Just bought a 1980sd in Las Vegas with only 45K miles.

[Lue]

I fly to Las Vegas to look at a 1980sd which is on ebay. The bid went up to $3650. The reserve price is $4500. The owner want $3900. I make a low offer of $3000 cash, but he would not want to let it go. So I gave him my last offer of $3650. And he took it. I am going to have it ship to Texas for $500. Interior is like new. He bought the car in alabama and move to Las Vegas and had the car in storage for 16 yearsin Las Vegas. He said once a month he start the car. Well i check the car and there is no major rust. Everthing is still original. Ac, heater, sun roof, and passenger door window inop. Black paint job still original and fading and peeling in some area. Is this a good buy or what? I am going spend some money to fix it up and want a nice paint job on it. With only 45k miles.It looks like I am going to keep this car for long time.

Sounds like a good deal. The car probably needs some hard driving, after you've changed all the fluids.

Best of luck with it.

[rdanz]

As hard as this is to believe cars that are not Driven wear out even though they show low milage I don't see why the paint would peal and fade on a gararged car.
Hard to believe the milage hope you had a mechanic check it out before you bought it.
Good luck.
My personel opinion with all its problems I don't think this is a good buy.

These low mileage diesels come up occasionally here. Most are a little afraid of them, as all sorts of oddball stuff can go wrong because they sat without much use.
It would be great if you could keep sending in honest posts of the problems you find on the car, as you work through the issues that come up.
I at one time was given an old Chrylser that had sat for about five years. The car started right up and after changing fluids I drove it away. Thought maybe this wasn't so bad. Then the troubles started. After battling that wreck for a few years I finally just loaded it up and hauled it down to the auto graveyard and bought another MB diesel. Never could tell if the sitting caused all the problems or the name on the front of the car. Either way I don't think it had a chance.
Good luck, and keep sendng in reports!

[Lue]

The car was park outside in Alabama for one year which cause paint to fade and chipping on top of the hood. There are some surface rust on the front hood and both left lower doors. Other than that there is no sign of damage anywhere. The owner said when he move to Las Vegas, he had the car park in his garage on his 200 ac property and drove the car once a month on his property because the car is not register. Well he had five cars, so he drive his other car. He looks like a high roller with lots of money. He got the car running for couple month and got a temporary permit to drive the car around so he can show to potential buyer. I test drive the car and it runs like a new car. I took flash light and look under the car and there is no sign of major rust on the car due to Vegas dry climate. The title shows only 42K miles and is Alabama title. I am shipping it to Texas this comming week, so I will let everyone know when I drive it.

[wolfgang]

This has to be a joke.

[Lue]

No time for joke. This for real.

[Fisherman]

I am pretty sure that this is the same car that I was tracking for a short time in the nickel ads.
Sounded like a sweet deal other than being in Las Vegas.

Good luck Lue and as stated earlier, keep us informed as to your progress with the car.

[Lue]

Fisherman, you might be right. He told me he had it for sale on the paper and got several call from several distance state, but no one ever look at the car. He show it to couple local people, but they didn't have the money. He want something like $5000 at that time. He said he had five cars. He also told me that he want to sell a 1976 380sl with only 19K miles on it. I did't look at it, because I want a diesel. Well the car will be ship to my house on 1/16, because I did't want to drive that distance and took the chance that something might went wrong with radiator or hose and ruin my investment. Give you more infor once I got it and driving it. What I know from test driving on the freeway is that I can let go the steering and the car would track straight. And it feels different than other cars i have driven.

[Great Boob]

I've probably owned at least 30-40 cars in my time, American, British, Itialian, probably every American make. When I test drove my 300TD, it felt different as soon as I was leaving the parking lot. Mostly the steering, like you say, very much on track, very true. I've had cars I really liked, but I think this is my all time favorite, and heck its going on 24 years old.

I'd post a picture, but can't seem to get it to take.

I hope yours serves you well.
Andy.

[kerry]

I wish you the best of luck with the car but there is something fishy about the story. In my opinion, parking a car outside for one year will not cause it to fade. If the paint is fading it has been outside for a long time.
Of course, a fishy story does not mean the car does not have 45k original and could be a fine car. Did you run a Carfax report on it?

I am sure the paint was going bad a long time ago, and parking it outside for a year made it noticible.

Some of the MB paint colors of that vintage couldn't survive a year in paradise, much less a year outside in the South.

[Lue]

He said the car was park ouside under a tree in Alabama for about one year. Some part of the car are fade by direct sun. The hood had leaf pile up on it, so the paint had tiny buble and chip with surface rust building at the front of the hood and both left side lower door. The original paint on these look like not a good quality paint. Any idea how should I repaint this car or should I just treat the small furface rust and leave it alone. If I am going to have it repaint, I want to have it done right. I might have to get it strip out everything and make sure there is no rust before I get a new coat of paint. The owner said he didn't want to paint,because he doesn't want people to think that he is hiding something under the paint and left it original. I might just have it buff it out and treat the furface rust. What have you guys have done to your car with the old paint job?

Originally posted by Lue
What have you guys have done to your car with the old paint job?

I havn't done anything to mine yet, and the surface rust is starting to get worse. This spring I plan to fix the rust and just put some primer on it. I am going to wait a while to get it painted, I need to do more research on the metalic clearcoat paints first.