1987 300TD in Ventura, CA - just crashed see pics - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

iceman805 · #1 09-30-2017, 07:53 AM

I posted this in the Diesel discussion and should have posted it here or the parts thread so I apologize for cross posting.

Southern California location

You guys on the Diesel list and the W124 in general were the first ones who came to mind when it was settled that I cannot fix this car for the money insurance will give me. I let myself get distracted in traffic and rear ended a Camry.

Posted the wreck pics as attachments.

Here is the link for some images of the inside, it was a hasty photoshoot and I can get better ones in morning light if needed:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hgpin2ab5xtxs3n/AAC_sp2djRi5xyYLPjar6Lwoa?dl=0

I took the picture quickly but can take any new pictures requested.

Items I've addressed in the last year: I just put on 4 new Michelin a couple months ago and the adjuster measured them as new, upgraded all front bulbs to Xeon, replaced the cloudy lens doors with clear on both sides, just had breaks and rotors done less than 500 miles ago... 3rd row is Pristine, same with 2nd row really, super condition. Probably lots of parts here and there. It will have a salvage title I guess. I do the paperwork with my insurance Monday.

The worst thing is that my mechanic sad before he moved to Spain that this car ran and sounded great. It sits at 199,9xx on the mileage indicator. Always started and ran perfect. i don't know the extent of the damage was done to the engine but I pulled it right over and parked it. I can take pictures of the engine housing etc... Obviously the radiator, flywheel, coolant reservoir and anything in that quadrant are either shot or questionable and require replacement but beyond that this may be okay.

This sucks but it is what it is now. I'm pretty sure I'll never cross paths again with one like this especially out here on the west coast and I really thought I be buried in it so to speak. At 55 I didn't plan on buying another car, ever.

I just picked up a 1991 300SL today that kind of fell in my lap right after the accident which is really nice and good shape. Sure is different though. I just wish I had the facilities, time and funding to repair this because as someone pointed out it really looks repairable and this car was SOLID. Kills me that I let myself get distracted in traffic for 5 seconds. I kept my eyes peeled for this exact car for a long time out here in CA (where most of the old ones were killed with veggie oil) and finally scored it 4 years ago.

Anyway, my loss could be someone's very real gain if you have the what it takes mechanically to restore these and know you can source the necessary parts then this REALLY is a worthy candidate. I'm serious as a heart attack that engine was running like a top and I never worried about a thing, always started on the first try. I'd really love to know this got fixed and back on the road.

So any serious offers considered and I will give someone who is ready to buy it the phone number for my mechanic if they like and he can vouch for the condition it was in. This really was a great car. The only things that were faulty on it was:
- the paint, I was going to have professionally done in the next couple of years
- the front seats were cracked a bit when I bought it, I can take current pictures
- the drivers seat mechanism wasn't working and the seat was crushed when I purchased it and both are fixed but then my boss (400 lbs) needed a ride and sat in my car one time and he did something to just the motor on the passenger side that I hadn't had fixed yet but I don't think it is serious and my just be a connector knocked off etc...
- A/C needs a charge but blows cold when charged but like many at this age all the pods in the dash need replacing to get full airflow going again.

I think that is it other than what happened with the accident.

Cheers all

iceman805 · #2 10-05-2017, 04:18 AM

So does anyone have a suggestion as to what the fair market value is right now? I don't know and may not be able to figure it out. Most people think it looks easily fixable which leads me to be believe it's worth well more than salvage but no one wants to make an offer.

I can't fix it, that is for sure. I was on the boards here fixing some cars I've had in the past to save money if I could and for fun. But when I got this I quit working on them and took it MR MB in Tarzana for anything it needed and it hasn't been much.

I just want a fair deal for both parties and I don't even mind taking a little haircut on the price if it's based on fair market value but I'm not looking to give it away.

fonzi · #3 10-05-2017, 01:10 PM

So. You’ve got a wrecked car that YOU don’t want to fix. It looks fixable, but any buyer has to assume the engine is not going to be good for whatever reasons. The time and parts to bring it back would probably just about equal the value. So unless you plan to part it out or fix it, I think you most likely will be giving it away. Here on the east cost, for me to get $100-150 in scrap value, I’ve got to remove all fluids, engine and transmission (usually), remove the doors and glass and wheels. That’s more than $150 in work.

Too bad we are on opposite coasts because I’m parting out my white 1992 wagon... I think.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Shortsguy1 · #4 10-06-2017, 12:26 AM

Iceman-
I am sorry to read about your accident. I also have a white 87 TD and I live not far from you, so I have been interested in your future plans for your car.

One thing I noticed is that you don't have many up-close photos of the outside of your car. My car has small rust that has developed under the back window and one of the side windows. If your car has similar rust issues, that will affect its value to someone wanting to fix it up.

I didn't see what you paid for your car, but I paid $2500 for mine 3 or 4 years ago. It is fine condition. Some aspects are nicer than yours. Some aspects are worse. Nobody is going to want to spend all the time and energy repairing your car, to end up with a car which is only worth a few $K with a salvage title. Their time would have to be free and they would need access to a lot of cheap parts.

So basically, it is a parts car to most of us. That means it is probably worth $400-$800. You can obviously make more than that by parting out the car yourself, but that is a lot of work and probably not the cash-cow it might appear at first. I paid someone in SLO $800 for a running parts car with rust problems (w115, not w124 but not terribly relevant here). I took the parts that I wanted (mostly interior and the tranny) and gave the chassis and engine away. The next owner sold the engine for $1000. So basically, the engine was worth more than the parts car to the right buyer. I guess my point is, parting a car can be valuable, but it can be a big hassle. If you want to avoid that hassle, your car is sadly not worth very much.

I spend some time checking out CL ads, and there have been nice looking w124 gasser wagons with blown engines but nice exteriors/interiors which have sat for a long time with asking prices of ~$600. Your VIN is more valueable than a gasser VIN, but it is a lot easier to swap an engine than all of the body work which your car would require. I guess I mean the value of your car in its condition is not likely to be much different than what I saw sitting on local CL for months.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

iceman805 · #5 10-09-2017, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fonzi

So. You’ve got a wrecked car that YOU don’t want to fix. It looks fixable, but any buyer has to assume the engine is not going to be good for whatever reasons.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's not that I don't want to fix it, I don't have the skills, facility or time to do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shortsguy1

Iceman-
I am sorry to read about your accident. I also have a white 87 TD and I live not far from you, so I have been interested in your future plans for your car.

One thing I noticed is that you don't have many up-close photos of the outside of your car. My car has small rust that has developed under the back window and one of the side windows. If your car has similar rust issues, that will affect its value to someone wanting to fix it up.

I didn't see what you paid for your car, but I paid $2500 for mine 3 or 4 years ago. It is fine condition. Some aspects are nicer than yours. Some aspects are worse. Nobody is going to want to spend all the time and energy repairing your car, to end up with a car which is only worth a few $K with a salvage title. Their time would have to be free and they would need access to a lot of cheap parts.

So basically, it is a parts car to most of us. That means it is probably worth $400-$800. You can obviously make more than that by parting out the car yourself, but that is a lot of work and probably not the cash-cow it might appear at first. I paid someone in SLO $800 for a running parts car with rust problems (w115, not w124 but not terribly relevant here). I took the parts that I wanted (mostly interior and the tranny) and gave the chassis and engine away. The next owner sold the engine for $1000. So basically, the engine was worth more than the parts car to the right buyer. I guess my point is, parting a car can be valuable, but it can be a big hassle. If you want to avoid that hassle, your car is sadly not worth very much.

I spend some time checking out CL ads, and there have been nice looking w124 gasser wagons with blown engines but nice exteriors/interiors which have sat for a long time with asking prices of ~$600. Your VIN is more valueable than a gasser VIN, but it is a lot easier to swap an engine than all of the body work which your car would require. I guess I mean the value of your car in its condition is not likely to be much different than what I saw sitting on local CL for months.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Hey man, I apologize for not replying sooner. I actually started a response but fell asleep at the keyboard and bailed on it. TDhank you for the condolences and thank you for a fantastic reply. It's obviously not what I want to hear but I can read the honesty in what you tried to convey. So in the cold light of day it just is what it is then. I paid $7500+, was hoping for $1500 now it sounds like I'm lucky to get $1000. Ouch

I have zero problem taking pictures of a particular piece or section. I meant to take a shot of the rear hatch...it's got two spots I hadn't noticed, each about the size of the tip of a 2penny nail. The only other spot I can see is the one it came with in the middle front of the sunroof hatch but not on the sunroof at all. That is an inch wide but very narrow on the lip of the opening. I'll get pictures of it tomorrow.

The rear hatch has a pro tint job on it, I think the interior could use a few upholstery pins. Paint isn't great but it's original. FWIW, trunk lock mechanism works perfect.

If the battery I just installed earlier this year works for a 91 R129 I'm going to pull it for the new car. I'd like to pull the $500 in rubber I just put on as well but I'm not sure how I would do that other than buy really cheap tires and have them swapped out.

I'd take $1000 for it at this point, kit and kaboodle just short a battery. but pain in the ass or not, I really need to get to $1000 as my mom needs to starrt a hayperbaric treatment plan where sessions are $150 each or 10 for $1000.

Pristinge 3rd row
Excellent 2nd row
5 head rests all excellent or like new except for one that is splitting it seams but otherwise excellent.
4 brand new Michelin
Engine had zero problem prior to accident and I was able to pull over and shut down after it happened
Miscellaneous parts aside from the front right quarter panel

What parts of it are you looking to acquire? If I can't get $1000 I'm thinking of having anyone who is interested in any part of it list whatever parts they want and then I'll see if I can get as many requests filled as possible for the folks here before sending parts avaliabilty to ebay, etc...

Shortsguy1 · #6 10-10-2017, 12:23 AM

Well, one thing I can say after checking out CL for a while is that wagon prices are all over the map. Some nice TE W124 cars have as asking price of $2250 and other, similar cars have asking prices of more than double that. There are even a few 87 TDs for sale in CA right now for incredibly high prices, $10K+. So hopefully my estimate is too low and your car will be worth more than I thought. All you can do is try. Put it on CL for an asking price somewhat above $1K and hopefully someone who loves diesel wagons will bite. I would discourage you from removing the battery or changing out the tires because that will make finding a buyer even harder. But that is just my opinion.

You probably know this, but peachparts users tend to be on the frugal side. Your efforts to part the car will probably net you more $ if you sell primarily on ebay. Obviously it has its own hassles, but most of the asking prices I see for parts here are less than the same part on ebay. Good luck with everything.

iceman805 · #7 03-24-2018, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shortsguy1

Well, one thing I can say after checking out CL for a while is that wagon prices are all over the map. Some nice TE W124 cars have as asking price of $2250 and other, similar cars have asking prices of more than double that. There are even a few 87 TDs for sale in CA right now for incredibly high prices, $10K+. So hopefully my estimate is too low and your car will be worth more than I thought. All you can do is try. Put it on CL for an asking price somewhat above $1K and hopefully someone who loves diesel wagons will bite. I would discourage you from removing the battery or changing out the tires because that will make finding a buyer even harder. But that is just my opinion.

You probably know this, but peachparts users tend to be on the frugal side. Your efforts to part the car will probably net you more $ if you sell primarily on ebay. Obviously it has its own hassles, but most of the asking prices I see for parts here are less than the same part on ebay. Good luck with everything.

Belated thanks for this post! I did take your advice regarding leaving the new tires and new battery on board. Didn't have time or facility to part it out like I thought I might and boy were you on point with frugal...to the point of being rude in some cases. LOL

I just got a message as to availability on this so I'm posting to the threads it is no longer available.

I ended up clearing $7400 after the $1000 deductible and finally just let AAA take it for $650 to sell to scrapyard or whatever they do. AAA offers fair value and I highly recommend them.

vstech · #8 03-24-2018, 10:36 PM

well, THAT is a bad thing...

it's a shame members here couldn't get it from you.

I have 3, so I CERTAINLY couldn't get another, but that was a great vehicle, easy to repair with COMMON car availability parts. too bad.

Shortsguy1 · #9 03-25-2018, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

well, THAT is a bad thing...

it's a shame members here couldn't get it from you.

I have 3, so I CERTAINLY couldn't get another, but that was a great vehicle, easy to repair with COMMON car availability parts. too bad.

Well, I humbly disagree. It is sad that there is one less 300TD on the road, but I doubt there are many people on this forum who would pay $7K for an S124 with 200,000 miles which is in great condition. But in this case, the OP got $7K for a highly damaged vehicle. We are all too cheap to pay anywhere near that number, since insurance pays you based on the value of your car before the accident.

So not "too bad", but instead "well done."

PARSHOOT1 · #10 03-25-2018, 07:45 PM

Shortsguy you totally missed the point that what Vstech was making.

Iceman805 could have easily offered the car for sale here, after his very generous insurance payout of $7400, and instead he thumbs his nose at the forum members....after coming here originally for help....and sells it to AAA....who the hell does that??

Hogweed · #11 03-25-2018, 09:40 PM

i'm sure he could have got closr to a grand but the diesel market does suck right now

Quote:

Originally Posted by PARSHOOT1

Shortsguy you totally missed the point that what Vstech was making.

Iceman805 could have easily offered the car for sale here, after his very generous insurance payout of $7400, and instead he thumbs his nose at the forum members....after coming here originally for help....and sells it to AAA....who the hell does that??

400Eric · #12 03-25-2018, 10:15 PM

It's not the diesel market that sucks right now it is the market for 30 year old 200,000 mile European cars that sucks right now. Actually 30 year old 200,000 mile cars in general. I couldn't even get anybody to make an offer on my very nice 110,000 mile gas powered state maintained 92 300E back in 2016-2017 when it was only 25 years old. People either want newer cars or genuine classics. These "tweeners" go unwanted. People see them as just worthless cars, suitable only for crapcan racing.

What the OP should have done is offer it to us for that $650 and let a forum member save it. Then if there were still no takers we'd only have ourselves to blame, not him. But I'll bet at $650 he would have had plenty of takers. People like the wagons. They were chomping at the bit to get the white 87 TD that I bought a while back on this forum for $2,500. And that one had even more miles! The OP should have let us have it for that $650, not the $1,000 he was trying to get.

MB140300SD · #13 03-25-2018, 10:43 PM

Yes, I don't get that. If you are going to sell it to the crusher for $650 why not let a real enthusiast have a shot at it. Since scrap is very low right now I do find it hard to believe they gave him that much to haul it off. Its usually going to be a couple hundred at most.

Shortsguy1 · #14 03-26-2018, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PARSHOOT1

Shortsguy you totally missed the point that what Vstech was making.

Iceman805 could have easily offered the car for sale here, after his very generous insurance payout of $7400, and instead he thumbs his nose at the forum members....after coming here originally for help....and sells it to AAA....who the hell does that??

Haha. Agreed, I did misunderstand. I was focusing on the insurance payout, and not the $650 from AAA. Thanks for taking the time to clarify.

PARSHOOT1 · #15 03-26-2018, 05:42 PM

Hogweed +1

400Eric. +1

MB140300SD. +1

Shortsguy1.....I applauded you for taking your medicine. Few people ever admit they are wrong. You are a standup guy. No harm, no foul.

Iceman805. Hopefully there are some forum members with long memories........