It's for sale, haven't looked at it good but looks very clean and has 135K miles or thereabouts. Tan with tan interior. What would be a steal, price-wise? It was owned (one owner I believe) by the director of a local charity (like the Salvation Army) and he donated it to them and they have a "make offer" sign in the window. I have a 1990 300E with the 103 engine but don't know how these two stack up. How would you folks rate the 2.8?
Thanks for the input.
Chuck.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

$3K is the going rate for that year in good condition.

Things to watch out for with that mileage in order of expense + labor:

Head gasket ($1500-$2000 if head machining is involved)
A/C Evaporator ($1800)
Coolant Pump ($750)
Engine Harness ($600)
Radiator neck ($300)

Hopefully, many (if not all) have already been taken care of.

Good Luck!

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Thanks for the insight G-Benz. I think I'll swing by and make them a ridiculous offer just in case. It was sitting out there 6 months ago for $5000 but now has reappeared for "Make offer".
What are your thoughts about this engine vs. the 3.0 in my 1990. If I get this car I'll only keep one of them so if this is a superior piece I might choose to sell my 1990. I do like my Dark grey/grey car though. This '93 is nice but it's bland, color-wise.
Chuck.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

There is no steal price without determining whether the car has records, and has had the biggies replaced already. Even at free, you could end up with thousands to fix things like the inevitable head gasket, wiring harness (a problem your '90 doesn't have), A/C issues, water pump, belt tensioner etc. I don't know that the evaporator is all that common, but I can guarantee the A/C compressor will be at some point.

The three 300E's I have purchased all had some major work receipts in or around 80 to 110K. Also I don't really see the attraction in less power. But then again I don't know if the 2.8 is the M104 engine.

Steve

The 300E 2.8 has the same M104 engine found in the C280 from 1994-1997.

It has more hp and torque compared to the 300E, but I don't know how noticeable the power difference is.

If it has the same rear end as the 1993 300E (3.2) / 1994-1995 E320, then it would have a higher 4th gear ratio, thus lower rpm's when cruising on the highway, resulting in better gas mileage.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

It's a no-go. The actual mileage was 149K (not really a problem) and the car is cosmetically very nice. It started fair and hunted for idle speed for a bit but when warm the engine had good power. However.....No a/c (the guy guessed evaporator), brakes had to be "pumped" to feel firm, needed motor mounts, tires were bad and gave the car a wobbly feel and overall didn't drive nearly as well as the one I already have. Also, it was for sale on a make offer basis and they had already turned down $1800. After I drove it another guy drove it and offered $2000. Not for me. I already overpaid and worked on mine enough that I don't want another millwheel tied to my wallet.
Thanks for all the advice.
Chuck.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

I can only speak from own experience regarding my 1992 300E with 112,000 miles when I bought it in August 2005. The car appeared to be Cherry. The old guy selling it swore it was a "reliable and an excellent car". I failed to take it to an MB mechanic to go over it with a fine toothed comb. My bad.
Since then I have spent over $7000 on the car doing the following repairs over the last year and a half....it's starting to hurt:
New rebuilt Transmission, torque converter, flex disk replacement
New radiator
New coil
Complete Valve job
Complete fuel injector replacement job
Replaced driver's side power window motor
Replaced Becker 1432 Tuner...Twice (DIY)
Replaced Power antenna (DIY)
Replaced Overload Relay (DIY)
Replaced battery and battery tray (DIY)
Complete front and rear brake job
Replaced Oil Pressure Sending Unit
There's more but I can't think of it right now.
Why have I done all of this work? Because I love the car and my wife loves the car. And despite the expense I have incurred, I am still into the car for only about $12,000.

Now the "Pros"

It's a Mercedes Benz and it drives and handles like a dream
This 300E was $52,000 when it was new...that's a lot of car buddy
It's a beautiful automobile to look at because...well, it's a Mercedes Benz.
There is not a spot of rust on this car, anywhere. German Steel baby.

I have thought about trading it in and I actually made it the dealer who would only give me $2200 on the trade. At least you know what you're dealing with, right? But even trying to sell it on the street myself, I would only get about $5000 MAX for it. I'm upside down now.

Be prepared to spend about $10,000 on the car in repairs. If you aren't prepared for that kind of downside, buy a Camry or Accord.
To be honest with you...in hindsight, I wish that I had for one reason....
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT PROBLEMS ARE LURKING BENEATH THE HOOD JUST WAITING TO SUCK UP MORE OF MY HARD EARNED MONEY.

If I could do all of the work myself in my own garage...I would, but I can't.
Good luck. Caveat emptor.