Best wishes from the other side of the planet !!
I am sure you have every one on this forum right behind you with your battle. There are probably many more factors that you are considering concerning what you do with your car. We all hope that you make the decision that is best for you.
We all look forward to hearing from you post opp !!

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I would take no less than 11k for it, if even that.

I agree. In addition, I would look into getting classic car insurance for it. At least see what the prices are. Would put it away until you're feeling better.

Get well

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1982 240D 4spd, 327,000mi

I know so many folks right now with cancer. I hope your surgery and recovery goes just as good as it possibly can. I'm sorry that you have to worry about peripheral issues at the same time.
I hope you decide to keep the car for now. If you need to sell it for reasons we are not privy to then I might consider ebay. You might could get some of the astronomical prices mentioned above, but that is iffy, and certainly would take some time to find the "right" buyer that would actually come through with the $$$$.
The most $$$ for the car usually comes at the expense of a speedy, or even timely purchase.
As so many others are, I will be holding the good thought for you Anthony!

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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

To all the well wishers Thank you for your hopes and prayers. I am simply amazed at the response that this group has shown. I am confident that I will think of all of the good things said here in the near future. You have shown that a Mercedes owner is really a person with a heart.

Now for the car the prices that you guy are quoting I am not too sure are really obtainable. I was hoping that I would be able to get about 5000 for it thinking that it was on the high side for this year and model. By the way it has an automatic transmission.

I really would like to keep it. But, I do not want to burden my wife if I am unable to sell it in the future. I am thinking of my wife selling it to a junkyard or something like that if the worse happens. This monster that I now have will hopefully be removed with my entire stomach so I must think of the worse case.

One again Thank You all for your response to my request.

Anthiony

There is a forum member here who specializes in selling really low mileage diesels, among other cars. He's offered quite a few low mileage ones for sale over the years. I can't remember his name though. He may be based out of Tennessee (Henry?? maybe??). Hopefully someone will read this and know who I'm talking about. Maybe you could send him a PM and work out a consignment deal. I'm sure he could get top dollar for it.

Good luck,

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

I'M interested in buying your car.

Well I understand your concerns. I thought my past cancer was probably terminal about ten years ago. You have to be there to really, really understand..

Fortunatly I am still here and pretty well. I just consider it free time I should not have had and appreciate it. There were so many things to settle up before the operation and knowing the eventual outcome. I really could not get it all done.

If your intent is to dispose of the car now You are not in the best mental state to do it in. Do you have a close relative or friend that could do this chore for you? You could have them contact me for what to include in the listing if they were unsure. Basically it is lots of good pictures and good descriptions. Plus a reserve you consider fair to you.

I suggest ebay with a fair reserve for top dollar although the need there for top dollar depends on other financial factors present in your family currently.

I always try to stay upbeat and can only state that modern medicine has consistantly gotten better over the years. Your fate may yet hinge on things like the type of cells etc. I am 99.5 percent certain I would not have survived if I had the identical situation twenty five years earlier.

All I can wish you as a stranger is the best of circumstance. This cursed disease attacks one in four of us I understand. I could not easily make an offer for that car myself. I have far too much comprehension of where you are at right now for starters.

Women state all us men are basically all the same. We also believe to a certain extent the reciprical is true. If this is a given then I found the wifes coping mechanisim to be much better than mine.

Females seem to be more based in reality with serious issues in my opinion. Or fatalistic if you wish. So my wife adopted some kind of stolic approach to the apparent possible outcome. In otherwords what will transpire will transpire. There is really nothing that can change it.

Perhaps even if women are long given the more powerful emotional displays. At a certian point there is a very logical mechanisim that activates in my experience. I have always thought nature gave them a set of switches in their minds we do not have. God help you if you were to accidentally trigger them in other circumstances.

Now the way I might deal with this car issue. Get the car appraised. Take the appraisal to the bank and get a life insured loan on it. Then if you do okay pay the loan off. You will keep the money to do this.

If it goes the other way instruct your wife to get a good friend or relative to ebay the car with a reserve you give instructions about now. One way or another the wife will get a fair return. Depending on financial need perhaps more than otherwise possible.

The way life seems to go you will have to satisfy the loan yourself. If not the concern is covered. I will end by wishing you the best possible outcome. It is strange I can develop the same feelings of empathy with a total stranger I would with a good friend or relative. Maybe there is yet hope for this world.

Hey brother... Unless you are in a financial crisis... "To hell with the car"! I have a mother that was threatened by cancer once. Then it damn near killed her the second time. Now I have a neighbor going through a similar situation. It does not look good....

If you or your family needs any support send me a PM. Or an e-mail. It is available from the site.

The car is worth quite a bit if it has the mileage specified and looks/drives as good. I agree with some people... Keep your price high and if you get no response, lower it just a little.

Or, just auction the damn thing off. You will probably get more that way (these days). Or, list it "high" locally and slowly drop the price if your response is soft.

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

Best wishes to you on the upcoming surgery.

I agree with those who suggest you do not do anything hasty with the car.

Keep it for awhile first.

If things spin out later on so you feel that you must sell, sell it on this forum right here, OR put it on www.benzworld.com in the W123 or for sale section.

BE SURE TO INCLUDE AS MANY GOOD PICTURES as possible. That can't be emphasized enough. Make them GOOD ones too, of the interior, engine, gtrunk, and if possible, the underside, and assemble the books and records on a table and show a picture of that, so it is honestly described.

The manual transmission cars are worth more than automatics, but a VERIFIED one owner, garaged and well kept one of those W123 240D sedans is worth a LOT
of money because of its rarity and condition and provenance and it is a VERY desired model, which is VERY hard to find in the shape you have described because so many of them in the East Coast, where you are have been rusted out, or wrecked.

And yours sounds like a turn key model. Post pictures here for us to see!!

To get a clear market value of the car, have it professionally appraised first; I did it for insurance purposes and it is probably among the wisest decisions I have made For $325.00

There is a gentleman in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, called Bruce Mendel, who actually is a licensed dealer that you might contact for help. His reputation is impeccable, and his hobby has been to find only the best condition S class Mercedes Benzes from around the USA, Canada and Japan, to resell.

I believe his name on here is BruceM105 or something like that, but he posts on benzworld AS "brucemendel" sometimes and almost never on here.

His ebay moniker is " mr-amazing-deals " and as I said, in these circles he is known as the best seller of cars like yours, hands down. He loves and cares about these old cars, and has said his wife only tolerates this, so he only handles perhaps a dozen or a half dozen a year, and sometimes doesn't make money on a sale, sometimes he does.

His ebay ads are beautifully done, maybe you could work out a consignment deal? He has 100% positive feedback, too on ebay.

Here is a sample ebay sale he has going on now for you to check

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-190-Series-190-E-16V-COLLECTOR-1986-MERCEDES-190E-2-3-16-5-SPEED-63K-ORIG-MI_W0QQitemZ150432902530QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item23067fed82

Your car sounds perfect to fetch top dollar.



I have even driven a car that went through his hands, a 79,000 mile 420 SEL that wound up on a dealer lot near San Francisco airport, a year or two ago, and saw the paperwork proving he sold it, it was immaculate - perfect.


Again, good luck with your surgery..my mother had ulcers from acids that had a huge part of her stomach removed, and while her appetite went way down, she lived with it from 1958 - 2006 when she passed on..

She drove a car and did everything and lived a good life. I hope you can, too.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

You've got prayers in So. Cal., Anthony, for both you and your wife. I'm not particularly religious, but I figure that the man upstairs doesn't mind too much. I bug Him all the time.

That's what I have found here--really giving, decent people who are willing to help for fun and for free. And it's helped me a ton. I can't give back any technical knowledge, sadly, but I can sure as hell send up some earnest prayers.

You could get far more than $5K for that car, but I hope you can keep her. It's wonderful and rare that you've had her since she was new. It sounds as if she makes you happy--and that's extra important right now.

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Current car:
1982 300D A New Hope! Three-plus tons of China blue steel, rubber, and magic.

Past cars:
1985 300D, Glorious anthracite on black. Gracie. (R.I.P.)
The rest were crappy--including a 1970 Orange Gremlin.