| junqueyardjim |
09-10-2016 11:02 AM |
Well this gerbil is a well meaning not to long ago from Germany man who really wants to unload this car but he really thinks his price of $5500.00 is in the area of reasonable. I called him on Tuesday and we set up a meeting for Wednesday noon, splitting the distance more or less of about 40 miles. The car does not look to bad from across the street. And on the ad he is very exact as to the short falls of this 81. So we took it for a drive. Very hard to get it started and he blamed is new glow plugs. But it was about 90 F outside and eventually on a double glo it started, ran terrible rough and a huge cloud of smoke. After I convinced him I could handle anytype of mechanical shifting, he let me drive. Well, the engine was really rough and to keep it idling he used the fast idle knob on the left side like the 240D has. However with a little throttle that heavy flywheel really covered that dead cylinder and driving it around it was very "silky smooth". My 300D with a four speed leaves a little be be desired in that department. But I still love driving it and I could never put up with the performance this wreck is giving. I drove it about 5 or 6 miles. The chassis is good and I suspect he might be correct on the mileage of less then 100,000. So a great ride and smooth if you can tolerate 0 to 60 in maybe just a little less then 30 seconds. I don't know for sure, but I had a new 61 VW and I think the performance was pretty much like this car. Of course this thing has a sick engine, but who is going to put out $5500.00 on a rust bucket that obviously needs an engine replacement. This is a Euro engine which he says is built to better standards and with more performance then the comparable non turbo 617 export engine. Another problem is lack of vacuum. Brakes were hard and no engine shut off. On A/C he says it works but he only uses it on cold days because on hot days it doesn't perform to well. But on cool days on the highway he uses it so that he can keep the windows closed. I said, you know as hard as it was to start this engine, how do you start it in the wintertime. Oh he said, I never try to start it in cold weather. My wife likes our pickup and drives it all year and in cold weather she takes me to work. He works for Marion County Court house where he is a court reporter. Well, that is the car. The body is junk, the engine is junk, it does have the 4 speed and 38 pound flywheel and that is what I wanted. So, I said, well you mentioned in your ad that possibly the car could be better used as a parts car, possibly better, but to do that would be a shame. Well, maybe a shame to you, but I said, that is what it is, a parts car. You know and I know that at 50 degrees this bucket is never going to start. He said I think you know more about Mercedes Benz then you indicated when we first met. Well perhaps. Now I have a question I said. You say you are selling the car at a very low price. Did you perhaps make an error in your ad on Craigslist and add one extra zero. I said, at $550.00, it is a good price and might be considered a little low for the car. Oh he went into orbit on that one. No, no, no! I do want $5500.00, maybe a little less, but right around. You know I just had a new wiper motor installed and that cost almost, "I hate to tell you" almost what you are say the car is worth. Get out of here with your bogus offer of $550.00. Well, I said, don't take it so hard. You have heard that old statement I am sure, "one man's soup is another man's poison". Hey I said, if you can wait long enough for some one to give you $5500.00 or something close to that, let this be your starting point Victor Kerff! I will sweeten this offer up as much as I can and I will offer $750.00 cash, or if you want to drive it to Cicero and I will take you back to Indy, I'll give you $800.00 fresh green big ones. And that offer is good at least until winter, but I won't pay that if I have to get the car towed to Cicero. You have my phone number and I am ready when you are, but I won't tow it. But that is what it is and I never did mention that really all I wanted from the junker is the flywheel and some other parts. The car has been sitting out in the weather for at least as long as Victor has had (5 years) it and it has rust bubbling out of it all over the place. But I have no doubt that in Victor's little world, that Benz manufactured in Germany a couple years after he was born in Germany is worth at least $5000.00. Yes sir, $5000.00 or it is staying right here.
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