Diesel experts oppinion

[Snibble]

What do you all think of this car?
http://www.sanjayhari.com/Stuff/benz/

What stuff should I specifically look out for? I notice the large amounts of rust in the rear left wheel arch

Whats the value(selling price) of a car like this in its present condition?

[t walgamuth]

looks like a little rust on pass side rear door. i would suspect seat issues with the sheepskins. engine looks pretty dry. interior looks pretty good.

tom w

[Hatterasguy]

Asking prices for these things are all over the place. But it looks like an average example I'd expect to pay $1,500ish.

[Snibble]

Alright, thanks for the input. This guy had this car for sale for a while but no takers. He wanted $3000 and now is asking $2500 OBO. He claims to have full records to 1988. Its a 1984 300D with 144k miles. I will wait for a lower price and then go check it out.

[Hatterasguy]

If it has been taken care of and he has the paper trail to prove it and it runs and drives nicely it is probably worth $2k.

Take a look at a few of them and drive them, basicaly get the feel of the market in your area.

[Snibble]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

If it has been taken care of and he has the paper trail to prove it and it runs and drives nicely it is probably worth $2k.

Take a look at a few of them and drive them, basicaly get the feel of the market in your area.

By chance I saw a used car lot that had 4 old mercedes.

* w116 450SEL
* w123 300D
* w123 240D
* w126 (no model badge)... but not a 560, and was a 2nd gen.

All 4 looked like **** and were rusty. Especially the 450SEL. The w126 had a crappy respray. The 240D had cracked paint that was chipping on the hood. The 300D looked sub-par, but better than the rest. The dealership was closed, but I did look at the cars from a visual perspective. There was no price on any except for the 450SEL which was at $2000. I am going to say the w123's were probably $2500-3000. I can't imagine what fool would pay that much for a car like that. For that price you can get a decent Honda from the early 90's that would be in way better shape.

[Snibble]

ok.. so is $2000 a good price? Or can I do better?

[Snibble]

alright.. I guess I have to answer myself

[t walgamuth]

there comes a time when you have to decide. we can only point out limited things from the website. you are the person who will have to decide ultimately if it is a car you want to tackle and what is a fair price.

good luck which ever way you go.

tom w

[Hatterasguy]

You have to decide what the car is worth to you.

BHD bought a mint 300D a few months ago for $2,800. If he stuck that car on ebay I bet it would go for several thousand more then that.

I paid $500 for my 300SD and it runs and drives very nicely. I know the former owner and he cut the price for me. He probably could have sold it for $1500 it is kind of rusty. But the paint still shines up.

I looked at a clean 1985 300D, for $1,500. It had a few issues, like no power. But overall it was a very solid car and would have made a nice ride with about $1k worth of stuff.

I have seen countless beat trashed MB's as well. Heck I looked at a 300SDL that the owner was asking $6,500 for. I have never seen more rust on a car! I mean their was not a panal on this car without a few rust holes in it. I could put my fist through the door! But it had a brand new head, $3k bill.

Prices for old MB's are all over the charts.

I would expect to pay between $1,500-$3k for a nice 300D.