Parked with 8140 miles. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jorn · #1 11-13-2014, 11:17 PM

56 bids and up to almost $20K, a full on restoration must be in the six figures. Worth it?

Mercedes Benz SL Class Convertible | eBay

t walgamuth · #2 11-14-2014, 06:19 AM

apparently its is worth it to the buyer. Its just $100,000 away from being a car worth 130,000 so I reckon it might go up to 30K. 190SLs have never done it for me but lately they are on a tear and are selling in the 100+ range with full restorations. I bet that hard top is worth 5K.

MTI · #3 11-14-2014, 12:17 PM

Tom is right on with the marked appreciation on the 190SL. Underpowered, but undeniably headed for six figure status on pristine documented examples. Any buyer contemplating a restoration would have to be in for the long term.

barry12345 · #4 11-14-2014, 02:08 PM

Nothing that a complete rust free donar vehicle would help with. Actually a lot of bid withdrawals since the last post I noticed.

Somethings fishy though as who in their right mind would bid on this without a close examination first. Except for a few parts it may be worthless.

Also the claimed milage on those odometers could as easily be 100k plus the claimed milage. I used to think old bananas where ripe but this seems even more rotten. Actually a real shame if only an under ten K car.

DieselPaul · #5 11-14-2014, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

Tom is right on with the marked appreciation on the 190SL. Underpowered, but undeniably headed for six figure status on pristine documented examples. Any buyer contemplating a restoration would have to be in for the long term.

Underpowered, yeah, but if you base a cars value on its performance you probably would struggle to understand the valuation of a lot of cars. Lots of super valuable cars that drive like crap, cough, Porsche 356 and many 911s even given the jump aircooled has taken.

I would want proof of the mileage beyond some anecdotal story of someone who is obviously flipping the car. Pictures of it on the roll back? Come on, be a freaking professional.

Overseas buyers actually prefer cars this rough, to make a huge dollar car you need to do everything. If you buy a car that restored in the 80s poorly for $50,000 you still do a $100,000 resto to it, if you buy a crap car for $30,000 you still do a $100,000 resto to it. You're redoing everything, why pay extra for stuff you'll undo immediately. Also if you take the car to Poland where skilled labor is still dirty cheap, its not going to cost anywhere near $100,000 to build a $200,000 car.

I think I'm one of 3 active peachparts members I know of that actually have 190SLs as well.

The top isn't worth all that much in that shape, the tops are incredibly expensive to restore, they are around in $1,000 range in that kind of shape. The seals aren't available aftermarket and cost a fortune, and if the glass needs replaced... best of luck.

t walgamuth · #6 11-14-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselPaul

Underpowered, yeah, but if you base a cars value on its performance you probably would struggle to understand the valuation of a lot of cars. Lots of super valuable cars that drive like crap, cough, Porsche 356 and many 911s even given the jump aircooled has taken.

I would want proof of the mileage beyond some anecdotal story of someone who is obviously flipping the car. Pictures of it on the roll back? Come on, be a freaking professional.

Overseas buyers actually prefer cars this rough, to make a huge dollar car you need to do everything. If you buy a car that restored in the 80s poorly for $50,000 you still do a $100,000 resto to it, if you buy a crap car for $30,000 you still do a $100,000 resto to it. You're redoing everything, why pay extra for stuff you'll undo immediately. Also if you take the car to Poland where skilled labor is still dirty cheap, its not going to cost anywhere near $100,000 to build a $200,000 car.

I think I'm one of 3 active peachparts members I know of that actually have 190SLs as well.

The top isn't worth all that much in that shape, the tops are incredibly expensive to restore, they are around in $1,000 range in that kind of shape. The seals aren't available aftermarket and cost a fortune, and if the glass needs replaced... best of luck.

I bow to the superior authority.

I am surprised the top is only worth a grand as that is about what a top for a 99 Miata is worth, and not pristine either.

P.C. · #7 11-14-2014, 03:55 PM

It reminds me of that Camaro that they pulled out of Foss Lake last year after 40 years of immersion.

t walgamuth · #8 11-14-2014, 03:58 PM

Or the Bugatti from the lake...or the Plymouth from the time capsule?

ramonajim · #9 11-14-2014, 04:30 PM

So many haters. Look at all that added lightness!

DieselPaul · #10 11-14-2014, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I bow to the superior authority.

I am surprised the top is only worth a grand as that is about what a top for a 99 Miata is worth, and not pristine either.

I didn't mean it like that, however in a thread about a car as obscure as a 190SL at this point, its probably worth noting that I actually had one in the past year. I've worked on dozens and drove one for about two years, so I like to think my opinion or commentary is of some value.

Not all Miata's came with hardtops no? On US spec SL's almost every SL was always delivered with a hardtop. Then the cars were parted, scrapped, etc. But the rust free hard tops lived on in peoples attics and basements long after the cars died. So there are a lot more tops than cars, and most of the cars that survived, still had their tops with them. And don't you need a hardtop to run spec miata? So people seek them out. On SL's most people don't use them, and don't want them. On an SL as valuabe as a 190 people really want to see both tops, but if you're selling to someone who will use the car, they often aren't too bothered by the missing top.

I had the small window top for my '59. I much prefer the look of the large window top, but it wasn't worth the money to buy a more aesthetically pleasing top, that I'd never use, that was also inaccurate for my car.

Look at R107 hardtops, I've bought multiple for $50/ea because every single USA car came with them.

ramonajim · #11 11-14-2014, 04:49 PM

Vast majority of NA/NB Miata deliveries in the US were sans hardtop. This was a factory option that few opted for.

Good, clean factory hard tops (as opposed to the after market variants) are consistently worth $500 - $1000 depending on the local market.

DieselPaul · #12 11-14-2014, 04:52 PM

Which makes sense given the Miata price point, a hardtop represents a significant portion of the cost of the car, probably one of, if the not the most expensive option on the list no? So nearly 20 years later, with few cars originally optioned for it, many cars gone the way of the scrap yard, and cars originally optioned for it probably retaining their tops, used tops would be darn tough to find, and when the spec miata guys NEED them, they would command a price.

Given adjusted for inflation SLs have pretty much always been $40,000-$100,000, yeah just toss a hard top on there for him.

Nate Stanley · #13 11-14-2014, 06:45 PM

last month we were in Fredricksburg, Tx where we stumbled upon some sort of Mercedes roadster enthusiast meet. The whole parking lot of a small hotel was crammed with 190s and a few R107s--all of them looked from excellent to pristine..easily 3-4 million worth of cars in the same spot.

No way this will ever attain to that level of perfection without way more money than its potential worth.

t walgamuth · #14 11-14-2014, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselPaul

I didn't mean it like that, however in a thread about a car as obscure as a 190SL at this point, its probably worth noting that I actually had one in the past year. I've worked on dozens and drove one for about two years, so I like to think my opinion or commentary is of some value.

Not all Miata's came with hardtops no? On US spec SL's almost every SL was always delivered with a hardtop. Then the cars were parted, scrapped, etc. But the rust free hard tops lived on in peoples attics and basements long after the cars died. So there are a lot more tops than cars, and most of the cars that survived, still had their tops with them. And don't you need a hardtop to run spec miata? So people seek them out. On SL's most people don't use them, and don't want them. On an SL as valuabe as a 190 people really want to see both tops, but if you're selling to someone who will use the car, they often aren't too bothered by the missing top.

I had the small window top for my '59. I much prefer the look of the large window top, but it wasn't worth the money to buy a more aesthetically pleasing top, that I'd never use, that was also inaccurate for my car.

Look at R107 hardtops, I've bought multiple for $50/ea because every single USA car came with them.

No worries. I was serious and not offended. Heck I can't know everything!

And as for the Miata tops, they use them in track racing as they offer less air resistance, so there ia always a demand there.

DieselPaul · #15 11-15-2014, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate Stanley

last month we were in Fredricksburg, Tx where we stumbled upon some sort of Mercedes roadster enthusiast meet. The whole parking lot of a small hotel was crammed with 190s and a few R107s--all of them looked from excellent to pristine..easily 3-4 million worth of cars in the same spot.

No way this will ever attain to that level of perfection without way more money than its potential worth.

That's fine, send me all the leads on 190SLs you find in this condition locally. I'll worry about getting them restored.

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