I'm interested in a 78 300D. It has 130,000 miles. Body is in really good shape. No visible rust. Only rust I saw was inside one door bottom around weatherstripping and on the battery tray. The guy selling it doesn't know much about it. He's a mechanic who bought it from a guy for parts who thought the motor seized up but it turned out to that the alternator was the problem (or so he told me).

The interior is overall very nice. The only wear is on the drivers seat the drivers floor mat and the armrest. The rest of the MB-Tex and the door panels headliner and everything else look new. There are two small (less than 1in long cracks in dash).

The guy selling it said it was always parked in a garage. Not sure how he knows that but it does seem like it was not exposed to the elements that much.

It needs tires and I'm sure other work but he started it up and it seemed to run reasonably well. No records really so I would probably do a compression test and look it over closely again before buying.

Anyways, the guy wants 2500 for it and I got him to go to 2200 but I really don't know what a good price is.

Hoping you guys will be able to help. I'll try to add a few photos.

depends on service records, but even with a good one IMHO $2500 is too much . Tires will be $800 on top of price ..just saying

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Ron
2015 Porsche Cayman - Elizabeth
2011 Porsche Cayman - Bond,James Bond
Sadly MERCEDESLESS - ALways LOOKING !
99 E320 THE Queen Mary - SOLD
62 220b - Dolly - Finally my Finny! Sadly SOLD
72 450SL, Pearl-SOLD
16 F350 6.7 Diesel -THOR
19 BMW X5 - Heaven on Wheels
14 38HP John Deere 3038E Tractor -Mean Green
84 300SD, Benjamin -SOLD
71 220 - W115-Libby ( my first love) -SOLD
73 280 - W114 "Organspende" Rest in Peace
81 380 SL - Rest in Peace

If it's mileage at 130000 is true...

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Current fleet
2006 E320 CDI
1992 300D - 5speed manual swapped

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

doubt the mileage is true....you have evil servo system......$$$$ decomposing horse hair padding $$$$ rust $$$$ no records not helpful....sitting $$$$.....if he bought it for parts, he probably paid 300$ for it....give him 800$....if he says its to low....tell him to get the hood star and badges....cuz the name is were the money is

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The overall body of the car seems well preserved and the interior except for drivers area seems almost unused. I had a 80 116 300sd and the horsehair seats were in a lot worse shape.

How can you verify mileage as accurate? I tried to use car fax but of course that didn't work. Instavin had limited information. It show 70k in 89 and clean bill as far as accidents act.

Where I am (KY) most of these cars have rust. I hate dealing with rust so I think is what got me with this car. I'd rather swap an engine or rebuild the transmission than I would repair rust. The photo showing the rust by the weatherstripping is the only rust I found anywhere other than the battery tray.

If anybody has a strategy that has worked for them to get a stubborn seller to be reasonable that whats I would like to do. This car has potential in the right hands but it seems like this seller would rather just let it sit out in the elements till its not worth saving.

thank you guys for your help so far. you have confirmed what I was thinking. He's asking too much.

Melted Panda:
Are tires really 800 dollars? The last time a got tires for my w123 wagon I got for Michelins at Costco for around 400 dollars when the were having there 70dollars off sale. Are there better tires that would cost more?

Cooljjay: I agree that this guy didn't pay much for it. Dumb question…what do you mean by "tell him to get the hood star and badges"?

Thanks guys

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Is this supposed to be original paint? Original pinstripes? They look implausibly good for original 36 year old paint.

The only way I know of to verify mileage is through service records. If it was a one-owner car who went to the same dealer, the dealer might be able to verify things.

You said seller is a mechanic and yet it sits outside. Being a mechanic tells me he would have the ability to park it indoors yet he doesn't. Best way to get a seller to go for a lower price is to wait a month or two and make sure he has your number, keep looking for other cars.

$400 + mounting is about right - I see Michelin Defenders at Tire Rack for $100 each...

Where the real money would go is front suspension, rear axle boots, A/C or heater repair, auto trans rebuild if problems, seat padding... Looks like a really nice car. The rust inside one door doesn't concern me. If it were on the body then it would be different. Water got in a window and the drains are clogged. I would make efforts to verify the mileage if any service records are available... Look for service stickers from a garage or anything like that that might tell you of who might have worked on the car and when. Also, driving it is very important, particularly in how the transmission and suspension behave, how much it smokes, blow-by, etc.

People see the name and then the dollar signs pop in their eyes. Take the badges off and its just another car....

2500$ is way to much for that car, I agree visually it looks nice but....that door would require new weather stripping and will have to open it up to see how bad the rust is...may need a new door and if the weather stripping on that door looks like that, chances are the rest are in the same shape.

I see the rear windshield gasket is cracked, I would pull up all the mats, all the trunk lining and use a screw driver to probe for rust.

That drivers seat will be a fun repair, they only used this style of upholstery from 77-79, finding a matching skin will be difficult, plus when you remove it....all the stitch and cardboard strips will be decomposed.

Tires aren't that cheap anymore....3 years ago they were.....now they aren't....I went to walmart a few months back, it was 55$ a tire for their cheapest brand....I bought 2 used for 60$.....the name brand ones are 75$ plus...

Sitting does horrible things to these cars, from brakes randomly sticking, to fuel leaks, to coolant leaks, to electrical issues...

It would be a nice car for doing a restoration on....but its will be a money pit....

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Tirerack has some Kumhos that look promising for $50 each. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Sense&partnum=97HR4KR26&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

Used to be any car that moved under its own power was a $500 car. Thanks to the decline in new car sales for several years plus the Cash for Clunkers criminal enterprise, it's more like a grand. The car appears to be a non turbo autotragic, which puts it among the less desirable W123s, but I still see a fair price for it around $1500, maybe as high as two grand if you can test drive it and everything goes well.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I was assuming it was a running driving car. If it isn't, forget it. As for the door, they are $45 at the junkyard. If the rust is confined to the door it might be a good car. That and the originality of the paint are worth determining. If it had bad bodywork covered by a re-spray I would avoid it also.

Thanks for all the good advise.

The car is running and driving. The seller had been using it to commute to work every day but then he bought his wife a new Cadillac so there is no more room for it in the garage (at least thats what his son told me).

I really think the paint is original. Is there a foolproof way to check? I had a wagon with a repaint and it was pretty easy to tell. I worked on a 300d today that had the fender and hood repainted and it was obvious also.

I think the mileage is accurate too but I am going to poke around the car and see if I can find any clues.

The original perelli spare tire (from west germany) and tool kit are in the trunk. The spare tire well and the trunk wells have zero rust. I looked at the front suspension and it looks like some work was done. Control arms and bushings looked pretty good.

I think I will go back and take it for a test drive. I may just have to wait this guy out. When he said 2200 hundred was his rock bottom price i asked him if he wanted my number in case he changed his mind he said no. I think he's pretty convinced is worth what he's asking.

I think he might be a car hoarder That's why there is nowhere to park it.

When you take it for a test drive, make sure the kickdown switch works, as the cars start off in second....when trying to cross an intersection you really and I mean really want to be able to kick down to first.....I like my 78 but man, she is slow...and top speed going up a hill 45mph....

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It's a car that needs a lot of work (probably). I'd offer $500 and see if that will buy it. If not, I'd walk away from that car...

I had a chance to test drive today. Did pretty well. Shifted through the gears fine and went into reverse quickly enough.

After we test drove it i did the basic blow by test of taking the oil cap off. Didn't even move. I still don't have any records except from 89 to verify mileage but the odometer works and the engine runs very well so I am inclined to believe the miles are accurate. The station wagon I own now has records to show that it was only driven 50k since 94 and only 1k since 07. Anything is possible.

I'm also convinced that the paint is original. Its the same color in the engine compartment and just looks like original paint.

I see these cars on ebay and elsewhere and the prices are all over the place. Most of what I see on craigslist seems overpriced especially according to the opinions I am getting on this forum.

I'm thinking you guys are not as naive as some.

I think 500 for this car would be really low. I would be happy to get it for 1000. Maybe it's different in different parts of the country but I sold my wagon with more issues (some rust, low quality repaint, rough interior etc.) than this car for 2500 in one day without pictures on my craigslist add and the buyers are very happy.

Anyways, I offered him 1500 today which may have been too much and he said no. I asked him what he was going to do with it and he said he would probably take it home and park it in his pole barn

I guess I have to let this one go but… If the mileage is correct and the paint is original does anyone think I should offer him more? (I know he would say yes at 2k)

Thanks for all the sage advise

I don't think so. I think you should put it out of your mind for 2 weeks and re-visit it. Particularly since he has a "pole barn (?)" to park it in...