A dent the size/shape that you described was completely taken care of by a REALLY good paintless dent removal tech for $50 - it might be worth getting an estimate on that before hand, as it is the most visible bargaining point. (The wood on the counsel can be a $100+ item as well.)

My biggest concerns are that the $3k on the engine for unknown work, and a possible head gasket having been replaced by 75k miles. My tech feels that the head gasket should last at least to 100k miles on the m103 - don't assume that the $3k of unknown work wasn't spent on rebuilding the engine after it overheated and was damaged from a worn water pump!

My last big concern is that there are no records on the car from the period when maintenance really needed doing - from end of warranty to present. That is when the parts are starting to fail and need even more scrupulous attention than when new.

The interior and exterior of the car both show signs of premature wear - steering wheel, unfixed dents, and other things that would drive a meticulous owner crazy if left unfixed. So why would the engine and mechanicals have been maintained any better than the cosmetics? Remember, neglected maintenance on MBs is a killer on parts! I would pass on this one, personally, or else offer the lowest wholesale book value and put the differences into a repair fund.

__________________
John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E