New (to me) Benz 240D
 

There she was, sitting in a crummy little sales lot next to a Ford Focus, a Dodge Voyuer, and some other crap.

1983 dark green 240D 4 on the floor with only 73K on it. Owned by a college professor (female) since new.

Good radio, cassessete, little rust, original clutch, some small rust behond wheels on dirviers side.

The best part of this is my wife agreed to the purchase over breakfast when I told her I had to get rid of the VW due to rusting out, and wasn't safe to drive anymore.

Her joy with cutting down our fleet was short-lived when I broached the new addition to our MB stable.

She acquiesed based on MB's reputation for relability and the fact that I will underwrite the redoing of the kitchen. ;)

The family and I drove over to the car lot, me on a mission to rescue this mb from infidels. After some sucessful negotiation on the price to wit: me: "well, this is really a slow car, the A/C belt is not connected, etc,"

he: "yeah, this is the third lot this car has been on and nobody seems to want something this slow, and I just want to get rid of it. "

Made the deal, slapped on a dummy plate and drove home. Good, strong engine, good handler, a lot tigher than the 300d and with the 4 speed once it gets the steam up its a mover.

Now it joins the 300d and 350 sdl. The teenager in the family immedlately commented: "a 2.4l that's twenty-one years old? It's old enough to drink, dad!!. By the way, the painted hubcaps don't match: 1 is red, two are green and one is white. Who would drive a car like that???" Little do they know.

Finally, it has found a suitable home.

How much did you talk the salesguy down to?

Sounds like a nice catch...congrats! :)

After many years of farming and learning how to negotiate, I sized up my opponent, and armed with
intelligence:) I made my attack:

Took the whole family to watch also:

Put $2100 in $100's in a little bank envelope. Gave the wife $50 in cash and the son $50 in cash.

started the negotiations that the car has been jockeyed around and you are the 3rd dealer who's had it without selling. (I didn't tell him I am from Mercedes Rescue)

Also, I said, who in their right mind would want a
little 4 cylinder NON-TURBO and STICK SHIFT car with maunal window regulators, no sun roof, no a/c
and with some rust on the rear lower panel???

I said $2100 and put the money on the hood of the car. He said Twenty Three. I went to the wife, said, "How much money do you have?" She said "$50"

Went to my son and asked, "Do you hae $50?"

Took the money, asked the guy, "will you take Twenty two??"

He said yes, and the rest is history. The wife
loves to drive it ;) and she said she likes this more than the 300d, which she characterizes as a tank. so it goes...

Wow, what a story and what a deal! Some people have all the luck.

I'm no negotiating wizard, but shouldn't you have started with a price lower than the $2100 that you had in the envelope? Apparently you would have been fine with paying that, but the dealer automatically added a couple hundred to your offer. I wonder what he would have done if you would have started out at say $1500 instead. Would he have gone to $1700? Would he have still gone to $2300? Man, I hate negotiating prices. Especially with car dealers.

Anyway, congrats. Sounds like you got yourself a good little 240. Get those rims painted up the same and you're set.