Interesting experience with a 300D seller - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DieselAddict · #1 08-03-2007, 01:29 PM

So I've been browsing Craigslist for some time now and finally came across an ironhead Mercedes diesel, about 35 miles away: http://reno.craigslist.org/car/386194290.html

I called the owner (a younger woman) and asked her about the car. She assured me it's in great shape. I asked her among other things about the driver's seat whether it's leaning to one side and she said no, it's straight. After a while she also confessed that there's "a crack in the dash" and that the AC has been disconnected because of the new radio.

Her main concern was that the car hasn't been washed recently and if that's ok with me. She said it looks really great when it's clean. I told her not to worry about that.

I get there and immediately notice the faded paint, mismatched color tones from panel to panel, and misaligned hood. Upon further inspection, I see the dashboard is completely cracked up (the cracks probably share about the same surface area on the dash as the non-cracked area), the windshield has a massive crack, the driver's seat has completely busted springs on the left side and has an extreme lean, and the interior has some rips and is pretty filthy and repulsive overall. Popping the hood reveals an engine that probably has about 1/8 inch layer of dust everywhere as if it's never been serviced. The owner was very proud of the new battery though. I said "yeah, it doesn't have as much dust as the rest of the engine". Curiously the engine was already warmed up when I got there. I start it anyway and notice it's running on 4 and a half cylinders, smokes pretty bad and has an absolutely massive oil leak (nearly a constant drip) and decent blowby. I decided to take the car for a brief spin anyway since I already made the trip. Her father went with me even though I was leaving my nearly-new Jetta right in front of their house, I guess to make sure I don't steal their pristine car.

The tach was dead, the transmission shifted pretty hard and the alignment was so bad I was having troubling keeping the car on the road, especially with the cracked and filthy windshield. I turned the car around after a couple of minutes and told them it's a bit more worn out than I expected and that I will have to pass, but thanked them for their time.

They were nice, friendly people and the father even had a VW TDI similar to mine, but what's with the advertised "great condition"? What the hell are some people thinking (or smoking)? The only good thing I got out of the trip was that I got to listen to an OM617 after nearly two years. Even though there was a knock, the base sound was sweet and it reminded me how great the OM617 sounds when it's running properly. It sounds very different from any other diesel, even its sibling OM616 which I sold recently. There's a good chance I will buy another OM617 car, but it looks like I will have to wait very patiently. I'm certainly not buying any unseen car from Craigslist.

truckinik · #2 08-03-2007, 01:42 PM

Sounds like a junker to me...!! Make a possible parts car for someone I guess. Glad you passed that one up.

Brewer · #3 08-03-2007, 04:52 PM

"Great condition, but needs some work"

Yeah, that statement pretty much means nothing. My car is perfect, #1, A+, too, except for all the things that are broken.

dunl · #4 08-03-2007, 06:23 PM

Great condition for an 82 that has been used, abused, and abandoned.

truckinik · #5 08-03-2007, 06:53 PM

Yeah, i really got screwed on a few vehicles over the years. Most recently was my 1982 280CE, Euro. I only paid $1400.00 for the thing, but it's in sorry shape, and good only for parts. Good thing is, that it's a real Euro, and untouched. I looked at a 300CD the other day, with a mint, rust free, dent free body, and 59k miles. The owner bought the car a few weeks ago, and the moron went and put gassoline in the thing in the first refill since buying it. I might take apart the 280 CE, and move the whole driveline, and all Euro components over to the 300CD.

DieselAddict · #6 08-03-2007, 06:59 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the owner was also concerned about the black oil. She said she was going to have the engine flushed, but hasn't had the time. But she didn't mention the massive oil leak.

truckinik, if I understood you correctly, that 300CD you're talking about is for sale because the owner put gasoline in it?

arcticathlon · #7 08-03-2007, 07:55 PM

since my 300D was wrecked, i have an extra 617 engine with tranny that need to find a donor body. if possible, as i dont want to take away from your great find, but i am really interested in that 300CD body, can you send me the info from the guy. maybe some more info of the car?

thanks

dwoloz · #8 08-03-2007, 08:05 PM

I deal in used bicycles and always run into the same song and dance. People love to talk up their sh;t but you need to have good detailed pictures to make any assessment. Incidentally they usually do not have pictures, how convenient

I bought a pretty junky 240D but at least the seller was honest and told about its issues and sold it for a price befitting it's value.

DieselAddict · #9 08-03-2007, 08:25 PM

If the seller is honest then that's wonderful, regardless of the condition of the car. In this case I don't know which was more prevelant in the seller: ignorance or deceit. Probably a bit of both. Pictures certainly help, but they only tell half the story. I'd say the car in question is probably worth $500 max. Certainly not $2500.

DieselAddict · #10 08-03-2007, 08:27 PM

Oh my goodness, the ad just got updated. There's now a couple pictures and a slightly more accurate description. The price is still way too high though.

truckinik · #11 08-03-2007, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselAddict

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the owner was also concerned about the black oil. She said she was going to have the engine flushed, but hasn't had the time. But she didn't mention the massive oil leak.

truckinik, if I understood you correctly, that 300CD you're talking about is for sale because the owner put gasoline in it?

Yep!! She put Gas in the Diesel car, and wreaked havoc on the engine..to put it mildly. The sections where the glow plugs screw into the head, are gone completely, looks like a bite was taken right out of a few of those areas, and you can look in and see the push rods, which means the pistons must have either grenaded, or vaporized, or some how fit through those holes and hit the bottom of the hood..LOL.

I just went over to her house, and sealed the deal though. She's mine now. I will be picking her up within the next few days. What a cream puff, as long as you ignore the small dimple one of the components put in the hood from the bottom, and don't open the hood. The car is a very light Beige color, or more like Almond colored, with a mint black leather interior.

I will be doing a complete change over of all the gas/Euro compnoents over a weekend, very soon. Guess I don't need to worry about the fuel tank....LOL

truckinik · #12 08-03-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwoloz

I deal in used bicycles and always run into the same song and dance. People love to talk up their sh;t but you need to have good detailed pictures to make any assessment. Incidentally they usually do not have pictures, how convenient

I bought a pretty junky 240D but at least the seller was honest and told about its issues and sold it for a price befitting it's value.

You did better than me. When I bought my 280CE Euro car from a guy in Missouri a while back I was told repeatedly that the car was in good over-all condition with a few minor spots to touch up. I was not told that the car was a complete rot box, through and through. I wasn't able to pick up the car immediately, and it actually took me about 40 days to get the time to pick it up from the guy's house. He tried to tell me that the many years worth of rust and rot on the car, all happened sitting there in the last month and ten days, and that "You should have picked it up before it rotted out" WTF!!!
Since so much time had gone by already and things were so complicated I just took it and left. Now it is a really good parts car being a 280CE, Euro, and untouched, complete with fire extinguisher, triangle, all of it. Only paid $1400.00 for it, but by the time I got done with my vehicle retrieval costs, it rounds out closer to $2000.oo for a Euro, running driving, parts car.

By the way, will anyone be interested in a complete, blue, Euro interior for a 123 coupe. The dash is cracked (Naturally) and the carpet is trash, but that's pretty expected also. A few small knick knacks are not quite in their prime anymore, but the seats, door panels, and all of the other panels are in nice shape, and will soon be posted and available..I haven't put a price on anything yet, but will be open to offers after I post some pics. Please do not post offers, until you've seen pics, so as you can actually see what your getting. I'm not like the guy who sold it to me.

crashone · #13 08-04-2007, 01:44 PM

I know where there is a 300d turbo '82 I think that has been sitting for 4 or 5 years now, I called the guy and asked when it was last driven or cranked, he says 2 weeks. I know it hasn't done either. He still wants $2500 for it.