has anybody picked up the torch previously held by Hatch & Sons when it came to pre-owned benz's? the folks at FMW don't carry anything that isn't fairly current. i remember Hatch having a broad selection of nice benzes. i'm considering picking up a W126 S class but don't really see any dealers to work with 'round here. any pointers appreciated. tia, doody.
MB 2000 and up = crap. My brothers brand new E55 has been at the dealer 6 times for the same problem in about 3 months. It's getting lemoned.
<sights> I remenber the time when benz were the best cars ever built.... 2000+, i think you mean 93 and up after 1993 they built them with biodegradable cables, so after a while the electronics are complete utter ****.... quality has gone down a lot w126 is a fine example of what a mercedes benz should be i know of a place that has two of them (although pricey), unfortunately we are not in the same time zones, good luck finding one, that is a car to keep cheers
yeah - that's a great car. i don't want something that touchy/tuned though. they're pretty expensive still too. want a big-ass-tank for the boss and kids, so the s class is preferred. doody.
Bob is back in business. He opened up a shop in Hudson Ma. He is back in the building he started-out in before moving to Wayland. He has some inventory. Check out his website. http://www.hatchandsons.com/pages/sales/mercedes_benz
Not to hijack the thread but....what happened to Hatch that he left Wayland? Doody, no idea on who's specializing in Mercers...but let me know exactly what your looking for and I'll turn some stones over.
afaik, he retired. he sold the building to Foreign Motors West this past summer (?) and i heard bob moved to FL, but i don't know for sure. grazie. i'm looking around (casually, so don't go out of yourway) for an SEC - late production. haven't really decided. the rear legroom in the SECs seems less than the saloons, so i might end up with the four-door in the end. doody.
thanks for the pointers! and they have one for dan : http://www.copleymotorcars.com/mercedes_benz5_55.5vo868.html doody.
Doody, I recently bought and sold a 2003 E-500 Sport. I was so excided to get it, then so disapointed once I had it. The motor was great, lots of go power it was the rest of the car that disapointed me. Everything broke....... Anyways, after three months I sold it, breaking even, and decided to drive my always reliable Fiat Spider for the remainder of the summer. Now I bought a A-4 Quartro for the winter which is treating me well. The older MB's are great the newer ones are not. Good luck finding a nice older example. - Ron ps. I have a nice set of MB wheels off a 300 in my basment if you need them.
Copley has a mint 20k mile 840ci Beemer.... I visited with the Hatch and sons body shop in April after the handover. I had the impression that the restoration biz would stay there, but that Bentley would be the focus of the service. I did not get the impression that Benzes were no longer welcome.
The SECs are extremely well built cars. If you can locate a lower mile, unmolested example, I think you will be just fine. The build quality as well as the finishes are truly top notch! Any other W126 SEL or SEC owners out there?
no real problems with benzy's owned from 00-06. but the 5 series i got is disappointing. electrical problems from hell.
Sheesh Doody, you're killing me here! Ya sell all your cool Fcars and now you post looking for an MB? Isn't there an oldfartchat.com someplace for that? Birdman
I think you will be very well off in a W126. Were you thinking along the lines of a 560SEC, or something like the euro 500SEC? Also, are you looking to buy a 560SEL or a 420, or a euro 500? The W126, and the W124 are the pinnacle of engineering for Mercedes. There are always alot of nice ones over here in California with no rust. I am actually going to go out car shopping today, as I just totalled my 400E. I will be on the lookout for a nice 560 today. Also, about the W126, I didn't have a 560SEC, but I did have a 420SEL, and a 560SEL. Those were definitely quality automobiles. After about 200k miles that both had accumulated, we decided it was time for change. We sold them for just about what we bought them for, and were quite sad when they went. And for those of you who dont know what a W126 is, here is a pic. Coupe: Sedan: http://www.jaycronen.com/vehicles/mercedes/1991-mercedes-benz-560sel.jpg
happy car hunting, justin! i love the SEC. but according to Edmunds, the rear legroom is actually less than the rear legroom on the A4 it'd be replacing, which isn't optimal as the kids get bigger --- and never mind their legs fitting - i just don't want them to be able to kick the back of my chair! so i'm leaning towards the the saloon. i'm actually thinking now about a 350 SDL and doing a biodiesel conversion on it. i've got a buddy with an s-class (mid-80s?) coupe turbodiesel that he runs biodiesel and he loves it. when people ask him what kind of mileage he gets he can say "i don't care" and really mean it! and that's about enough outta you, birdyboy - don't you have a garage to paint? doody.
Doody, hatch is now down on the south shore, i think no? i mean they arent gona i dont think; u may want to go down there if that info is right...
well whaddayaknow! bob apparently didn't retire - he just moved and downsized: http://www.hatchandsons.com/ doody!
Didn't I say that 3 days ago. He is not on the South Shore.. He is in Hudson Ma. He is doing some pretty cool stuff to old SLs too.
Also, you might want to consider the 92-94 S-Class. They are nicely finished cars, and if you pick a nice one from an owner who cared, all of the problems should be sorted out.... Those cars truly are the pinnacle of automobiles. The long wheelbase models (the 500SEL and 600SEL) are especially nice, because the rear seat has the same amount of room as the front. They also have the bank vault feel internally, with all of the windows and doors closed. They are made from some of the finest materials around. My favorite part od the W140 was the dual pane windows, that block out about 99.99% of the noise, leaving you with one of the most pleasant rides availible. Now, in my quests today, I saw a low mileage 560SEL. It is silver with a parchment interior, that was in fairly nice condition. I sat in the back, and was fairly amused by the reclining rear seats, and the heated rear seats. That is something you don't find very often, in any car. (Actually I did see a 1993 500SEL today with that feature too.)
LOL As to hatch; I was just about to ask if you guys were having a collective stroke! Doody why don't you just get one of those recombinant peddle deals. You got your balance with 2 wheels by now.
And also, I think a tank like this would be the ultimate car. I know it is not a W126, but it is befor the cutoff date for when they switched from quality to cost cutting. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-400SEL-93-Black-Black-MINT-RARE_W0QQitemZ4599849357QQcategoryZ6336QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Actually, 1995 would be the last good year for good quality finishing. I honestly would go with a goliath such as the one in the link, as they are probibally some of the most beautiful cars Mercedes has ever produced. But that is up to you. I say go with what the heart (and wallet) tells you to.
