Looking @ a !997 S500 w/ 127k miles ...asking $17.9 Perfect in every way..When do the m119's need a new timing chain anyway??? What other things do I need to reconsider before I jump into this?? The car drives like new. I was amazed. I think I can tell which ones have been driven hard or not...........but the miles scare me.......please yelp


Dessert silver with parch int.

__________________
a2


1978 280 CE silver
1986 560 SL black
1987 300 SDL cream
1994 SL 500 brilliant green
1997 E 300d dessert silver
2005 FORD F250 Superduty Crew cab 4x4

____ADMU____

It sounds like a nice car but the price is a little high. I would offer them $13-14k for it and settle on $15k or under. It's a buyers market for cars with over 100k miles and he/she is going to have a hard time selling 1997 model year with over 100k miles on the clock.

They may show you the KBB numbers but those are also high. If they balk at your offer then wait a couple weeks and politely call them back. They may have softened up a bit. Repeat every week or two until they sell you the car.

And of course, have the car appropriately checked out before purchasing, as you know from owning an SL. 127k is nothing to be afraid of with these cars but it may need a little maintainance.

I agree on the buying tactic. Also, any mechnic performing the PPI will find at least $1K, probably more, of "required" work on the car. That will give you some further leverage.

Why are they selling the car? It's at a ridiculous point to sell it. The mileage is killing the value, but it's still a great car unless something is being hidden. Why not just keep driving it until it's fully miled out and get your real money's worth out of it?

Us high mileage drivers learned long ago that we have to be buy and hold kinda car owners. Unless they just plain wanted a new car and are willing to bite the huge bullet of depreciation at this point. Guess I just don't have that kinda money to burn...

__________________
John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

gstigler & blackmercedes,

great advice . I will call him back tomorrow and start the haggling process. Thanks guys.

__________________
a2


1978 280 CE silver
1986 560 SL black
1987 300 SDL cream
1994 SL 500 brilliant green
1997 E 300d dessert silver
2005 FORD F250 Superduty Crew cab 4x4

____ADMU____

Good luck on the haggling.

Here's my $.02:

High mileage has never bothered me on a used car. The fact that the car is in good cosmetic shape, inside and out, is a good sign that the previous owner(s) cared for the car.

The only thing you need to verify is that the maintenance was performed regularly. I would need to see receipts. If the services were performed at the dealer, have the owner get a print out of all the work done. The service history stays with the owner that performed the work, not the car, so only the previous owner can get these records.

You mention the timing chain. It appears that timing chain stretch is not a problem on M119s like it is on M116 / M117's.

I'd certainly have it checked out, as well as the condition of the chain rails / guides.

Remember, it's worth spending a couple hundred dollars on a good PPI to save you from spending a couple thousand dollars unexpectedly later on....

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Early 722.6 transmission. Whats its service hx?