I need another diesel...
 

...like I need a hole in my head, but its almost like deals are falling out of the sky in front of me.

Today it was a W126 I came upon sitting on trade row of a high end used car dealer that my parents service their vehicles at. I was immediately stunned by the Petrol Blue color that matched Ol' Turbo and the overall condition. The paint and body are in good condition, though I did find a small bubble or two forming in the fenders. The car is dirty, light interior is in good shape, but grimy. Odometer was showing 280k.

When I inquired about the vehicle, they told me it was a single owner elderly couple that just traded it in for a C240. The rather attractive saleswoman that made the transaction (though she had a manly voice) escorted me back with the keys.

Starting was effortless, but a loud metallic banging overwelhmed the normally pleasant diesel clatter of the 617. I immediately popped the hood to investigate (didn't know there were 2 safety latches on a W126 hood) and discovered the air cleaner was loose and bouncing around. I did not disclose to the saleswoman that it was a minor issue. Checked the blowby and to my disbelief, there was hardly any. :confused:

The test drive was also quite encouraging. Smooth shifts, cold Air-conditioning, no smoke after my initial romping. What I found to be inoperable was the drivers power seat, power antenna, right rear window, and, intermittently, the tachometer.

Upon returning, I checked the glove box for any P.O records; it was filled to the brim! On top was a $4,500 bill in 1997 for a new engine. According to the receipt, the motor seized after catastrophic oil loss and was replaced. That explained the lack of blowby. Other receipts offered encouraging maintenance work over the years.

The other surprise was found in the trunk: An auxiliary fuel tank. I didn't notice 2 separate fuel lines, and couldn't figure out its purpose.

The icing on the cake: I made an offer of $1,000 to which they countered with $2,000. I can probably make off with this car somewhere in the middle.

I'm off to take pictures for everyone, and try and haggle a bit more out. Wish me luck!

Luck!!!

Good luck man! I wanna see pictures!

wow

Good luck!

Now don't you wish you could have gotten it for the pennies they gave the old lady?

I wouldn't go above $1,500, or whatever they are going to get at the auto auction.

Thats how I bought my SDL, but it was at a Ford dealer burried in snow pile in the back...:eek::D

The dealer was closed, and the SD locked up tight. I still snapped a few pictures for everyone's viewing pleasure, but no aux. fuel tank shots.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/DSC00458.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/DSC00460.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/DSC00463.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/DSC00461.jpg

Looks like it's almost the same color as your 300D.

All W126's rust on the fender wings, its not a big deal. Fenders are cheap.

I wish I could get better interior shots. On the dash is a plaque with the original owners names on it; the aux. tank is from a California company.

Oh, and the receipts. I wasn't exaggerating about being filled to the brim.

It is the same color. Found 1 more picture.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/DSC00462.jpg

Looks like a great find Tyler. Good luck.:cool:

You can bring that to the central Texas GTG this July!! :D

Depends on the oil cooler lines.

:laugh3:

I've given myself about a week to cool down and really think about this purchase. They are holding FIRM at $2,000, which is very reasonalbe for a car in this condition and documentation. I could easily flip this car within a month if I don't want it and make a few thousand, so... What would you do?

Snap that up, and ebay it.... Thats one of them like $15k kinda cars!

Ha! I'm thinking more like 4-5k, but thanks for the encouragement.:P

:) No problem. Looks pretty clean. I would pick it up (if I had the money), and flip it in a month or two.

Do it Tyler!!!

Think about how cool your fleet would be with that addition! (Even if only till you flip it)

What a deal! $2k at a dealership blows my mind! Maybe diesel prices have them scared?

Good luck with it - I look forward to many stories about it in the coming months!

I suppose I could run a second set of fuel lines and some heating element from the secondary tank to the motor, poorly patch and paint the fenders, then title the ad:

1983 MERCEDES 300SD: WVO READY!!!GET 40MPG AND RUN 1,000,000 MILES WITHOUT A REBUILD!!!RUST FREE, NEW MOTOR!!! 1 OWNER!!! LOOK!!!

I would also need to take all of my pictures in front of a multi-million dollar house and photoshop some of the scratches away.

Perhaps I could make 13 grand that way. :huepfenic

Didnt you say that its got a new motor? Thats a selling point right there!

Yes BUY it-Craigslist easy at $4K or throw in a greasecar(www.greasecar.com) kit and sell for $7K

If it was near my area I would grab it in a heartbeat-hummmm.. where are you at again?

I think what has them scared is the loud metallic knocking noise I described. They probably don't know its just a loose air cleaner.:D

Was it a crate motor? rebuild? Wow.

Other than the $4,500 total, I don't remember. That was a fair chunk of change 10 years ago.

I just returned from the dealer empty handed, and raging mad.:mad::mad::mad:

I guess when someone walks in saying, "I'll take it" is too easy for them. They see me, a young guy, as a sucker and try to tack on as many things as they can to make a buck.

Did you leave them your number to call? When I've been that close and walk out, I usually get a call in the next day or two. If they are frightened of the noise, they should be anxious to dump it.
Sales tax?
I'd stand firm on 2K out the door.

Yeah I got nailed with a $280 dealer fee on my SDL, they add that to all vehicals, sales tax as well.

I'd say I'm not paying the $150 for the inpsection and oil change because I didn't ask for it, you did it on your own. Thats BS, no dealer inspects an old car like this. They just throw them on there back lot and truck them off to the auction. The $100 added on is just low, I wouldn't pay that either.

I hate to say it, but I think I'm going to pass on this one. Not only did the dealer (where my X5 was bought) sour things, but I noticed a few other annoyances on my second inspection. A recent rainstorm filled the trunk with water and I found another pea sized rust bubble and long scratch on the back passenger fender. All minor things, but I'm kind of turned off.

If anyone is interested, I'll be happy to take more pictures, list in detail the records, and provide any assistance I can. I'm not sure how much longer it will be around, since they told me it will get wholesaled out soon. Likely it was a sales ploy to provide urgency, but who knows?

Perhaps I can do some shopping when I'm in Texas at the end of July. Clearly I have an addiction that needs feeding; an SEC, perhaps?:D

It looks like a decent car but 4500 seems low for a new motor.

It looks like the drivers seat has been redone.

That alone probably cost 2K.

I can't give you advice from this distance but if it starts drives and shifts correctly and the ac works its probably well worth the 2K. '

All that other crap is crap. I'd only pay the sales tax. I'd say "you offered the car at 2K. I want to buy it at that. We have a deal. Quit screwing around." Then wait til they do it.

The dodge dealer tried to pull this crap on me when I bought a new car from them, tacking on stuff and trying to say the mfgr raised the price and such. I just said, no we have a deal, give me my car for the price on the written offer. I was really pissed.

Tom W

nice find, good luck! (ack, just read through the rest of the article). total bs man, i hate dealerships.. the farther you are away from corporate car sellers the better CL ftw!

If you change your mind...
 

Please send me a PM if you change your mind-looks like a MB I coould use for a new driver coming up in the family..

Meth Price
 

it seems that KC has a worse Crystal Meth problem then I heard -the Dealer price was now $3985(not including all the dealer B.S."extras").for the MB

Well I wish them luck-The MB was a great price at $2k, a good price at $2.5-2.8K and over that it is stupid price!