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#1
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How to determine true mileage?
I'm not looking to purchase but I found this ad and am intrigued. Not many pictures which is iffy, but led me to the question- are there certain places to look for signs of wear that someone could reasonably determine mileage to say the nearest 100,000 miles?
1984 Mercedes Benz 300cd Coupe
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1984 300D w/ 370k mi. daily driver 1994 7.3 idi non-turbo 180k mi. |
#2
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All the parts that wear on the chassis can be replaced in a high mileage car. The real test is to do a compression test on the engine. If it has good compression, it could have over a million miles on the chassis and new suspension components and could last for a long time.
Get it up on the road and test accelleration and how it drives. The steering should be confident feeling and not loose. These steering boxes can deform holes in the mount over time. Also check for rust. lift up floor mats, get under the car and look under the jackpoints and where the rear subframe meets the body. Check inside the wheel wells dilligently. The rear sway bar mount in the wheel wells can rot easily. Check under the battery tray for rust. Also the hood mounting points and the pockets under the hood by the corner. Check the sunroof (if it has one) for function and also check under the pillars at the rear of the car in the trunk. Lift up the trunk mat and check for rust. Also check under the spare tire. If the car has a first aid kit, lift it up and out to access under the rear window where you'll be able to feel around for corrosion. Looks like a nice car from the photo. Phil Forrest
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1972 220D "Trudy," named by a friend. "The 220D sounds good... I suspect it is the only car that you need a calendar for, rather than a stopwatch, when doing acceleration tests." Tom Abrahamsson |
#3
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Carfax is one option, but forensic evidence is best. When I bought my signature car with 101k on the clock, it jived with Carfax. The best evidence I found was an oil change sticker on the edge of the driver's door that showed 45K miles in 1991 when the car was in Florida. For that particular car, I would be more concerned with rust than mileage- and the fact that parts availability for coupe's is difficult compared to a sedan.
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'83 300D, 126K miles. |
#4
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wow... the seller went all out on the details on the car didn't they?
and the only picture they post is with the rear window down... are they hiding the broken regulator evidence?
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere! |
#5
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Some of most obvious signs are - well - obvious. Check the driver's seat for wear. If it looks perfect it's been dyed. Should have wear but not be trashed.
Also check the pedal pads. Again if they look fresh they've likely been replaced but if they're badly worn you can bet that the car has a jillion miles. They should look used but not shot. Some of really clever used car prep guys will scour salvage yards for slightly worn pedal pads so they can replace trashed pads but most aren't that sharp. It's helpful if you can get to the car before it's been detailed. Once the engine has been "shampooed" (as they call it) it's harder to find oil leaks and the like. I used to do used car prep for a Buick dealer. We're talking '63, '64. 65. 66. The dealer was very honest and wouldn't do these techniques - we just cleaned up the cars and put them on the lot. If the car was trashed or very high mileage they were wholesaled and if there was something wrong (like that leak I mentioned) we'd fix it. But you pick up these tricks by seeing what other places did. Dan |
#6
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Yea, pictures and details are sparse which raises a lot of questions. My 84 has 300k miles and only one small rust spot behind the wheel under the trunk. So around here, if the cars been in OK or Texas it's whole life, vehicles can have very little rust with high miles.
Carfax and compression check would be the most reliable I suppose. What parts exactly are harder to find for a coupe?
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1984 300D w/ 370k mi. daily driver 1994 7.3 idi non-turbo 180k mi. |
#7
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I remember reading about the pedals pads somewhere. That could be a good quick indication. Especially if you have seen some high mileage pedals to compare it to.
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1984 300D w/ 370k mi. daily driver 1994 7.3 idi non-turbo 180k mi. |
#8
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Forget about the car. You can check that out when/if you go see it.
Google the phone number. You will find that the seller is not an owner. They are a flipper. They are selling MB's in OK and boats in Oxnard, CA.
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Greg 2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic 2007 ML 320 CDI 2007 Leisure Travel Serenity 2006 Sprinter 432k 2005 E320 CDI 1998 SLK230 (teal) 1998 SLK230 (silver) 1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO Previous: 1983 240D, on WVO 1982 300D, on WVO 1983 300CD, on WVO 1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer) 1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix 1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO 1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO |
#9
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Quote:
front fenders, hood, seats, windows, dash wood, etc etc etc...
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere! |
#10
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I had a suspicion! I've seen quite a few ads from Haskell OK, mostly diesel trucks.
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1984 300D w/ 370k mi. daily driver 1994 7.3 idi non-turbo 180k mi. |
#11
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Ways to a catch a flipper ( dealer ) that posts in the By owner section.
I'm calling about the car. I'm calling about ad on craigslist. Is the title in your name? Do you have any service history? How long have you owned the car?. Do a web search for the phone number. As for car crapx, there are those that hold this as the definitive word on car condition. It isn't as only reported repairs show up and reported repairs are sometimes inaccurate. My SL320 was tagged as having moderate rear damage somewhere along the way. In reality the bumper cover was changed and a 1/2" deep dent pushed out of the spare tire well. The bumper bar and styrofoam stuffer were untouched, hardly what I'd consider moderate damage. Buy the car for what it is not for what the odometer / car crapx says. Always have a mechanic check the car over prior to purchase. |
#12
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You can Google the VIN and find a lot about a car too
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere! |
#13
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coupes are identical in all mechanics. From firewall forward identical. Dash is identical. Trunk lid identical bumpers and lights identical. All other body parts are coupe specific including doors rear fender and roof with front and rear screens. seat sits 2" lower. The only thing that seems to wear more on the coupe is the window lift mechanisms.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC] ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
#14
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front fenders are not identical...
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere! |
#15
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You can find age of car by cutting any unibody component in half and count the rings. One per year.
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Cheers! Scott McPhee 1987 300D |
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