Help: I need W123 AMG value advice
 

A friend borrowed my car and hit a large deer at 50+ mph. Now it's being totalled by my insurance company. It is an '85 300CD with 310,000 miles. The car was owned by one guy from 1986 until 2006 (or so) and all the service was completed at the Mercedes dealership in Atlanta, GA. I have all service records, original warranty booklet, owners manual, window sticker, etc. The car was sold new with AMG Penta wheels, an AMG lower body kit (as indicated on the window sticker), all trim blacked out, and Euro headlights. If I am lucky, the ins. co. will let me keep the wheels and body kit, but...

I have been looking online, but I can't find another car like this. The adjuster said I should find a value of a stock car, then add to that the value of the wheels, body kit, headlights, and an estimate to have all the trim blacked out. I would love some feedback on what you guys think the car is worth. Everything worked (including the rear windows) and it was in really nice condition.

Thanks in advance :)

Was it done by AMG or by the MB dealer?

Either way don't let those wheels go to the junkers!!!!

about AMG - as regards W123 diesels..
 

W123's are rare, and always have been.

The owner of AMG WEST, personally known to me for over 25 years, who has been in business importing gray market Mercedes exotics, and who converted lots of W123 and W126's to
AMG specification, www.richmondmercedes.com told me last year, FLAT OUT he would REFUSE to convert any Mercedes diesel engine automobile to an AMG model.

This is because (he said to me about a year ago) of the fact that AMG is and always has been - from its inception in 1967, a German racing and speed tuner, and the very idea of a W123 240D automatic, that does zero to sixty in about 30 seconds and a top speed of about 80 mph floored, is UTTERLY incompatible with a aerodynamic body kit that lowers wind resistance at 130 mph.

American AMG franchises were free to convert ANY Mercedes Benz model beginning with the W116 to an AMG (options are chosen "a la carte" ), and indeed, I have seen official AMG color sales literature showing the W123 coupe with Pentas and a body kit, but most diesel owners are and always have been, concerned with economy over speed and racing. AMG got its start in racing, beginning with the famed red W108 6.3 Sedan.

In those days, with Mercedes Benz those two concepts mixed about as well as designer jeans, educational television or military intelligence.


This would make your vehicle a very rare AMG, if it is a diesel.

If the car was in really good condition before the accident, I would fix it before I would turn loose of it. I would want to look under the hood at the lower right front crumple zone rail, but I'll bet it's okay. The lights, a fender, lower valence, a hood and grille along with some pulling work and/or use of a porta power could put this car back in shape.

The lights and grille might be a problem to come up with, but I bet they can be had. The hood and grill will come out of the wrecking yard easily.

Best of luck with it.

I remember this car when it was for sale within the past year. Shame it ended up getting wrecked. In your car's case, the body kit and wheels were added at the dealer, but it wasn't an AMG car. For the insurance sake, I'd want them to pay me back for the value of the car, then perhaps another $500-$800 for the wheels and body kit. It won't add up to much, regardless.

Thanks for the quick feedback. I did have the car for sale last spring, but decided to keep it. The AMG parts were installed at the dealer when the car was new, so it isn't a real AMG car. Maybe I should refraise the question like this: what would people pay for a set of euro headlights, an AMG body kit and a set of Penta wheels?

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but the car is a coupe (my "smart" phone is being dumb and won't let me go back to see if I said that...)

Thanks again

All CDs are coupes.


I remember the car from ebay, I bid on it.

I would buy the whole car back and fix it. It doesn't take much more than a cracked headlight to total an old car with a ton of miles.

Way worse than a broken headlight... the core support is bent badly, radiator is in the fan (which is bent now), the grill poked holes in the a/c condensor. The list goes on. I have too many projects as it is, so the Merc is going to the scrap yard... I'll post the location if I don't get to keep the AMG goodies.

This really is "hot" property you have for sale here.
 

Register and Advertise it here,

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w123-e-ce-d-cd-td/


And you will probably have it all sold by sundown tomorrow if not sooner.

If they are not afflicted with curb rash, and have the AMG center caps, if you take GOOD pictures, the wheels should bring at least $800 - $1,000.


The AMG body kit, if it is complete, decklid spoiler, front and rear spoilers, and side skirts, and the correct A M G decklid badge, (NOT the newer ///AMG one) and the front spoiler is NOT chewed up at all, I'd look for $1,500, because these for the W123 are virtually non existent.

Post it in benzworld above and also in their parts for sale section, as these are where the REAL w123 enthusiasts hang out and talk and help the other W123 enthusiasts. For the most part they are honest and good people, I actually personally know some of them.
(Though many are young and on a budget, these are older cars.).

Try posting them ALSO on peach parts (used parts for sale,) too.

Be SURE to take LOTS of GOOD pictures, including the AMG inscription and part # EVERYWHERE you can find it, for each individual item. There is no such thing as too many or too good pictures or too well described for items this rare and valuable, for sale long distance on the internet.

I didn't mean your car only has a bad headlight I meant the threshold for a total is very low. If the car wasn't in oregon I'd buy it from the insurance agency to repair it, its a very neat car. 310k mile totals just aren't worth a $900 shipping bill. I was the guy who sent you the message at the auction close asking what it took to the buy the car.

An 85 CD mthis color alone would be enough reason to fix it--The damage does not look unsurmountable at all. There was another thread of a guy who loaned his D to kis kid and it got creamed in Plano tx last july or so-WiskyDan got a bodyman he knows to fix it-The crash parts came from my old 85 300D, That car was MUCH worse off.
Your car would need a new front support ( or a used one-) and some minor straightening of the RS front inner fender /unibody structure. it could be done so you would only know it was done--For the purpose of NOT ending up with a salvage title. Telling a potential new owner--I would do because I know I could fix this one perfectly-I got the parts here and this is only the 6th cd I have seen this color-mines one of them , $$ so what are you thinking $??

I totally agree with DieselPaul and Pannzer. This car is not hit that bad and given that it is not a run of the mill CD, should be fixed by someone. If I had access to it for a very low salvage price I would take it and fix it even if I only broke even just to see it stay on the road.

However -Reading the first post closer--The insurance Co gave it the kiss of death, I was already plannin on mailing a headlight and a radiator out there and ........ just what i needed-not, another 2010 diversion.
The owner should NOT have let the insurance Co total it. he MAY be able to still tell them-No , You are going to fix it, let them cut you a check, and then do as YOU wish-if you havent signed the papers.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/insurance/knowyourrights/p35062.asp

No papers have been signed yet... I tried to sell this car last spring and the most anybody was willing to pay was about $3500. That ready isn't worth the headache of all the repairs. I don't mean to sound like a non-car guy, but...

The parts for this repair do not add up to anything close to $3,500. Like pannzer I would even donate a few parts if that would keep it on the road.

I think it's quite fixable too - if that's the route you want to take. The insurance company won't like it, but don't give them the choice. Keep the car one way or another. As for the body kit and wheels, the body kit is worth probably $500-$700 and the wheels another $400 if they're 16" ($300 if 15").

$1973 is what I have been offered for the car. The fool who looked at it noted that the engine oil is black (hmmm, it's a diesel dumb-ass), that it doesn't have power door locks or mirrors (??), that it doesn't have fog lights (again ??). He said that there is no carpet in the car (I wonder what he thought the carpety looking stuff with the Mercedes logo embossed in it is). How annoying... I need to find cars that have sold (no ebay) or are currently for sale that are in good condition, but have around 300,000 miles. I know the car isn't a $10k jewel that has been in a climate controlled garage, but I think it is worth a damn sight more than $1973... One other thing; the company can only compare cars that are one year newer, but not older...

Your last hope is to go and spend the $250 - $325 to hire an independent automobile appraiser, and explain, all that you can reveal about the rarity and value of AMG as to the worth of their 1980's w123 cars, and go and give him the internet paperwork yu have copied (to educate him fast) about the true market value of an original
AMG 1985 300CD and how rare and valuable they are, and how IMPOSSIBLE it is to find comparable AMG sales that are recent or examples,for the reason the cars were so rare..

These are almost impossible for an insurance company adjuster to argued with, IF the appraiser is good and gives a good report.

If you get a good auto appraiser who does the job well, the cost of his services will be repaid several times over, even if the car has 310k on it.

$1,973 is ridiculous, you are getting lowballed incredbly, but that is how car insurance companies are treating policyholders and claimants now.

It's war.


Play to win.

Uh -I can supply them, I was thinking of buying it and fixing. This car would almst likely not even need any frame machine time-If it did, It would only be the slightest tug. , You can plan on having to replace the center top brace and the Unibody structure around the pS headlight will have to be spliced in--but im sure it was welded to the rest of the structure so its a matter of uncovering the spotwelds and drilling -and then swapping in a trimmed piece from a doner vehicle--any w123.

DO NOT LET THEM TOTAL THIS BENZ!
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wow, the rear windows and sunroof work...

http://www.j-body.org/global/images/emoticons/ag.gif

"due diligence" required.
 

You'd need to check the blinker fluid, though.