Wehrmacht_benz

Friends, I am back in the r129 forum again for advice. The last time you saw me here I was explaining to everyone that I could not sell my 1999 SL500. Many of you speculated that the rims presented a problem to the kind of respectable buyers who would most likely be interested. Well this was nine months ago since I first tried to sell the car...NINE MONTHS. I have since took the chrome wheels off and put the original wheels back on in addition to lowering the price. Please take a moment of your time and look over my final auction on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...QQcmdZViewItem

I also have it in a local paper, as well as on the side of a very busy thoroughfare here in CT. I am asking 26,000 dollars willing to go down to 25,000. In all seriousness, at the rate things are going I may have to give it away. The only person that presented a promising deal so far has proven to be a wimp. A 65 year old doctor who has never splurged in his life. He really wanted the car but ultimately his wife put her foot down.

So tell me, what should I do. Right now the car represents money being taken out of my pocket as each minute passes. This car is developing an inferiority complex, it wants to be driven and taken into somebodys garage!

tipds

I don't see anything wrong with the car. This may be a reach, but... Do you think the location of the car has any bearing on the buyers' interest? I don't know if having it next to a pickup truck in one picture and by non-curb-bearing street side makes it look less attractive to the high-brow. Maybe take some pictures of it near a mansion or in a clean-looking downtown area. Please don't take this as an insult, especially if that was your truck and your residential street, but... it kinda looks country. Again, don't take it the wrong way. I'm all about country, heck, I live in Alabama! Ha ha. I don't know if it will help your sale or not, but that was my impression. I wish you a ton of luck in selling that beauty, even though I can't imagine why would would want to get rid of it.

Wehrmacht_benz

Thats very funny you should notice things like that. I usually would see the car only but I am noticing people pay attention to detail on this site. Yes the thing is the car was at one of my fathers workers houses for a bit (in the next town over where folks don't have millions of dollars you see) and I realized I have no pictures of the car to put it up on ebay so I had to take them there (look at the included pic you can see my cl in the background haha). Do you think buyers are being this picky, worried about whether the car is photographed on a sloppy street? I can see how my wheels threw people off when they were on there. I had some buyers even do a double take at the radio, which is not stock. However come on, this is not a Rolls Royce, it does not need to be kept absolutely pristine. I am screwed here, so screwed.

HLG600

Car looks pristine; what I find impressive from the photos is the excellent condition of the interior. Replacing the stock wheels was the way to go. Personally, when I was searching for an SL, I was looking for one completely OEM and untouched. Best of luck with the sale, the price isn't bad at all.

Wehrmacht_benz

yeah the interior has definately been well preserved. and if you saw the paint in person you would say that is in top condition too.

HLG600

What do you think about keeping the SL and selling the CL?

Wehrmacht_benz

one of the reasons i wanted to sell the sl was because i struggle to fit in it. i am 6'2. the cl is like being in first class on an airline i can actually strech out!

HLG600

The cabin is a little tight, but at 6' I can't really say I find it "uncomfortable."

Bigdot

yea im just under 6'3 and the SL is a bit small. but not to bad. about the same as the 996.

Mark

tifosiv122

I've noticed the market is very soft on the SLs right now. I'd imagine that's due to a few things, mostly the fact that many people lease the new SLs which drops the price of the old ones down. The dealer near me has a 500 going for $15,000 with 90,000 miles.

Erik

Wehrmacht_benz

i have a hunch most people are just simply not spending money right now on luxuries...paying groceries, mortgage,little timmies college, yes. buy a used 1999 sl, apparently not...i have half a mind to burn it and collect the insurance money....(i'm not really going to burn it....i don't think.)

tipds

You can't destroy that beautiful car! You can't. You just can't. Before you do that, why don't you let me "steal" the car so you can collect the insurance. No, I'm only kidding. Being in the insurance business, I can't advocate insurance fraude. <wink> Seriously, just kidding about that. If you can, sit on it for a while. I'm sure the public will come around. You know, if I had another stall, I would buy it from you right now. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) my garage is full, and one stall has an SL600 in it. Again, very best of luck.

Tip DS

Wehrmacht_benz

no i never could bring myself to burn a nice car...to quote jeremy clarkson, " i love cars too much"....you say sit on it, normally yes i would, but i have been sitting on it for almost a year/// it still has a couple weeks on ebay...

gqmagic

Your price is to high, this is the car without the hardtop? You should mention that in your ad too. You'll be lucky to get $20k without the top.

mbz.mwusa.net

Mayube if you include the 2 girls from your picture ... ;-)

Wehrmacht_benz

yes no hardtop with the car...does anyone even use their hardtop???i know i never did...okay well see what happens...if i have to take 20 thousand for the car i will....but i think thats a little low

scorpian

Blah......First thing that comes to me is.....not the background of the pictures, bu the pictures themselves. They are , as your id here says..they are BLAH! Washed out and does not show this car well. I am not saying that I am an expert at Photography, but take a look at some other posts for sale.
The color, shine, details are what make this car sell.
By the way....the price is too high, this late in the season. If you are still thinking of dropping the price to 20K, it will move. But timing is everything.
Jan-March forget it in CT/NE.
May-June Best Time - spring/summer fever. Highest price will be paid.
July-Aug. ( People think....what's wrong with this car, still plently of summer left.....hmmm something must be wrong with it.??
Aug-on will also bring the lowest prices but Low Price...END of Summer sale!
Smart buyers will now spend, but only at the right price!

If you can find : hard top, original radio/6-trunk cd it would command more.
But honestly a repaint SL-500 , 99 ( not the best yr., 97, 98 best ) with 55k miles in New England....20-25K is about all you can expect to get.

Just my two cents...
By the way what about the wheels???Post some details offsets, pictures close ups.. etc.
PSS the pictures ( Quality) with the 20" wheels in a parking lot look a lot better than the ones on E-Bay even with the stock wheels.

Lincoln

You are still asking too much. Your car is a nice example but it still not a $26K car. For reference, my boss went to trade his 99 SL500 with 32K miles a few weeks ago and they offered him under $20K and it's mint (has like one door ding and no visible signs of wear anywhere else). If $20K is the wholesale number then $22K might be about right for private sale. I say ask $23.5K and maybe you'll get some offers.

Wehrmacht_benz

as for the pictures...they were the best i could do that day..i have much beter photos but they display the big chrome wheels..and i really dont even want to show them on there they look awful...as for the repaint, it was 3 grand and looks factory...the average person would never know...by the way i think your boss got such a low price because he was trading it in...and the car was for salw in spring fever time still nothing, but then again the price was a little higher.

Wehrmacht_benz

look at how nice these pics are but again the wheels...

elau

I have to agree with others. You are asking too much without the hard top. Just because you (me included) don't use the hard top, that doesn't mean the buyer doesn't want it. People who appreciate this car will want everything original. I know I would. I put 19"" Brabus Mono Block VI on my SL, but the original wheels are stored in the basement in case I want to sell the car one day and I have all original parts, including the studs.

scorpian

List these pictures with the note that you have the original stock rims and tires , INCLUDED in the price. If you will take 25K , then lower your Min Bid to that. I also have my originals ( never used) and the hardtop ( only used when I bought it) in storage. I only find the need for the soft top when it is a little chilly
and that is rare, good heater and A/C ....Not telling a new owner or prospect about the repaint is dis-honest. I would tell them if they were serious, not in the ad though.

Wehrmacht_benz

i just lowered the buy it now price...24,500...what is so bad about a repaint if it was done to the highest quality standards? if you looked at it you would absolutely never know. so i probably will never mention this...someone will be loving the car then il say it was re painted...suddenly they are freaked out for nothing and have doubts about accidents ect...

b4mmy

you're not going to be able to find a buyer at that price... and you really need a hard top... I think you need to get down to maybe 17k.... check this 2000 Designo out....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...QQcmdZViewItem

Wehrmacht_benz

17k??? i paid 30k two summers ago..that designo is nice but it has 80k miles mines is mid 50's...