Bummed/Pissed about high expectations

[project84300sd]

I found a posting on CL for a 84 300sd. Looked really good in the post and in the pictures the seller sent me later. He was only asking $600 for it. He even went so far as to tell me that everything in the car was working and the car had been well maintained. So i left work early and drove the 40 miles (one way) to see this car.

What a waste of my time. The car looked worse than some of the junked cars Ive seen at the Pick and Pull. I guess its a testament to these cars and how much abuse they can take but this thing was definitely an eye sore. Rust everywhere, the interior was all torn up, the climate control was busted and he had rigged it with a switch. Everything was either cracked/broken or missing. The engine was barely running and nothing worked in the car except for the fact that it could move on its own power. I guess for $600 the engine/trans was worth it but based on the neglect on the chassis who knows what that 617 was put through.... Oh, Im out some gas money and time but hopefully Ill find my next MB soon. Seems really tough here in Chicago to find a half way decent example or something worth restoring.


and the search continues.....

[Skippy]

Originally Posted by project84300sd

He was only asking $600 for it. He even went so far as to tell me that everything in the car was working and the car had been well maintained.

And you believed him? I always assume that a seller is a liar, an idiot, or both. I'm seldom wrong.

[WhoWhat]

Originally Posted by project84300sd

I found a posting on CL for a 84 300sd. Looked really good in the post and in the pictures the seller sent me later. He was only asking $600 for it. He even went so far as to tell me that everything in the car was working and the car had been well maintained. So i left work early and drove the 40 miles (one way) to see this car.

What a waste of my time. The car looked worse than some of the junked cars Ive seen at the Pick and Pull. I guess its a testament to these cars and how much abuse they can take but this thing was definitely an eye sore. Rust everywhere, the interior was all torn up, the climate control was busted and he had rigged it with a switch. Everything was either cracked/broken or missing. The engine was barely running and nothing worked in the car except for the fact that it could move on its own power. I guess for $600 the engine/trans was worth it but based on the neglect on the chassis who knows what that 617 was put through.... Oh, Im out some gas money and time but hopefully Ill find my next MB soon. Seems really tough here in Chicago to find a half way decent example or something worth restoring.


and the search continues.....

Seriously...I hear you. There is always some kook looking to unload his "perfect" MB that can get 65 mpg and go 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. Only to find out the car is a junker.

I sold a car I wrecked back in the summer, and the guy who bought it said he was stunned that the car was exactly as I described in my CL listing. I was like, "yeah, of course it's the same." He said he had gone to look at tons of cars, but half the time, that car didn't even exist. That's crazy - when did people stop being honest and acting with integrity? Insane...


You should buy that mysteriously clean 240D in the "pristine 240d" thread...it's just around the corner from you, in GR!

[Brian Carlton]

There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.

Hopefully, your experience will teach you something and you'll pay more for a proper example.

If not, and you continue to seek sub $1K vehicles, you get far less than what you pay.

Skippy is correct about trusting sellers over the phone. I have driven untold thousands of miles to look at cars that were said to be nice only to find a pile of junk when I got there. Worse yet, I've had people even tell me things that were DEAD wrong such as finding an automatic transmission upon arrival after being told over the phone that it was a manual.

Beware.

[Johnt49]

Originally Posted by project84300sd

I found a posting on CL for a 84 300sd. Looked really good in the post and in the pictures the seller sent me later. He was only asking $600 for it. So i left work early and drove the 40 miles (one way) to see this car.

What a waste of my time. Oh, Im out some gas money and time but hopefully Ill find my next MB soon.

Comes with the territory. Your first clue should have been the price. The second, he didn't spend a dime on advertising! With higher expectations comes a higher price. Sure there are those exceptions out there, but the odds say your going to find a lot of turds before you find a gem. I just bought a TD with a pristine body for $500.00, but it's got a rod knock. In this price range you have to be willing to make compromises. It all comes down to which do you want to spend, time or money.

[POS]

For $600, I would have expected what you saw. Sellers are generally full of crap, so you have to ask specific questions and listen hard to how he answers. It'll save you time in the long run.

[bgkast]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.

So the saying goes, but I've not had to to any more work on my $4-500 Mercedes, than I have on my $3000+ Mercedes.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by bgkast

So the saying goes, but I've not had to to any more work on my $4-500 Mercedes, than I have on my $3000+ Mercedes.

The determining factor is not how much work you think you need to do.........but, how much work is actually required.

The two are vastly different. Driving a vehicle based upon what you must do to keep it moving forward is minimal...........and that's fine if the reliability and functionality of that vehicle is OK with you.

I can find $3K of work needed on any sub $1K Mercedes.

[Gene Horr]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

I can find $3K of work needed on any sub $1K Mercedes.

Seats and a paint job alone will do it.

[bgkast]

I can find that same $3k of work on nearly every $3K Mercedes too.

Just because you pay more that $1000 does not mean that it doesn’t need any work.

All 7 Mercedes that I have owned, from my $400 300D to my first $3000 240D have needed similar work when I bought them. Fluid flush, tune up, front end rebuild, ac repair (never bothered), cruise control, seat springs, tires, etc...

Of course the cheap cars I buy are not horribly neglected, they just have simple problems that the owners that don’t know diesels think are major problems.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by Gene Horr

Seats and a paint job alone will do it.

I'll even discount those items due to the price. All of them need $3K in mechanical work............and the owners don't want to admit it (or don't realize it).

The SD is a case of a very good vehicle..........a $4K vehicle. I still needed about $3K in various items over three years...........and it's at a standard way above the sub $1K vehicles. I'm fixing to spend another $500. on the front end just to renew some of the old bushings.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by bgkast

Of course the cheap cars I buy are not horribly neglected, they just have simple problems that the owners that don’t know diesels think are major problems.

That's the key statement. If the vehicle is priced sub $1K because of a specific reason that the owner doesn't understand..........and you can fix it for cheap...........now you've got a proper $3K vehicle.

This scenario is perfectly acceptable and realistic. But, it doesn't have any bearing on the typical fully neglected sub $1K M/B. They probably need $5K worth of mechanical work, typically.