new to forum, been lurking a little while, advice please
 

So I've been lurking here for a little while and gathering information. I bought an 84 190D before I got on here and I have since decided that it's not for me, my wife thinks it is uncomfortable, it's a little beat up, and it's a smidgeon slower than I like. I want to stay with a diesel but wanted to get something a little nicer, I stumbled across an 87 300SDL that is exceedingly nice looking (at least in the pictures) and I might buy it. It is a one owner that was traded into a dealership, with service records and they are asking $1400. The catch is that it has 528K miles on it.

So, should I be scared of this car or no?

secondly, compared to the 190, I know it's a lot bigger and that doesn't bother me, but is it more comfortable, and is it any faster? (I don't need a hot rod just something that doesn't feel like I'm killing it trying to climb a hill).

thanks in advance

-Brandon

Welcome to the forum.

Well, the SDL is a fine car, but 528K miles is a lot (even for us). Unless this car has extensive documentation of it's maintenance/repairs, it is likely to have issues that will significantly exceed the purchase price. I would shop around for a well maintained car with about half that mileage.

What he said.

this is the car in question BTW,

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=237642481&dealer_id=1147887&car_year=1987&num_records=25&systime=&start_year=1981&key wordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=Diesel&awsp=false&search_type=used&distan ce=200&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&make=&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A% 3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDE SC&address=45013&advanced=y&end_year=2008&doors=&transmission=&max_price=1700&cardist=8

and I also found out that my cousin personally knows the guy that works there and he said he's a pretty good guy

It looks like a nice car to me. I would give it a shot for $1400

Sweet looking car.
I would drive, and if it seems ok, offer 1K and come up to 1200. It sounds like he just wants it gone, 1K and walk away and see if he calls.

i'd check to see what head it has!

Scared is not the operative word.

The real question is whether the engine has ever been rebuilt. If it is the original engine, the wear is certainly quite high at this mileage. Starting will be an issue and oil consumption will be an issue.

With regard to the other accessories, without some extensive documentation on what was replaced and what was not............you really should avoid this vehicle. It can easily cost you $3K per year in parts.

Cooguyfish, are you a hands-on mechanical type?

For me I'd buy it in a heartbeat! It looks flawless. I'm thinking that if it was a dealership trade-in with that many miles this unit must have been dealer serviced it's whole life, and it looks it too. I'd drive it and begin picking away at replacing whatever needs it on a priority basis. If you were to spend $3K a year on this car doing the work your self this car would be brand new in 3 years. $9000/ 36 months = $250 month. Show me where you can get this kind of ride for $10400???

My two cents........

I swear I have seen that car before. I think another member was asking about it a long time ago, at the time the price was crazy high like $3k+.

I'd offer him $500-$800 for it tops. Its just a driver until something expensive breaks. Provided it runs and drives well enough currantly. I'd buy a car like that for a 2nd winter car, provided it runs and drives decent enough.

Its not worth fixing up, its a money pit that you will never get ahead on. Unless you go nuts and dump thousands upon thousands into it. A rebuilt 603 plus a trans alone is at least $11k. Throw in everything else that it needs or will need very soon and you are at $20k before you know it.

No it won't be brand new in 3 years, it will need a $3k-$5k paint job, $1,500 transmission, and with this car probably an engine.:D $10k ain't much, not going to restore an SDL for that. For $10k you can buy a damn fine late 90's S320, (my friend will see you has 97 with 85k miles on it for $9k:D) that in 3 years will probably need very little work, maybe $1k worth of repairs total, and they drive better than these cars. With the cost difference in fuel, fuel costs are a wash.

So yes you can drive a nice MB cheaper than this car after 3-5 years. But the SDL has such charm that they are hard to resist.

For that price, and looking at the pics I think I would give it a chance. {if my personal inspection and test drive proved satisfactory} I would wear the miles like a badge of honor.
I would certainly walk in with a $1000 bucks cash and start there, and might even consider ending there. If you can wrench a bit I think it is worth at least a chance. Can't be rusty though..... {could be asking allot for OH.}
We like to talk about longevity, but that is a ton of miles on one car!!!

are they highway miles? lady driven impatient start-ups? what's the one owner like? it's all about gut feeling after 300k...

Just so we do know, I've not worked on a mercedes before but I have to things going for me, #1 I am mechanically inclined, I've done motor swaps, rebuilt engines, replaced a clutch, stuff like that. and #2, I have a friend that's a mechanic that does work dirt cheap. He works for saturn and granted he is fasted/cheapest when working on saturns, but he will do a motor swap in a saturn for $200 start to finish.

I think a few people have gotten my intentions, the only reason I want to look at it is because of how clean it looks, the one owner, and the service records.
I figured for $1400 it's worth looking at if for no other reason because it's 8 miles from me and I can see if I like driving and SDL compared to the 190.

and yes, whoever asked about seeing this car before, they told me over the phone they started out asking $4900, $2900, $1900, and now just want it gone. so I may be able to walk out of their cheaper than $1400, especially since I now know that my cousin knows the guys that works there and is trying to sell it.

Offer $900.00 ....
 

Then come up if need be. Be the first on your block to get the 1,000,000 mile badge :D. Then e-bay the badge alone for more than that.

Regards

Run-Em

with a LOT of caution.....
 

Like you....I would have to gain a good gut feeling about the one owner. What do the service records say? Has the engine ever had work performed to it? Is the transmission original? $1400 is a bit high for this group. I'd probably start at $850 and go up to $1100 --- depending if I got anywhere with the $850 offer.....you know, you offer $850 and they counter with $1300.

What's the interior like? Has it been redone? If the dash is uncracked and you part it out in the future, I'd buy the the dash from you for $100.:D

It all depends on what has been done to it. It could be a very bad deal or a decent one.

Selling a car with that many miles will always be a problem, so if you decide to get it offer a very low price.

I would go over the repair records with a very knowledgable mercedes diesel person and get it checked out before considering spending anything on it.

Tom W

It all lies in those service records. That would be the deciding factor based on how detailed they are. My guess is that the suspension parts may have been replaced somewhat, I'm sure you'll see timing chain replacements, possible climate control parts, any of the usual wear parts I'm sure. Cooguyfish, you should see if you can get your hands on the records and report to us a timeline of maintenance....?

Looks like a decently taken care of car.
If you're handy with a wrench like it sounds, then the price could be really
be good. But like everyone else, don't give to the first price. Go down and
come back up. Get service records if you can.
I personally don't like that engine, but the car looks good.

Thats an ebay 4-6k front seat if I ever saw one. :D Just 400k too much indicated on the odometer. Accumulated milage seems to fall off the odometer with little effort though.
Another aspect is if that is the original front seat how many miles do others really have? Needless to say the milage is still too low to have many dash cracks yet as well. ;) Only one is visable.
Seriously take a friend who really knows these cars along to help make a decision. Someone may have really taken care of it over the years.
I once got one that was owned by the state of wisconsin. It was obvious it was maintained with no concern at all about the taxpayers money. Showed 200k but everything had been replaced. Either a 200k car that was a make work project for a mercedes dealership. Or a high miller with endless money spent on it over time.
Or look at it this way. If you find the car in pretty good shape normally the odometer would have been rolled back and it would have found a new home at bigger bucks a long time ago. I wish I were totally kidding.

That is really good condition for the mileage, obviously the car was taken care of. Its worth the chance if everything works.


If it were near me, I would try and lowball it, after a very close inspection. I wouldn't want to drive it everyday, but it would be one hell of a conversation starter weekend cruiser.

How many miles did you say?:D

interesting... The car is up to operating temp, idle seems normal, and oil pressure is where it should be. Any naysayers about 300sdls now?

http://images.autotrader.com/images/..._A.562x421.jpg

ok, just got done looking at it.

good news, I would def say that it was a well cared for car after looking at the records. trans was replaced with a rebuilt unit at 315K miles. car is in decent shape (it looks a little nicer in the pics but not a whole lot). it rode great (at least compared to my 190) and I think that's it.

the bad news, the drivers seat felt like it was broken in that it leaned towards the door, I did not see anything about engine work done to it (but I only looked from 300k-present) the engine idled what I would call rough. I'm basing that on how everyone says how smooth they are and it only idled marginally smoother than my 190. and the big one, turbo needs replaced. The guy that works there said that he's been fooling with them for a while and he said that while it needs a new turbo it doesn't need it right away, something about that it was just weak and not really giving the engine the extra kick but wasn't hurting anything by being there. It was also faster than I expected given the turbo issue, it was definately quicker than my 190.

O, and he said it's $1400, or the junkyard.

Also, can you hear the turbo in that car normally? I definately did not hear any turbo action.

-Brandon

Just found this car too, I know it would be slow but thought for the mileage, it might not be a bad car to look at (and I've heard you can swap in a turbo 5 cyl)

http://columbus.craigslist.org/car/625347476.html

I just LOVE it when they say that the odometer JUST stopped working.;)

But for $900 asking price it doesn't look too bad.

Tom W

Running rough at that mileage is probably low compression. If you buy it don't put much money into it, its a bottomless pit.

I'm probably going to pass on it. my real dream is to build an electric car and I know where I can get the exact donor car I want for $250, so I may just go that way for now.

I may be having a blind moment, but the link in post one states the acking price to be $3,900. That car had to have been repainted and the interior swapped in order for that to look as good as it does. Is anyone sure that milage is accurate. . .the visual condition that I can see from the pix looks to have half thoes miles. It is possible that this is a rare occasion of the milage being mistated higher then it really is. . .

Actually, when I clicked the link, it said it was $2900 which is weird because when I copied the link it said $1400. Either way, it really does have 528K miles, I looked through the service records. as for it being painted I doubt it, it looks a little rougher in person than the pictures show.

The listed price was $1,400 at one point. I saw it too. I would guess the conversation on this board helped generate some interest along with a dramatic price increase.