Located NR '87 300SDL! Now What?

[BrierS]

I guess the question should have been, "what's it worth?"

Retired gentleman has been the owner since 1989. Has all of the records and said the upkeep went by the book. The car has 264k on it, uses/loses no oil, mostly highway miles. Everything works. His asking price is $8K and I sense he will entertain a serious offer. Okay so far . . .

He had one piston replaced approximately two years ago though MB dealership was at first telling him $9k for new engine or half that for a short-block.

So, I am trying to decide if the single piston replacement indicates a longevity problem and what if any impact should it have on what the vehicle is worth.

I have been hoping to find one with about 100k less miles than this one and had anticapated to pay upwards of this fellow's asking price if the records/maintanance level were the same as his.

I found one that fills the above description being owned by a MB dealership salesperson and he politely scoffed at my offer of $8K. Now I am thinking that I need to get some advice (reality check) from the members of this forum.

Please weigh in on price-to-value ranges for 1987 300SDL. Thanks. Steve

PS I have to chuckle. While I am spending so many hours looking, my significant other has taken a mild interest in what I am doing. Her comment as I wrestled with my search was, "maybe you're being too specific on what you're looking for." I told her that when you go to the store to buy groceries you don't stop at the hardware store and spend the money there instead of buying groceries. She replied, "you would if you thought you could get away with it." Twenty-three years of marriage and she thinks she has me figured out!

[dieseldiehard]

IMHO I would not have a 6 cyl diesel because of the engine, its less reliable than the iron head 5 cyl engines. A hint of this can be seen in one of the recent posts on Craig's List.
see http://www.craigslist.org/

Now for reality check, I hate to cross post but here you go:

Reply to: tabijan@yahoo.com
Date: 2003-08-07, 9:33PM
1987 Mercedes Benz 300SDL turbo (Diesel) -- $6500. 263K miles, gold with palomino leather, reclining rear seat option. Pretty much original except for chrome wheels and Sony CD/MP3 player. If you're worried about the cylinder head, it's been replaced. Photos at photos.yahoo.com/orosa62 in the 87 300SDL album.

and

Reply to: bay_pac@hotmail.com
Date: 2003-08-06, 10:53AM
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300SDL Sedan 4D
Engine: 6 Cyl. Turbo Diesel
Transmission: Automatic
Drive: Rear Wheel Drive
Mileage: 220,000
Beige exterior/Coco leather interior. Excellent condition, very clean. New tires. Tune up recently done. Call (510) 381-0900 my cell. Car is available to test drive in Hayward, CA 20955 Foothill Blvd. Email me at bay_pac@hotmail.com if you would like to see other pictures. $4970 o.b.o.
some pictures posted at http://www.geocities.com/foothillsale/Benzpage1.html

good luck with your search
Dieseldiehard
1971 220 (gas) 4-spd manual 104041
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 288975
1983 300D 237300
1985 300TD 205437

[jcyuhn]

It doesn't sound like an $8K car to me - too many miles. It would have to be *really* exceptional - perfect cosmetics, rebuilt drivers seat, rebuilt suspension - the kind of car that doesn't really exist - to justify that asking price. For about 8 grand, I'd be looking for under 200K miles, perhaps as much as 100K less than this car. With that much milage I'd be looking for around 5K, maybe 6K. Just wait a while - it's unlikely to go anywhere. There's a very limited pool of people willing to purchase a used car with a quarter million miles on it.

[kip Foss]

If the car is from NH or the surrounding area you might want to look at it a bit more closely. 200k in NH is like 500k in Texas. I have cousins in NH and Vermont and have driven in both states. What isn't up is down or around a courner. This kind of driving puts a strain on suspension parts and the transmission. Remember that everything in the car has 200k+ miles on it: U-joints, wheel bearings, seals, shocks, break hoses, etc. None of these items is a big deal to replace, but once one starts to go the rest are probably not far behind. And unless you are a big DIY fan the local MB dealership may become your closest friend-whether you want them to be or not.

Check www.collectorcartraderonline.com for prices.

[BrierS]

Thanks for giving the type of opinions I needed. To that end, I bought a 1987 300TD w/131,000 +/- miles today. Though it was a slight variation from the SDL I was seeking, it does fit my needs better. FYI the final price was $5,900. Of course that didn't include the hotel room, two airline tickets, meals, etc. for my wife and me to go next week to bring it home. Thanks again and I'll be posting. Steve