500e / e500 in red ? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ugarph · #1 04-23-2003, 01:01 PM

Greetings

Ive been a long time list lurker and have been quite obsessed with diesels for about a decade. Now, it is time for some speed to enter into my life again. Ive purchased a 6.3 and am now looking for an e500/500e. Does anyone know if they were made in red / burgandy? And if so does anyone have any leads on one

Thanks in advance
Didnt know the best place for the thread sorry mods

aldedmon · #2 04-23-2003, 01:15 PM

I really don't think that the 500E/E500 was ever made in RED.

I think it came in all other colors except RED.....Then again I could be wrong....

(Warning: Viewing the attached photos could lead to but not limited to the following sicknesses: excessive compulsive disorder, Depression, Obsession and a general feeling of mental illness)

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/aldedmon/lst?.dir=/RED+500E&.view=t

As for Burgandy / Garnet Red

http://www.homestead.com/need2speed/MercedesShopGallery.html

Michael · #3 04-23-2003, 01:18 PM

Is the color of my car. Not a real popular color (judging by # of cars in this color) but I like it....however, originally it was a darker red (Navarra Red) on the bottom half of the car, and it was not that nice looking IMHO

aldedmon · #4 04-23-2003, 01:33 PM

You shoulld have seen the hideous RED(I don't know what the actual name of it was) that was on the lower cladding of this car. Rock pitting at the rear bumper reveals some of the Original color. Glad the previous owner did me the favor

Sorry for the inaccurate naming of your color. I Love that color and it was actually my first choice until I saw RED. I've been seeing RED ever since and loving every minute of it!:p

E DREAM · #5 04-23-2003, 07:01 PM

I dunno ????????? I spoke to your car's previous owner and he assured me that it came from the factory that way....................
........................... RED ................................................................

E

gsxr · #6 04-23-2003, 07:10 PM

There are also 500E's in Signal Red, also known as "fire engine red" or "ticket red" since it's really a bright red. Garnet Red (known as Almandine Red in the rest of the world) is more of a burgundy color. I really like Garnet Red, I'd love to buy an E500 in that color someday...

And yes, certain colors had slightly different shades on the lower cladding. The E-class Owner's Bible lists some of the various combos. A lot of the 94/95 models had the same paint on the cladding, which looked better (IMO). Aldedmon's car is Signal Red, AFAICT... he can always decode his VIN with the EPC and check!

Cannoli · #7 04-23-2003, 09:57 PM

Today I just received a German market MBZ brochure on the 1992 500E ... titled "Feuer und Seide" (Fire and Silk).

The red colors offered (again, in the German Market) are as follows:

"Almandinrot" (Almandin Red) MBZ Paint Code 512

"Pajettrot" (Pajett Red) MBZ Paint Code 587

(for a full listing of MBZ Paint Codes ... http://www.amcon-luxled.com/mbcar/paint.html)

If someone has a US Market brochure, don't hesitate to chime in about the 'reds' for our market.

aldedmon · #8 04-23-2003, 11:22 PM

E DREAM,
I'm by no means an expert, but I know what i see and i know what it means. There is definitely a darker flatter red on my rear bumper just aft of the wheel where the sand/rocks beat the crap out of it. Also you can notice where the (black)bumper strip bolts to the bumper cover again on the sides at the very farthest point there is some flake/chipping of the Signal Red paint. Its really no big deal to me that it was painted. I understood TPO to say that the bumper(s) and the lower cladding had beeen painted, but that the car had NOT been in any accident. That fact IS true, at least as far as I can tell.

gsxr · #9 04-23-2003, 11:47 PM

Just looked it up. From 1990-up, Signal Red (code 3540) paint had Navara Red (code 3521) trim. Garnet Red (code 3512) also had Navarra Red (code 3521) trim. Note the 2 different spellings of "Navara", I don't know which is correct - one is a typo in the book. Signal Red was discontinued for the 1994 model year, so I guess no E500's should be that color...? That's assuming Stu's info is correct, I found a bunch of other errors in the book.

Note that the code on the plate under the hood *may* be 3 numbers, not 4; I can't remember exactly... ditto for the code returned from decoding the VIN with the EPC.

#10 04-24-2003, 11:32 AM

Albert, what code is on the data plate under the hood?

aldedmon · #11 04-24-2003, 11:37 AM

I have the original window sticker and I check it last night. The color code was 568 Signal Red. What other number/code are you speaking of?

#12 04-24-2003, 06:03 PM

There is a signal red E500 in Dallas. The body cladding is painted to match the car...I believe that it was factory as the white is also body cladding matched to the car.

jcyuhn · #13 04-24-2003, 06:14 PM

Hatch and Sons is listing a signal red 1993 500E w/ cream beige interior on their website. 43K miles. I'm sure the price is steeper than Everest. Man, I'd kill for this car - always wanted a 500E, and I detest black over black.

- JimY

http://www.hatchandsons.com/pages/sales/late_model/2064

ugarph · #14 04-24-2003, 09:43 PM

That car looks awesome ! im gonna try to call and see what they are asking for it. Anyone have an approximation of its worth?

nada seems to put them at about 27k or so

thx

gsxr · #15 04-25-2003, 12:08 AM

That car, with those low miles, is probably worth mid-20's if it's in excellent condition all over. You can get 500E's with a few more miles for $17-$22k all the time though, particularly on eBay. Tired or abused ones seem to go for low/mid teens. I would not pay over ~$26-28k unless it's Concours show quality... there are still a few people out there who think theirs are worth $30-$40k but the market just doesn't support that nowadays.

Note that Signal Red is not a good color for a daily driver, or a car that will not be parked out of sunlight on a regular basis. The sun fades the red pigments badly. I had a Signal Red 300E and would not buy one again for that reason. But damn, it turned heads like nothing else I've ever owned, with the Lorinser kit and chrome Lorinser RS-90 wheels...