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Comments
Autotrader shows exactly zero cars like this within 100 miles of me. There are a few in Atlanta, but that would mean me having a whole day to go look at it. That won't happen anytime soon.
I could try talking the wife into a Z3 again, but there isn't any of those around either. Well, there is one at a dealer about 90 miles away that has 138K on it and the TCS and ABS lights are on. I figure you'd need to spend $1000-2000 to fix that. And what kind of person drives a nice car without attending to such issues anyway?
I like the style of the older 1996-2000 Sebring 'vert, and the 2001-2006 isn't bad either, although the interior seems cheapened a bit.
I know that the further back you go, the more troubleprone the transmission is. And the 2.7 is more sludge-prone than other engines if you don't keep up on oil changes. The 4-cyl has all the refinement of a 1939 Massey-Ferguson tractor. I don't think the Mitsubishi-sourced 2.5 V-6 used from 1996-2000 was a bad engine, though...just a bit weak by modern standards.
But, overall, were they really THAT horrible?
http://bham.craigslist.org/ctd/1703606040.html
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/cto/1699760480.html
http://montgomery.craigslist.org/cto/1698093086.html
http://shoals.craigslist.org/cto/1729933498.html
Is Alabama some kind of anti-bmw state?
edit: oddly enough, if I search non-verts, I came up with a couple of hits.
Like this grossly overpriced E30. That looks alot like mine, except with far fewer miles, and a handshaker.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I just don't like most convertibles that have came out since the convertible made a comeback in the early 80's, as most of them are just too small for my tastes. Except for the Sebring. But then it seems to have its other issues.
I've always kinda liked the convertible versions of the Toro/Riv though. They were done by an aftermarket company though, rather than in-house, so I wonder if they're a bit extra-shaky as a result?
Oh, ouch! That seems harsh.
I've had some preliminary discussions with my wife about a convertible ... she wants something comfortable to ride in and has specifically mentioned a Sebring. She also likes the last generation T-Bird as well.
I, OTOH, would like something a bit more sporty - Mustang GT or a CPO 1 or 3-series. I've also thought about a Saab 9-3.
I'm pretty sure it'll have to have 4 seats, even if 2 of them are useless for anyone over 4' tall, so the following are probably out:
Z3 / Z4
Boxter
350Z / 370Z
S2000
SLK
Miata
Which is OK, since I'm guessing that a 4 seater will be somewhat cheaper to insure than a 2 seater.
Might also consider an Eclipse Spyder, G6 hard-top vert or a Solara. Lots of choices.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I had forgotten about the G6 retractable and the Solara. I don't really care for the newer Solara, with its overdone front-end, and the way it seems too high in the rear. But the earlier model seems pretty nice.
I wonder how roomy the G6 is inside?
Front seat, not so bad; rear seat - well, like most convertibles, it would help if you were a double leg amputee.
What bugs me most about the G6 is that when the top is down, there's about 2 or 3 cubic feet of space in the trunk!
That's why the back seat is so important .. would provide a place for my golf clubs and / or luggage.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Looks like it's a total stripper, with the exception of the V-6. Oh the humanity, it looks like you have to adjust the front seat manually! And, are those plastic wheelcovers I see? But, I like the combination of fairly new (5 years old) and fairly low-miles (59-60K), for a reasonable price. My 2000 Park Ave had less miles than that (56,372...yes, sometimes numbers just stick in my mind like that
Eh; even strippers can be fun... for awhile.
Yeah, until you either catch something or they bleed you dry, or you try to engage one in meanfingul conversation. :shades:
Still though, I don't think that 2005 Sebring would be a horrible car. The transmission is basically a transverse-mounted version of what was in my Intrepid. it's more likely to shred behind a 3.5, or in something heavier like a minivan, but with the smaller engines they weren't bad. And at only 59,000 miles, even if that 2.7 was abused, hopefully the miles are still low enough that it's not condemned to early failure. FWIW, while the 2.7 does sludge up, every mechanic I've ever talked to said that you have to let it go like 10-15,000 miles between oil changes, let it run low, let it run hot, etc, to get it to do it.
I do like that car, but I'm not at a stage in life where something like that would really be useful to me. If I had a long commute to work, I doubt I'd be enjoying it with the top down, stuck in traffic, in a Sebring. And with the short commute I do have, I'd much rather do it leisurely in my '67 Catalina, than a comparitively boring Sebring. And, if I need to lug 4 or 5 people around, something like my Park Ave would be better suited for that. Heck, even my '67 Catalina convertible would be better suited for that...I swear it's a better 6-passenger car than most vehicles built today, short of a minivan.
2000 Miata - nice car, but really small. I thought they got a little bigger in the 1999 redesign, but I guess not. My head and knees were begging for mercy.
1997 SL500 - My wife really liked this one. It is in great shape, but the thought of maintaining it scares me. I think it is a bit overpriced.
You (and probably I) will have to test drive a later model Sebring to get it out of our systems.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
EVERYTHING IS STILL WITH THE CAR except the radiator so please do not ask if it has ay missing stuff...I have never totaly inspected all the metal on this car. And now it is sandwiched where I can not look at it. These are the only pictures I have and cannot get this car out for more............. Please address any question accordingly.
:confuse:
I think at $32K the current bidder is already a loser on this one.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Another lazy seller, if you sell it won't you have to get it out then? I just don't get these people who have something that could be valuable and just "throw in on Ebay". An afternoon spent digging it out, organizing the parts and actually being able to answer questions would go a long way.
On another note, that looks like it would be one heck of a project. Its in some sad shape.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
And what's with "This is a highland green car with a black interior." Bad repaint, in purple???
Then there's "This project has everything that makes it a Shelby. All the high price shelby components are still with this project. ... I don't think the J-Code engine is a numbers match. It is the correct vintage 68 302 4V motor." So the engine's not original, but we should trust him it's correct?
What a mess....
Nope.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Not a bad $1000 beater.
I always thought a 1985-86 Parisienne, with Pontiac Rally 2's, and minus the fender skirts and vinyl roof that almost seemed mandatory those two years, preferably in black, would be a sharp looking car.
I talked to the seller who told me that he is the second owner and that he bought the car from a well known (at least locally) former NBA star. He is very proud of the car and is asking in the neighborhood of $10k which I think is absurd.
I really could care less about its provenance but I think the car itself is interesting because of the tuner customization.
I tend to think that it should be worth the same as a regular 560SEL in comparable condition plus a premium for the tuner customization.
How much should that premium be I don't know . What do you guys think this car is worth? And yes I'm familiar with the "rent a car" rule of $35/day when dealing with cars with very high mileage.
Thanks
Jorge
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IIRC there is a very similar car for sale in my area, it's a Lorinser Euro 500SE/L in that weird purplish dark blue used on many show cars in the mid 80s. This one is in very good condition, and I think the owner wants around 10K for it. He's tried to sell it off and on for awhile - no takers. I like those cars a lot, but somehow it doesn't get me going. Very small market for these things - I think a lot of the people who like that style will spend extra and find a full AMG/Hammer or a Koenig Special.
Jorge
I think a perfectly stock, clean, low mileage 560SEL could actually bring *more* money than this car in the US.
And lastly, with absolutely no offense intended, most people today find these cars to be examples of 80s bad taste. I suppose there is a perverseness to that which in itself might have market appeal--sort of like the '59 Cadillac.
I have seen nice tuner Benzes, but they tend to be *very* subtle---more "stealth" than "wealth".
You know, tastes change and so do markets.
I like the way you think! No offense taken as I have described this car to others as a "pimped out Mercedes". The body mods are not radical and somewhat low key except fot the chorme wheel arches ugh!
I've had a hard time finding information on Lorinser eventhough they are still in business and have a presence on the web. When I first saw this car I went home and got out my book on custom Mercedes. The book devoted whole chapters to AMG (off course), Brabus, and others but Lorinser was given a caption on a couple of pictures of exhaust tips.
Jorge
I think the '83-84s never had skirts (one of my block-away neighbors had one, in two tone blue, no vinyl roof either).
Funny, on my morning errands today, I saw its older sibling, a '79ish once-fancy Bonneville Brougham sedan (light blue, blue vinyl top), beat up, rusty, rear bumper held on with straps, but at least moving under its own power, driven by an 'older' woman going to Menard's.
http://www.sportservice.lorinser.com/en/company/chronicle/
The list of celebrities they display rather speaks to their aesthetics IMO. Also I find it somewhat amusing that they are rather proud of catering to what I'm guessing is a code word for Russian mafia. :shades:
And yeah, the '83-84 Parisienne didn't have fender skirts. It was a bit of a hatchet-job. Essentially an Impala with a Pontiac grille designed to fit in the same spot as a Caprice/Impala grille (in 1977-81, you couldn't just swap a Catalina or Bonneville grille onto a Chevy...you probably had to take the whole front-end clip, and even then the creases in the fender wouldn't match the creases in the rest of the car). In back, it used the Impala rear end with modified taillights, rather than the Caprice. And inside, it used a Chevy dash, just with four round dials instead of four square ones. It really was just a thinly disguised Chevy, although I do prefer it to a similar-vintage Caprice or Impala.
For 1985, they gave it a more "proper" rear end reminiscent of the 1980-81 Bonneville, although I'm unclear as to whether parts like the rear bumper, taillights, trunk lid, fender skirts, etc, would interchange between an '85-86 Parisienne and an '80-81 Bonneville. Could be the same parts, they could just look similar. I also can't remember if they made the skirts standard on the '85-86 Parisienne, or if they were just a very common option? I know I've seen the cars without them, but I guess it's possible the owners just took them off?
Funny thing, when it comes to vintage tuner cars, the most sought after examples are either full AMG conversions or the most ostentatious Koenig or Gemballa/Sbarro etc style conversions possible. More tackiness = more demand (but still low). The most valuable tuned cars from that era are Hammers, 6 liter widebody AMG cars, and full-on Koenig Specials - the latter of which have a cult-like following in Japan of all places. A gullwing door SEC would also be desirable - but I don't know if those doors become maintenance issues with time. However, a mint low mileage untouched example will rival the value of a tuned car, with exception being full AMG jobs or maybe a good Koenig Special. Just like building a normal custom, the money is seldom recovered.
The local Lorinser W126 is also subtle, apart from the weird color - bodykit, wheels, small rear spoiler, and a sport steering wheel. I don't know what it has under the hood. To be honest, I really like the AMG widebody SEC variants, and as a conversation piece I wouldn't kick a Koenig Special out of my garage either. But then again, I am far from normal :shades:
Now there's a cool MB
These days, Lorinser almost exclusively caters to the questionable "businessmen" set, loud celebs, and [non-permissible content removed] new money and trust-funders. I guess no different from 25 years ago - but the 80s are nostalgia, I don't know if today will ever be the same. I have seen Lorinser W220 and W211 cars for sale locally...the modern stuff doesn't add much of any value, and frankly I'd take a normal AMG before one of those.
There are also many Youtube videos showing period tuned cars.