Well here I go!, It was only a matter of time, playing around & bidding on ebay. Currently I am high bidder on the 83cd with 210,000 miles, @ $3100.00 +600 to get it home. It does have a cracked dash, which I'll have to put a dash cover on. OK you guys how badly screwed do you think I am getting at this price?. Yes I am apprehensive on this purchase, its been siting at this price for about 4 days now, figured some pidgeon would outbid me. I do own a 91 CE, so I know about the MB game!, anyway what's the consensus out there, its OK I can take it. Thank's for taking the time to make feel like???

Scotty

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2455784160&category=6330


Really hard to say. I hate 0 feedback sellers. It looks pretty nice, though. It LOOKS well cared for, but that could just be a good detail job. But, interior also looks good. I'm kind of surprised it wasn't snatched up for the $3,000 BIN price. He only listed two things wrong with the car. I'm sure if you found other things wrong if you see it, you would be able to get out of the deal. Why not just fly down and drive it back up to Wa?

My hunch is you won't win the car at that price.

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RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

I bought mine for $1500, a non turbo, and have put another $2000, all pretty basic stuff: Upper and lower ball joints, transmission adjustment, motor and transmission mounts, new tires, new fuel sensor, little stuff; like dome lights, new floor mats, new hood star, etc.

Mine had two owners and one mechanic who did everything from installing a dome light, oil changes, etc; $9349 in receipts sins '91 when the second owner bought it from a old lady in Beverly Hills. And when I look at the receipts there was nothing major wrong with the car, just the usually for a 123 coupe that age.

To make it perfect I have to put another $2000/3000 in it. New paint, upholstery (one crack drivers seat), front window seal, maybe door rubber; if I get crazy.

To make mine perfect: $6000, that's nuts! I think I have to do it anyway......

So $3700 with shipping, if perfect is not that bad off a deal.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Always much better to see it in person and at least take a test ride before handing over the money. Much greater chance of disappointment if you buy the car unseen and have it shipped to you.

There is a bid cancellation procedure. Check out the "site map".

Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

I think I read the other day where the average POS new car costs like $18,000....
They can't be worked on by most people due to the computer and emmissions junk... won't be supported by their manufacturers for more than 10 years AT BEST.... some much shorter periods..
And they don't have a prayer of looking as good as your car... even if you paid $4000 and put another $4000 you would likely be much better off.... and look " fabulous"....
All this is keeping in mind using normal common sense when dealing with people on Ebay....
Have you asked if you can pay for a ' Lemon Busters' type check of the vehicle and use that as a basis for rejection if need be ?

Unless you increase your bid I don't think you have to worry about being the winning bidder. That car shows good on ebay but don't they all with the right light. If it is as stated and has records it may be a good find.

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Jim

is that the bidding doesn't get serious until the last 10 minutes or so of the auction -- I've bid on many items and usually can't be on this machine at the time the auction ends, and was surprised how much higher the final price was than what I had seen on my previous visit to the site. I suspect that there are a whole herd of lurkers waiting till then to raise your bid.

the bidding doesn't get serious until the last 10 minutes or so
I think its more like the last tend SECONDS in many auctions! There are sniper services that people use that send out a high speed bid at a specified time, like in the last 3 to 5 seconds, to assure that they do not get overbid.

I think that coupe looks pretty OK, the engine is not all fuzzy with road salts, you know the injection lines, the cruise control servo motor and the aluminum valve cover tend to get a whitish apperance if they are ever exposed to salt, that is a giveaway that the car will have body cancer.
Also, MB's made up to about '83 usually have good, lasting paint quality, metallic paints used in 84 and 85 did not hold up well at all.
A nice looking body makes it worth spending a few $$ on things like the suspension and steering components. I love how my wife's '83 300D drives. I bought it with 210K showing on the odometer then spent about $2K on it, new steering bushings shocks etc. I also replaced the differential because it whined pretty noticeably, I used the '85 gear set in it (2.88 ratio) and as a result it really likes to cruise at 75 + MPH now! These are GREAT touring cars!
Dieseldiehard
1971 220 4-spd manual 105258
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 292375
1983 300D 239670
1985 300TD 210120
1976 300D (still looking for an engine)
1987 300D – 255K and newest addition to the family!

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

As a self described expert on e-bay, anyone who is remotely interested in buying anything should always bid in the last 15 seconds. Bidding earlier than this serves absolutely no purpose other than to inflate the bid price. That is the whole idea of an auction. You bid and then someone else bids above you and then you bid and then the other people bid above you. Forget that BS. Decide what you are willing to pay before the item gets anywhere near the end of the auction. Then, if the bid is below that price at the end, put your bid in at the last 15 seconds! Either you get the item or you don't but you don't drive up the price by bidding earlier! I recently purchased a 1996 Honda Accord with 63K on e-bay. The vehicle is worth about $8K on a retail lot under the lights. The bid had gotten up to $4300 near the last minute. I was willing to pay $5200. for this vehicle and that was the price I put in at the last 15 seconds. I won it at $4810. An excellent vehicle at an excellent price.

If you do not know what to pay or do not know the value of the item, then you should not be bidding in the first place.

I always bid as much as I'm willing to pay for an item in the last 15 seconds. As brian said, bidding ANY time before the last 10 minutes will only make you pay more for the item.

0 feedback is more than enough for me not to bid. Buying a $14 item is one thing, but never with cash like this.

Other than that it looks very nice. You should e-mail him and ask more specific questions. Rust, vehicle performance, rain water leaks, records, maintance, etc.

Looks nice, I agree that you can't tell much until you see it in person. I also agree with the sniping theories (as in, someone will snipe you, and that's the way to win an auction). You can tell because there's been a lot of interest in the car. When I checked, the page counter was at 1137. With that many views, but only one bid, I think you're primed for sniper action.

The VIN info for that car states that the supposed leather interior is actually MB-Tex. I never hold this mistake against non-professional sellers because it is hard to tell. However, if you win and get cold feet that you can always use that to back out of the auction, since he did advertise it as leather when you bid.

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Tjohn

82 300 SD
77 450 SL (gone)

I think the car looks great from what you can tell from ebay listing.

Obviously an amateur seller from the photos (that's a good thing on ebay!)

Two owner car (Carfax confirm?)

The guy lists his phone number, for Heaven's sake; call him and get further details. I don't think he'd put his phone # down if he was a crook (I doubt if it's a "throw away cell)

Looks like a regular owner selling his car (first time ebayer). If it looks half as good in person, you won't get it for 3.1K.

And he says the A/C works (yeaaa!).

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

This car will go for over $4,000 in the last sec. If I wanted another one I would be putting a bid in my self. I would not be bidding until the last 5 sec. Then I would cash in some flight miles and drive it back. In my opinion this is a good car for the reasons allready stated. Call him and make the deal now! He is trying to put over anything, just a poor joe selling his car. That is my $.02

I agree with Bruce on the 0 feedback...
Anyone of you guys that can show me how anyone does not have to start at 0 and then work up... I am listening...

On the bidding... many things can happen.... but I usually put about 3/4ths what I am willing to pay... this gives me emails when I get overbid... to remind me I am bidding on something...
And some people just have a compulsion about knowing what your proxy bid is ... they will bid up in little steps until they find out.... so I allow them to do that... then up my bid in the last few seconds of the auction... this also cuts out some of the players who were just going to buy the item if it was really cheap...
I have lost items due to my modem going to sleep or my service provider being messed up.... and if you are at the last minute of the auction before you find something like that you are SOL

OK Greg, the solution for your problems can be found in one word:

www.auctionsniper.com

Excellent for anybody who doesn't trust their ISP in the last 15 seconds. Also excellent for those auctions that end at 2:00 in the morning EST.

Also excellent for those who cannot remember what they are bidding on:p :p :p .