73 280SEL Price Advice Please

Hello, I now have a 71 superbeetle convertible i'll never get rid of but after being in an accident on the freeway realize i wanted a safer, bigger car for the freeway .I'm considering purchasing a beautiful, clean 73 Mercedes SEL from my mechanic who works on Mercedes...It has 96,000 original miles is a 4.5 v8 engine...and he says in perfect shape...sunroof, gold...etc....I know they get bad mileage (10-14??) but i'm thinking i'll use the mercedes for freeway driving etc and my vw for short trips around town....My mechanic said he'd sell it to me for $6500...Prices seem to really vary with this car...I know its a Beautiful Mercedes but it is over 20 years old....Can anyone give me an idea of what they think a fair price would be for this....Gold, beautiful, leather interior, sunroof, power steering, Mechanically souud, 4.5 v8 engine 96,000 original miles...ANd input would be much appreciated...I KNOW nothing about cars...but when i get them i get attached...I've owned the same car for 25 years....THANK YOU, THANK YOU

It's a good thing you didn't call Click and Clack at Car Talk! Jane, in my opinion, this vintage car is for the hobbyist only. Most people do not use them for daily drivers, though there are a few exceptions. Sounds like a good car, but $6500 seems a little high to me. For this price, I would expect every thing to work and look like new....wood, clock, tires, suspension, A/C, etc. You need a professional appraisal and be prepared to spend big bucks on the upkeep. My advice to you is to buy a used 1985 300D with 150,000 miles. It will be more reliable, cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain, cheaper to drive, and provide even better safety. If you have the bucks, buy both, the 300D as a daily driver and the 280 as your Sunday driver! If you decline the purchase, why don't you have the owner put a post on this site?

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Tom Drew]

I think an important question to ask yourself is if you are willing to commit both the time and money to owning and driving a 25+ year old Mercedes on a daily basis. As one who owns both a '70 air-cooled VW and a '72 280SE 4.5 I can tell you there is a world of difference between the two. Bottom line: Keeping the 280SEL maintained so that it is safe & reliable on a daily basis is expensive to a degree that you cannot imagine compared to the VW!
Having said that, they are wonderful cars deserving of our love and devotion. If you truly have a Jones for this car, know going into it that it is not a question of if, but when you will have to put some serious money towards it.

[cth350]

For 6,500$, the car had best be PERFECT.
With the car on a lift, look at the underside. Any imperfections, any holes in the floor or the frame and divide the price by 5.

The EFI system should be perfect. The timing chain should be perfect. The interior should be pristine, the woodwork should look like new dining room furniture. The paint should be pristine. The rubber around the windshield should look new. The sealing strips on the doors should be black and not threadbare.

ONCE you've ascertained this. Are you prepared to keep it all perfect? AND, is the level of fussiness required to do so worth the 6,500$?

If the answer to that question is no, budget 3,000$ for a not-so perfect one and enjoy. Besides, if you can handle a super-beetle, enjoy life and spend all that money on a 111 coupe. They are much sexier, will be worth far more and every bit as big as a 280se sedan.

-CTH

[TN-W124 Diesel]

Check the prices on Ebay, Hemmings Motor News, NADA, Autotrader, and see what the prices are.Justremember we all cant stand in line at the auction house and buy cars at book price. I paid $5300.00 for a 1983 300D Turbo 150000miles,that is more than book price but thats what they go for in Atlanta. So my answer if the price is somewher near the other prices of these models and you like it ...go for it you will be the one driving it..but get it checked out before you do..Good Luck!

Hey, tell us whether you bought the car or chickened out.

If there's anything major wrong, you are going to spend tonnes of money getting it right.

However, for what it's worth, it seems to me that most of the 300SEL 6.3 owners are using their cars as daily drivers after finally getting them on the road. Once you get them sorted out, and if you are prepared for the expensive normal maintenance, they're actually very reliable little beasties.

If they can keep their M-100's on the road every day, reliably, I'd think it'd be an easier matter to keep a 4.5 on the road.

[ctaylor738]

There are 27 for sale on http://www.traderonline.com ranging from "take it off my hands" to $9000, so the asking price is not out of line for a pristine car. Heed the comments, though. It is not a great daily driver for a first-time Mercedes owner.

They are great cars without a doubt. Good luck

Hello....After doing research etc. getting opionins IT SEEMS the sensible thing to do is forget about the 73 280 SEL and focus on a Mid-eights 300D...The diesels get better mileage etc...SO i went and looked at a 300 D yesterday...Nice car etc...THEN went BACk to where the Gold 280 SEL was parked (fell in love)...I know, there is NO comparison in Style...Am i crazy to still want this car...It has 96,000 miles on it...He'd sell it to me for $6500...If i could get it for $5500 do you think it OK??? I know the gas is high...but i could tool around town in my bug for errand stuff and the use the 280sel for the freeways...Do you think if it was in good shape it would take me to LA and Back to SF without Problems?...And are tune-ups etc about the same on both cars??....THANKS MUCH....Miss don't know what to do...Jane

[cth350]

The price is commensurate with quality. Again, check out the underside and make sure that it looks darned perfect. If not, consider that the price should be closer to 3,000. The same holds true if the paint isn't perfect either.

There are plenty of mouth watering 108 & 109 vehicles out there.

Also, for that kind of money, check out the 111 coupe. It too is to die for.

Where I am, the weather is poor. A plesant vacation in Alabama, Arizona or So Cal would be nice for the soul, especially if I spent it hunting down a great car to spend money on.

We're not saying don't spend the money, just to spend it on something worth it.

-CTH

[Larry Delor]

There is almost no such thing with a 300D. There are no spark plugs, so there for no distributor, no plug wires...actually there is no ignition system period. There are glowplugs, but they can last a lot longer than sparkplugs, and usually do. I suppose an oilchange, and a bottle of Redline diesel fuel catalyst, along with the occasional air filter, would qualify as a tune up. Now on a W108...there is the entire ignition system, plus there is the valve adjustment every 15k, then there is the chassis lube every 5k (or less), and god forbid you need new doorseals...they are $100 a door.

Price advice? It depends on how bad you want it.
Besides, you really ought to take both of them for a test drive...not just each one, but if you can find others like it, drive them too. then you'll be better able to make comparisons as to what you are getting for your dollars.

Got any pics of the car?

-Larry

Jane,

I own '86 and '87 300SDLs - daily drivers. The '86 is for sale, actually. There are alot of good thoughts before this - tuneups are not the same, but if you buy one with rust or other problems, it can be a nightmare.

Basically, it depends on two things - your definition of "love" as far as the car and your love of your money.

Be careful...call Tom Hanson at 800.252.6877 - he is in L.A. and knows alot about the value of cars.

I would suggest a 1986 to 1989 300SD ('86 and after have six cylinder diesel engine and no manual valve adjustments every 15k miles).

Good luck.