cheap 6.3 on ebay - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Emmerich · #16 12-31-2003, 12:13 AM

I agree with Gerry, not fixing a 30 year old car is not the way to go. It can bleed you dry in a hurry, just like he said.

BrianH · #17 12-31-2003, 12:53 PM

Sadly such an epic car can only attract $2900. A VW Beetle from the same era and in the same condition would command a higher price.

Tomguy · #18 12-31-2003, 01:34 PM

Actually, the auction was ended early - he probably found a local buyer wise enough to know that $3500 is a GREAT deal for a 6.3!

gerryvz · #19 01-01-2004, 11:39 PM

It all depends on the expectation of the buyer. A $3.5K 6.3 is not much of anything, to anyone. I wouldn't spend over $2K for a 6.3 parts car, no matter how good the condition.

$3.5K MIGHT be a good deal if it was a well-maintained daily driver with all major systems documented to have been worked on in the past 5 years and rubber replaced.

$3.5K is not a good deal if this car is what it appears to be from the ad. It is nothing more than a rolling parts car.

Any experienced 6.3 owner would agree with me on this. One should either buy high, or buy a parts car. Otherwise the car will be a leech, sucking your blood constantly until you finally have to brush it off and get rid of it.

Cheers,
Gerry

Tomguy · #20 01-02-2004, 08:23 AM

Gerry: In all honesty, half the stuff on that 6.3 list isn't needed (at least in my opinion). I mean, I know the air suspension stuff is important - but if it drove fine and took 3 days (even 2) to drop, I wouldn't mind, it'd pump up quickly enough for me. My window seals ("Wind lace") is badly frayed and causing leaks, my door seals are dryrotted and parts of them are cracked away/missing in some spots, my subframe mounts are shot, my paint is bad (to put it minorly) and my carpets are torn beyond belief. But I still love it, still drive it.
I'd but a 3.5K 6.3 in an instant if it ran well and didn't drop in the span of 2-3 days. Now if it dropped in 2-3 hours, that's another story

It'd be one hell of a fun daily driver to me.

But as you said, it depends on the expectation of the buyer. I'd just love to have a 6.3. I don't care if it needs paint, I can put aside the cash for that. I don't care if it needs interior work, if worse comes to worse, I can put the untorn (and in my opinion, beautifully immaculate) "MB-tex" black seats, door panels, armrests etc into it. I don't care if the wood is peeling, the door seals/window seals shot, the rubber bits rotted to the point of falling apart - that's to be expected on a 32 year-old car - if they haven't been replaced in the past, they will need to be in the future. One could look at it several ways - the seller, wanting to make more money, isn't going to spend $5K on paint, seals, mounts, etc in order to sell it fo $10K instead of $5K. Neither price is certian at any rate, I don't ever see a $1K 6.3!

I suppose what I'm saying is that if the owner of the 6.3 has replaced these gradually, as they failed (or their failure was imminent, or if they don't really "Fail" like door seals but piss the driver/occupants off to an extreme...) then the owner likely spent at least $10K doing so himself and will want a much higher price for the vehicle. You can pay to have it done, or pay to do it yourself, or be like myself and not care so much if you hear a bit of wind whistle at 100MPH!
Edit: I suppose I should say I'm less affected by road noise because my Jeep has bad door seals and makes... well, sounds like a Jeep at 80MPH.... my Benz, with its bad seals, is quieter at 100 than the Jeep (Cherokee Laredo, 92) at 70. The biggest thing to me as far as road-noise is concerned is the sound of the tires/drivetrain, and the larger (oversized?) tires on the Jeep don't help a whole lot (225/75R15 or 235/70R15, don't exactly recall, VS 195/70R15 stock). Besides, the Benz has a smoother steering wheel at 120 than the Jeep at 60!

gerryvz · #21 01-02-2004, 12:37 PM

I can see that my experience as the owner of two 6.3s (a $1,000 parts car and a 56,000 mile low-mileage original) doesn't provide any credibility or knowledge base for this particular conversation. So be it.

All I can say, being factual, blunt and without one iota of condescention intended, and this will be my final comment and post on this thread, is the following:

"It is better not to own/drive a 6.3 at all, than to own/drive one that is not operating as the factory intended. While it doesn't have to be a 100-point concours car (very few are), when a car is lacking major aesthetic, operational and mechanical fundamentals, one cannot get the true feeling of what driving a 6.3 is like. Unfortunately it's not anywhere in the same league of experience, and is in reality a very strong safety hazard and risk. Buy and own at your own risk."

Good luck!

Cheers,
Gerry

Tomguy · #22 01-02-2004, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gerryvz
I can see that my experience as the owner of two 6.3s (a $1,000 parts car and a 56,000 mile low-mileage original) doesn't provide any credibility or knowledge base for this particular conversation. So be it.

That isn't true, at least that's not what I'm "arguing"

I do see your point of view - why drive a 6.3 if it isn't beautiful, solid, and reliable? And it indeed makes a lot of sense. Many people wouldn't want to be seen in one of those $1000 6.3's.

However, try to look at it from my point of view (or at least that of people like myself): If it's mechanically solid, I don't care if the interior is ripped or the wood is faded. I don't care if the clearcoat on the paint is peeling off like flakes from a poorly-groomed person's scalp. If it runs well, drives well, and is reliable, I would love to drive it. Perhaps with faded chrome, bad paint, a ding here and there, a ravaged interior, etc, I won't win a show. But it'll be mine and it'd hold a special place in my own heart at least. Not everyone can enjoy the pleasure of riding in a beautiful, 90+ point 6.3, nevermind driving or even OWNING one. The cost of these cars, as you pointed out, is enormous. But if a $1000 car with $1-2K worth of parts will at least drive, ride, and feel like the much more well-kept, clean one, then I would love to own such a car.

Dan Smith · #23 01-04-2004, 11:48 AM

I second Gerry's comments. Untill you have owned, driven, and repaired or restored a 6.3; regular Mercedes fans have no idea. The steering box and tranny tunnel are the main probs you would first face. The 108 SEL and 109 are the same, basicaly. The SE 108 are simply four inches less in length.
The air ride system isn't the problem, it's one of the main benefits of the 6.3. Yes, to bring it to opperating level, it's costly. 2000$??? NO, try 5000$. Worth it? YES. Can the spring system work? Sure, with less horsepowewr drag and weight.
Now the major problem on 108s taking a 6.3. The wiring harness. That alone makes converting a 108 a bunch of work. So much in dollars, my mechanic recommends against it. If you want a 6.3, start with a 6.3 made in the factory not your backyard or garage.
Better idea for racers. Buy a 3.5, alter it radicaly. Jack up the horsepower. Now you have a great 108.
The Eugene, Oregon 6.3? Yes, only a parts car. I've never observed a Euro 6.3 that wasn't rust damaged. East Coast rust free 6.3s are rare also. If the unibody has rust, forget driving it. The 6.3 has enough torque to warp a rust frame. Can you drive it? Sure, but, without doing numerous replacements of all rubber products you risk total failures including fires under vthe hood.
If you find a great 6.3 body, restore it. Alter the powerplant in basic ways, you can have a very close to five second 0 to 60 Benz. Can you do that with every Benz?