I just don't quite know what to say in response to Tony. For some time, I have been grappling with the idea of posting "do's and don't's" about purchasing 116s, and 6.9s in particular, but I have thus far been sidetracked by other issues, including of course, the servicing etc. of Gleaming Beauty and 'et al', whatever that infers.
We have seen countless neglected samples do their rounds on ebay, Car Sales etc., and one always has to ask themselves the simple questions - why ? Why have they been so neglected ? Is it the wrong type of owners that have been in possession of the cars ? Unfortunately, that in many cases seems to be the root of the problem. I stress that this is not a crusade against owners of certain origins, but some communities love powerful cars, they love wringing the last bit of usage out of them, they always have mates, or brothers, or mechanics, that "know" how to fix those cars, and fix them cheaply, they have trimmers that can fix upholstery, but in the end it all becomes too much. They let one thing go after another, and instead of having to fix one or two problems, they finish up with a myriad of them, and that's how we see some of those neglected cars hit the market.
When Tony speaks of 6.9s, and the many little things that can go wrong, he shouldn't forget that most problems are common to all models in the 116 range. If you take 450s, the interiors are almost identical with wear items on leather upholstery, although MB-Tex, as used on the lesser models, is far better lasting and can look almost as new even after thirty or thirty five years. Of course, if leather upholstery and its condition is of concern, you just don't buy a 6.9. However, leather if looked after, can be such a nice and desirable feature in any of our cars. Take my car, Gleaming Beauty, for instance. The upholstery is in quite exemplary condition, and why ? Because I have spent money on the backseat and squab to have new callico sewn in, all pleats resewed, and plenty of conditioner put on at regular intervals. So, it is a matter of maintenance, looking after things, renewing them, etc. etc. All those sentiments, of course, apply to 450s, 280s, 350s etc. etc.
Sure, 6.9s are more complex and more difficult to maintain than the other models in suspension matters. I guess we can point the blame on the manufacturer by selling suspension components at sky high prices, or they may no longer be available, but we need to bear in mind that 450s have part hydraulic suspension, we also need to allow for the fact that cars fitted with steel springs are far more difficult to work with, so all in all I don't think there is that much difference. Give a little, take a little.....if you know what I mean. I also contend that the under bonnet section of a 450 is not nearly as user friendly as a 6.9 - witness location of the water puimp, spark plug removal and some other items. I'll have a bit more to say about this subject in another post or thread. Regards Styria
