rl1856

I have located a 1995 e320 cabriolet. Car will be sold at an estate auction. Car has been sitting and/or sporadically driven for the past 2 years. Garage kept until very recently. Nearly complete service log book. Factory CD changer.

Good

No signs of rust in the usual places. Door hinges, trunk hinges, front hood hinges are very clean and show no signs of corrosion, embedded dirt, rust etc. Very clean under trunk mat, and under front carpet. Top goes up and down smoothly. Battery was low but responded to a quick jump and car started immediately. Settled into a quiet idle and came up to temp. AC was cold. Oil was at proper level and looks clean. Paint is bright and I did not see any scratches, dents or abrasions. Windshield washer and pump work. Tires are recent. Engine belts and hoses are soft and pliable. Radiator appears original (all plastic).

Bad

Left rear tail light plastic is broken. Top in good overall condition, but starting to wear at a few fold points and mechanism may have a hydraulic fluid leak. Small tear in the headliner. Passenger rear window does not go up and down. Front floor mats are dirty and ripped.

We have preciously owned a w124 wagon, so I know to expect replacement of the ignition coils, water pump, power steering pump, rebuild suspension joints and bushings. I do not know if the wiring harness and gasket have been replaced. Tomorrow I will be able to talk with the independent MB shop that has serviced the car.

I have tried to research FMV to guide my bid, but values range from $3k - $15k.

Given the experience and expertise of the group - how much should I pay for this cabriolet ?

Thanks !

Plutoe

Make damn sure the top fully repeat fully functions!!

rl1856

Update: 97k miles. Car looks great from 10ft away. Up close you see the external flaws noted in the original post. Paint is clean and does not appear to have faded. Interior does show moderate wear. Steering wheel leather is cracked. Dash vinyl is not cracked or faded. Wood trim has surface scratches and hazing. Climate control buttons are intact. Outside temp display works but lcd is startimg to separate at the bottom. Seats are in good shape. Powers seats, steering wheel, and mirrors work. I did run the motor for abt 10 min- very smooth idle and no visible smoke.

Thanks.

rl1856

Update-

I was able to speak with the indy tech who worked on the car. Advise was to be careful as the car will need some work.

Followup inspection by me revealed a top mechanism hydrolic leak- so I was looking at an immediate 1k bill upon purchase.

I left a sealed bid for $3100 and the car sold for $4000.

Plutoe

That is great news as you almost got caught up in the Sap|Sucker effect---now the other guy is the Sap!!