Would anyone want to trade with me?

[TylerH860]

Sorry, I have to disagree. I've seen super clean 380SLs (considered the worst R107) bring $30,000+ at classic car auctions. Stupid, stupid money. Many of the euro models like mine are being bought up and sent back oversees.

My car has much more sentimental value to me, but I do think the 280SL and 500SL of the R107 will be very sought after.

500SL pictures by tylerh860 - Photobucket

[JPMOSE]

Good points from both of you! Jim...sounds like we have similar tastes! I have owned many Lincolns and a 64 Cont. Conv. was one of them! I love my Pagoda and enjoy driving and working on it. But, like the progression of time, it doesn't have the technology of the R107; which doesn't have the technology of the R129....and so on. When it comes to vintage cars, it's whatever makes your heart sing! I am glad for the popularity of all SL's, as the parts are more readily available! My 280SE 3.5 Cabrio has many many NLA parts. Fortunately, I have everything I need for mine....but the prices!!! A knob for the Behr A/C unit is roughly $400 each. They commonly crack with age. Fortunately, there is a reproduction that looks identical and is anodized alum. This only set me back $280 for the pair And I thought the Pagoda was bad! lol

[benzfan109]

A lot of good talk about 129's vs 107's or vice versa. I have owned a 107 Euro 280SL and a '73 450SL. After the divorce (the ex got the 280) I sold the '73 450. Both were very nice and I enjoyed them for years. In 2008 I purchased a one owner, well maintained 1990 300SL for what I thought was a very good price. I drove it for about a month, when a guy approached me about buying the car. I gave him what I thought was a high price (over $3,000 more than I paid). He showed up the next day with cash!! So much for the 300SL.

About three week ago, I bought a 1992 500SL including the hardtop (w/cart), keys, remotes, tools, owner's pouch, first aid kit and records. It has covered 75,310 miles, the paint is excellent, the softtop is like new, no damage or rust and the interior is very nice except for the driver's seat cushion. The previous owner was told the entire fuel system needed overhauling and was not willing to pay the price. He just 'wanted to get rid of the car' and was under the impression it was a 'parts' car. I paid less than $1,000 including the taxes and title. BUT, even though it ran, there were driveability problems. Yes, the early 129's are more complicated than the 107's, but the DIY'ers can still make most, if not all, needed repairs without a laptop, special software and interface cable(s) which are needed for the later 129's (and others, too). The problem with the '92 500SL turned out to be one of the two fuel pumps was stuck, starving the engine for fuel. No, I am not going to part the car, but rather enjoy it for years to come (I hope), as everything (heated seats, climate control, top, cruise control, radio, etc.) works great.

I do feel that the 129's are much more comfortable, handle better and perform better than the 107's. Build quality is also very good in the (early) 129's from what I've seen. I just turned 61 years young and really do not want to own a Benz I can't repair without having a computer, software and interface cables. My '73 450SL was 20 years old when I got it. The '92 500SL is 20 years old. Yes, technology is moving forward and to some that is a good thing. When I am 81 years young, I probably will NOT buy a 20 year old 2032 SL.

The 107 vs 129 will continue for a long, long time.

Tom

[Will_w202]

As with any classics, it seems as the younger crowd who loved a car when new reaches retirement age +/- 10 years, we see what happens to value and collectibility. The early 107s are reaching or soon to reach this era, so it will be a good test. Kind of what the market for 60s cars seems to be doing now, vs what the 50s cars were doing a decade or so ago. I'm trying to convince my uncle, whose 60 Deville would have been worth more 15-20 years ago, and now can't get rid of it for 10k, to start selling his late 60s/early 70s Vettes, because it seems to be prime time for those.

Two things are for sure, the "best of the best" (ex: the mint 380SL example) will always bring great money relative to the others, no matter what it is, and no matter what the economy, there's always a buyer with money to pay up for a true classic

[Abadjay]

Hey, I thought this might be an interesting bit, but I'd like another opinion here... even if it is somewhat biased...

Now as you may or may not know, I've been trying to trade my 300SDL for a 560SL and have been very unsuccessful in finding someone who just wants a straight trade... and I understand that. From what this forum says, it's not going to be an easy trade anyway because I'd be getting a bad 560 for this good W126 in terms of "no money on top" straight trade.... or I'd have to pay a little more to get a decent one......

The 300SDL has been with me since 2007 and got it at 165k miles. It is currently at 220k. Now this may sound biased, but I've done so much to my car to make sure that it is in the greatest condition that I can keep it in; learning from the forums, doing the necessary DIYs to prevent major breakdown, wash and wax despite a fading paint job, putting chrome wheels (my taste), clean interior despite a lightly cracked dash and driver set deterioration, and much more. I've kept it mechanically sound and I love this car and I would like to see it go to someone who loves it just as much or more. And I think I found one.

For about a month now, I've been in contact with a 560SL owner who was interested in my 300SDL. This guy bought a 560SL from the bay area. 1987, 117k miles and looks good despite hard water marks on the paint. Upon looking at his 560SL, I noticed that it is also not the most perfect car: tires don't match, front silver paint on the wheels is flaking off, no VIN number stamped to the metal above the radiator (accident?), broken headlights, missing fuses, RUST on the engine compartment (Cancer?), and no timing chain assessment... Perhaps more that I don't know. He says the carfax is clean. I did get my mechanic to look at it and he said it was a good trade and that the car runs strong and solid.

After this 560SL owner had a second opinion from a close friend, he was convinced after seeing my car a few times in the past 2 weeks that he wants $2k on top of the trade; the reason being is that they paid $7000 for the SL from the original owner.

Now I respect the guy and I don't mean to be a jerk or have a big ego, but I just felt like it was not fair for me because I believe the 300SDL outshines his 560 in these ways:
-Wheels and tires match
-VIN stamped where it needs to be
-NO RUST
-More original documentation
-Better lights (Euro)
-Better Radio system
-Better Fuel economy
-more space
-Mercedes Mechanic throughout my time driving it
-Extensive service records

The guy is a cool dude and I have nothing against him personally, it's just a matter of business. I'm not trying to inflate my head nor to demean him, but what do you think of me paying $2k on top of the trade?

[rowdie]

Missing VIN stamping means wreck as you thought. At most this is a 5K 560 because of your observation re timing chain.

[alabbasi]

I have an old 75 300D that I'm willing to trade for a Gullwing and a six pack.

[Abadjay]

Originally Posted by alabbasi

I have an old 75 300D that I'm willing to trade for a Gullwing and a six pack.

I guess you found this response rather amusing...

[Abadjay]

As you can see here, The VIN is nowhere to be found.

He claims the carfax is clean, and either he is lying, or the car has been in some non recorded accident. But this is a clear argument to lower down the $2k asking price right?

There is also some rust in the engine compartment, probably not a major issue, but it's gonna take a lot to remove all of it...

[alabbasi]

Kind of, but I don't mean ill will. I've listed a couple of my cars for sale recently and it seems like everyone wants to trade. I've been offered, boats, TV sets, motorbikes and even tatoos for cars .

With fuel prices being the way they are, you're probably better off selling your car and coming up with cash as it may be worth something to someone who thinks that they can drive for free on vegetable oil.

Then you can use the money on an SL which you can either buy in good condition for $10k that needs only a little work. Or one that's cheaper and needs more work (not a bad plan if you don't mind a bit of elbow grease)

It's unlikely that you will be able trade a good 300SDL for a good 560SL as good 560SL's for $10k or more. But there are plenty of $3k 560SL drivers that need work which you could buy and fix up at your pace.

If you're trying to break even on the deal forget it, a 560SL is not a 300SDL. Running costs are considerably higher and if you neglect one like most people neglect their diesels, it will bite you on the arse.

I would not be too concerned about the vin stamp missing from the core support. The newest 560SL is 23 years old and these things happen. Provided that the repair was done properly (check the sway bar mounts) then it's fine. Replacing the core support should certainly not total a car so the title is probably clean. Carfax will show accidents if they are recorded but they don't disclose the amount so you'll never know how severe the damage was in any case.

Check the hood with a magnet to see if it's aluminum or steel.

The problem with trades is that they are never even which is also the case here as it appears that you want his car more then he wants yours. He'll probably be more receptive to cash. Or you could continue looking.

[Abadjay]

Originally Posted by alabbasi

Kind of, but I don't mean ill will. I've listed a couple of my cars for sale recently and it seems like everyone wants to trade. I've been offered, boats, TV sets, motorbikes and even tatoos for cars .

With fuel prices being the way they are, you're probably better off selling your car and coming up with cash as it may be worth something to someone who thinks that they can drive for free on vegetable oil.

Then you can use the money on an SL which you can either buy in good condition for $10k that needs only a little work. Or one that's cheaper and needs more work (not a bad plan if you don't mind a bit of elbow grease)

It's unlikely that you will be able trade a good 300SDL for a good 560SL as good 560SL's for $10k or more. But there are plenty of $3k 560SL drivers that need work which you could buy and fix up at your pace.

If you're trying to break even on the deal forget it, a 560SL is not a 300SDL. Running costs are considerably higher and if you neglect one like most people neglect their diesels, it will bite you on the arse.

I would not be too concerned about the vin stamp missing from the core support. The newest 560SL is 23 years old and these things happen. Provided that the repair was done properly (check the sway bar mounts) then it's fine. Replacing the core support should certainly not total a car so the title is probably clean. Carfax will show accidents if they are recorded but they don't disclose the amount so you'll never know how severe the damage was in any case.

Check the hood with a magnet to see if it's aluminum or steel.

The problem with trades is that they are never even which is also the case here as it appears that you want his car more then he wants yours. He'll probably be more receptive to cash. Or you could continue looking.

Thank you so much for your response. I guess you're neutral on the subject and that's cool. I just thought it'd be nice to trade primarily because it eliminates having to work at finding the 560SL, kinda like "having it come to me" sort of thing...

It as just a little ad I put on craigslist during a really boring day in class and I never anticipated it get this far. I guess I am just disappointed a bit because it seemed like he was going to go for a straight trade up until he got a second opinion, which there's no law against clearly...

But say I do get this money and I pay him off... Worth it? or not?

BTW I loooove the elbow grease part! I really don't mind tearing in there and doing the whole timing chain embargo with the chain, rails, sprockets, etc. Makes for an interesting project.

[alabbasi]

Originally Posted by Abadjay

But say I do get this money and I pay him off... Worth it? or not?

BTW I loooove the elbow grease part! I really don't mind tearing in there and doing the whole timing chain embargo with the chain, rails, sprockets, etc. Makes for an interesting project.

I think Rowdie has given his opinion on the car and when it comes to values, he knows more then i do.

Try putting a cash wanted ad for a 560SL and see what kind of bites you get.

Originally Posted by Abadjay

BTW I loooove the elbow grease part! I really don't mind tearing in there and doing the whole timing chain embargo with the chain, rails, sprockets, etc. Makes for an interesting project.

Many parts interchange with W114's, W124's and W126's which makes things a little easier.

[Abadjay]

Hmmm I see...

Well, as for the rest of the forum, this particular case involves to 1987s, a 560SL and a 300SDL. What would you say is a ballpark price gap ASSUMING they are in very very similar condition (Tire wear, same age battery, same age oil, same paint integrity, no accidents, same wheels, same interior condition, etc.)

[alabbasi]

Apples to oranges. People buy R107's for completely different reasons to buying a diesel sedan. It's like comparing a motorbike to a pickup truck.

Ebay, NADA, KBB may give you an idea of differentials (but not necessarily prices).

[JPMOSE]

Really think you'd be better off selling your 300SDL (which I know is a pain in the ass) and purchasing a 560SL with cash. It opens up many more doors for you!

Just a heads up: When checking out a 560SL for purchase, check and see if the oil level sensor is leaking and/or if it has ever had the seal replaced. To do so requires the engine to be lifted (in order to get the lower portion of the engine removed) as the oil pan is not a separate removable part on R107 engines. It's a $1800 to $2200 job (depending who performs the work). Some have been successful sealing the oil level sensor from the outside but most attempts fail.