I am NOT trying to sell the car here, just asking for opinions on my ebay ad. I know you guys pull no punches.

Yes, it's wordy and breathless, I am a car dealer after all. I know the caps are annoying, and some people hate the format. I use it because it works, and I have tested many different styles over the years.

I am really asking more about content...did I miss anything? Is there anything you'd want to know that I did not include? Is my price outrageous? Etc etc.

Thanks all.

Bruce

I only have 1 picture load up....is it just my computer or is there only 1 picture. If only 1 pic need more many more. Really your decription is too long when I read something like that I lose intrest fast. And I would put what is new in the car first. But not a bad ad overall.

why are you yelling at me!

I only yell at the start, then I settle down.

Only one pic? I see tons when I open it. Don, did you see all the pics?

Bruce

A few of the pics (3 or 4) have changed to photobucket's "sorry I cant find this pic" icon...I'm not sure which ones

If you are serious about wanting feedback....

I don't like the wordiness, yelling and inline pics, but you've already adressed that.

Your address/location is Bucks county PA, yet it has NJ dealer plates....I know that Bucks cty is close to NJ (borders ?) but I would consider addressing that in the text.

Does the ad state the age of the timing chains (and single-row vs. dual row issues ?) Front end work/links replaced ?

-John

__________________
2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Laying it on kind of thick, aren't you? I agree with putting the new stuff first. Don't know about all this fluff being loved, if it were loved it wouldnt have needed all the work you did. I would NOT buy this car. You use nice fluffy words and extravegant descriptions which may work well for the sheeple, but don't do a thing for me. I'm more meat and potatoes.

Just a couple of thoughts, FWIW:

1 - Why is the VIN a secret? Flawed though CarFax may be, a lot of people want and expect VIN numbers to run background checks, Russian website, etc. Otherwise it just looks like you're hiding something.

2 - If you're spending all that money on service items, why not take the time and spend the comparative pennies to replace the headlight doors/bezels, straighten the headlight wipers, etc.

3 - Personal pet peeve, tires look stupid when they're so grossly coated with shiny stuff as to look messy.

4 - Documentation fees should be figured into the price. The way the majority of dealers handle that are a joke. The final price is not the price.

5 - As it stands with cosmetic and idle issues, the starting price seems closer to market.

Just my opinions - good luck with the sale!

-r.

For all the work that has already been done, why not finish it and fix the vacuum problem causing the rough idle?

You seem to be representing the car as a turn key all work done purchase, don't leave something minimal undone. Makes me think there may be a more significant issue that is not disclosed.

Oh, line up the headlight wipers.... I also noticed the missing antenna before I read that you disclosed that problem...

Pretty car, I'd hope the price it sells for is higher than the starting price....

Jim

__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

Priced right, but why not figure out the idle issue if its just a little vacuum leak? Unfortunately I have to agree with others on the wording, but you're trying to appeal to the mass audience of idiots, and you give enough goodies to seem informed to buyers like us.

This is a clever way to advertise your car without officially advertising for sale. I may have to remember that.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Since you asked, ...

I look at the initial discription, which becomes "blah blah blah" after the first line or two of substance-free babble, tune it out and go to the photos.
The photos are captioned with more babble, describing just how perfect the car is, but the cuffs don't match the collars; I immediately see headlamp wipers either non-functional or installed by someone who doesn't know European cars, bad headlamp doors on both sides (even broken!), bumpers on both ends scuffed and scraped, cracks in both front seats' leather, no photos showing the speaker area (common crack point) in the dash, lots of shiny tire dressing and used-car-lot cleaning/spraying under the hood, and a dealer plate to punctuate the likely cover-up treatment.

When a car has such glaring neglect, I tend to seriously doubt that the un-seen components have been cared for by the P.O., I expect it to be a money-pit and it apparently already has been.

I wouldn't buy it on a bet based on that ad.

So, that's my opinion.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

All said is true especially when considering the absolutely magnificent W126's that i've seen you sell in the past.

First thing I would fix is the VIN.

__________________
1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Looks like a nice car, but spend the $600 or so and finish it. Also, retake those pictures and either adjust your camera so the pics aren't oversaturated or try a different camera. I can't even tell it is silver!

Unfortunately these 560s haven't been selling well lately. I hope you get what you are asking for but I think you have to finish to get that $$ as you are now running into W140 territory. Here is one for less money that is nice (yours is better with all that mechanical work done!) but has been for sale *forever*:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/1358988102.html

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Nice looking car with a questionable past, it needed alot of work for a car that was "loved". I would have addressed the NJ plates right away and straightened out the front plate prior to taking a photo.

I'm afraid your BIN price is a bit optimistic in this economy for a twenty year old car. Granted that was an $80K car when new, the fact that it needed so much work for a car that was "loved" is something of a contradiction. And since you spent so much money on her, why not at least, fix the "vacuum "problem?

Based on your ad and verbage, I would not be interested in buying it. Next...

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1993 190E 2.6 135k
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC 5 Spd 79K

One of the things I look for when perusing old MB adds is the instrument cluster dial readings whilst the engine is running.

Bruce comes through with a shot of the dash showing a warmed up engine at idle with GREAT oil pressure.

Nice touch!

BTW, I don't see the cracked seat leather previously mentioned, some minor wear on the passenger front insert, and maybe a comfort mark on the bottom front of the driver's seat.....

Jim

__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

Thanks all, that's what I was looking for. Since no bids, I can go in and revise the ad to do some of the things mentioned. I'll cut down on the breathless text, move up work done towards top of listing, check the photobucket account (but I think it's because a few pictures have not been uploaded to photobucket yet), get the VIN# in (forgot), etc.

Yes, I could spend another $600+ doing every last thing. But I have $15K in the car, at some point I had to stop, so this is where I chose to stop. All the big stuff and most of the little stuff is done. I know it would look nicer with everything completed, but hopefully someone will appreciate all the big work that's been done and be willing to spend $75 on headlight bezels and other small stuff.

It actually is a loved car...one owner, guy in CA that's Dr. with 4 other benzes, lots of dealer service, etc. I just did everything that could possibly be done on a 19 year old benz, which even if well taken care of is a lot of items that are either borderline but not yet really a problem. No, it's not in the league of my Euro cars with 290HP and 45K miles, but it's not $15K+ either.

Have a great weekend, see some of you at the PA GTG today! Thanks again for the comments, I appreciate it.

Bruce