Barn Find - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

RML · #1 07-03-2013, 12:14 AM

Well, this is actually a driveway find, but I am not sure how that would sound as a topic title. I have been driving past this car for the past 8 years or so. It is an 82 300D Coupe. Non turbo. It never moves. One day last year I finally stopped to talk to the owners. The story is that the flex joint broke loose and tore out the fuel lines. The owners had the car in CA but when they moved back to W PA they found that the non turbo engine was not so good on the hills around here. So they have not been very motivated to get it fixed. If I remember correctly the car has about 160Kor 180K on it. The elderly gentleman who knows a lot about the car told me that the previous owner was driving the car from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, overheated the engine, and then had a factory rebuilt engine put in it. I do not know when that occurred but I am mentioning it because my impression is that the engine has fewer miles on it than the body. The car has not been covered, unfortunately, and the rubber is mostly dry rotted: tires, windshield gaskets, etc. The paint is badly faded as well. The body seems decent but I do not know if water has leaked in over the years and caused internal rust. That would have to be checked out. I have had pipe dreams of buying this car and restoring it, but I do not have the time or space. My hands are full with the two 300Ds I have now. I ran into the wife recently at the grocery store and she told me that she really wants to get the car out of the driveway and is motivated to sell it soon. I do not believe her husband drives anymore. The car can be seen from Google Maps if you type in the address: 54 Beaver Street, Leetsdale, PA 15056. Go to street view and turn around to see the left side of the street.

Feel free to PM me if you would like me to put you in touch with the owner. I am not acting as an agent or benefiting from this in any way other than wanting to see the car find a nice home.

Richard

BillGrissom · #2 07-03-2013, 12:23 AM

I would think if they are really motivated to sell, they would bother to at least post it on craigslist or the Penny Saver. Most people's experience is that if you pursue a car like this, they will hem and haw, say they really would like to get rid of it, then throw out prices like $10K based on something they think they saw on the Mecum Auto Auctions show. Still, they might sell for $400 once they find what the junkyard will pay them.

cooljjay · #3 07-03-2013, 12:49 AM

^^^^ That is very very true in most cases but sometime you luck out....I bought my old euro for 300$ from the daughter of the original owner...she wanted to get rid of it and cash 4 cars wouldn't take it with out a smog....she told me just take it and pay her when I could...

Needless to say, if I was there and had the cash.....I would be very interested to buy it, just knowing the engine is a factory replacement would make me try my hardest to get it.....but would I pay more then a parts car no....what effects the price is knowing its past maintenance mistakes....shall we say?

vstech · #4 07-03-2013, 11:57 AM

Hmm. 82 123 bodies should ALL be turbo... is it a euro? manual climate control is the giveaway, if the headlights and bumpers have been changed...

vstech · #5 07-03-2013, 11:59 AM

I can't tell from the pic, but the headlights appear euro low spec...

zeke · #6 07-03-2013, 12:21 PM

PS door and front fender look resprayed.

AwfulMechanic · #7 07-03-2013, 01:48 PM

This is almost exactly how I started my project. Seeing these cars sit and rot is terrible. Hope somebody gets it!

cooljjay · #8 07-03-2013, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I can't tell from the pic, but the headlights appear euro low spec...

Nope, not euro low spec. They are standard us version with clear fogs. Should be a turbo but its possible its a 1980 and not registered right. Doesn't appear to have cloth interior so don't think its full euro, if it is euro....