1986 300E Lots of extras! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Tims450SL · #1 12-15-2010, 07:55 PM

Hello! I have a great 300E with 155K original miles for sale. Car is located in FtLauderdale Florida. Car is dark antracite black/Gray with a full black leather interior. Drivers seat has one seam seperation, but not destroyed. Car has a back up camera system installed, Brabus HP Exhaust, Real AMG 18' Wheels Wider in rear than front (maybe off SL or S Class) Wood Shifter, Custom speaker system w/ High output CD Stereo. All works, except sunroof (Could be switch...these things never burn out) Also has new MBZ Antenna mounted on rear of roof. Car is daily driver, no oil leaks or smoke. Trans is perfect and has new filter and complete trans fluid drain (Even tourque converter) has new water pump, thermostat and housing, new serpintine belt along with fuel pump as well. Please contact me for photos and any other details at timevans35@gmail.com

Asking $2200 and wheels alone must be worth $1000. Moving and cannot keep her! Been a great good looking attention getter, and car can be driven anywhere without worries. Also upgraded to 1993 look with lower panels and bumpers.

Thanks for looking!

ashedd · #2 12-15-2010, 08:25 PM

thats purdy

Tims450SL · #3 12-15-2010, 10:41 PM

Thanks!

Tims450SL · #4 12-29-2010, 07:24 PM

Sold car for $1900 and shipped to Austin. New owner now complaining about things, so make sure if you are going to buy a car without a PSI then do not come back complaining abut things that were not disclosed/forgotten. I mean a power seat switch is 45 and there are going to be minor issues with a 22+ year old Mercedes! Car other than that is a good one that needs minor attention to details.

TylerH860 · #5 12-29-2010, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tims450SL

Sold car for $1900 and shipped to Austin. New owner now complaining about things, so make sure if you are going to buy a car without a PSI then do not come back complaining abut things that were not disclosed/forgotten. I mean a power seat switch is 45 and there are going to be minor issues with a 22+ year old Mercedes! Car other than that is a good one that needs minor attention to details.

but you knew there were some issues and did not disclose them to an out of state buyer,... and its his fault for being mad? Or did you not know? I'm confused.

I guess a few issues at $1900 I wouldn't be complaining. Congratulations.

ram.sama · #6 01-05-2011, 05:29 PM

I live in Flower Mound, TX, a Dallas suburb. I bought the car based on what was posted on this forum, in particular the sentence "Car is daily driver, no oil leaks or smoke" made a favorable impression on me. Before we made the deal Tim was very cooperative and impressed me by providing quick responses to my questions. I believed in everything he said and took the risk of buying it from FL. Right now the car is sitting in front of my house leaking all the coolant and engine oil that it can hold. I let the forum look at the pictures and comment. When the car was removed from the truck after it arrived, it started immediately but the exhaust pipes were disconnected and made a loud noise. And it came with the below problems that I notified Tim in my emails to him:

- Radiator leak
- Valve cover gasket leak
- Transmission Pan gasket leak
- Leak along with the front struts
- Exhaust donuts, nut and bolts missing
- Oil level switch leaking

And multiple other issues that are not even disclosed or posted! I can list them in my later posts.

Basically, the car is not a daily driver as indicated in the post as the exhaust pipe is disconnected and I don't think it can pass the state inspection. With so much coolant and oil leakages it can break down any where.

Currently I am in the process of fixing one issue at a time to make sure I can make it pass the state inspection first and then make it drive-able around.

Can attach more pictures if needed.

ram.sama · #7 01-05-2011, 05:33 PM

More pictures....

JimFreeh · #8 01-05-2011, 06:02 PM

If I'm looking at a 25 year old car with high mileage at a fairly low price, I'm expecting to address some problems, and accept that the car leaks some oil.

There's a reason why older cars are inexpensive. Many of them are present in your pictures and Tim's. I think it's naive to expect a car in pristine condition mechanically and cosmetically for such a low price.

That said, it's incumbent upon the buyer to do due diligence when deciding upon buying the car.

Exactly what kind of questions were asked/answered?

Did you fail to ask the relevant question, or did the seller deliberately misrepresent the condition of the car? It's rather an important distinction.

Some sellers know their car as intimately as their wife, and other sellers are more of a polish and detail kind of guy, and may not have been aware of some of the defects.

That said....

It would appear to me that an exhaust system that was not secured ahead of the cats would have been obvious to even a mechanically challenged owner. Same with a significant radiator leak. Either you're going to notice pools of coolant where your car was parked, or you're going to get a light on the dash for low coolant. Either way, even a dim person should recognize there is an issue.

I've bought many cars sight unseen, and I ask quite a few questions, and evaluate the answers. Also, the price needs to be at the point that I can cover most/any unforeseen nits and still feel good about the purchase.

Jim

TylerH860 · #9 01-05-2011, 09:13 PM

What leak free means to different people is the problem.

Leak free to me means a dry undercarriage and, depending on age, very minimal seepage. Then there's seepage that doesn't drip, and then we go down to eventually the sieve level.

Every MB I sell them goes to the indy and we both inspect underneath. I note anything outside of minimal seepage around the seal, and replace anything needed before selling.

The radiator thing is not right, that's for sure. Clearly its had a poor patching, and while it may have worked for a while, is certainly failing now. This may have not been an issue prior to departure. Interesting since some $$$ was spent on the cooling system but the one of the key elements was bubble gummed.

While the oil certainly qualifies for more than minimal seepage in my boat, I doubt its enough for you to worry about immediately, at least from what I can tell from the photos. It looks about the same as most 15+ year old car of any make.

Find a W124 in a junkyard that looks like its had a replacement radiator (I imagine there's quite a few with Texans needing excellent cooling systems), pop it in, and enjoy the car. I've been burned with sight unseen purchases a whole lot more than that, but I've come to anticipate it. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised.

Walrus · #10 01-05-2011, 09:43 PM

What the last two posts do not do is address the alleged misrepresentation by the seller. A Brabus exhaust, mentioned as a sellingpoint, should not be loose and/or leaking...

No leaks means no leaks... seepage is still a leak.. If a car has seeping seals, it has a leak.

The buyer relied on the word of the seller... I don't think anyone will debate that this is foolhardy at least.

Caveat Emptor still reigns as the best policy.

TylerH860 · #11 01-06-2011, 12:40 AM

I would find it very difficult to find a 15+ year old high mileage car without some minimal seepage. Nothing that would drip in the next 5 years most likely, but still a slight build up along the gasket. Its normal, and totally impractical to pull and reseal a motor because of it. While I suppose this could be called a leak I'm not to that extreme, and don't think its any used car dealer shadiness coming out of me;

a mechanic would say the same.

What is photographed is certainly well above and beyond that definition in my book, so its not really related to this post. I just thought I should clarify.

lee polowczuk · #12 01-06-2011, 08:42 AM

I am trying to be objective on this one.

First of all....all of these will seep/leak. I would pressure wash everything carefully... probably not as bad as you think.

Interestingly, the interior is upgraded as well..look at the wood and door panels.

Lastly, I think the previous owner should split the cost of a new radiator....say 100 dollars back to the new buyer. Other than that, there is not much you can do.

I live in West Palm Beach....if an out of state buyer had wanted me to look at a car, I would probably do it, if the car was close. I would imagine other members would do the same.

Beastie · #13 01-06-2011, 10:08 AM

You bought a car without seeing/driving it. As I have read people do this and I guess if someone has the dollars okay. If I were buying for a daily driver
I would not buy without seeing and driving it unless it were a member here that I knew and had met. If the car is and incredible deal find a way to make the trip. I know we all have a sot place in our hearts for a certain model make etc but remember in very few cases is the car, boat, etc a one of a kind must have.
Try to shop locally. I am sympathetic but again it is an older car and you have got to be careful.

ashedd · #14 01-06-2011, 12:13 PM

Buying a car sight unseen from a forum member vs someone off CL is two different things, at least I would like to think so.

It still looks nice, right?

Beastie · #15 01-06-2011, 12:54 PM

ashedd, I agree however unless I had previous contact and or had met the member here I would want to see the car. This is not a knock on members.
I followed a recent thread here where one member sold a car ( maybe 2 at the same time) to another member and bought an Acura. The buyer had seen the car before and made the buy without further adieu ! That said when I sell a vehicle I want the buyer to come and see it tell him the good and the bad so if there are any problems unknown to me I can sleep with a clear conscience.
By the way I still have my 68 Caddy for sale