Buying a used benz is such a PITA - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

winmutt · #1 07-24-2010, 02:35 PM

It is. I am being picky to. W124 or newer. I would love a 05 on but those are still a few years out for me to afford. I can't stand the bugeyes which is a shame because they are in my price range. The S350D is hot as well but we all know about the rod benders.

The thing I dont get, everyone is asking atleast 1-2g more than KBB retail......

Stretch · #2 07-24-2010, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winmutt

It is. I am being picky to. W124 or newer. I would love a 05 on but those are still a few years out for me to afford. I can't stand the bugeyes which is a shame because they are in my price range. The S350D is hot as well but we all know about the rod benders.

The thing I dont get, everyone is asking atleast 1-2g more than KBB retail......

May be you need to look further afield?

The differences in car prices in Europe for example can be huge from country to country... at the moment here in Holland loads of people are buying German cars and importing them.

Fulcrum525 · #3 07-24-2010, 03:23 PM

The cost of getting any car from Europe to the US is probably not going to be worth the price difference.

amosfella · #4 07-24-2010, 04:11 PM

The S350D is still a great car. If the rod bends, get a 606 turbo engine, and tune it up a bit. should be able to smoke the tires on that 140 with that one...

Or you can drop the 3L 603 in.

Jeremy5848 · #5 07-24-2010, 04:23 PM

Winmutt, you should be picky or you'll end up with a problem car that will cost a lot to fix, like my W124 did. Everyone always asks a high price but do they really get that price? After all, you can always lower your price for a willing buyer holding cash in his hand, but it's hard to raise your price with a buyer in front of you.

Being also the owner of a W210, I prefer the W124. The earlier the better, because there are fewer electronic things that make a car harder to repair. The W123s are even simpler and more "classic" but overall not as nice IMHO, having owned an excellent W123 for three years [flame suit ON]. The W124 strikes a good balance between the old and the new.

Keep hunting. If it takes awhile, so be it. How about that $12,000 TD in Minnesota? Buy that one and you can complain to us about the price for the next few years.

Jeremy

TylerH860 · #6 07-24-2010, 04:31 PM

If you're trying to run KBB on a 15+ year old car, forget it...

JEBalles · #7 07-24-2010, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

Winmutt, you should be picky or you'll end up with a problem car that will cost a lot to fix, like my W124 did. Everyone always asks a high price but do they really get that price? After all, you can always lower your price for a willing buyer holding cash in his hand, but it's hard to raise your price with a buyer in front of you.

Being also the owner of a W210, I prefer the W124. The earlier the better, because there are fewer electronic things that make a car harder to repair. The W123s are even simpler and more "classic" but overall not as nice IMHO, having owned an excellent W123 for three years [flame suit ON]. The W124 strikes a good balance between the old and the new.

Keep hunting. If it takes awhile, so be it. How about that $12,000 TD in Minnesota? Buy that one and you can complain to us about the price for the next few years.

Jeremy

I agree, I was not picky at all and ended up over-paying for a rust bucket. Personally, I'd go for the W124 over the W210, but that's just my preference. It definitely is a nicer car, but that also means that there's more stuff to break, it breaks easier, and it's harder to fix. It's a trade-off.

JB3 · #8 07-24-2010, 05:51 PM

what happened to the wifes new car?

are you getting rid of the 300?

TheDon · #9 07-24-2010, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winmutt

The thing I dont get, everyone is asking atleast 1-2g more than KBB retail......

No one ever pays asking price... come onnnnnn

sixto · #10 07-24-2010, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

If you're trying to run KBB on a 15+ year old car, forget it...

+1

Sixto
87 300D

winmutt · #11 07-25-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropnosky

what happened to the wifes new car?

are you getting rid of the 300?

Nothing and no. I just want multink rear

I have been looking all over the country. I found a good candidate in KC. 87 300d for $3500.

Stretch · #12 07-25-2010, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fulcrum525

The cost of getting any car from Europe to the US is probably not going to be worth the price difference.

Sorry I gave the wrong impression - I didn't mean come over here! I just meant looking further away from where you (who ever you are) are...

If anything I think the flow of old cars is more this way from the US of A.

okto · #13 08-01-2010, 09:47 PM

$3500 for an 87? I just paid that for a 95 with nothing but worn struts and slightly warped rotors for problems.
It seems that the further north you go, the higher used car prices get...which has always seemed screwy since you also get more body rust and other sorts of winter-related damage.

MBeige · #14 08-01-2010, 10:02 PM

Buying a used Benz that passes (or surpasses) our standards is a PITA because we are enthusiasts and we know how to care for the cars but we want a good (cheap) price for them if we find units that fit our standards.

The reason they want more than KBB value is because they either want room to negotiate or are waiting to chance on unknowing buyers, or they want the buyers to cover the costs they shelled out to get it to whatever condition the cars are in.

That's why it's good to be armed with all the info we need in looking for used MB's and if the cars pass these little "tests" during the inspection, test drive and car history, then it's time to negotiate, or pay the asking price if it was a fair amount they're asking.

winmutt · #15 08-01-2010, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okto

$3500 for an 87? I just paid that for a 95 with nothing but worn struts and slightly warped rotors for problems.
It seems that the further north you go, the higher used car prices get...which has always seemed screwy since you also get more body rust and other sorts of winter-related damage.

A 95 is non turbo. You can get those cheap. I ended up paying $6k for a 91. 145k miles. Cherry.