltiMax RT43 all season tires to replace the Hankooks. I haven't mounted them but I will include them with the sale of the vehicle.
Brakes: The brake pads and rotors, front and rear, all have over 50% life remaining. The brake hoses are all in excellent shape and I haven't had to do anything to the braking system.
Body: The body is in really nice shape. The vehicle has been repainted once in its correct factory color. The paint has a nice, deep shine and it is a good quality paint finish all around. Being such an early W116, this vehicle has the smaller, European style bumpers, which are much more desirable and more attractive. It also has the Euro style one piece headlamps and factory fog lamps. The floor pan is extremely solid and rust free the entire length of the car. The trunk is equally nice and rust free. The only blemishes are (1) a small area of paint bubbling (less than 1 inch long) under the windshield on the passenger side, and (2) 2 shallow door dings that could be PDR'd easily according to my local bodyshop. The chrome is all very nice and presentable. The doors and trunk shut with the typical Mercedes "thunk" you would expect.
Interior: The interior is extremely clean. The front seats have excellent padding and the upholstery looks like new. The carpet is in nice shape and I installed a set of matching Coco mats. The door panels and headliner are all very clean and original. Everything inside works beautifully (aside from the clock on the dash, it is hit and miss). The heat blows HOT and the A/C blows COLD. The A/C system is still running R12 and is perfectly functional. The electric defrost works well. I installed a more modern but classic looking Blaupunkt radio so I could hook up my phone. All 4 power windows work perfectly and have recently been lubricated. The vacuum door locks work very nicely. The wood is very presentable, with a few small cracks in the clearcoat finish, but a nice gloss all around. The rear seat could probably stand to be re-covered, but it's all there. The dashboard is in very nice shape. There is one crack just to the right of the instrument cluster that I believe could be repaired easily by a vinyl specialist.
This is an extremely nice car and I am reluctant to sell it, but I need to make more room in my garage. The title is clean and in hand. I am happy to send any running/driving videos as requested. I will include any spare parts with the sale. I will need a $500 deductible upon winning bid. I can happily arrange shipping if needed. I am quite confident this car would go cross-country without issue, but I always recommend shipping to be safe. Feel free to call me, Devin, at 402-619-8087 with any questions.
Happy bidding.
