Should I buy a high mile 300SE?

[Mr. BILL]

I just returned from the shop that fixed my 300D. (thanks to all who replied) The guy who owns the place buys and trades MB's from customers who want a newer/different car. He has a 90 300SE that has 245K on it. He has serviced it for the last six years and the owner had anything it needed or might need done. The guy must have loved this car because it's almost like new. The body is straight,interior is clean and evrerything works.

He has this car consigned to him and the pwner would take $5000 for it. He, (the PO)bought an identical car with half the miles on it. I looked it up in the NADA book and loan value is $11400.

How does a 300SE compare to the 300SD I have? Is 240K too many miles even if it has been maintained well?

What do you all think

Mr. BILL

85 300D
84 300SD

[Benzmac]

These are tough questions because the cars are not the same. The gas engine will require a little more maintenance here and there.

It will last though.

[Oliverp]

This doesn't really answer the question, but my dad owned a '90 300se, we did 195k in the car, and the only major part we ever needed was one exhaust (and we owned the car from 30k).
As long as the history is there I think it will be OK.
But then again I know nothing about the mechanics of the cars!

Oliver

Call me suspicious, but why did the PO decide to get another with half the mileage? Does he know something you don't know? Best case, he was experiencing no trouble, but wanted to get out of it before he did.

This is very high mileage, and I would expect you could find a low mileage example easily.

My $0.02,

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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 523K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

$5,000 for a 1990 W126 with a clean body and interior? Even if the engine blows up tomorrow, the parts value would at least equal that amount. What do you have to lose?

To be safe, have a leakdown test performed on the engine and verify that the timing chain has been replaced at least once.

[This message has been edited by PaulC (edited 09-01-2000).]

That car is hard to touch under $10k. Sounds like a great deal!

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'89 420 SEL
'90 300 SEL
'68 Olds 88 Convertible
'84 300 SD (sold it)

[ctaylor738]

Just go into it knowing that the S class is the most complex electronically, and that these things don't get better with age. The parts are horrendously expensive.

But it does sound like a nice car. I would definitely drive it for a day or two and make sure that everything works, and I would get it checked by a dealer.

Did you finger-check the rotors? There's a potential $1K job.

Chuck

[Robert W. Roe]

Also make sure that the AC blows cold air. That could be $400 to $2000 to replace. If it doesn't track straight and true down the road, suspension work could cost up to $1K easily. My 84 SD with 170K took ball joints, as well as caster joints. A new trans is about $2k; so I'd see how it shifts from D to R and vice versa.

[Mr. BILL]

This got more interesting today. Turns out the PO replaced the tranny last month with a MB factory rebuild. He is buying an identical car with half the miles on it. He's a traveling salesman and I think that spooked him into wanting a lower mile (although the same age) car.

The PO is the origional owner and has all the records. I'm meeting with him Thursday. Thanks for everyones responce. I'll let you all know what I find out.

Mr. BILL

85 300D
84 300SD