To Buy or Not To Buy

[Bob S.]

I have an unusual situation to purchase a 1989 560SEC for $ 8300. Although the price is cheap the car was found by me in a local paper at a salvage yard. According to the yard the car ended up there because of odometer tampering. It shows about 75k but I did a carfax report and it is closer to 140k. It was repainted and there are no service records. I do have a deposit and must make up my mind soon. I always wanted this car but I heard from many that this car can be a nightmare to maintain especially if there are no records. Help !! Thanks to all ! BTW it looks great and runs well but...

[300EVIL]

sounds like a good deal to me. especially for an 89! my parents buy "only" Mercedes at auctions every week. that would be a good auction price even if it did need a little work.
good luck,
adam

[500sec]

it is a good buy.however it will never make any money when you try to sell it.that is a great car to drive enjoy and keep forever if you wanted to

[300EVIL]

never make money! huh! sell it on ebay. you will make money.

[500sec]

E-BAY eill stop auctioning cars soon.there are a lot of shady people selling cars there

[300EVIL]

where did you here that from??? i am very intertested in your sorce? by the way. its the buyers responsibility to do research on the car before committing. anyone with brains would!

[DuckMuck]

Bob S.,

I think a 560SEC for that price is a steal, but as you already know, the car has been repainted and there has been odometer tampering, so don't expect this vehicle to have a wonderful resale value. However, if you plan to simply keep this car, and restore it back to its original condition, and enjoy it for yourself, I think it would be a good investment.

[Bob S.]

Thanks to all who have answered my question. I definitely want the car to keep but knowing me I will get the itch for something else and would want to sell. Can anybody tell me what kind of service is required at this mileage (140k). I can also tell that the trunk carpet was wet and was told by others that it is most probably the window seal along the bottom which may need to be replaced. Also I was told that the timing chain should be changed as well. I thought a metal timing chain doesnt really need to be changed. I am leaning towards backing out of the deal and sticking to an E Class car instead. Any interested parties out there ? Please let me know asap. Thanks again !

I personally feel that you will be better off in the long run to pay a little more and spend the time to find a nice well cared for example of this car. A repainted car will never be what an S Class is supposed to be.

Good luck,

[JohninFla]

I agree with Larry. You will spend money hand over fist, making an abused/neglected car nice. I drive a 1989 560SEL, and it is a nice one, but I have spent well over $2000 in parts to bring it to great condition.
Consider:
any ticking in the rockers? new rockers arms are $20 each, and the hydraulic compensators are up there too. Plus the tool to pull the rocker arms costs money.
timing chain, cam sprockets and rail replacement - $800 -$1200 at shop
front end work? could run $1000 easily at a shop, replacing everything and then align.
Rear suspension - accumulators, any leaks in hydraulic lines, etc. (fluid is $24 a liter!!)
A/C repairs - don't ask! check the high pressure hoses off the compressor for oily residue. The dual hose off the compressor is $350 itself I think! Then add 3 lbs of R12, unless you want to convert it. evaporator repair is a big dollar item, although not common in that car.
brakes - $45 - 50 a rotor, and pads are fairly reasonable. But if you pay someone to do it, expect to spend real money.
heat - monovalve repair kit <$20. installation - $??
exhaust - Is there rust there? I do not consider rust, as most of the cars here are clean. (I am spoiled by never breaking loose a rusted bolt in Florida) the exhaust system is a big item to replace if rusted.
Sunroof repairs - bridge angle kit is cheap - $200 I think? never did it myself. but again a shop will charge you to do it.
Belts, hoses, new fluids, misc things you will have to do right away. I guessed about $200 on mine.
Dumb question - do you own metric tools? add some dollars for that. Then remember to research the special tools for jobs like the timing chain and rocker arms.

$8300 sounds like a deal for a 560SEC. Keep in mind, MBenz cars SELDOM end up in junkyards....
If you can fix things, great, but if not, be cautious! It adds up fast!
Good luck and have fun!

[500sec]

adam you are 100% correct it is the buyers responsibilty to check out a potential purchase.problem is most people donot or don't know how too.i work for a used car dealer.I drive my car with a dealer plate people see that and they start talking to me.I have looked at quit a few e-bay purchased cars and they r not what they were reped to be.if i am wrong so be it.....if so i have a couple of cars to put on e-bay
just my .02c
james