Oh Bother! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skippy · #1 11-13-2011, 08:40 PM

I have a W114 250 in driveable (but not much better) condition that I've been trying to sell for the last three years. I got a call on it today after dropping the asking price down to $600 several weeks ago. The thing is, I've been driving it a lot lately and I'm starting to get attached to it. I kind of don't want to sell it anymore, but maybe I should.

Things right with it:

Runs and drives, transmission rebuilt this year and almost works right. With a little more vacuum modulator tuning I think I could get it shifting the way I want.

Good brakes, steering is still pretty tight (at least compared to my 315,000 mile 123), new front shocks a couple years ago.

Hole in the muffler, getting bigger all the time. Sounds nice to me.

Exterior lights, windshield wipers, and horn all still work.

Things wrong with it:

#5 spark plug is in an insert which in turn is glued in with JB Weld.

Choke system works for exactly the first 6 seconds the engine is running.

Charging light has been on for the last three years. Still on the same battery.

Just today I found a rust hole in the firewall a little smaller than my fist.

Dash lights, (incorrect) stereo, speedometer and odometer are inoperative, as is the blower. The AC compressor is sitting in my closet.

Tires have plenty of tread but are weathered badly enough I have concerns about freeway driving.

Two foot long crack in the windshield, and the seal around it leaks.

It takes premium and gets about 15 mpg.

I was already taking it easy trying to sell the car until spring, with plans on using it as a winter beater to keep the 300D out of what little salt gets used around here.

The guy is supposed to call me back tomorrow afternoon. I've told him about the glued in spark plug and some of the other problems, and he's seen the cosmetic condition of the car, but he doesn't seem discouraged.

What do you guys think?

t walgamuth · #2 11-13-2011, 08:52 PM

Only you can decide if you need the $600 more than the car.

I will say this. Its a lot easier to buy old cars than to sell them!

Tomguy · #3 11-14-2011, 04:37 AM

I agree with Tom. I'd take the $600, run, and grab a less-rusty example with an additional $600. The way the economy & used car market is, and considering where you are, it shouldn't be nearly as hard as it is for me. I saw a rust-free 4.5 108 in need of paint go for $1600 on eBay not too long ago. And I wasn't really looking, so I am sure CL & eBay hold much better deals.

meltedpanda · #4 11-14-2011, 04:22 PM

take the money and run.... sounds like a project in the waiting with a car you don't love, so ultimatley you will not want to part with the $ needed to fix it

Skippy · #5 11-14-2011, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meltedpanda

take the money and run.... sounds like a project in the waiting with a car you don't love, so ultimatley you will not want to part with the $ needed to fix it

Ah, but the car doesn't need fixing right now, and even after it manures the mattress the junk yard will give me $300 bucks for it.

The guy never called.

In other news, someone backed into my motorcycle while it was parked.

Benz Dr. · #6 11-15-2011, 09:30 PM

I have a customer who has one too. He quit driving it this year - actually, I made him quit driving it. Although the car ran well enough, it's VERY rusty. No rockers, no fire walls, no floors, no front fenders and about 300,000 miles on it.

I did an engine exchange for him about 10 years ago along with all the sheet metal repairs. He had the car painted and it looked pretty good and ran well. But he just drove it into the ground and never fixed anything after that. The car was no longer safe to drive and the heater quit working three years ago.
I saw him one day in the winter, with an ice scraper, cleaning the front window from the inside while he was driving along. He also has a dog which goes everywhere with him and it just about lived in the car so there was at least an inch of dog hair all over the carpets. It wasn't pretty.....

So, I sell a 300SEL (126 ) to him and guess what? The 300 sits outside and the old 250 is in his garage out of the weather. He couldn't bear to part with it so it gets the place of honor. The main fuel line under the car leaks like a sieve so he put the car up on blocks to prevent it from leaking. He still goes out and starts it once every two weeks or so. They will probably burry him in the car when he dies......

Skippy · #7 11-15-2011, 09:38 PM

I'm kind of wondering how the hole in the firewall got there. There's a little rust on the rest of the car, but not very much.

I took the for sale signs out today. I'm driving it for the rest of the winter (or until something both expensive and mission critical breaks) and putting it up for sale again in spring. I get pretty good ram air heat at speed, particularly with the ventilated firewall.