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  #16  
Old 08-09-2002, 07:11 PM
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Location: Hollywood Hills, CA
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hey ebay has insurance and protection against fraudulent car sellers online...
did you or can you check into that as far as getting compensation?

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~there is no spoon~

1984 300CD Turbo Diesel (soon to be "powered by VEGGIE") - dolphin silver

1999 e430 Sport blk/blk, my sexy ***** ;-)

(my other girls)
1992 300CE 24V 3.0L (w124) (R.I.P. "she was killed 7/12/03 by some ricer kids speeding in a honda accord")
1990 Acura Integra RS (w/94' engine)
1966 Cadillac Sedan de Ville (Hardtop)
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  #17  
Old 08-09-2002, 07:45 PM
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AS far as i know ,you can give the seller a bad refrence.Besides after reading all of these threads,i knew that buying a car with 165,000 mi. it would need all of the usual repairs done.The car was running great,i am just restoring it.

Last edited by 420benz; 08-09-2002 at 07:52 PM.
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  #18  
Old 08-09-2002, 08:17 PM
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Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
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It took me 2 years to find my car, but only because I was not ready to buy when I started looking, but if I had found one that was in my pricerange during that time, I would have bought it. Finally it was time and I got my car.

ALon
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  #19  
Old 08-09-2002, 08:24 PM
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Location: Hollywood Hills, CA
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Talking

same here...

my only regret in getting my benzie is...

though mechanically sound and wonderful to drive....
why oh why do i keep spending all my money on customizing this and modifying that and this and that
ugh
lol
D i'm pretty sure a bunch of you's share my lament of "why"....

maybe the answer is because i love it...
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~there is no spoon~

1984 300CD Turbo Diesel (soon to be "powered by VEGGIE") - dolphin silver

1999 e430 Sport blk/blk, my sexy ***** ;-)

(my other girls)
1992 300CE 24V 3.0L (w124) (R.I.P. "she was killed 7/12/03 by some ricer kids speeding in a honda accord")
1990 Acura Integra RS (w/94' engine)
1966 Cadillac Sedan de Ville (Hardtop)
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  #20  
Old 08-09-2002, 09:06 PM
Provo Spain?
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 656
Red face

I think the average person's idea of what "good" or "excellent" is totally different than what people like us would think. I have seen ads that say "perfect" or "excellent" and gotten to the automobile and seen bald tires, oil under the car, doors that wouldn't open, AC that doesn't work... you name it. I really like when I ask all these questions before coming out, get an answer and then see the truth once I get there.

When I sell cars I try to be as upfront and honest about every little detail of the car. I am sure I have not sold cars before because of this. I have told people about oil leaks from valve cover gaskets, or things I may think aren't that big a deal and they seemed to loose interest. I would still rather be as honest as possible then have somebody think they have been misled.

People don't generally maintain cars. They drive them until something goes wrong then take it to a shop and cross their fingers. They think that is taking care of a car; replacing a part or two when it goes out. I had a friend once who's timing belt went out on him. It did some other damage to other things too (I don't remember what) and he was bellyaching about paying for the work. I said nicely, "You should pay attention to those timing belt intervals and you could keep the car maintained so it's not costing you so much money when it goes." He looked at me and said, "What do you think I'm doing now?" He thought he was maintaining it! So somebody could change the oil every 7k, and while it's in Jiffy Lube accept the upsell of extra coolant or an air filter and think that's maintenance.

I'd say most cars I go to look at are in pretty poor shape overall. But I’m holding it to a completely different standard then they are..
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1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
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  #21  
Old 08-09-2002, 10:08 PM
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Then the other side of the coin is,

You ignore what the seller describes, and look at the car with a "what can I see" attitude. This is what you use if you have the ability to repair/replace/maintain at home. You look past the dirt, dents or mechanical faults and assess whether or not it is within your ability to revive. Salvage yard shopping is much easier this way, because you have a disinterested seller rather than the person who ran in into the ground.

It isn't the easiest thing to spot a diamond in the rough, and most of us learn by experience only. Chipping away the rough to find the diamond isn't everyone's cup of tea, and sometimes you miss a flaw that can ruin the diamond.
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'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
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  #22  
Old 08-09-2002, 10:28 PM
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...oh,you lucky man.......you do realize that,right?...

i think the first thing all of us think about when we read your plight is that we'd love to be in your shoes--i know i would!i remember when i decided to get mine.i knew i'd get one someday but when GOD spoke to me my quest started in earnest.i was prepared to look for a minimum 6 mos!well,the worst thing that could happen happened--i found my dream car inside of a month.darn!!do i let this car go knowing i may not find another example like it and keep looking and enjoying all these fine examples of engineering or do i grab it and stop looking(in truth i don't think ANY of us ever stop looking!).well,i took it and i'm glad i did but i wish iwas in your shoes as well.enjoy the ride but be prepared to wait.it really will be worth it.good luck
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  #23  
Old 08-09-2002, 11:42 PM
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Excellent condition= "It didn't need any repairs this week."
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  #24  
Old 08-09-2002, 11:43 PM
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Well, if I am going to be suffering, I'm glad it's not alone. Nothing worth having is not worth some trials for. Unfortunately, I'm a bit under the gun. I really need to find something soom or I'll be looking in a completely different and not at all happy direction - Nissan or Honda. When I searched for my 944 it took me on and off for 2 years. But, I was being far more particular about that than the MB. I'm open to gas or diesel, 2-4 door, and many years. But, I'm also a stickler for records. So far, I've found only one with records. I did see one that said he had all the records of dealer maintenance. Believe it or not, his idea of "dealer maintained" was getting the oil changes done at the MB dealership! Honest to God! That's ALL he had records for.
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  #25  
Old 08-10-2002, 01:11 AM
AV AV is offline
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Perfect Benz!

Hi Ron
Its a pity you are not in Canada as i have a near showroom condition/Maintained and loved 300e 1988 that i may be persuaded to sell.I am drooling towards a E320 and can be persuaded at the right price to part with it.
Mind you your dollar will go to $1.50 canadian and thats a 50% bonus already.
Honestly keep on looking and you will find one ,i did and sometimes i think its better than new and you dont mind spending a bit extra for a gem!
Good luck and keep us posted.
Av
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88 300E/Debadged and Monotoned
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  #26  
Old 08-10-2002, 07:02 AM
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Where are you located Ron?
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  #27  
Old 08-10-2002, 07:45 AM
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Location: Monroeville, NJ
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I related my story of buying two M-B's on e-bay several months ago. After owning both for several months, I can honestly say that neither buyer concealed any major problems. HOWEVER, as we all know, "the devil is in the details", and trying to get the cars into the kind of shape I need them to be in has been a journey itself. Between this forum, cheap parts on e-bay, and mostly doing my own work, they're getting there. And no matter how frustrated I get, sometimes, I always try to remember what the cars started out to be, and how they were engineered and built with little compromise.

I know I'll probably never get out all of the money I've put in these cars, but the enjoyment I've gotten in "bringing them back", coupled with their wonderful road manners, has been worth it.

(By the way, as so many of my friends have reminded me, I'm not married, and probably couldn't spend all this money and time if I were!).
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1986 560SEC: 150,000 miles, runs great, but I've got to sell it (too many cars for one man)
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  #28  
Old 08-10-2002, 08:39 AM
1992300e
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buying cars

Well as you can see from my signature I have a serious car buying issue. However, other than the benz and the SVX and the wife's car none of these autos have been a big drain on the wallet. For example the 87 nissan was purchased two weeks ago at auction for $25 big ones. Runs and drives perfect, ice cold ac, 194,000 miles. A little frame rot (both rear sections of unibody) but then no car is perfect.

Anyway, I think the chill of the chase beats the thrill of the kill anyday. Love car shopping. Besides, everytime you buy, that pefect deal comes along the next day.

Gotta go, brother is coming over and we are heading out to the auction. I got $100 burning a whole in my pocket.

Joel
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  #29  
Old 08-11-2002, 05:18 PM
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I bought mine in Florida in the hopes of getting a nice rust-free car -- I got a one-way airline ticket on vacation with the plan to drive back. Man, what a stupid idea.

I ended up spending nearly the entire 3 weeks doing nothing but driving all over looking at "excellent" cars at both dealers and private parties. Easily 30 cars.

With 2 days to go, I finally found the "one", ah... that's what they are supposed to look like! Unfortunately the seller could read the desperation in my eyes and I paid about $1500 more than I probably would have had to (found it via an eBay auction, of all places, and I bought it out early), but by then I was more than happy to do it.
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  #30  
Old 08-11-2002, 05:58 PM
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ENGATWORK

Sorry for taking so long to reply to your question. I'm on Long Island, NY.

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