http://www.klode.com/Kws/Napplications/display_pics.aspx?Stockid=885219&Exit=Close

Planning to place a bid, trying to decide what to do if I win it.
Backstory:
Right now we have a recently purchased 1998 E300D with 220k(had 214 K when we bought it a month or so ago). This one is one year newer, much lower miles, and with a tan interior.

The car looks pretty good, minus the hail damage, and it sure is damaged, its just been pock-marked all over, I shudder to think at how much time I will spend on body and repainting it.

I am not sure what will happen if I win the bid. On the one hand my mom(who the 98 was for) likes the silver of the 98, and has expressed a slight distaste for the burgundy of the 99.

If she liked it, the 98 silver 300d would be sold. If not, I would need to sell the 99.

How much do you think the 99 above could sell for looking like hell to a private party, and how much do you think it could sell for after repair and full respray to a private party?

repair costs are basically tied to how good a job you want done. I'd say if you want the car to look like it did when it left the factory that you'd expect to pay a minimum of $5,000, and probably much more to have the damage repaired and to have it repainted which is probably why the insurance company totalled it out. Just a decent repaint will run $2500-$3500 without body work (I don't mean a MAACO or Earl Scheibs paint job, I mean a reasonably good one). I'd say that car in that condition with unknown mechanicals (engine light is on) is probably worth around $3-$4K.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

All bodywork and respray would be done myself, so thats really just the cost of materials, and so so so much labor to do it.

Generally, my question was geared towards if I was not able to keep it what would a good running, 9 year old, 87k mile e300d sell for both a) looking perfect and b) looking like hell.

The BBV is about 13.5k - 14.4k. I just want to know if thats a realistic price for a used e300d.

In perfect condition with all records a one owner car might bring that much but that is optimistic in most markets today. Typically with low miles and no records I'd say maybe $12K tops in perfect shape, maybe less. As-is, like I said maybe $3K-$4K...perhaps $5K on a good day. Most who buy it would want it looking nice. There are probably people who would be happy to drive it around like that and for them it would be a bargain ride.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Absent an obvious mechanical problem, the CEL is probably on because someone at the lot has jumped in and turned the key on cold GP's......Marty's assessment concerning values seems reasonable to me. In as-is condition it might bring more being parted out; low mile engine and trans, ,lights, wheels, steering, airbags, interior, etc.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

3-4k is stupid cheap, it will sell for more than that at auction.

Top end assessment is about what I expected there are many times I think the BBV is somewhat optimistic.

yes, most likely it is just an errant CEL, readily cleared with a code reader. Maybe in its current condition it would bring more parting, but there's no way in hell I would part out a perfectly good car with only 87k on it.

I'd want to see the title up close and personal. In many states, once a salvage yard has owned it, the car has a salvage title. That alone easily halves the value of the car.

Cheers, John

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'98 E300TD (W210) | Sold 6/09 with 205k and counting
'04 VW Touareg V10TDI

As you can see in the listing page, this car has a clean title. There is no "salvage yard" here, only the auctioneer and the insurance company.

These just aren't bringing the kind of money they once did...the W211 is now in the 20's so to get the teens for one of these they have to be very special examples. Don't even think of looking on ebay as there hasn't been one legitamite sale there in recent history that helps establish price. I can tell you I see them often on craigslist for months at a time asking in the low teens so they are not selling.

I know it says the car had hail damage, but frankly some of the damage looks more like someone took a bat to it...there are some very deep dents in body panels and I don't know how you would start to "repair" them. Yeah, fill them will bondo, respray it and sell it to some sucker on ebay, sure. It will look decent until the check clears.

I wouldn't buy that car for $5K sight unseen I can tell you that...its a pig in a poke and no gurantee the engine isn't needing major work either. I suppose if you are local and can see it in person it is one thing but buying that thing from those photos and paying more than $5K for it is, to use your word "stupid".

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

The name of the company listing it is "Klode Salvage Auction"

The time to verify the title is clean is before you buy it not after...you trust that listing at your own peril. It is obvious the car has been totalled by an insurance company so for the title to be clean is a little shady.

So, let me ask you this...if/when you go to sell your '98 and the buyer asks about its history will you disclose the extent of your repairs? Same goes for this car? The problem is if you disclose it you will get nobody interested in buying it and therefore will have to sell at a steep discount and if you don't - well - I guess there's a special place for people like that to spend their eternity - let's just say don't dress too warm.

Having bought more than one car which has had major undisclosed body work I can tell you the cars are never "right", period. Caveat Emptor is the name of the game but I'm just curious if you are upfront and honest about the extent of the handywork you have done to these cars when you do go to sell them or not?

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

I already went down and inspected the vehicle on friday(friday is auction preview day).

Yes the hail damage is severe, but as anyone from texas can attest to hail does a wicked number on cars, several years ago we had a big storm come south through denver with lots of bad hail - anyone living here at the time remembers that. For months afterwards there were generally about 300-400 cars a week with hail damage selling at auction, all with clean titles. There were just some unbelievable deals coming through at the time, prices were artificially deflated during those couple of months because of the abundance of ugly vehicles needing bodywork with clean titles. It was a good time to buy. Likewise we had another storm recently, so there have been a large number of hail units in the sales - particularly this week and last week.

Actually the full name of the company is "Klode Salvage Distribution Center Inc"

Klode is merely the auctioneer, they are not a scrap yard, they are not a repair yard, just an auction service.

The title is clean, it is up to the discretion of the insurance company and the circumstances around it whether or not it receives a salvage title. Cases such as hail damage, vandalism, or moderate collision damage on newer vehicles(such as a full replacement value policy) will receive clean titles - I guess for someone not in the industry is can be somewhat confusing, but not every vehicle thats wrecked and "totaled" sells with a salvage title.

And yes when I sell a vehicle I disclose what repairs I have performed on them, some people hear what work I have performed and freak out. Others listen understand and absorb what information I have to impart to them so they can make a decision. Generally the only difference in buying a vehicle from me or a dealer is that I dealer would have bought the vehicle at auction(usually a wholesale auction) and won't disclose anything about it, there it is on the lot, all cleaned up, here are the keys, sign here please. I on the other hand disclose whats been done and what I know. It may hurt my sale to be honest about it, but thats the way its goes. At the end of the day I am happy that the buyer knew upfront the history of a vehicle and made their decision based on that, not some slicked up key-jockey who is out for a comission and will do or say whatever it takes - "What will it take to get you in this car today?"

(Can you tell I have a low opinion of blood sucking key-jockeys?)

On guess in the defense of the car salesman they don't know anything about the past history of a car, so really, its not a lie of dishonesty, its a lie of ignorance, I'm not sure which is worse.

Question - On a car like this one do you put a new hood and trunk lid on it, and maybe doors on the bad side too and then fix what remains or pound it out/bondo and fix it all?

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

sounds like you made up your mind
why bother ask us
just because we have owned 10 mercedes a piece
been there done that
got stuck and surprised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jimmy tell him will you
JUST BECAUSE LOTS OF CARS HAVE HAIL DAMAGE
DOESNT MEAN THEY ARENT NOW ALL A POS

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commercial fisherman diesel in my blood in my boats trucks and Dear old Dad has had me drivin them since i got my first license in 1968
1986 300 SDL 427654
1999 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 225423
1986 300 SDL 287000 Dad's
1987 190 Turbo 158000 Mom's (my inheritance)

Hood and trunk would be replaced, most likely spray the underside, install, adjust shim etc, then after other body work spray the whole car.

The front fenders are a toss up, possibly leave the passenger side and replace the drivers side.

Doors are not particularly damaged, so probably do a form of PDR then lay down some mud to slick them over nicely - same would apply to the roof.

the pictures dont really do the car justice, its pock-marked to hell, if I buy it I will post pictures, but it most definitely looks worse in person.

If women are OK with a little hail damage then a Mercedes certainly is too!
It always makes me nervous when the Cap'n speaks for me......

{no disrespect to our lady forum members. Just goofing...}

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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