So I have my 300D for sale (http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~fr392301/1.JPG) on all of the craigslists in Florida, and I receive and email today from a guy asking if it was still for sale. (I'm assuming he saw it on craigslist). I told him it was, and he responded to it by asking me if he was "missing something because cars like mine in perfect condition selling for $1200." I'm thinking to myself this guy is crazy... yeah you can find $1200 300D's, but they are either going to be in decent mechanical shape, and look horrible, or look somewhat decent, and run like crap, or you might just happen to find that diamond in the rough - but for $1200, a "perfect" 300D is hard to come by. Now my car has been very well maintained - I am 2nd owner and have all records since new. He says he bought his 85 300D in mint condition for $1400 in Virginia somewhere.... but with the work that I have put into this car, and the $1500 paintjob just a year ago... I feel the car warrants its $3250 obo price. I think if someone offered me $2800, I'd take it, but I think this guy was trying to offer me $1200. Sorry for the "ranting", but I almost took his offer as an insult.

He was a dreamer........and seriously full of it.....a real walking fertilizer factory.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Yeah, that sounds like total crap. I've never seen any 123 or 126's in mint condition going for anything under 5 or 6k.

However, if this guy isn't lying then maybe you could give me his e-mail?

__________________
"I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brillaint blaze
than it should be stifled by dryrot.
I would rather be a superb meteor,
every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time."

-Jack London 1876-1916

1983 300CDT (running WVO since 12/05)
1981 300SD (parts car)

guy's a bottom feeder, ignore him. your car is in really good shape despite the a/c.

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Don't waste your time just tell him to buy one of those perfect examples I got my '85 300d for $1000. I knew when I got it I would be putting alot of time and money into. "diamond in the rough" Isn't a lump of coal a diamond in the rough?

I've yet to determine what it will cost me to get to a dependable/reliable/safe state with my car....My current guess is ~$3,500 including purchase price....So far I think I'm on "schedule" we'll see.....

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Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

Tell him you will pay him a $200 finders fee when he points you to a few of these gems....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Yeah... I should of asked him to send me a picture of his $1400 mint car.

I've basically done the same with my car... bought it in 2001 with 198K for $1750 from a friend of my grandmother's.. he kept all records for the car and took great care of it - my dad and I have probably put somewhere around $1500 in parts into it... just replacing things as they break or get worn out, and some extras like the headlight doors, the H4 lights, new floormats. Then a $1500 paint job, and she is beautiful.... so this one has totaled somewhere around $5000 total for a very dependable and beautiful car. I'm hoping to get at least 1/2 of what I put into it back.

don't worry about it, he's just trying to talk you down, or he's ignorant or whatever. I once sold our diesel Suburban (85) by listing it for $4500. This guy looked at it, then called back and left a 20 minute message on our answering machine with a $3000 offer/general hard luck story. I ignored it, but he called back, pestered me for 1/2 hour, finally offered $3200. I said I'd call if I changed my mind. This went on for 2 weeks, me hoping he'd just shut up and go away. Finally sold it to him for $4350 without the snow tires! The guy who bought the studded snow tires for $120 was happy.

You just never, never know.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Man, that's a nice looking car! Same color as mine, that paint job is sweet!

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1989 300E 144K

Guy's crazy. That's a nice car..definately worth more than $1200.

__________________
Tom in AZ

1985 300SD, smoke silver, blue interior, 146K
1973 280, 85K (sold)

[QUOTE=ltrain300D]So I have my 300D for sale (http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~fr392301/1.JPG) on all of the craigslists in Florida, and I receive and email today from a guy asking if it was still for sale. (I'm assuming he saw it on craigslist). I told him it was, and he responded to it by asking me if he was "missing something because cars like mine in perfect condition selling for $1200." I'm thinking to myself this guy is crazy... yeah you can find $1200 300D's, but they are either going to be in decent mechanical shape, and look horrible, or look somewhat decent, and run like crap, or you might just happen to find that diamond in the rough - but for $1200, a "perfect" 300D is hard to come by. Now my car has been very well maintained - I am 2nd owner and have all records since new. He says he bought his 85 300D in mint condition for $1400 in Virginia somewhere.... but with the work that I have put into this car, and the $1500 paintjob just a year ago... I feel the car warrants its $3250 obo price. I think if someone offered me $2800, I'd take it, but I think this guy was trying to offer me $1200. Sorry for the "ranting", but I almost took his offer as an insult.



He Must Be On Drugs...................Beautiful MBZ you got there.....would you take $1300.00 just kidding

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1984 300D Turbo 290,000 Miles
1999 Volvo V70 GLT

Hey,
I disagree with you all. The Kelly Blue Book value of this car is $1,050.
The Edmunds value is $1,150.

Agreed you may have put a lot of work into it that can possibly raise the value of the vehicle to maybe $2,000. A paint job isn't going to raise the value of the car. It may keep it from devaluing though.

We don't maintain these vehicles to make a profit on them, it's a labor of love. This may make them valuable to you and me but in reality they just aren't worth that much.

I bought my car in excellent condition for $1,000.

Danny

__________________
1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

The value of these cars are all over the place. You can't "just use" KBB or Edmunds because they are averaging all the clunkers together with yours. Try to get a current valuation from your insurance company (due to accident), it took State Farm a week to do mine and they normally do one in 48 hours.

You can find these cars in decent condition for $1,500 or less if the owner doesn't know what he has AND wants to unload it. You can also find a clunker for $1,500. Or you can buy a really clean and well maintained one from one of the kind folks here for $5,000. Either may be a reasonable buy depending on condition.

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84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)

I don't believe that.
A 20+ year old car is a 20+ year old car. If they are well maintained then they are worth blue book value, period. If they are not well maintained then they are worth scrap price, $200 or so.
you don't get a pat on the back for maintaining your car. Your supposed to be doing that anyway!

Also if you say Blue book or Edmunds isn't a valid way to value a Mercedes then your putting Mercedes into a class all by itself. that may be OK in a biased forum like this but in the outside world you have to face reality.
Don't get me wrong here. if you can get $5,000 for a car worth $2000 then more power to you.
Now this is just my opinion but I think anyone would have to have their head examined to buy a 1983 300D for over $3,000. New paint or not. In reality they are just not worth that much.

Danny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

(\__/)
(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

If somebody pays it, then it was worth that much. You aren't always trying to sell to the masses, you're just looking for that one person that believes the car is worth it for him at that price.
To suggest these cars are only worth blue book is a mis-guided opinion. These are not used Chevy Cavaliers, these are nitche cars which have a value to folks more than blue book.
You think a VW van is worth over $5000, but I see them sell.
Please don't take this opinion personally, you were just wrong, that's all...

**edit**
I am in no way commenting of insurance values, which is a completely different discussion, and would certainly be less.

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John