280SE 4.5 Value (somewhat urgent) - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skippy · #1 06-17-2008, 07:06 PM

Well, the yard I work at recently got a 72 280DE 4.5 in. I talked with the assistant manager, and it turns out the car runs, drives, and was driven to the yard. I asked if the PO gave a reason for junking it, and he said they were some super-skinny tweaker kids, so I'm guessing they needed drug money. I need to know if this car is worth enough to be worth selling as a builder. Otherwise we'll part it out. I told him I'd check on the value of it, since I think a W108 V8 might be worth some money.

While it runs and drives, Clive (manager who drove it) said it runs a little rough and has low oil pressure, but he didn't say exactly how low. Body is straight, interior is in pretty good shape, with a small tear in the driver's seat and one scar in the otherwise nice wood trim. The shifter knob is missing, but the side pockets for the front doors are still there. I don't know if the power windows or AC work. Exterior is white and interior is tan, if that makes a difference. I'd like to have a value for the car before I go to work tomorrow, since it's already in the degarbage area and we'll proceed to processing it for the yard if I can't convince the boss to build it.

n6mod · #2 06-17-2008, 07:51 PM

What's the 'right' answer? Recent history on eBay has a very nice one selling for $9k, another with a $10k buy it now, and a decent driver that's already up to $3600 with most of a week left.

It sounds like it's worth saving to me...

Skippy · #3 06-17-2008, 08:02 PM

Based on the condition code on the car, I'm thinking the basic builder price for the car would be around $900. If I can convince Clive that he can get that, then we have a builder.

n6mod · #4 06-17-2008, 08:26 PM

I just paid $800 for a 4spd 250S that needs a head gasket...before shipping from Dayton to the bay area. I'd like to think you can get $900 for a 4.5 pretty easily. (But not from me...not right now...I have nowhere to put it...really...)

-Z

bwostosh · #5 06-17-2008, 10:04 PM

What will the title say?
if it leaves the yard.

Skippy · #6 06-17-2008, 10:24 PM

It would be sold with a salvage title. A car cannot be registered and legally driven in the state of Nevada on a salvage title. However, a vehicle with a rebuilt title is registered and treated the same as a regular title. To convert a salvage title to a rebuilt, all you have to do is have a shop do a safety inspection (I priced these in Carson City and they ran from $25-50) followed by a VIN inspection at the DMV (free).

I recently went through this process with my 250 and it was a lot less painfull than I was expecting. I finally got my rebuilt title in the mail today. It looks just like a regular title, only the block for "brands" has the word "Rebuilt" instead of being blank.

nhdoc · #7 06-18-2008, 07:43 AM

The bottom line on a W108 is rust. If the car is rust free then it is probably worth saving. If there is any rust in the rockers or fenders then forget it. Just being from the southwest is no guarantee it won't have rust.

A car that gets 12 MPG in an economy with $4.50 premium gas is not going to fly off the lot. If it really has low oil pressure then that could spell major mechanical issues. Basically, if it runs and has no rust then I'd say it is worth $500-$1000 as a project. You can buy a pretty nice driver for around $2500-$3000 with a 6 cylinder engine today so to spend more than $1000 on it is silly. I had a perfect example of a 280SEL 4.5, everything worked, rust free, a real beauty and it took me a year to sell for $6500. And that was with the highly desired color combination (midnight blue over palimino). Also, that was when gas was only $3 a gallon. I'd bet that car would only bring $5K today.

Skippy · #8 06-18-2008, 07:18 PM

I told the boss about the values I found on ebay and craigslist, and it's now a builder (for sale in other words). I finally heard it run today. It's running rich but pretty smooth. The oil pressure on a cold start was about 40 psi, which is less than I'd like to see, but not terrible. We don't have a price on it yet, but I'm estimating from the condition code (a measure of corprate's guess at the number of parts we could sell off it if we parted it) that it will be in the 900 dollar range.

lee polowczuk · #9 06-18-2008, 07:25 PM

5-600

Skippy · #10 06-18-2008, 08:14 PM

Unfortunately, corporate doesn't let us go that low anymore.

Blue 72 250 · #11 06-19-2008, 10:02 AM

not when there is $600 in meltable steel!

Skippy · #12 06-19-2008, 07:21 PM

The funny thing there is that at current prices, there's probably about $250 worth of steel in it. The aluminum and copper are worth a bit too, but I don't think the whole scrap value is over 400.

Anyway, I drove it today. Even though it doesn't run right, it's still fast when you get on it. Brakes are quite nice.

hill · #13 06-20-2008, 04:25 PM

Sell the rear end on EBAy. Part out the rest on the Mercedes sites, then crush.

Skippy · #14 08-12-2008, 10:49 PM

We got the title recently and the car went on builder row. Management hadn't settled on an asking price at lunch time today and I referred them to this thread. I forgot to ask what they decided on before I left today. I will ask tomorrow. The boss was also talking about listing it on craigslist.

Edit: $849+tax