92 300E for sale only 110,000 miles! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

400Eric · #1 11-12-2016, 07:38 PM

[Edit: There is a video further down in this posting!]

[Edit: Trades welcome! See the newer post below!]

This car is for sale but I'm not going to bother posting pictures unless there is some genuine interest. I spent a ton of time taking and posting pictures of my 89 300E only to have it be a total waste of time due to zero interest. This car is a much better and nicer car in every way though so here goes. There is a video of the car a little further down this posting. If there is genuine interest I will then post pictures. Or maybe I'll just post a detailed close-up video of the car instead.

This rust free original California car was owned by the California Dept of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Automotive Repair Division before I bought it in 2013. What was the Calif. B.A.R. doing with a then 21 year old 300E? Well, I can't prove it but I'm convinced it was being used as a bait car to bust crooked mechanics. As such it was maintained in stellar condition by the state. That and the low miles is why I deemed it worthy of the time and expense of doing a CNG turbo conversion on it. That's also why I've hardly put any miles on it. (I was saving it for the project which I'm only now realizing is never going to happen.)

My M103 W124s have been the most reliable, dependable, durable, rugged, longest running, trouble free cars I have EVER owned in all of my over 39 years of driving. And this one has half the miles of the other two. I'm selling this one because I'm expecting that it has the greatest chance of netting me the most legal tender in the shortest amount of time. It's that simple. For the record I hate to do it.

This car has the later 2.87 rear gears as opposed to the 3.07s that the earlier M103 W124s had and it also has first gear start! This makes for a much better set-up than my earlier M103s had for drivability, fuel economy, and engine longevity! This car is an absolute joy to drive! And it holds it's own just fine in the cut and thrust of city traffic. Even here in So. Cal.!

There are three issues with this car
1) The gear selector is getting a little wobbly. Probably needs that rubber thingy that Kent has posted on YouTube about.
2) It's low on R12. I have two cans of the stuff that I'll include if you want to keep it R12.
3) Recent bunk events in my life (like my wife being on chemo and me having to be both Mommy and Daddy to three small children) have prevented me from keeping up with all of the things that need to be done in my life. I thought I had this car on a non-op but it wasn't, so now it has DMV penalties against it which means it now probably needs to go to an out of state buyer.

This brings me another point that needs to be made. I am so confident in this car's overall condition that I'm willing to drive it to it's new owner in the American Southwest as far east as Texas and as far North as Kansas on my dime provided that you take me to my next form of transportation home whatever that winds up being. Any destinations beyond that distance from So. Cal. will require further compensation towards my direction or you meeting me (which I would prefer because I'll be needing to get back home).

Here is a video of the car at it's first and only time at the dragstrip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1ZlYmoGcJY
I had the car at the dragstrip to quantify the effect of the R16/1 resistor removal mod. Of course the ONLY video that anybody got that day was on the car's very slowest run of the day which was one of the runs with the resistor in place. The resistor killed the low end so much it even jacked up my reaction times which are usually unequaled by my opponents. The car ran a string of 16.3s later that day with a best of 16.299.

The interior is approx. the same color as the exterior. (I'm not up on all the color names.) Again, pictures or a more detailed close up video can happen if there is genuine interest. The car was actually dirty that day but it still looked good in the video! It is by far my prettiest Benz inside and out.

I'm not selling the quickest or fastest or most economical car around. What I am selling is a car that can and will be the one car in your life that doesn't require your constant attention. I don't know about you but that is a pretty priceless thing in my book! We are talking about the generation of W124 that built the solid reputation that the later W124s don't live up to (at least in my experience). [Flame suite on.]

I need $2,500 for this car. Judging by my other two M103 W124s there is easily another 125,000 plus miles left in this car with a minimal amount of time, effort, and money expenditure to keep it going. That means that this car isn't even half done! Don't forget that price includes me delivering the car free to anywhere in the S.W. states! (If you are farther away than that you'll have to meet me or pay me extra.) If I can't get $2,500 for this car then it is plain flat not worth it to me to sell it. It's too good a car to sell for less than that.

I would consider a trade so long as it involved positive cash flow in my direction and the car/truck you stick me with is in decent enough condition to get me back home to So Cal in a dry and warm condition. It would also need to be something that I could sell quickly and easily for the cash difference if I want to and/or need to (which will likely be the case). As such it will also need to be able to pass a smog inspection. That may sound like a pretty tall order but hey, at least I'm open to partial trades!

So watch the video already!

Please, correspond with me here in this thread INSTEAD of PM so that I don't have to keep answering the same questions about stuff I most certainly have forgotten to address.

Thank You!!

Regards,
Eric

400Eric · #2 11-13-2016, 02:25 PM

I've added some more to the original posting to make the info there more clear so please re-read it.

This car is NOT a salvage car. Title is clean except for the Calif DMV penalties.

One more thing: Those miles are real. Anybody who wants to verify it with a Car Fax, Auto Check, etc. can PM me for the VIN number. All other questions please post here in the thread so that everybody can see the answers and everybody can have the info.

Thank You!

LWB250 · #3 11-13-2016, 03:08 PM

Nice looking car, and it sounds like a good deal. How much are the DMV penalties?

I got burned buying a car from an estate in CA some years ago. Because the car had been sitting for four years in storage, none of the annual fees had been paid. The only way I could get a clear title from CA was to pay off the fees, which were pretty substantial (I was taking the car out of state.)

I ended up washing the title so I didn't have to pay the fees. Cost me around $500 at the time to wash the title versus well over $1000 to settle with CA, and I would have had to do it in person, too, meaning a trip there just to sit in line at the DMV...

400Eric · #4 11-13-2016, 04:02 PM

Thanks for the kind words!

I have a clear title to this car. What we used to call a "pink slip". In my name. There are no liens on the title, just at the DMV if you try to renew the tags. I would say they are about $500 at this point. If they were only $100 I still wouldn't pay them. To me it's the principle of it. I'm afraid to get an update on the back fees because any kind of activity of any kind at the DMV regarding this car will just start the clock all over again and I've already knocked out about a year towards the seven years it would take to just let the car just drop out of the system. At that point (if I don't sell the car) I could just renew the tags with no penalties because they would no longer have any information that they could base the penalties on. I've done it before several times. Those folks who think that this doesn't work are obviously dealing with a situation where there was an inquiry made of some kind on the vehicle that they were unaware of that started the clock all over again. (A cop running a check on a parked car for example.)

All this Calif. DMV stuff is rather moot anyways because I really don't see this car being bought by a Californian. It either has to be fairly new, or Japanese, or totally dirt cheap. Those are your three buyers out here and this car doesn't fit any of them.

The car you bought from that estate was probably a third party lien sale or something similar that meant you didn't receive an actual title, just a bunch of paperwork instead. That is a whole 'nother matter entirely!

In this case you would simply show up at your DMV with your 300E's title signed by me, the owner/seller, and a bill of sale signed by me. (Please try to bring a blank B.O.S. from your own state if/when we meet. It might make things go smoother at your DMV.)

400Eric · #5 11-16-2016, 03:46 PM

I'm re-evaluating my stance on trades. I'm thinking that I should also consider a straight across trade because that would net me a car that I could sell out here a lot easier than I could sell this one with it's back fees. So post up what you have and let's talk about it. The only restriction now is that the trade can't include any money in your direction as I have none to give.

One thing I will NOT do is re-evaluate is my stance on the price. I am really dug in on this one and I will just simply go in a different direction before I'll sell this car for less than the stated price. Some folks may remember how that went down before when, after receiving no interest on my two other higher mile M103 cars, I just took them off of the market rather than lowering the price. I'll do the same here too if I have to. This car is priced more than fairly. And remember, that price includes delivery anywhere in the American South West.

I have a bad need for parts too. Maybe we have another possible route here for a mutually beneficial deal!

Lot's of folks love bartering and trading!

1) I need TWO GOOD W124 fuel tanks. Sedan or wagon. If it's a wagon tank I'll need it's GOOD fuel pumps too.
2) I'd love to have a GOOD TIGHT ASD pumpkin, any size (210mm or 185MM), any ratio taller (lower numerically) than a 3.27. Remember, happiness is a tight posi!
3) a GOOD W124 4matic transfer case.
4) a GOOD 722.3 trans with 1st gear start from a M103 or M104
5) a GOOD 722.5 trans (The one that is basically the 722.4 with an overdrive. I do NOT want to attempt a 722.6 swap.)
6) a GOOD #18 head or higher for a OM603
6.5) a GOOD OM603 non-trap-oxidizer style exhaust manifold (exits down instead of up).
7) a complete OM603 (I'm open on condition)
8) a complete turbo OM606 (I'm open on condition)
9) a turbo kit for a M103
10) a CNG kit for a M103 or M104
11) OM603 hop-up parts like an injection pump with bigger elements, a bigger turbo, etc.
12) I need a good W124 back glass
13) a engine wire harness for a 88 300E 3.0 car
14) a good odometer for a 1997 1/2 to 2004 Buick Regal
15) New and old magazines! Car mags, even old Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines!

I do realize that a trade of this nature would now add the logistical problem of how do I get this stuff back home if you take the car I drive to meet you? I don't know the answer to that one but I'm sure we could figure something out! Maybe I should trade you TWO cars! I do have other cars here which are also suffering under the weight of DMV fees.

A Japanese mini-truck would work well because people are crazy for those out here. They even seem to like older ones! I think there are parts of the country where they aren't too popular, correct? So I would drive to you in your 1st new car, then the two of us would drive the mini-truck back out here with my parts in the back, then you would drive your 2nd new car back home to your state! How's that sound?

400Eric · #6 11-17-2016, 03:46 PM

Two more things I just remembered:

For those of you who don't know, MB had completely resolved the valve seal/guide issue by 90-91 on these M103s. This 92 does NOT burn oil like the older M103s did!

The radio is still the original one which is cool but it doesn't really work which is not cool. You have to turn it all of the way up but you still can only barely hear it. Maybe somebody here knows what the issue could be.

400Eric · #7 11-21-2016, 03:04 AM

Another thing I need is a big box truck. Like the biggest one you can get from U-Haul. I'd do a straight across trade for one in decent enough condition to get me back to So. Cal. Gas or diesel, any brand/make. Back fees OK. And it doesn't need to be able to pass smog as this would be something that I wouldn't be re-selling.

400Eric · #8 12-16-2016, 11:45 PM

I just realized that there is one condition under which I could be talked into lowering my price some: If one was to come out here and pick it up! IE: I don't have to deliever it! Does that open up any possibilities for anyone?

Again, I remind you all that this car only has 110,000 miles on it and it is the M103 powered W124s that built the solid reputation for reliability and durability that the later W124s don't live up to.

I also just realized that this is the absolute worst time of year to try to sell a car so I guess I'm just wasting time here. So Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and I'll see you all next year!

400Eric · #9 01-20-2017, 05:14 PM

OK boys and girls, the holidays are over and it is time to make a deal!

One of the reasons I offered to deliever the car anywhere in the American Southwest is because I have business to attend to in Texas. I can't put that business off much longer. If I have to go before this car sells I'll be taking delievery off of the table and lowering the price a little to compensate. So if delivery is an important consideration for you speak up now. Otherwise, plan on paying a little less for the car and picking it up out here. Thanks!

Dmitry at Pelican Parts · #10 01-24-2017, 07:58 PM

Please include photos of the car and any further items that you may have for sale - this is requirement.

Thanks,
Dmitry

400Eric · #11 01-27-2017, 05:17 AM

I don't have any photos of the car, just the video that I linked in the first post that clearly shows the car.

As for the other items, those are things that I am looking to obtain, not things I'm trying to sell.

Regards,
Eric

400Eric · #12 02-25-2017, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 400Eric

I'm re-evaluating my stance on trades. I'm thinking that I should also consider a straight across trade because that would net me a car that I could sell out here a lot easier than I could sell this one with it's back fees. So post up what you have and let's talk about it. The only restriction now is that the trade can't include any money in your direction as I have none to give.

One thing I will NOT do is re-evaluate is my stance on the price. I am really dug in on this one and I will just simply go in a different direction before I'll sell this car for less than the stated price. Some folks may remember how that went down before when, after receiving no interest on my two other higher mile M103 cars, I just took them off of the market rather than lowering the price. I'll do the same here too if I have to. This car is priced more than fairly. And remember, that price includes delivery anywhere in the American South West.

I have a bad need for parts too. Maybe we have another possible route here for a mutually beneficial deal!

Lot's of folks love bartering and trading!

1) I need TWO GOOD W124 fuel tanks. Sedan or wagon. If it's a wagon tank I'll need it's GOOD fuel pumps too.
2) I'd love to have a GOOD TIGHT ASD pumpkin, any size (210mm or 185MM), any ratio taller (lower numerically) than a 3.27. Remember, happiness is a tight posi!
3) a GOOD W124 4matic transfer case.
4) a GOOD 722.3 trans with 1st gear start from a M103 or M104
5) a GOOD 722.5 trans (The one that is basically the 722.4 with an overdrive. I do NOT want to attempt a 722.6 swap.)
6) a GOOD #18 head or higher for a OM603
6.5) a GOOD OM603 non-trap-oxidizer style exhaust manifold (exits down instead of up).
7) a complete OM603 (I'm open on condition)
8) a complete turbo OM606 (I'm open on condition)
9) a turbo kit for a M103
10) a CNG kit for a M103 or M104
11) OM603 hop-up parts like an injection pump with bigger elements, a bigger turbo, etc.
12) I need a good W124 back glass
13) a engine wire harness for a 88 300E 3.0 car
14) a good odometer for a 1997 1/2 to 2004 Buick Regal
15) New and old magazines! Car mags, even old Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines!

I do realize that a trade of this nature would now add the logistical problem of how do I get this stuff back home if you take the car I drive to meet you? I don't know the answer to that one but I'm sure we could figure something out! Maybe I should trade you TWO cars! I do have other cars here which are also suffering under the weight of DMV fees.

A Japanese mini-truck would work well because people are crazy for those out here. They even seem to like older ones! I think there are parts of the country where they aren't too popular, correct? So I would drive to you in your 1st new car, then the two of us would drive the mini-truck back out here with my parts in the back, then you would drive your 2nd new car back home to your state! How's that sound?

I came here to add another item to this list and wound up finding an error in my earlier post. In that line above in bold the trans should read: 722.3 NOT 722.4! The 722.5 is basically a 722.3 with an overdrive!

I also should clairify that ANY size Japanese pickup will do, it doesn't have to be a "mini".

The thing I now need to add to the needs list is a good W124 front windshield.

So now with all of these things that I need it's not too hard to imagine a person getting this car for free just by doing some trading!

400Eric · #13 03-28-2017, 03:50 AM

Tax refund season is here. I can't think of a more prudent thing to do with your refund than to invest it on a low mile state maintained W124!

400Eric · #14 05-04-2017, 01:15 PM

OK boys and girls, for a short time I am willing to entertain offers. Just exactly what does today's market think this car is worth? Delievery in the American Southwest is still an option for a short time longer. Please state in your offer if you want that option included, and please factor that into your offer. Details on that option are in the first post, but in looking at those details I noticed an error of omission. That last sentence should read: ".... or you meeting me in the American Southwest".

I know it's hard to make an offer on a car that you've never seen in person before, but, again, this car was very well maintained by The State of Calif Bureau of Automotive Repair and I've only put about 2,000 miles on it since it was in the state's care. The video in the first post shows the car's cosmetic condition and how well it runs. But the most telling thing of all is the fact that I have enough confidence in this car's overall mechanical condition that I'm willing to drive the car halfway across the country!