1972 300SEL For Sale in Sweetwater, Texas
 

Hello Peaches,

AudiHenry started a thread discussing the value of a crippled W108 he found. Someone mentioned a car for sale in Sweetwater, Texas so we all went to look and started discussing the car. I thought it would be helpful to members of the Forum to start a new thread instead of hijacking Henry's discussion. This is the link to the car being discussed.

http://sections.mbca.org/northtexas//MBCA_North_Texas/Der_Marktplatz.html

I emailed the owner. I am always in the market for a good deal on a vintage Mercedes. The asking price is $12,500 or best offer. Which puts it beyond my definition of good deal for this car. There are cars that would be a good deal for $12,500; but let me explain why I think this one is over priced.

The owner sent me this description with the price:

Quote:

This is a 1972 Mercedes Benz. It has been really taken care of with little cosmetic things done that I can see. Last owner had seats dyed dark blue. Also part of the clear coat is beginning to peel around the back antenna. I have had motor work done since the car had been stored in temperature controlled environment prior to my buying it. I bought it as a school car for my daughter who is a senior this year, but it was too "old school" for her to manage. So I have driven it to work and it stays in my garage when not driven. I am asking $12,500 or best offer. If you need more information or pictures (I am attaching a couple) please let me know. I am located in Sweetwater TX.

End Quote (phone number omitted)


http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...8&d=1287443036


The suspension looks flat up front. The springs or shocks or something looks wrong. I don't believe Bundt wheels were original on a 1972 car. I like Bundt wheels, but they don't look vintage to me.

The odometer in the MBCA ad shows 6606 miles. The ad has a photo showing the odometer at 6606 miles.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...9&d=1287443054

Here is a different photo taken at a different time and place with identical mileage: 6606 miles. The odometer probably is not working.

The lady says the seats have been dyed a dark blue. That means they are not original color. Since she is wrong about some other facts about the car, she could be wrong about them being dyed. They could be seats from another W108/109 or they could be new seat covers in dark blue instead of the correct color DB345.

She says the clear coat is peeling around the antenna. Mercedes Benz was still using single stage paint in 1972 which did not get a clear coat. So the car was painted at some point. The car is being advertised as a garage queen, why was it painted? The picture of the odometer above shows cracks in the dash board's finish; another problem I would not expect on a 6606 mile car that has rarely seen sunshine.

She says she had motor work done. That scares me most of all. She does not say what prompted the work or who did the work or what was done. If she said it had a fresh oil change and spark plugs that would be different.

Am I being too picky? The paint is not original, the wheels are not original, the interior is not original, and someone has done "motor work" on a car with less than 7,000 miles?

What do you think??

I think at least 107K.

If the back seat is black and the front seat is blue, then this is for sure to be Cliff's car. Unfortunately Clifford passed away a year or two back. But you can view his posts by searching this and the mbca forum by user "texasstarman1".

I met him once and talked to him many times. He was an enthusiast.

I agree with you, Jeffrey. It looks like this car has had more miles and will require more work than is being let on by the seller, whether intentionally or otherwise.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...7&d=1287455227This is the back seat...

what a great read, thanks!

There are a lot of discrepancies with the car, sight unseen. The bundt wheels, multi-color interior, flat front suspension, and the obviously false claims of "only 6600 miles" - with the very weathered engine compartment, non-original paint, right down to it's color shade adds to it's diminished value.

Were I looking for a car of this type, I would not want to give this person even $5K, sight unseen. I don't see a car in this condition for sale basically in the middle-of-nowhere, as being worth very much. It's a shame it's got a sordid start to getting a new owner with all of those discrepancies. A real shame to see a former MB flagship without papers or a true history in this stated condition - especially with an asking price of $12,500.00....

Anyone else notice the driver door? It looks to be of a different color/shade.

No, not yet but I'll look. Now I see it.

I noticed an uneven look to the left side of the car's body/color shading. But with everything else working against a car of this price in that condition - didn't want to pile-on, if you will.

Anybody notice the right rear door's interior doesn't look original blue?

Are you going to try to buy this car?

I can easily see another $10K+ needing to go into this car after buying it. Coupled with the owner's sketchy information at best - it does not exude a stately quality about itself.

Yep, that's Cliff's car. I had a 280SEL 4.5 which had blue interior from a 300SEL, so we discussed many times about doing a trade on the back seat but it never happened.

It was well taken care of during his ownership. If you look up the Texas thread on the good mb shops section, I think he mentions where he got his work done. Any serious buyer should contact the shop in order to determine work history.

Wow! This guy died really young. Very few posts, but he previously had owned several different MBs!

I think that he spent most of his time on the MBCA forum and on mblist which is where I first got talking to him.

He was a truck driver and probably one MBCA's biggest champions.

http://alabbasi.com/backup/DSCF1198.jpg

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1564477...94021/name/n_a

maybe for the right price someone can buy this car one day and keep it on the road

I remember the guy now, vaguely - the trucking deal anyway.

The car obviously saw better condition days in the past.

If the seller had any smarts they would start the car up and get the air bags inflated for their picture.

I agree the price is too high but it still looks like a good honest car worth having as a driver to love and appreciate.

Not a show car but hey! that's ok too.

Cars are for driving.