Buyer beware - lemon 1987 300D for sale - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gsxr · #1 06-17-2004, 07:38 PM

Sure sounds good in this ad, no?

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=164651548

These clowns had sold the car last summer, when they were asking $8900 for it. A few months later it was back on their lot - I bet the "new" owner discovered the same little tidbid I found, and made them take it back. I emailed Good Stuff Auto several times about the little 'issue' and they never replied, gee, I wonder why. They know full well the mileage is well over 200k but they still advertise it as a "98kmi" car. Look at this CarFax report, and carefully note the mileage AND dates. In their last ad, summer 2003, they listed the odo reading at 97,128... identical to what it read over THREE YEARS earlier. I guess it was driven backwards from the auction house, eh? Anyway - here's the CarFax in PDF format:

http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/shopping/Silver_lemon.pdf

They don't list the VIN in the ad anymore, huh, how about that. The price has dropped to a downright cheap $7750 as well. ROTFL! Here's the important section of the CarFax:

#2 06-17-2004, 08:22 PM

Dave, That's a nice public service-thanks. I saw the Autotrader offering earlier today and thought it looked good-obviously too good.

boneheaddoctor · #3 06-17-2004, 08:24 PM

never mind somehow it only racked up 3 miles between a aution in the east coast and one in the west??????????? hel you can do that in a parking lot without trying.

gsxr · #4 06-21-2004, 02:12 PM

someone else mentioned steep fines for odometer fraud, and there is no way the seller can claim they don't know that 98k is not actual miles. I wonder if they're hiding behind a "not actual miles" title.

dieseldiehard · #5 06-24-2004, 12:08 PM

If they think they can hide they are wrong.
FWIW the ad is gone. Kaput. Nada. I wonder why!?!?!?!?
DDH

gsxr · #6 06-24-2004, 12:19 PM

Odd... the ad is pulled from their website too:

http://www.goodstuffauto.com/others.html

Someone emailed the place last week and they claimed it had a rebuilt engine, rebuilt "in the car" (block not removed). New bottom end, honed, head rebuilt - couldn't say if it was a new head, just "rebuilt". And why would any OM603 need a rebuild with 98k on the clock? Oh, I think the guy also claimed it's been his driver for the past 5 years. (stifled laugh) Shoot, even with 225k (estimated) on the clock there's no need for bottom end work unless it was run without oil...! Strange, indeed. Anyone want to call and ask if it's still for sale?

gsxr · #7 07-08-2004, 10:56 AM

It's baaaaaaaack!

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=166311031

"1987 MERCEDES BENZ 300D, silver/grey, rare 6 cyl, turbo diesel, fully reconditioned car, looks & drives great, must sell, $7350 TMU, call Jim, 707-545-8233"

#8 07-08-2004, 11:20 AM

This time it's listed as:
"True mileage unknown".

Stiffly over priced in my opinion.

Louis.

TX76513 · #9 07-08-2004, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mb123mercedes
".

Stiffly over priced in my opinion.

Louis.

I agree with overpriced - is that a fair value in CA?

That car around here is $3500 (all the money)

gsxr · #10 07-08-2004, 11:46 AM

Ah, is that what the cryptic/nebulous "TMU" acronym stands for? How interesting. And vague. You think they'd spell it out. I wonder if someone complained. And I agree, with over 200k it is stiffly overpriced, unless it's IMMACULATE in every way, which would really surprise me. Anyone in the Bay area who has lots of free time, who could take a peek?

gsxr · #11 07-08-2004, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TX76513
I agree with overpriced - is that a fair value in CA?
That car around here is $3500 (all the money)

1987 300D values are all over the place. A truly showroom condition car (with verified low miles, say under ~125kmi) can fetch $10-12k. One went on eBay a few months ago for $13k, I think, the buyer's feedback was "car better than advertised". I know someone else who paid about $9k for one in Texas recently and felt it was worth every penny. The well-used ones are in the $3500-$4500 range, beaters are a little less, medium-nice will be $5-$6k. A documented new cylinder head is probably worth $1-$2k extra.

Here's the latest on AutoTrader:

http://tinyurl.com/2xh48

http://tinyurl.com/29lxv

(AT has two categories for sedans, 300D and 300DT, when there should be only one - dealers tend to use the second for some reason. [The wagon is 300TD, meaning touring diesel, NOT turbo diesel.])