Test drove a 1987 300SDL today - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cgryphon · #1 07-30-2005, 04:01 PM

One owner, service booklet up to 125K, sitting at 131K now. Basically in very good/excellent condition, see neg. comment below. Gold with Chocolate interior.

Picky, picky down sides.
Drivers seat bolster with wear hole and one crack/split in leather in front middle of seat.
30% tires on rims that needed help, no rash, just oxidized?
Very few dings.
Both headlight doors (if that’s what you call them) cloudy and cracked.
Two rock shots to the grill, one with broken plastic, and one right on one of the chrome strips.
Only ½ of hood pad left, and it’s falling off. I wondered what all the fuzz was in the nooks and crannies of the interior, including the ash tray. From the headliner blowing in with the fresh air??
Leak on the IP side, I think it was fuel, very small puddle in some suspension mount just below the IP near the wheel well.
Something not right with the suspension. Rear “clunk” over a hard bump?

Over all this was a really cool car and ran very well. I had never driven a 126 before, so I was a bit surprised that I felt like the suspension/ride was not "all that". Seemed like a harsher ride than my 123, which seems to eat speed bumps.

He was asking $5,775.00, about what Edmunds, KBB, and NADA list as dealer retail for this car in Excellent condition and this car seemed to be close to excellent. I offered him $5,000. He told me he had people lined up to look at it and would not budge on the price one penny. I walked. I think if he calls back and says OK, I tell him I’m down to $4,500.

I was really surprised that I was not super wowed by the ride of this car. From what I have read here, I was ready for a somewhat different experience.

Comments please,

Thanks,

Clay

t walgamuth · #2 07-30-2005, 04:40 PM

need shocks. at that mileage they may be the originals which i would expect to be worn enough to ride harshly but not bad enough to be dangerous.

yes, i bet the fuzz is from the pad.

and yes, perhaps 4500 is enough for it. does the air work?

good luck. sdls are a fine ride when they are right.

tom w

cgryphon · #3 07-30-2005, 04:46 PM

was good. Owner said it has a leak, but he just gets it filled up before summer. We happened to get caught in a traffic jam on the test drive and it stayed cold. Temp gauge was at about 90C while sitting there (10 min) maybe, and the oil pressure was at just below 2.

Like I said, for the most part everything was perfect. All power acc. including the headrests were working properly. Will I hate myself in the morning?????

Thanks,

Clay

t walgamuth · #4 07-30-2005, 04:55 PM

about right. prob nice car. the records are everything do the dates and miles jive? the records look authentic? if so dont see how you can go too far wrong. does it idle smoothly? no blow by? shift smoothly? feel strong? these cars should be fairly quick.

new bilsteins and new tires (if needed) will transform a car.

tom w

twr · #5 07-30-2005, 04:55 PM

For your description of the seats I don’t think this is a car with low miles the odometer may be worked out, did you see the numbers perfectly straight with the exception of the last 2 digits. The seats at 113k normally look in very good condition also you mentioned the clunk you heard from the suspension it could be from wear or a neglected car. Before I bought mine I look at about 5 SDL’s with different mileage of course, an the one with 350k, was the best riding car of them all, but obviously the PO cared for it, by the way I bought mine because the way it handles I was very impressed of the smooth ride and power (engine was rebuilt by MB dealer 2 years ago at 130k don’t know why) and it has 155k on the odometer now, the interior looks like new and it’s the original, the bad part when I came home I hit my pick up and broke the grill on the SDL and bent a little bit the front of the hood (it’s at the body shop and I went to my local Ecology junk yard for a “new” grill) I paid $4K for mine it’s 100% rust free (California car) and everything works even the A/C so I think over $5K sound a lot to me for the one you described but who knows, sometimes you see SDL’s going for over $11k at ebay.

I am sure you will get a lot of input from this board members on what to look for and their opinions on this cars

Best of look on your quest for an SDL.

t walgamuth · #6 07-30-2005, 05:24 PM

i wondered about the seats, too.on my 90 350sdl there is no tear on the drivers seat. the po though was a little old lady that prob didnt weigh 130. a heavier driver will wear it more. also a little older and the leather may be a little more dried out. that is why i recommended scrutiniaing the maint records. telling the mileage by looking at a benz is very difficult. and i have owned thirty or so of them, all bought used.

tom w

cgryphon · #7 07-30-2005, 05:34 PM

The owner has the car serviced at the same indy I go too, so I will call him on Monday and see if he recalls anything about the car. The owner lives in a big $$$ highrise here and says the car is his wife's but he does all the long haul driving. She has trouble walking and sometimes uses a wheelchair. The color of the seats was very good, not like a lot of rubbing. The split appeared to be a dry leather issue as much as a wear issue. I would guess they are both in their 70's. He's a pretty big guy, so the seat has taken a strain over the last 18 years, I'd have to say.

Editorial comment: From the place this guy lives, I don't think he would flinch at a $775.00 bill for dinner. He told me that he had owned and was the CEO of two companies that he sold before he retired. He also showed me the TWO his and her's Lexus's he had bought this year, the reason(s) he was selling the MB. I estimated he also would not flinch at a $775.00 price reduction on his car. So far, I was wrong.

Clay

t walgamuth · #8 07-30-2005, 05:46 PM

to negotiate with someone who doesn't need to sell....and doesnt need the money.

t walgamuth · #9 07-30-2005, 05:49 PM

you can get traction by talking to them again and again and telling them what a great car it is but you just cant go higher than x. if they decide they like you they may give you a deal. you can bring up the fact that the insurance co will only go as high as x if the car is wrecked, etc. be sure not to knock the car as that always pisses people off.

good luck.

tom w

braverichard · #10 07-30-2005, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

to negotiate with someone who doesn't need to sell....and doesnt need the money.

Well stated there. My now totalled Lexus LS400 was like that. Everyone I saw wanted to buy it but I insisted on a specific price and since I didn't really want to sell the car and didn't need the money. Never got to sell it. My girlfriend later on made sure the car would land in the junkyard.

t walgamuth · #11 07-30-2005, 06:36 PM

about that last thing.

tom w

Hatterasguy · #12 07-30-2005, 06:39 PM

Well with such low mileage it was probably used a lot around town. So the seats could very well be worn. The rear end clunk is probably sway bar links they are $10 each. The plastic grill is like $20 and the chrome strips are a few dollars each. I would dump the DOT lights and get a nice set of euro's .

Other then that it sounds like a pretty good car, it is worth $5,700 or at least thats what I would pay.

If the shocks are original they are shot; and with dead shocks the ride will be a little stiff. Nothing a set of Bilstein comforts can't fix.

Did you happen to notice if the vac pump on the front of the engine was the new style or not? I would replace it asap if it was the old style.

BobK · #13 07-30-2005, 09:50 PM

If it is an 18 year old Benz with over 100k on it, it probably needs the front end redone. New subframe mounts and everything else. My theory is that MB built the suspension to be rebuilt every 100k or so. Not a cheap project, but it sure restores the factory ride. Rear sway bar links are real common noise makers. Had to do mine within a week of getting my '86 last May. I've done rear shocks and they made a big difference. Fronts are next. If the car really has zero rust and the miles are for real, the price isn't bad at all.
Shop around and do shocks for $400, headlight doors for under $200, grill parts are cheap, hood pad under $100 plus glue. For real fun, blow a grand and buy new 8 hole rims with good tires already mounted and balanced. Just put a double coat of paste wax on them before you even mount them on the car. Then wash them at least once a week and rewax as needed (often). Either find a cherry seat in a salvage yard (unlikely) or find an auto upholstery shop that will take care of the seats. Live with the oil leak. It slows rust.

t walgamuth · #14 07-30-2005, 09:53 PM

will make the ride bouncy.

tom w

Hit Man X · #15 07-30-2005, 10:17 PM

I finally drove mine over 30mph yesterday too, as the tie rods came in and I installed them!

It's a very nice car, pretty different from the SD in how it delivers the power.

It doesn't sound like it needs much to be a champ, I'm laughing each time I tweak something or clean an extra little bit here and there on mine.

Does it have the rear adjustable seats too? I knocked mine off the tracks on accident pulling the center belt buckle out...

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