I Smell an EBay Rat - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Ken300D · #1 03-26-2004, 07:21 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2469816373

Yes, I first checked closely around me for the source of the smell, and am sure its coming from EBay.

This is the type of auction to avoid. Zero Feedback. Zero pictures. And a 19,000 mileage claim - designed to fetch a high price.

Not that I'm suspicious of my fellow EBayers or anything.........

Ken300D

vwbuge · #2 03-26-2004, 07:26 AM

Definately fishy. I would try to e-mail him and see if you get a response. If not, you know it is slimy.

Hatterasguy · #3 03-26-2004, 12:47 PM

Either theres 4 idiots on ebay now or 4 people know more than we do. Probably 4 idiots.

lrg · #4 03-26-2004, 01:47 PM

How can anyone even consider buying a relatively high dollar item with so little description and no photos. I guess PT Barnum was right, there really is a sucker born every minute. Maybe when the auction is done I can call the bidders and finally sell the bridge in NYC I've been trying to find a buyer for.

The Warden · #5 03-26-2004, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lrg
Maybe when the auction is done I can call the bidders and finally sell the bridge in NYC I've been trying to find a buyer for.

Aww, rats! I thought you had promised that bridge to me! I was going to bid and win on that high quality low mileage car and go drive across my new bridge. :p

notlostmaybe · #6 03-26-2004, 10:47 PM

he has pictures now.

the seats dont look worn. the padding isnt crushed. the surface
isnt "polished"

the door stop paint isnt worn away.

the paint on the buttons looks sharp, not warn.
the paint on the gauges looks good. the oil needle isnt burnt.

the wood isnt broken or scratched.

maybe it has 17000 miles

maybe someone local should go look

don

pwogaman · #7 03-26-2004, 10:55 PM

Note that he has relatively unworn Goodyear Aquatread II tires. I do not believe those tires have been sold in a while. Currently Goodyear is pushing Aquatread 3's.

coachgeo · #8 03-26-2004, 11:11 PM

Why is so many assuming an evil plot here. So the poor guy is new to selling stuff. New to E-bay too I would say. The bidders may have contacted him and got more detail.

coachgeo · #9 03-26-2004, 11:12 PM

New update that sheds some light on things

"This vehicle has been in storage for the past six years. I have driven it only 50 miles. Currently it has less than 19,000 miles. It is in pristine condition and looks truly immaculate in and out. The only drawbacks are the rear bumper moulding is coming loose on the right side, as well as early indication of a slight rust area starting above the right rear wheel well. The title is clear. Truly a must see to appreciate. Additionally the car runs well."

IMHO someone should just make him a sweet offer and snag it. I dont have anything to offer unfortunately.

#10 03-27-2004, 01:49 AM

The only thing that I don't like are the antennas sitting on the trunk...

R Leo · #11 03-27-2004, 05:56 AM

Cars stored for long periods w/o proper prep can have some real issues and this one has definitely been sitting a while...check out the rust on the rear disks:

lietuviai · #12 03-27-2004, 01:11 PM

A nice drive down a winding hilly road will fix that in jiffy.

Kestas · #13 03-27-2004, 03:10 PM

The brakes don't worry me too much. It's a given that the calipers from all four corners will need to be rebuilt and the rotors will need to be turned or replaced.

That orange rust indicates the car hasn't been driven for a long time. How can the guy say the car runs well? I doubt he did anything more than put a new battery in and get the engine started. There's no way anybody can know if the transmission works properly, or if there's humming noise in the drive train, differential, or bearings.

I've always stored cars for the past 30 years. All too often a new problem crops up that wasn't there before after taking a car out of storage. This car will need a lot of work. But once the problems are addressed, it should give someone good service for a long time. Think of it as restoring a car without working on everything. I'd be tempted to bid on that car if I needed one and could have some assurance I could drive it home from Chicago.

lietuviai · #14 03-27-2004, 03:24 PM

I guess it all boils down to how the car was stored. I wouldn't mind a low mileage car that was driven occasionally than one that was stored for a long time and wasn't driven at all.
I came across a '50 Cadillac sedan about 7 years ago that only had 13,000 actual miles on it. It was still riding on its original tires. They were cracked but still held air. The current owner at the time had driven the car the year before all the way from Minnesota where he bought the car to California without any problems. I had a chance to drive the car myself and it was a total time warp. It was like driving an almost 50 year old new car.
I wish I lived closer to where this MB was so I could look at it and drive it. I guess it is possible to find 300D's with less than 200K miles on them.

wolf_walker · #15 03-27-2004, 05:22 PM

Is that yellow the true original gauge needle color? They fade to a more orangish tint with age?

I like my dark orange/red better..