SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Help! First time buyer but it has a couple issues
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Joined: Oct 2019
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Audi A3
Help! First time buyer but it has a couple issues
Hey guys. First time poster but looking for a little advice right now. I'm looking at an SL that can be bought at a great price (I'm talking a not even ask your wife its ok price) in hopes to flip it, but it does have a few issues. Long story short...its an 07, 87,000 miles, silver, clean title, have all service records from day 1, Purchased new locally and has spent its life in the south. It has been sitting roughly 15 months in a climate controlled garage. We've gotten the car out to take a better look. The car runs perfectly. Shifts smoothly. The body is absolutely perfect other than one small door ding that could easily be fixed by a good PDR man. Only 2 very obvious issues...the top does not work and the windshield needs replaced. According to Safelight, the windshield is a dealer only item can be replaced for around $1300. We have the car currently at a very reliable local Mercedes mechanic we have used many times before on other vehicles. His diagnosis is that at some point, the drain plugs in the back have gotten plugged and the trunk has seen just enough water to ruin most all of the electronics having to do with the top. His estimate is roughly $4500 to replace everything that is wrong. Assuming that the car is perfect, the windshield is replaced, top is working as I should and the small ding is pulled, what would the car be worth? I will post a picture of the car shortly. Is it a car that would even be worth trying to fix or is it one that could be parted out? Thanks in advance for the help and advice!
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 160
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2005 SL55 Completely Built Motor
It's probably worth around 20K as private party sale. Give or take about 2K if it all in working order. Uneducated drooling buyer maybe 25K.
I'd be very worried about the ABC system sitting for 15 months and who knows when it was flushed before that. I would an add a flush and new fluid to that cost of getting it ready to sell.
Word of caution though reselling these cars can sometimes be tough. People do a few minutes of research and the ABC scares the hell out of them because of the potential high cost of repairing the system.
I'd be very worried about the ABC system sitting for 15 months and who knows when it was flushed before that. I would an add a flush and new fluid to that cost of getting it ready to sell.
Word of caution though reselling these cars can sometimes be tough. People do a few minutes of research and the ABC scares the hell out of them because of the potential high cost of repairing the system.
