Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Found a 1990 Mercedes 560 SEL with a "For Sale" sign plastered on it. So I stopped. Then it got interesting when the owner showed up. This gem offers the following:
1) 5.6 liter gas engine seized up seven years ago at 135,000 miles. Car has been parked since while providing refuge to rodents. Owner maintains they "did not cause damage".
2) Flat tires, bad paint, heel hole in carpet, fabric seats, cracked windshield and heat damaged wood facade on dash. Body looks straight, no rust, and seats are good.
3) Comes with an '89 Mercedes that is beat to hell but the drive train is "perfect". This car is a scant 40 miles away. Both cars have titles.
Asking price lowered from $3000 to $2500 which "seems reasonable". But I am estimating the costs of transferring drive trains, paint, tires and various unknowns (it sat for 7 years) at very roughly $8000. Could easily be a whole lot more. That estimate assumes that "things go as hoped".
It may be a challenge to think of an investment that is more likely to cause heart ache. A nice 1990 560 SEL goes for about $5000 - $7000 or so.
How do you know that the 89's drive train is perfect, considering all the work and headaches and unknowns It seems the nice $5,000 one is better.
Did see a one owner advertised in pristine condition at $5000 last week. Would have looked but it was 220 miles away and sold within 24 hours. The best deals often do not last. It did have about 170,000 miles - getting up there for an old gas engine. I'd have pounced had it 120,000 miles.
Yes - I could see all kinds of frustration with trying to piece that wonderful kit together. The guy had the ability to do the engine swap and chose not to. Bad luck buying from "pretty much a mechanic" who "quit on that beautific project".
No classic resto job should be considered an investment. If you want to invest in a car flip a 2003 civic that needs some work.
If you want a true classic, ie, a classic muscle car, go for it. Some guys make money on them. Plenty more put 2x in it what they could sell it for. It isn't an investment. Its a hobby. If they turn a profit on the project so much the better.
Unless you enjoy doing the work as a sort of hobby, i'd pass. Buy one complete and running, even if it costs more. I guarantee you you'll have more money into fixing up one that needs work than if you bought a nicer one outright.
Isn't 1990 about when Mercedes had the "green" wiring with some sort of biodegradable insulation, that rodents love to chew on?
I'm not sure I would want to take this on if both cars were deposited outside my garage for free. It will be a *lot* of work. The '89 drive train may or may not be close enough to the '90 for everything to plug and play. You will probably have to take at least some of the electronics for the '90 and adapt to the '89 engine. Fun times.
Isn't 1990 about when Mercedes had the "green" wiring with some sort of biodegradable insulation, that rodents love to chew on?
I'm not sure I would want to take this on if both cars were deposited outside my garage for free. It will be a *lot* of work. The '89 drive train may or may not be close enough to the '90 for everything to plug and play. You will probably have to take at least some of the electronics for the '90 and adapt to the '89 engine. Fun times.
Way better off buying a good one for even $10K.
1992 through 1996 were the very bad years. And you didn't even need rodents to chew anything, the insulation just fell off and started shorting out your delicate, very expensive sensors, relays, ect. Here are a few pics of how bad it was.
To the OP, there's a saying that goes, "there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz."
1992 through 1996 were the very bad years. And you didn't even need rodents to chew anything, the insulation just fell off and started shorting out your delicate, very expensive sensors, relays, ect. Here are a few pics of how bad it was.
To the OP, there's a saying that goes, "there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes-Benz."
The dimwit engineers and managers responsible for approving this "green" insulation should have been fired. In a public ceremony reminiscent of the old "Branded" TV series. Drum them out of the corps, so to speak. The rest of the crew would have cheered, I think.
Who else besides Mercedes did this? Are 92 to 96 the worst years for them too?
What are they using now?
Begs the question, how did the original owner manage to seize the engine at what to me is not a lot of miles for a Mercedes or other German car, really. Run it low (very low) on oil? Bust a radiator hose and keep driving for miles?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
