Wehrmacht_benz

i have been trying to sell my 1999 sl500 (triple black) with 20 inch gianelle wheels and upgraded stereo system since october of last year and the highest offer i got was 25,000....i paid 30 for it last june and then started upgrading it and it is in great conditon...i figure mine is worth about 30 right now at the least considering i put about ten thousand into it..most of the sl500s on ebay dont meet the reserve either..this is frustrating..am i expecting too much for this car or do people just not want one anymore..damn wahts the deal

vraa

Never expect to get your money back from modifications. Most of the time, expect to lose money whenever you mod a car.

That said, another thing you need to look at is demand. The more and more time that goes by with the R230 in production (as well as other sports car of the same class) the more and more the R129 will depreciate in value (quicker even!).

Driving a SL for five grand a year ain't bad...

Wehrmacht_benz

well thats true..but to tell the truth i expected to keep the car longer...i mean alot of unnessary things were done like having all the glass replaced due to scrathes, professioanlly repainting the car because someone keyed it..all this makes the car look nicer and newer and such but it was expensive..i don't know..i wish i could get at least 30..but i guess to get my 34 i really have to wait til spring and find the right person..it is such a gorgeous car too but to get an offer like 22,500 is insulting to me..

HLG600

Might I suggest two things. One, take some very good pictures (like just before the sun begins to set, so the environment is not too bright and relflects the cars line). By taking great pictures, you entice the buyer. Second, post in several locations. Try autotrader.com (I believe they offer a run-til-sold option) and oursl.com, both of which are great sites where you can leave your advertisement and wait for someone to come to you.

But, I must say, $10K in upgrades along with a professional repaint, just hold on to it and enjoy it.

Good Luck!

Bigdot

agree with the last part

i have put many thousands of $$$ into my R129 in making it just for me; from the seats, to the lowering job to the sound it makes, and i know that almost all that i have done has hurt the value of the car i dont care. because when i got my car, i knew that it was going to stay my car untill she does not run.
keep it and enjoy it~~~!

mark

TheV12pwr

When I bought mine,I never thought of sellin' it...I just LOVE it...it's priceless to me.
Too bad for you that have to sell only a few months later...
Good luck!

b4mmy

Yep, I agree with V12 its a shame that you have to sell.

Do you need the cash that badly? Can you buy yourself a daily driver and keep the SL for nice days and treats... that seems to be what a lot of people here do...

I just can't imagine selling mine, it would have to be ripped from my 'cold, dead hands.'

c4791p

As you can tell from my earlier posts, have black on black '92 300SL. Really wanted a 500 but two 1/2 yrs ago when I was looking, prices were way out of sight. Also, didn't think much about where I live and a Black car in the Desert with Black Interior isn't proving very practical or enjoyable.

In all the MBZ I've owned (starting with '67 250SL) I have worked to make everything original to the car and avoid aftermarket mods, investing instead in my hobby to get them to run and look as new.

But I sure messed up getting a black car , a CA car in the early LA Fall, when the air was mild and the previous owner never put on the hard top or raised the convertible top. Even though when I wash and polish it, the MBZ black shows to be a really class color, black just sucks up the heat. I just don't enjoy it in the Summer, I imagine I hear the heat cooking it's interior. Plus my wife really wanted a 500, I come to find out, and has grown more and more unhappy with our choice.

So, moved to 2001 Blue Designo w/33K, like one she spotted while driving out our sub division and chased down to see where it lived.

And will be selling the 300, with new rotors, distro, plug wires, serpentine belt, full A/C Check, brakes, calipers, shocks, fuel pumps and a pile of new MBZ interior items (including new sunvisors and interior mirror) all within the past 5,000 miles and soft top that looks almost new.

Hopefully, when it sells I'll end up having paid a lot less than 5K per year for the pleasure of driving this particular SL.

Chuck

dafi129

I guess,SL owners and buyers are a rare breed.That's why it takes longer to sell an SL than a Honda which sells in 2 hours..
The right SL always gets the right money,if you can hang on to the car and not fall for the first offer..
I bought mine 2 years ago for $ 27,000 and probably spent 4K in upgrades on it..To me ,the car is worth 30K easily but it'll probably be a special customer who will pay that money for it...Do not sell cheap if you can wait..keep advertising it till you get what you want for it or the nearest offer,,,
This will also keep the values up!

2mbusa

Try taking off all the aftermarket stuff, most MB owners want it to be stock. You could offer to sell this stuff to a buyer after he takes the bate and buys the car, or sell it seperately. Sometimes aftermarket junk makes prospective buyers think the car has been "hot-roded". Also, I would not advertise the new paint and windows, this could make perople wonder why this was done; was the car wrecked, flooded or something worse. Good luck!

mebeJOE

I agree with 2mbusa -- when I was looking for my baby, I would not consider anything that did not look original. Wheels, maybe if they were very good wheels, but otherwise -- no way. And most people don't want to know that a car that cost $100,000 ten years ago was not protected from the elements and needed a new paint job. Aren't the highest rated cars at the snooty-type car shows the ones with ORIGINAL paint, wheels, etc.?

PLUS . . . you are talking about selling a 7 year old USED car for $30,000 (by the time I had mine out the door, tax, license, etc., it was $40,000). For a few thousand more, a person can buy a NEW BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS, Infinita G30, etc. And for the same or LESS money, a NEW Mazda Miata or RX-8, or tons of other cars. So, the person you are looking to sell too is very unique. She (or he) is in a position that makes it so she doesn't need to worry too much about the fact she is driving an old car. Usually means it is a 2nd car (like mine), or used as a primary car for someone who doesn't need to go to a job on a regular basis, or doesn't mind having to worry about repairs.

PLUS, the body style is about 20 years old now, so it isn't exactly the latest and greatest.

So, all those factors add to why these are hard to sell.

All that being said, I love my baby and I will cry if I ever have to get rid of her.

Wehrmacht_benz

yeah thanks for all the replys...i never did advertise the paint, looking at the car you could never tell either..it just looks as if the orginal paint was well preserved..well here are some pics of the car (if i did it right)...anyway what should I sell it for..i really don't think i am out of line asking for 30,000...i mean maybe 34,000 is a long shot

c4791p

Now, that's a sharp looking ride, but just not for me.

Somewhere on the board there's a thread asking about the age of SL drivers. You might want to look there to get an approximation of the age of your potential buyers and look around your area to see what the competition offers.

Then when you advertise, hit the things people in that age group like. For example, take a male over 40 and I'll bet a firemist red car with tan interior sells twice as fast as a black one of the same age and accessories, even with plain old stock wheels. So you want to lean on the quality of your car not the flash.

Of course my first convertible was an 66 MGB, Next an AH3000 then a '67 E-Type followed by a '67 250SL, a '92SL and now my 01. I can remember being young, but see how taste improves with age? Just like fine wine.

Right now your car is targeted to a younger crowd (a friend of mine in his early 30's swears his bmr 3 series convertible is the only way to go. He's got it all tricked out. To me the thing rides like a truck.)

You might be better off going to a set of wheels stock to the year of the car and selling separately your great looking wheels. Will keep people from imagining how hard you drive and wondering why you're selling.


Chuck

dafi129

That car is definitely worth 30K...
I'll hang on till I get that money if I were you....
R129's are future classics .
If you see w124 cabrio prices now in the UK..good ones are asking for GBP 25000..that's $45000.....R129's are not far behind,specially when people realise they look cooler than W124's and can be had with a hard top...

b4mmy

I would hang on to it as well... it looks like its set up too 'wild with those wheels, they look great but a mature driver might think they are just too in your face... I'm late 30's and I would feel a bit self conscious driving that around town I must admit - but only because of the wheels!!!!

Try putting the originals on - refurbished, and see how it goes, you can always offer the new set as an extra....

mebeJOE

I have to chime in with an agreement on the wheel issue. Personally, I LOVE those wheels (but maybe I would like them at 19" better). On the other hand, I think they make the car look too radical for the kind of buyer you might want to attract. Maybe put the originals back on, and then offer the new ones as an option to interested buyers.

As far as the overall car, it looks GREAT! I'm sorry you need to sell it.

By the way, for my area, So. Cal., www.kbb.com, values a car like yours for a private sale, with 60,000 miles on the car, in excellent condition as about $29,500. I don't know how many miles you have or what options, so you should maybe run your exact car and location through that website.

One more thing: As a man in my 40's, I disagree with whoever it was that said we would like a red one better. I was shooting for CLASS when I got my SILVER baby. If I wanted to look like I was having a mid-age crisis, I would have gone out and got a red CORVETTE or PORSCHE or some car that screams "LOOK AT ME" -- I'm a 45 year old loser who's been divorced twice and makes more money than I know what to do with. And YES, I'm trying to get you 20-somethings to ride in my fancy red sports car, so I can take you home to ride on my quickly wearing out . . . mattress.

Most assuredly, that was NOT the image I was trying to project. I wanted a car that was fun, that oozed good taste, class and sophistication, and that the valets would park in front when I was at a hotel or resturant so I wouldn't have to wait so long to get my car.

And, HA!!! I've had my share of 20-somethings who like the car plenty.

HLG600

Actually, funny you mentioned the 3 Series, since that was the car I was planning to get. New 3 Series Coupe (?) or SL600 with 36K miles perfect condition(?)...I don't have any regrets.

Regards

Wehrmacht_benz

yeah the wheel issue is very true...i am 19 years old about to be 20..big chrome wheels are not for everyone..i have to admit i myself am kind of over them..they draw unessessary attention sometimes and its a pain in the *** with the roads as messed up as they are here...but the thing is i offered the original wheels with the car..other than that the car has 57,000 miles...anyway i just bought a cl500 so i need to let someone else enjoy this beauty.i have a feeling when people catch spring fever i'll have a better shot at selling the car.

HLG600

Not too big on chrome. Love the AMG wheels on the R129...they give a real clean look and compliment the car's lines.

mebeJOE

HEY! You are in the New York area? Well, after his radio show today, Howard Stern presented a brand new black R230 to his sidekick, Robin Quivers, as a gift.

This should make all the Stern wackos start drooling for any SL Class MBZ. And most of us can't afford a new one. So, next time you run your ad, put in that it is essentially the same car Howard gave to Robin. Perhaps you can throw in a copy of their books or Howard's movie, Private Parts.

It will sell so fast .............

gdmarques@cox.n

Having considered parting with my 1990 XJS convertible several times over the years I have watched many ebay sellers virtually give away these cars or not even come close to reaching fair market value. Very rarely a car will sell at or close to its true value, and usually then it has unusually low miles and there are lots of high quality pictures of the car. Before (and after) buying my 500 SL I noticed the trend was similar for these cars too. I've concluded that ebay buyers are primarily looking for something that is hard to find locally (at any price) OR they are looking to save a ton of money over buying something locally. Neither scenario is very good for selling a relatively expensive luxury car.

As an alternative you might want to see if there is a specialty car seller in your area who will sell your car for a consignment fee. They typically have access to the kind of buyer you need to find. Good luck!

BBH

The wheels (beauty is in the eye of the beholder...) look awful. Sorry. I think the car would have much more appeal with the stock or at least MB (AMG) wheels.

bobterry99

I've sold 3 SLs recently and many more in the past. I believe if you want to sell one quickly, you have to either be very lucky or have it bargain priced. And here's the rub about trying to sell a '99: while you are holding-out for a buyer at the price you want, the car is steadily falling in value.

I may decide to sell my black '99 SL500 in a few months. It has AMG sports package, Xenons, heated seats, and is in near-mint condition with 74K miles. I'll be happy to get $26K for this car.

gqmagic

If I was buying a car as soon as I saw your wheels I'd keep looking. They don't give original condition impression. Same thing when you see ad's proclaiming how great their stereo upgade is, it gives the impression (perhaps unfairly) that the car has been hot rodded by a less than responsible person (Kid). I remember looking at an ad several years ago where tha seller bragged about how many $$$ spent on new parts, this is not a badge of honor its a big red flag!!! why was so many parts replaced? If you want to sell your car quickly put the original wheels or no bigger than 18" AMG wheels. At least everyone kinda knows they came from Mercedes. I put 18" monoblacks on mine, but I still have the originals in the garage.

vulpro

I agree that the wheels gotta go. You are taking an already limited audience and immediately eliminating 80% of them! Put the percentages in your favor. Ditch the wheels and sell them on ebay.

Speaking of values, what's my smoke silver 98 SL500 worth? 9,000 miles, Pano Roof, zenons, wood package.. and flawless? (AMG sport rims BTW with the original ugly wheels as well)

Personally, I wouldn't take less than 40. The car still smells new, no kidding.