zh000

Hey I am looking for good W124, and there is one good looking, but the only thing is that it has a mileage of 170.000. Do you think it would be a smart choice to buy that kind of car?
He wants $5.000 for it.
this is the link to that car:
http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/2082228310.html

Thank you all.

ESTJ

Just around the corner from me! I might go look at it today!

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

Shadow5501

The seller is on drugs. That car, in that condition, with those miles, is worth less than half the asking price. The exterior doesn't look too bad (though photos hide many a sin), but the interior is beat. Gasoline 124 sedans top out at about $3K in value these days, and a typical example is worth half that figure. Keep looking is my suggestion.

Jim's500E

It would have to be in excellent condition needing almost nothing and with records for 5 grand.

That's just me tho...

bzliteyear

I agree about the interior being thrashed, and it does say something about how the owner takes care of the car...i'd pass as there are better cars to be had.
PL

trv06kviper

My friend just picked up a 300E with 72k miles for $3200 and it was in near mint condition, maybe needing some cleaning everything else from what I saw was good. I think the buyer is asking too much I'd shop around a bit more.

190E 16V

Agreed. Read Nov 2010 Mercedes Enthusiast. The writer shopped for a 300E in California.
He bought a low- mile, well maintained, full-service-history car, for $3,500.

bzliteyear

i searched website, but it looks like you can only BUY the magazine - nothing online to read? Darn, I was looking forward to reading the article.
PL

atikovi

The body looks nice but the leather is pretty worn which is why I would be looking for only cars with MB-Tex interiors on an older Mercedes. The mileage is nothing on a well cared for Mercedes but those speakers tell me it was owned by a 20 something kid who spent his money on rims and a stereo rather than service. I'll be selling my Imperial Edition '95 wagon in excellent condition and fully serviced for no more than his asking price.

semis1

Agree with the above.
The car seems modded a bit too much and probably in the wrong hands.
I would pass for that price. Way too high!!!!

zach1328

He's probably trying to net a little bit of extra money because of what he put into the car. But what he doesn't understand, is those kinds of upgrades don't add value to a car. If anything, most aftermarket parts will take the value of the car DOWN, because it is hard to find a buyer that likes all of the upgrades the way they are. And if a possible buyer doesn't like the upgrades, its just even more money for him to spend. Which is why aftermarket upgrades can take values down.

And with the front seats and arm rest looking the way they do, will also take away from the value. W124s are supposed to hold up very well, and if it looks like that the car has clearly been neglected.

If you really really like that one for some specific reason, offer $3000-$3500 AT THE MOST..!
You could find one with 75-90k miles for the price that guy is asking. I would look for a better deal, maybe you'll have to travel further from your home than you would like to find it, but...
If you find a W124 in great condition, its worth the travel, and you will definately be pleased with your purchase.
Goodluck with your searching! Hope you find a great one you love!

zh000

Thank you all guys for your advising!
Those little things indeed help to see the owner attitude toward his car...
What about car like
1995 e320 with 98k mileage for 4800?
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...e&aff=national

zach1328

That one that you just posted up is in pretty good condition and 98k is pretty low mileage. I'd say overall it looks pretty good.
If you can get it for $4800 I would go for it, maybe you could even take him down a tiny bit lower.

Not too sure i like those rims on it, if you like the rims, then its perfect. Saves you money and time if you were going to put rims on it anyways.
OR, if you don't like the rims, you can just take them off and sell them with the tires for decent money. Or you could sell the rims and keep the tires, but then the new rims would have to be the same size, which may limit your options.

Other than that, what the hell is up with the engine on that thing? Can't tell from the picture if it just needs a cleaning or if something is wrong with it.

Anyways, if you decide you like it, and you really want to buy it, have a MECHANIC come out and check it out for you. Especially when you are buying and old car with a lot of miles (98k is nothing on these cars , but in general 98k is a decent amount).

All in all, its a nice one in my opinion. Leather is in good condition, paint looks generally free of dents and scratches (im sure there are some small ones that cant be seen in the photo), wood looks pretty good too.

Goodluck with your possible purchase!

zh000

He thank you for your respond! Really helps, this is my first Benz, that's why I want to see what price range should I look at. Thank you once again

zach1328

Yeah no problem, but just make sure for $4800 its in good condition, has some service records, and have a mechanic check it out.

$4800 is kind of pushing the limits, but since its a 95' (newest model W124) and only has 98k miles its worth it. If a mechanic looks at it and says its overall in good condition, then go for it.
Just get some comments/advice from some other people on this thread, as they probably know a little bit more about these cars.

If you've looked around the forums, you should have seen that many people on here have W124's with over 150k and even 200k miles, and they still look and run like they are new.

Great cars, there is just something about them that makes them so special; i still havn't found out why i love my 300E so much. Part of the reason is because i feel very confident behind the wheel of my car.
I know its going to do what i want it to, when i want it to, and as soon as i want it to.
Its a very good all around car, and unlike many other old cars, you don't have to baby it (take good care of it, drive it like a P#$$Y, etc). These cars can take a beating, they really can, take my word for that one. But then again, i don't know why you wouldn't take care of such a nice car.

If you buy it, i'm sure you will fall in love with it, just like me and many other people on this forums.

AMGDave

The original Craigslist posting has expired, so I can't comment on the specific car you originally were looking at.

That said: I get really tired of people issusing the blanket statement that, in general, is summarized as: "OMG, $5000? That's waaaay too much money, you can get a near mint W124 for like $1500, my brother's sister's best friend's uncle's girlfriend got one just yesterday for like fifty bucks with no miles on it!"

Bullcrap. Nearly any W124 (especially late 124's) that is in the $2-$3k range will need another $2k-$3k in deferred maintenance and repairs, almost regardless of mileage. It just depends if you're willing to deal with fluid leaks and some items not working (i.e.: cruise control, sunroof, window regulators, dash vents, washer pumps/wipers, AC system, etc, etc). On the M104/M119 cars you better check if the engine harness and ETA are original, if so, prepare to eventually shell out $1-$2k for replacement (cost varies depending on if you do the labor or not). If that's not a problem, sure, buy a $2-$3k car.

A car in the ~$5k range (excluding cabrios, coupes, and .036) should be in excellent condition mechanically and/or cosmetically to justify the price, and it should have no major flaws. Cars that meet those basic requirements are worth every penny of the pricetag, especially if they are rare color combos and/or have rare option packages. Cabs, coupes, and E500E's are typically priced much higher.


Bottom line: There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.

</rant>

AMGDave

That car has optional ASR and heated seats (both are desireable options, IMO), and Burled Walnut wood (possibly indicating a "Special Edition" car as it's a very late 1995 build). And it's a relatively rare paint color. Other than the wheels (which I don't think are particularly attractive), this looks like a car worth investigating, and the asking price is within reason. The interior looks very clean. My only concern is that it's located in the rust belt (Ohio) but if you live in that area, you're already aware of this.

Of course most forum members would offer $1500 and say it's not even worth that, but I digress...

Shadow5501

Gee GSXR, I never would have recognized you ranting like that if it weren't for your sig. What is it about this place?

The craigslist ad was significant in the response here. The original car was rather a beater. Nasty interior, fugly wheels, entire trunk filled with subwoofers. No mention of any maintenance or repair history in the advertisement. How well cared for do you think it had been? IMHO it _was_ a $1500 car.

Do you know any sales of garden variety 124 sedans in the $5K range lately? I can't imagine one bringing that kind of money any longer. Certainly the collectable cars - the .036, nice cabriolets, and even the diesel wagons - can bring larger numbers.

Neither do I agree that uncommon options add value to a 15-20 year old car. But that's a discussion for another time...

AMGDave

Bummer the listing is gone now, I would have liked to have seen it. It very well may have been a $1500 car. I've seen plenty of cars way way overpriced that are pure beaters. But this is a very common theme that really ticks me off, where many people seem to think you can buy a mint 15-20 year old Mercedes all day long for dirt cheap. Not true.



I personally paid $4k for a "garden variety 124 sedan" three months ago with 171kmi on the clock. Not the .036, cabrio, or diesel wagon. It still needed ~$1k in parts to make it right, but when it's done, it will be near perfect. How many others are selling in that range? Hard to say, I don't track sales, but I bet I could turn up a few (completed sales) on eBay in that general price range.



And you drive what? An almost new MB worth literally ten times what most W124's are worth? I suspect that most people in the market for 124's don't have anything even close to that in the other bay of their garage. It doesn't sound like you're the typical conumer of 15-20 year old vintage iron. (??) If someone is looking for transportation, I agree, they won't care what color or options are on the car.

But someone looking specifically for a "keeper" often wants specific colors and/or options, and is willing to pay a premium for them. It took me over a year searching nationwide to find a 124.128 with optional ASD and heated seats that wasn't from the rust belt, and it cost me above average market value at the time. I have a friend in the market right now for a .052 with ASR & heated seats and he's found very few for sale nationwide (excluding rust belt). Even trying to find a garden variety .032 with ASR isn't easy, and ASR is highly desireable where I live due to ice & snow in the winter. So while such trivial things may not add value to you, they can and do add value to others.


Back to the original forum topic (subject line), I can't comment about the first car mentioned, but the second car for $5k, yes I would buy a 94-95 W124 like that (even if it had higher mileage on the odometer).

Shadow5501

I agree with you here. There are plenty of Mercedes - plenty of 124 cars specifically - that can be had for $1500. But they are a long way from mint. Actually, most are rather rough, and that is a fair price.

OK, I am assuming this is one of the .034 cars in your sig? I didn't realize the market value could be in that range. Did this particular car have an especially good service history or some other factor that made it worth that much to you?

The other car in the garage is a 124.028 w/155K on it. Before that: 124.193, 123.133, and a few others - most purchased more than 10 years old. The .028 is accident free with near perfect paint and a clean interior. Everything works. It has been cared for like a keeper - full books and records from new. It has new lower control arms/ball joints, fan pulley bracket, head gasket was done, wiring harness was done, flexible brake hoses, shod with good Michelins - you get the idea. I really don't think I could get $2K for it on a good day.

OK, fair enough. When I shop used MB I am just looking for the best condition, properly maintained, clean car I can find. The color, options, and even the model are substantially down the list in importance. I think you're not giving yourself enough credit for how unique you are in hunting up very specific old 124 cars.

We should probably stop hijacking this poor guys thread!

AMGDave

Oh, absolutely - lots of $1-$2k W124's on the market. The vast majority are in rough shape and/or have not been maintained properly. Honestly, the ones I usually see in that price range are either parts cars or have a major defect, like a tranny that won't go in reverse, blown head gasket, etc. Average condition ones are generally $3-$4k, and really nice ones can be $5k+.



Yep, the one at the top of the list. It actually had almost no service records beyond what the PO related to me verbally, but it was a 2-owner car, PO bought it as Starmark in 2000, and had all work done at the local MB indy shop. It was immaculate inside, very good outside, and nearly everything worked. The main draw was the color combo and options, as I won't buy one without ASR and heated seats. The fact that it was local and (IMO) reasonably priced was a bonus. I recently pulled the oil pan & valve covers - no sign of chain rail debris, all rails intact, and almost zero degrees chain stretch. I suspect it had the chain & rails done at some point in the past, which saved me the nuisance of the R&R job. On a side note, I paid the exact same amount for the other E420 about 2 years ago; mainly due to options and location.




If it's as nice as you say, don't be surprised if it would fetch double that or more; depending on color / options / location / etc. Also, rust-free southern/western cars tend to fetch a premium price in the northeast; don't just think local market. If it has ASR, my friend might be interested in it!




Very true. And although I do know a fair number of other people who do the same thing, you're right, we're likely not indicative of the majority of shoppers!



LOL! Yup... we should let him post more Craigslist ads to critique.

Shadow5501

No ASR, it's a Texas car. We don't need no steenkin' ASR Not for sale anyways. It needs a few expensive things attended to -driveshaft vibration, front struts, etc. Will cost what the car is worth to do the work - I'm pretty much out of the DIY business these days. Asked the spouse if she would prefer just acquiring a new car, but she wants to keep the old 124. It's her favorite car she has ever owned.

Craigslist has got to be more entertaining than our discussion...

kostas86

A little too much for it.
There was a local 420e over here not too long ago, good condition, 80k miles and were asking $5k for it.

pizo

the car i very good like new but the price is very high