Brand new, looking for 300sd advice.

[Brawler]

Hello, I am looking at a 300sd to buy with less than 90k.  I recently sold my 1977 240d that i revamped. This 300sd  is in good shape with a few cosmetic problems.  Its paint is beginning to fade, the grill is slightly broken in a couple spots and it has a small, maybe 4 inch long shallow dent in the drivers side rear door.  The dash is cracked but the seats covers look good. The air blows cool not cold. The passenger window doesn't function reliably.  That is the bad.  Good, new brakes, brake booster.  Feels solid. Rides well and has a clean and un-butchered engine compartment.
What would y'all estimate a fair market value for a car like this.  Book values seem really high with a low around 6000 and a high around 12000.  I really like this car, but don't want to get to far "underwater" so to speak.
Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.  I am hopeing to commute 60 miles round trip with my 2 year old daughter in this car since my 240 was to slow and somewhat smaller.  Thanks, Michael

[ZCarFan]

Yes, $6000 is high on the low end.  That money will get you a really nice car in the ATL metro area.

Here's one of the more expensive ones I have found "nearby" on Craigslist.  http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3517681817.html  Looks nice in the pics. Should be able to find something similar locally over a few months.

I'd keep your eye on local ads, Craigslist and visit some local independent Mercedes shops and one will turn up.  If you've got some money and patience, wait a while, something good will turn up.

[Brawler]

Thank you for your response Zcarfan.  I have made an offer of 6000 for the car. What attracts me to the car is it only has 79k mileage and has stamps in the maintenance book.  It has ZERO rust that i can see.  I know he has more than this in it but im not sure i could could sell it for 6k if i had to,
but i really do like the car.  Thanks again.

[ZCarFan]

Looking forward to the pictures.

[JasonP]

Here's one of the more expensive ones I have found "nearby" on Craigslist.  http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3517681817.html  Looks nice in the pics. Should be able to find something similar locally over a few months.

That's what mine should look like when I am done with it! Anyway, I read the ad, and it says "Im open to any firearm trades." 

You guys are sure gonna enjoy our Civil War II on Sky News. Get out the popcorn.

[WrightSounds]

I read the ad, and it says "Im open to any firearm trades." 

You guys are sure gonna enjoy our Civil War II on Sky News. Get out the popcorn.

Oh man Jason... you continue to crack me up.

[oversize]

Hello, I am looking at a 300sd to buy with less than 90k.  I recently sold my 1977 240d that i revamped. This 300sd  is in good shape with a few cosmetic problems.  Its paint is beginning to fade, the grill is slightly broken in a couple spots and it has a small, maybe 4 inch long shallow dent in the drivers side rear door.  The dash is cracked but the seats covers look good. The air blows cool not cold. The passenger window doesn't function reliably.  That is the bad.  Good, new brakes, brake booster.  Feels solid. Rides well and has a clean and un-butchered engine compartment.
What would y'all estimate a fair market value for a car like this.  Book values seem really high with a low around 6000 and a high around 12000.  I really like this car, but don't want to get to far "underwater" so to speak.
Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.  I am hopeing to commute 60 miles round trip with my 2 year old daughter in this car since my 240 was to slow and somewhat smaller.  Thanks, Michael

Rust free is rare and they're very popular in the USA....

[Casey]

You can find better deals in this economy but really 6000 isn't bad if its in great shape and its a car you like and isn't a big project car. I paid $5300 for my first W116 (a 300SD) and have no regrets. And yes that low of mileage is really great. Mine had been parked in a garage for 17 years but had twice as many miles. Mileage does make a big difference, and rust-free should not be undervalued.

It was ivory on tobacco also and looked every bit as good as that Craigslist ad car. Mine has a sunroof though.

All that really matters is whether YOU feel that you are getting a reasonable deal for your money. If you want to feel better about it, look back at market prices a few short years ago before our economy tanked.

[Casey]

That's what mine should look like when I am done with it! Anyway, I read the ad, and it says "Im open to any firearm trades." 

You guys are sure gonna enjoy our Civil War II on Sky News. Get out the popcorn.

I've got a project 300SD that I'm open to firearm trades for, for the record.

[ZCarFan]

You should have no problem with the 60 mile commute.  The W116 300SDs re remarkably practical for a design of that era.  Good brakes, handling and an amazing turning radius.  Not too wide when parking either.

[Brawler]

Thanks for the responses.  The fellow that ownsthe car is stuck at 6800.00  I offered 6k>  The biggest thing this car could use that i see is a paint job.  Its ok but the clear is coming up.  Seats could use new cushions also.   What would be a reasonable price to expect to pay for a front seat to be re-foamed.  I assume paint is similar in price for all cars.  My 240d would polish back when it got faded.  Does anyone know if the 240 had a different paint than a 300sd.  Thanks again

[Casey]

Thanks for the responses.  The fellow that ownsthe car is stuck at 6800.00  I offered 6k>  The biggest thing this car could use that i see is a paint job.  Its ok but the clear is coming up.  Seats could use new cushions also.   What would be a reasonable price to expect to pay for a front seat to be re-foamed.  I assume paint is similar in price for all cars.  My 240d would polish back when it got faded.  Does anyone know if the 240 had a different paint than a 300sd.  Thanks again

Seat pads can be found here:  http://worlduph.com/mercedes_benz/w116/#Pads  Or from GAHH (send a PM to jbrasile to get a discounted price).  The paint depends on the color - some colors came with clearcoats (that end up peeling) and others do not (which fade more readily but can be polished up easily).  6800 is a high price for such a car, especially given the economy.  I personally would be hesitant to offer more than you have and if the seller isn't going to budge well he's probably not going to sell it to anyone else either, so a little patience will likely pay off.

It depends on how much of a project you want - but I'd personally opt for a car with some higher miles that's been kept in good shape and doesn't need new paint which is expensive to have done right (lots of lousy paint jobs out there where they don't even remove the side trim but just tape it off).  If I'm going to have a car repainted, it's going to involve stripping all the exterior trim first and being done thoroughly and well.  I'm not sure whether the clearcoat needs to be sanded off so that it doesn't keep presenting issues from under the new paint, too.

Low mileage has a lot of specific advantages, but also a lot of stuff (rubber, etc.) just goes bad from age and exposure, not mileage, so keep that in mind too.  If you want the car to be in perfect shape it's going to take a lot more investment.  For OEM rubber seals and gaskets for all the windows and doors and trunk and taillights and sunroof and a couple odds and ends, you're looking at over $2k.  Various rubber buffers and boots on the suspension are going to be aged as well.  Paint will be a considerable expense.

Low mileage will save you some expenses but not all, so bear that in mind when you think about how much you're willing to pay in terms of purchase price.  And also consider how much of this you're willing to learn to do yourself (which may involve buying tools, etc.), because otherwise there's also labor costs to consider.

Ultimately though, I stand by what I said regarding what matters is how much it's worth to *you*.  If you end up with something you love and own and serves you for many years to come, what's an $800 difference in the grand scheme of things?

[jbrasile]

Michael,

6k for a car in need of paint and interior work is a bit much in my opinion. For that kind of $$$ you should be able to find a 300SD in excellent condition that perhaps only needs a little mechanical attention. Rectifying paint in upholstery is usually a lot more expensive than engine/suspension/transmission work so just be patient and I am sure the right combination of aesthetics/mechanicals will turn up.

Tks,

Joe

[shadetree77]

Michael,

6k for a car in need of paint and interior work is a bit much in my opinion. For that kind of $$$ you should be able to find a 300SD in excellent condition that perhaps only needs a little mechanical attention. Rectifying paint in upholstery is usually a lot more expensive than engine/suspension/transmission work so just be patient and I am sure the right combination of aesthetics/mechanicals will turn up.

Tks,

Joe

I agree $6000 is way too much. i paid $700 for mine (i would have paid $2000 based on condition, but i got lucky)

[oversize]

Looks very nice to me!  Maybe a clean n clay bar?