Thanks. I did. I simply stated that I did not think all of the email came through or asked if he did not get my questions. I did not want to seem like a jerk.


I have also found a 95' S420 for $3950, with 139K miles. Timing chain and wiring harness change is not known, BUT it has a new evaporator which seller paid $3200 to have replaced and its a nice
car! Do it?

Right on . . . .

__________________
Regards . . . . JimF
-------------------
'94 S500 Cpe

Visit my Mercedes Web Page

Oh my, there are people out there like that?

I hope thats not the case... its a shame someone out there would want to snooker someone with a car.

I know this is a total twist, but I found a local 1979 300SD I am checking out this week! Excellent conditions, NOT ONE SPECK of rust for $2900.

I did, but never got a reply. Sooooo... I asked basically the same questions from my fathers email and he said that the light went off when a new convertor was installed, but the converter "sprang a leak" and the light came back on. Converter was fixed, but there was not a machine there to turn the light off and they never went back. Hmmmm.

I want to know why he did not reply to my email? People get mad when you ask them simple questions about a car you are about to spend a few grand on?

Well then he's just lazy and doesn't want to deal with you, or he has something to hide, and you're asking too many questions.

I would just disregard that guy, there are other people that are willing to answer your questions out there.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

+1

This seller is shady. Write him off and move on. Plenty of other fish in the sea!

Thanks....

Everyone should email him and ask why the check engine light is on. Lol. J/K! Has good feedback though. I guess he thought I was too nit-picky. Well, $3500 may not be much to many people, but its a fortune to me. I cannot pay $3500 for a car, then another $2000-4000 for repairs.

If that's the case, you honestly need to stay away from W140s, and go with one of the older ones. They have less bells and whistles, but they are definitely better built.

I have owned several different Mercedes, and in my experience they are expensive cars to own. You can either pay up-front to get one in good condition, or you can pay later at the parts counter. It's pretty much one or the other.

Finding a W140 for $3500 that is perfect and needs no work, well heck, you may as well just play the lottery with those odds. That's my $0.02, take it for what it's worth.

True, but the main objective here is that the seller is obviously hiding something. I have owned several Mercedes too (74 240D, 85 380SE and 84 190D (all where excellent cars that I did not have to pay an arm/leg for) so good ones at good prices are to be found. Just have to look. I was assuming this 96' was a good one, but obviously some problems are being hidden.

Thanks for the input - perhaps I will stick with a W126. Supposed to look at a nice 300SDL this week.

You have owned some nice MB's, I liked your 380SE. But they all had commen old car problems, and you sold them. Your not going to find an old MB that doesn't have all the problems your previous ones had.


IMHO you should have kept the 380SE and fixed it up. The body and interior were nice so it was worth putting money into.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Yea, you're never going to find a perfect one...just try to find the one that has the east amount of problems.

__________________
Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

Well I would have kept the 380, but it had that engine "knock".
The 190 did not have any problems, but it was too small for me.

I am just going to find a nice W126.

I am. I am going to find a W126. I have found about 3 1988 300SEL models I am seriously considering. One is black ($2500) , one is white ($2000) and the other is gray ($2100), but the last one will have to be shipped, which is $445.

I have also found a local 86' 420SEL, but I am "scared". The lady that owns it said its too big for her. She said the title said "hurricane" on it. I asked her if it had been flooded and she said no and inside smelled fine. She said it was in a hurricane in 1988. She said she has a receipt where the engine and transmission was rebuilt not too long ago. Asking $2000, but she said to make an offer.

Well, I have found a nice 1988 300SEL I think I am going to buy for $2000. Just waiting for the VIN to run a carfax. 149K miles - so I hope the engine is OK. Its not local, so I am buying it sight-unseen!

Looks very nice in the photos. If it does not pan out, over where my uncle lives there is another 300SEL thats black and very nice looking for $2500. I may get him to check it out and bring it over.

Go to a dealer and ask to see the records they have. Most people want attempt a wiring harness job on one of those cars.
I bought a 95 S320 that has a manufacturing date from 94. It was a dealer trade. It had new evap core, new wiring harness, new springs and mounts, timing chain, etc. Then it was sold again, and it needed a new instrument cluster. and a few other repairs. I have had to put on a new water pump, fix the infamous T hose at the back of the engine, new sway bar bushings, and there is a squeak every time I'm driving slowly, and going over bumps that I still am trying to find. It started after I pegged a rabbit.
I also fixed the door closing pump. Just took the old one apart and readjusted it. It was shifting hard in a few gears, but a trans service and filter fixed that problem, an d my most recent excapade was caused by my tightening the trans oil pan too much and bending the pan out of shape. It seems I coudl straighten it. No big deal.
Oh yes, one of the ash trays was broken, as well as one of the vanity mirrors. got an ash tray from ebay. still looking for the vanity mirror.
Bumper would be the only other thing. Previous owner caught it on a stop block, and instead of replacing it for the 3rd time ( I have 3 receipts for front bumpers for this car installed at the dealership) he just cut the bottom off of it with a saber saw.

So, the extent of repairs to this car are: fix the suspension/frame creak, replace the front bumper, and replace the rear vanity mirror, and the trans oil pan (probably will be done tomorrow).

__________________
All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Too many people tip toe through life, never attempting or doing anything great, hoping to make it safely to death... Bob Proctor

'95 S320 LWB
'87 300SDL
'04 E500 wagon 4matic