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#1
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1973 450 SE. What's it worth?
I'm thinking of buying a 1973 450 SE with 129,000 orig miles in great shape except some rust in the rear floor pan. The rust hasn't gone all the way thru yet. It appears water has entered the car via a bad rear window seal. An easy fix I think. Everything else looks great, no door dings/dents and the interior is beautiful, well the wood finish on the dash is starting to crack. One of my neighbors currently owns the car and he's only the second owner. I've rarely seen him drive the car, it has mostly sat in his carport until recently when he moved it to the drive way. The color is a nice pale green with a tan interior. Here's my questions... What would be a fair price for such a car? Are there any trouble prone items I should look for when inspecting the car? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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James Duffey Atlanta, GA 1963 MGB 1972 300SEL 1980 240D 1989 300SEL 1995 E300D 2000 Audi S4 |
#2
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There is lots that can be wrong without it being visible to they casual eye. It is very much worth the time and effort (especially to preserve friendship with the neighbor) to have the car inspected by a 3rd party professional.
Once you get past the costmetics you can see (interior, exterior, paint, rubber, chrome, wood, cloth, leather, etc), you have to deal with the things you don't immediately see. For a 74 model 450se, they include (but are not limited to)... - Rust at the UPPER control arm mounting points (look for that thick metal bar that connects the left wheel to the right while passing through the engine compartment). - Rust at the shock towers. - Electronic Fuel injection system (get an emissions check). - Subframe mounts. - Usual mechanicanical things like Brakes/Exhaust/Steering, front end. Rust where that metal stabilizer bar connects to the car is a killer. Walk away from the car if there is trouble there. Problems with the fuel injection system can easily be overcome by somebody old enough and wise enough to know the D-jet system when it first came in the late 60s. In lesser hands, it is just an endless pain. The car can be worth anywhere from 1000$ to 3,000$ depending on condition & cosmetics. -CTH |
#3
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The cams can wear at this mileage, so if you get it checked out it is worth it to have the covers pulled and the cams inspected. Supposedly, 1973 was a good year with the small bumpers, and a lighter, less-smogged car.
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Chuck Taylor Falls Church VA '66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe |
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