There is a gap between the well maintained, top condition cars and the ones that are edgy. I love my 400e and bought it on ebay although the car was local to me. I knew enough about what to look out for although there were no records. When I did my inspection I found a new rear muffler that had a Mercedes Benz parts tag on it (its still there today). That clue told me alot about the car and it became a matter of finding things to prove the car HADN'T been maintained rather than that it HAD been maintained. You have to evaluate a car without records very carefully and back to my original point, with cars that "need" in the $1500 - $2000 range and top cars in the $5000 range, you will spend more on the dud and not end up with a top end car. To put the paint right on the car you are considering will cost you at least $1000 to have the clear and the faded panels done right. At this point you're at $3700 before you start fixing the climate control (which could be simple for someone with experience). But what else will it need over the coming year? These cars eat radiators, alternators and power steering pumps regularly so although I stand by my love of these cars you need to have a balanced approach and a great Indy or set of tools to put the car right or to keep it right.

In a nutshell, if you can't do your own work you should buy the best one out there that has records a good price and is in top condition. Good luck.

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88 300e
89 300e
93 400e
93 500e
77 308 GTB