carspainc

so i see this 300ce at the side of the road ...pull over
and see it's a 1990 with 112000 it's in rough shape.so i call that guy and he tells me he wants 7500 bucks for the car... he shows me the interior and engine and it got some strange work done to the ac including a shut-off valve(?) to the heater...the leather is torn on the driver side some interior panels seem loose and the driver door don't shut like you're expect it from a mercedes (more like a ford...) i've seen cheaper ones on ebay and KBB says that car is worth no more than 3800 and change...
now 3 things...
what can i tell him how much i wanna pay for it?
what to look out for if i get to see the car again?
and does anyone here sell a 300ce in central florida for a descent price?

mhorn

Answer to your first two questions: Don't buy this car.
Be patient and find one that is in good condition inside and out. Not something that somebody has abused and done a bunch of back yard modifications to. When buying a benz, I have found that cars with good interiors, nice bodies and decent tires have been much better cared for mechanically than cars with rough interiors, dents and scratches. If you think about it, people who keep the interior of a car in good shape are going to be more likely to keep up with repairs and routine maintanence. It is much easier and better in the long run to spend a little more money up front and get a car in nice shape, than it is to buy a fixer-upper. If you go the fixer-upper route, take whatever you think it will cost in repairs and then triple it. I know your frustration with trying to find a "good car" in your area. All I can say is check auto trader and ebay every day and be patient.

carspainc

so i do some homework and find this...
1990 MERCEDES BENZ 300CE, auto, sunroof, lthr int, AMG pkg, CD, pwr seats, extra clean,
i think i love it, gotta go now and check her out
what does the amg package include apart from the way too cool grille?

PAOLO JR

I own a 300ce and Its for sale, care for more Info email me at vwtunner@msn.com. PAOLO

carspainc

the AC is not working ...
how much can the damage be in the worst case?

mhorn

Worst case on fixing the A/C is probably in the neighborhood of $1,500-$2,000. But really could be higher. If this is the same car as in your original post, seriously, DO NOT buy that car. If you are looking at a used M-B that is one of the sportier models, you really need to look carefully because these models seem to attract a higher percentage of owners who trash the car and then dump it onto some other poor SOB. You're likely to get stuck with something that will just be a money pit. Excercise whatever self control you have and walk away. There are plenty of other M-B in good shape for reasonable prices.

carspainc

i really do appreciate your advice...(all of you guys advice , for that matter)

yes this is a different car... the first one was too questionable , even to me
(it had some strange wiring done to the AC and with that weired shut-off valve...dunno).
anyway i checked the history of this one (i know, that does not mean much)
it had a collision in the back in 92, the dealer told me that the AC may just need chargin... yeah right, if it was only that, i am sure, they would spend 30 bucks on some freon. i got a friend in miami , who could check her out,but i gotta get a hold of him

mhorn

If the A/C is dead your best case scenario is that there is a leak in the freon line. You can charge it with freon all you want but it will just leak out again. You're talking about $500 to find the leak and fix it. If the compressor is bad, which the nippo-denso ones are prone to do, you're talking about $1500. And if they have to upgrade the A/C from the old freon to the new refridgerent, you should probably either pass on the car or learn to live with out A/C, not a pleasant thought in south floridia. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Also all the major body panels on M-B hae a sticker with the VIN # on them. If the panel were replaced because of damage, the new ones will have a sticker that says "Replacement" instead of the Vin#. So if you go looking and all the body panels say "Replacement" you may want to reconsider.

carspainc

where would i find the vin ( replacement sticker) in the trunk area??

mike690003

If the trunklid has a mat, then it is under the mat. If not, then it should be visible once you open the trunklid and look under it.

carspainc

thanks on the info.
the car is like 200 miles away from me... checking it out will be a whole day project.