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USED European Luxury Cars (pre 1990)
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Comments
I think the longevity reputation is mostly a myth based on the great build quality of the cars. They can look good even when their mechanicals are pretty worn out, so people keep rebuilding them. So in that sense they have "longevity" but it doesn't come cheap.
It's like Gordon's old Volvo P1800. Do they all go 1,000,000 miles? No, 99% of them die just like any old car does at the appointed mileage for most cars (150K-200K).
Case in point: I had a chat with one of the mechanics at my local independent Volvo shop not too long ago. I asked him if he knew anything about old Mercedes diesels like the 240D and 300D, and he said that he had worked on some of them in the past. He told me that if you try to treat an elderly Benz diesel like an Accord/Camry/Maxima, then it will not be good in your favor. I had a friend who did that once. He purchased a 300D new in 1987; also had a Honda Accord during that time. Did very minimal, if any, maintenance to the Benz. Needless to say, it was pretty much shot after five years and 80k miles.
Fact is, if you neglect any vehicle, it will deteriorate in direct proportion to the amount of neglect you subject it to.
I like to tell the story of the (then) one year old Mazda RX-7 that I personally saw dragged to the wrecking yard. Every panel was dented, the interior had old food trays sticking to the carpet, and the oil had not been changed for 34,000 miles.
-Jason
So if the guy gave it to you for free, you might be able to get a nice car out of it after spending $20K. Ot it might turn into the mechanical nightmare and cost you even more.
In this case, I would judge a car by it's looks. If it's beat up on the outside, chances are it's beat up on the inside too.
If you really want an older SL keep looking. Find the best one you can, with the lowest miles. And even then, expect to spend, on average, a couple hundred a month keeping it on the road. Is it worth it? Depends on your point of view. My wife drives a 84 380SL that is in pristine condition. She loves that car and wouldn't consider gettting rid of it. People are always stopping her on the street and commenting on the car. Sure it costs us a bit on maintanence, but depreciation on a new car is costly too.
Sounds like a good parts car or a hobby for someone on a trust fund.
Run, don't walk, away.
I put a friend on to a classified ad last year in our local paper when he was looking, and the result was a '88 560SL with a verifed 16k miles on the odo that he bought for $16.5k. He's had to the usual replacement of rubbers and gaskets, and new tires, but now has a car that looks and feels semi-new for the price of a new Accord.
He was looking at the same time at an '87 560SL with about 30k miles that was in comparable shape and the asking price was under $20k. There are lots of sellers out there who think these cars are precious metal of some kind, but there are plenty of low-mileage cars around, and enough financial guidance [NADA, Kelley, etc] so that there is no reason to overpay for a good car. Of course you have to be dealing with a seller that actually has feet planted firmly on the planet, first...
Are there any typical problems that I should be on the lookout for on this type of vehicle? Any general thoughts on the advisability of buying it? I can afford regular maintenance. How many more miles might I get out of this vehicle??
Thanks in advance for your input.
"#335 of 347 Mercedes Diesel with Very High Miles by gtmustang Mar 01, 2001 (08:07 pm)
I own an old 1978 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel. It has the original engine and transmission in it. This car
has 889,000 miles on it. Yes 889,000 miles!. the body is in very good shape with no rust and it has the original paint on it. It has been passed down in the family from my great uncle to my father to my brother to
me. Everybody in my family who has owned this vehicle has pampered this car since new. We have done
regular maintenance to it and have always changed the oil every 3,000 miles. Mercedes Benz has very
reliable Diesel engines which are virtually bulletproof. They last a lifetime and can go over 1,000,000 miles.
We are thinking of placing our vehicle in the Mercedes Benz museum in Germany for lifetime display when
it reaches the 1,000,000 mile limit. Mercedes says that they will buy us a free Mercedes Benz of our choice
if our vehicle reaches 1,000,000 miles. We are thinking about asking them to give us the new Mercedes 600
V12 coupe or sedan. It is a beautiful car. "
Oh, it sounds like a complete crock. Mercedes doesn't give people new Mercedes, believe me, I used to work for them. The man is blowing smoke in your face. Benz has all the 1,000,000 mile cars it needs I'm sure after 116 years of making them.
I suppose an SD could reach that mileage but I doubt it seriously that it could do so on the original powertrain.
You can drive any car in the world 1,000,000 miles if you spend the money on it.
Regarding the 450SL, sounds pretty good if the miles are original. But still, as you say, you should check the condition of seals, belts, hoses, tires, etc. to see what has dried out and cracked due to lack of use. If the car is really mint, and the miles are absolutely verifiable, and there aren't too many leaks or bad seals, sounds like a fair price.
But you should have it checked out just as if it were any used car. Also, drive it and be sure you like the characteristics of a 450SL...it isn't for everybody, especially if you are used to more modern cars. And be prepared to feed it plenty of gas.
Wonder if Elvis gave him that SD?
405SL- Sounds like it is a nice car. But you should probably just count on replacing all of the cooling hoses, brake hoses, belts, bushings, etc. After all, they are likely to be more than 20 years old. Still if the paint and interior are pristine, and if the car was driven regularly or stored properly, it could be a very nice car. Although don't expect it to drive like a modern car.
Thanks in advance.
It's a bit hard to put a value on the car because it has two distinct marks against it. 1), it is gray market which is unpopular here in the USA, and 2) it has very high miles, which will discourage some buyers.
I would guess around $10,000-12,000 would be the active market, with little chance of appreciation in the future.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com
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