I think I am going to have the opportunity to pick up an immaculate, well-maintained 1991 300D for $4500. If I buy it, I might keep it. Or I might flip it. How much could I expect to get for it?

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14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Anywhere from $2K to $4K........sight unseen.

Private Party Value:

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

Blue book does not mean anything to a diesel cars. I have seen 2.5 turbos 1990-1993 go from 5000 to 7000 with even higher mileage on ebay. Funny how some people throw a 2000 dollars figure at someone else but if it was their own car they would ask like 6000. Tell me how many clean W124 with 78xxx miles go for 2000 because I will buy them ALL.

A local dealer has one in stock. http://www.lustimotors.com/ They're asking $13,000.

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1982 240 D, 308,000 - 321,127 miles (sold)
1982 300 TD,166,500 - 226,000 miles
1998 E 320, 120,000 - 144,000 miles
2005 C 230 K, 26,000 - 77,000 miles (sold)

Geez,
For that kind of money, you can basically buy a $1000 example and rebuild the whole car!

Or, buy 3 decent conditioned ones

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Dan
2005 E320 CDI - 246k
1987 300SDL TD05-16g, Herlevi pump, Elbe manifold, 2.47 LSD - 213k
Past: 1987 300D - 264k

That is too much but every diesel that is mint is worth at least double the book value PERIOD.

Anecdote:

I looked at a '93 300D a year or two ago. Decent, but certainly not pristine cosmetically, and indifferently maintained. I got the impression that the owners didn't have any DIY skill or inclination, but tried to get by on the cheap for maintenance and repair. I think these were original owners who, if they had ever loved the car, had fallen out of love with it. If I recall correctly, it had something like 110-130k miles on the odo, and had recently been replaced by a Camry.

He was asking $7500. I told him that was substantially more than I would be willing to pay, but we exchanged phone numbers before parting amicably. A week or so later I called back to find out if it was still for sale, and if it was, to see if he'd be more receptive to a lower offer. He had recently sold it, according to him, for $7k. I didn't get the impression that he was lying to me. I think he may have just found the right (for him) buyer.

If an immaculate, well-maintained example with 78k miles turned up in my area for $4500, I'd be all over it as a candidate for my daily driver for the indefinite future.

I'd say that $4500 is a good price if you're planning to keep it.

If you're hoping to flip it, the unknowns in the market and the money it will inevidably take to make it right, will probably absorb any profit or make it difficult to make a profit.

Invest elsewhere or keep the car.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Ditto. The days of (every other) $10K plus cars nearly 20 years old on 'flea'bay are over for now, especially with gasoline back down from the stratosphere.

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!