Help a damsel distressed with '99 300TD - Page 6 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skid Row Joe · #76 01-21-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMAllison

I would not pay more than $8-10K for an exceptional example with extremely low miles when you can get an 06 CDI in the high teens now. The gassers are even cheaper.

Yup. When do ya think we ought to be trading out our daily-drivers, Terry? I would personally like an '06 CDI creampuff w/less than 30K miles on it, for $20K.

My '99 E300 has 117K on it, very good condition or a tad better. Being it's 10 years old, I may treat myself to a replacement. I hate to change-out when it's been such a good car for me, and should be for another 5 years minimum. I don't collect these things, I use 'em for their outstanding utility value, then move up.

TMAllison · #77 01-21-2009, 03:28 PM

I'm waiting for the same thing; 06, 30K and under $20k. One sold recently on eBay for $19,900 and there was an 08 Bluetec the other day for $30k.

Will be sad to see what mine brings with its high miles.....

nhdoc · #78 01-21-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husk

Put it on AutoTrader you should get some hits, not interested in a Green car. I prefer the "normal" colors black, silver, dark blue, white etc...But I must have a black interior...... I picked up this W124 n/a Diesel and I like it even more than the w210, reminds me of my w123....Plus I prefer the 99's.. Let me know if you find one in your claimed 6-8k range THANKS!

I'm not your personal shopper but I will tell you this...if you find a car you like today regardless of the asking price just make an offer on it. People are pretty desperate out there and things are selling for a lot less than they are asking. Don't be fooled by the asking prices and don't gauge the worth of your car by what others are asking. Even Mercedes is knocking $15K off the price of brand new '08 E 320 Bluetecs - the E class was always their bread and butter car and if they have to discount them by over 25% to sell them it tells you a lot.

husk · #79 01-21-2009, 05:10 PM

If someone is desperate to sell their car, what does that tell you about deferred maintenance?

TimFreeh · #80 01-21-2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husk

If someone is desperate to sell their car, what does that tell you about deferred maintenance?

Nothing.

In todays market people are selling their cars to make mortgage payments.

TimFreeh · #81 01-21-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhdoc

Even Mercedes is knocking $15K off the price of brand new '08 E 320 Bluetecs - the E class was always their bread and butter car and if they have to discount them by over 25% to sell them it tells you a lot.

See above comment.

Skid Row Joe · #82 01-21-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMAllison

I'm waiting for the same thing; 06, 30K and under $20k. One sold recently on eBay for $19,900 and there was an 08 Bluetec the other day for $30k.

Will be sad to see what mine brings with its high miles.....

Upgrading your dollars, is all it is Terry. With the miles you've got on yours, you deserve an upgrade. Are you saying that you would prefer the I6 to the V-6? I could target either the CDI or Bluetec......help me out here.

husk · #83 01-21-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimFreeh

Nothing.

In todays market people are selling their cars to make mortgage payments.

So if they can't pay their mortgage payment right now and are trying to sell the car, that means that they have the funds available to fix their car and keep up with car maintenance?

nhdoc · #84 01-21-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husk

So if they can't pay their mortgage payment right now and are trying to sell the car, that means that they have the funds available to fix their car and keep up with car maintenance?

And you think by paying more for a car from someone willing to hold out for top dollar you are guaranteed it will not have any issues? Come on, the fact is every used car has issues and every 10 year old car has issues. You can judge when you see it if someone takes care of a car or not. The fact is people today are willing to accept less than they were a few months ago for a variety of reasons. My reason is because I can now buy a newer one for a lot less, so if I lose $3-4K on mine but pay $15K less than the replacement would have cost I am still ahead of the game.

TMAllison · #85 01-21-2009, 06:24 PM

SRJ - My preferance is a CDI for now. They've had a good track record having been around since 98 IIRC.

V6's are unproven and have design issues where too much is made in matched sets. For example, ruin one cyl head, buy two. That said, the $30K one that Marty found would be tempting.

TimFreeh · #86 01-21-2009, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husk

So if they can't pay their mortgage payment right now and are trying to sell the car, that means that they have the funds available to fix their car and keep up with car maintenance?

No, I'd guess it means they are trying to find funds to pay the mortgage.

I've got a 98 E300D with 159K on the clock (smoke silver) and full maintenance records from day my father bought the car new in February 1998 to the the present date - I'll take 8k for it from you or anybody else on the board.

And no, I don't need the money for my mortgage. The used car market is very, very soft these days.

husk · #87 01-21-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhdoc

And you think by paying more for a car from someone willing to hold out for top dollar you are guaranteed it will not have any issues? Come on, the fact is every used car has issues and every 10 year old car has issues. You can judge when you see it if someone takes care of a car or not. The fact is people today are willing to accept less than they were a few months ago for a variety of reasons. My reason is because I can now buy a newer one for a lot less, so if I lose $3-4K on mine but pay $15K less than the replacement would have cost I am still ahead of the game.

NO I do not think that a car one pays more for will not have issues...My Point is a distress sale could be more trouble than its worth. The probability for a car to have deferred maintenance from an owner that cannot afford to take care of the vehicle is higher. If someone cannot pay their mortgage chances are they are not fixing things on their car.

Many people couldn't care about the latest and greatest. I have been there and done that, I owned an 05 CDI it was the biggest POS ever. The dealership/MBUSA ended up lemoning it after it was in the shop for 3 straight months.

A rust bucket from the northeast is worth less than a car from the southwest. I wouldn't touch a car that has spent any time up there, far greater risk of rust.

nhdoc · #88 01-21-2009, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husk

A rust bucket from the northeast is worth less than a car from the southwest. I wouldn't touch a car that has spent any time up there, far greater risk of rust.

I'll assume this wasn't an attempt to describe one of mine

The biggest joke in the used car business is the so-called "California Car". I can tell you from my own personal experience that a 300CD I owned which was a Massachusetts car its whole life was sold by me to a curbstone dealer in southern Cal, then listed on ebay as a california car. Needless to say it sold for $8,000 more with those cali plates on it than he paid me for it. I'm sure that made the buyer feel better thinking he was buying a rust-free cali car instead of a rust free northeast car. Lesson is this; not every northeast car is a rustbucket and not every western car is what it appears to be.

Oh boy, we are really off-topic here. I, for one, want to put an end to this straying right now.

pindoc1 · #89 01-22-2009, 12:14 AM

OK, well you guys have scared the living sh...right outta me! I would be embarrassed to say what I paid for this flashy car off the MB lot, full asking price, especially since I'm dumping $$$ into it at every turn.

I got the brake switch changed out today and it ended up ONLY costing me $65. so I feel like I had a good day. I'm going to leave the glow plug for a week or so and see if I can blow some more carbon out of it on my next couple trips to the barn to see my other expensive vehicles (the 4 legged ones that eat expensive hay). I really don't mind a little bucking at the start-up anyways. LOL

husk · #90 01-22-2009, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pindoc1

OK, well you guys have scared the living sh...right outta me! I would be embarrassed to say what I paid for this flashy car off the MB lot, full asking price, especially since I'm dumping $$$ into it at every turn.

I got the brake switch changed out today and it ended up ONLY costing me $65. so I feel like I had a good day. I'm going to leave the glow plug for a week or so and see if I can blow some more carbon out of it on my next couple trips to the barn to see my other expensive vehicles (the 4 legged ones that eat expensive hay). I really don't mind a little bucking at the start-up anyways. LOL

After reading this thread I went to startup my 99 E300 and guess what the glowplug light came on...I checked continuity and its GP #6.....

If you are handy with a Multimeter you can take the middle connector off the glowplug relay and check continuity on the Glowplugs to see how many ones are bad. Simple process.