I dearly love this car but circumstances are forcing the sale so I'm trying to figure out what it's worth.

THe car has 123,700 original miles, purchased from OK. It is rust free. Mechanically the car is in excellent shape - turbo spools up strong, the trans shifts well (though a slight flare from time to time). The AC work, the heat works.

I've had the injectors cleaned and balanced by a capable member on this site. I've replaced the injector return lines, cleaned the tank, changed all the filters, changed the serpentine belt (plus new tensioner and pulley). Changed trans fluid and filter, flushed P/S and new filter. Installed new engine mounts. It runs nearly perfect.

Did a lot of work inside: the interior was really aged when I got it so I completely re-conditioned the seats (including leatherique leather treatment to make it supple again and re-coloring all seats back to original blue). I've also restored the zebrano on the shifter console and the climate control. I've fixed a number of other small things, like the outside thermometer display, new head light surrounds. THe car had been professionally painted by the PO and it looks sharp.

Kuhmo tires all around with plenty of tread on them - one has a slight nick on the tire wall. The body looks good, though there are dings that they didn't fix before painting it so if you look at it from the right angle it shows.

The back seat reclines (a cool feature) and all the windows and locks work fine. It's a sweet car - it pains me to part with it but I have to consider it and if I can get the right offer I'll sell it (though I dont absolutely have to).

Here are some photos:

__________________
1987 Mercedes 300SDL; SOLD
1985 Mercedes 300D; SOLD
2006 Honda Pilot - wife's ride; 122K;
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser - 3X locked; 182K

3500?

Maybe 5k to some wealthy Denver hippy

__________________
08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

From the way you describe it, you should easily get 5k if you're willing to be patient. I sold my 86 with some paint issues (peeling clearcoat), non-working ABS and non-working rear window for $4950 (that's what I listed it for and I thought that was the high end of the reasonable range); and it had significantly higher mileage than yours. The low miles and the nice paint job of your 87 is a great combination.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 142k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

5k seems like a good number for what I read.

From what you describe, and from what I have seen, the 126 603 diesels actually command a higher price. I would start by asking at least $7500 locally. I have seen at least 2 '91 350's with over 100k miles sell for over $10k on ebay. If your car truly has no rust, runs great and presents as well as you say, don't be ashamed to start high. There is no comparable car to GenII 126 diesel.

__________________
Chief

1991 350SD

gorgeous car but if I was a buyer....I would turn away at that price....trans flare equals trans work in the near future......also I see the leather is pretty cracked....I can see the cracks opening soon....also though the wood was refinished....the grain wasn't properly filled....I think 7500 is way to high...3500 seems better....the more $$$$ you ask the more nit picking you'll have...

__________________

I missed the trans-flare issue. Deduct the price of an installed rebuilt trans.

__________________
Chief

1991 350SD

There are a lot more desireable color combinations.....to ME. Take a look at recent sales and pick a reasonable starting point.

Is it a one owner car?
Do you have all the maintenance records?
Can you "prove" the mileage is accurate?
Just some key questions that help determine the true value.

Good Luck.

__________________
daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

Are you insulting the color scheme on my car '84? For shame...

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Is it me, or does the shifter seemed cocked over towards the right? I see the knob isn't OE, but something else looks odd, like the console is incorrect. The wood on the center stack also looks like it's been retouched.

SDLs are very cool cars. I had an '86 and loved it. $3,500 with a disclosed transmission flair doesn't seem bad. The 300SDL and '87 300D were the end of an era.

I also think it looks off, but I forgot to say something after daw_two insulted me.

__________________
"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

It's been a while since I've looked at a w126 center stack. Both my 300sd and 300sdl looked waaaay worse for wear than this one in question, but something just isn't right with it. No matter, the car looks great. I like the blue, but then I had a powder blue 190D

What's off on the center stack is that there is some wood veneer around the aftermarket radio. The console panel wood looks like it was an amateur refinish, and the shifter lever is canted to the right. Doesn't look so great.

__________________
Chief

1991 350SD

That's it. The filler trim around the radio.

Insult? Of course, not. Take a re-read at what I wrote. It's my opinion.....blue on blue? That's NOT sexy at all .... IN MY OPINION.

__________________
daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more