selling my low mile pristine 380 SEL
11-11-2007, 03:55 PM
#1
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380 SEL 1982
selling my low mile pristine 380 SEL
Hey folks,
You won’t find another example like this. My grandparents acquired this car as a new dealer demo back in 1983. The original purchase invoice, a photocopy of the check used to pay for the car, and all service records will be included. It is quite a stack!
This car has never been wrecked, and still wears ALL of its original, thick, and lustrous German lead based paint. They don’t make paint like this any more, for sure!
This Mercedes was properly maintained all its life, and serviced mainly at a Mercedes-Benz dealer. My grandfather passed away in 1992, and my grandmother didn’t put many miles on it between 1992 and 2004. She did have it serviced semi-annually, even when she barely drove it.
In 2004, my grandmother didn’t want to drive any more, and she let me use the car and eventually sell it for her. I am a car freak and spent way too much money on this car, partly for my love of cars, mainly for my love of my grandparents. I spent close to $12,000. As anyone will tell you, old low mileage cars are wonderful, but they have their own unique issues from age itself (not mileage), which need to be addressed. I have addressed them all. Many people don’t know this and spend thousands on a car they thought would need no work; that is not the case here, just turn the key and go.
Here is a partial list of things I have done. I am sure I left a few things out but you can see I way overspent.
SAFETY
New tires (the good kind, Bridgestone Turanza, not some cheap Pep Boys tires people put on to sell a car)
New rims 560 SEL style, chrome plated. They are NEW and perfect. I bought new rims because the old rims are too hard to find a quality tire for. No curb rash, scratches or blemishes, these rims are new!
New front brakes include calipers, brake lines, rotors, and pads. Very complete!
New Master cylinder factory dealer master cylinder was used
Rear brakes lots of pad left, checked out aok. No leaks.
Suspension COMPLETELY REBUILT SUSPENSION. I did not just ‘patch it’ with a $30 ball joint, instead I spent nearly $2,000 completely rebuilding the suspension, any thing that had a rubber boot, moved, or could wear out was replaced. All 4 shocks were replaced too and the car was professionally aligned. This Mercedes drives like a new one, well, actually better since the tire technology has improved drastically in the last 25 years.
Exhaust Completely new exhaust from exhaust manifold to exhaust tip. I replaced the catalytic converter with a stainless steel high flow (for increased mileage) unit, and replace the oxygen sensor too.
Seat belt I replaced the driver’s side seat belt and receptacle with NEW factory Mercedes parts. Why? The old ones got a little gummy and I wanted the crisp new feel of a new one!
MECHANICAL
Double row timing chain conversion Anyone who knows 380s will tell you that the original single row chain was a design flaw and needs to be replaced with a double row timing chain. This is not cheap ($1500-$2000). I did it, you won’t have too. Factory Mercedes dealer parts were used, and all rails, gears, etc. were replaced. It was a very complete job.
Rebuilt cylinder heads From age some of the valve stem seals and one guide started leaking. I had the heads completely rebuilt, and went overboard too. I replaced all the lifters, (an extra $500), and even spent a little extra $$ cleaning up the ports. The head work was $2500. I used good core heads so I wouldn’t tie up the car waiting for the machine shop. Because of this, the new owner will also receive the original heads which he or she can keep or sell. The original heads have never been machined or warped before and this makes them worth more $$. I used all factory Mercedes-Benz parts from a dealer, and really went overboard.
New Hoses, Belts etc. Naturally I replaced these items
New water pump
New ignition module I will even include a spare new one! I bought two to troubleshoot the car, and you will get two!
New coil
New ignition wires
New spark plugs
New fuel injectors
New fuel pump
Relatively New Alternator (replaced at a MBZ dealer about 15k miles ago)
New cap and rotor (spare included too)
New battery (factory Mercedes)
Transmission freshly serviced, works flawlessly and should for another 150k miles.
AIR CONDITIONING
A/C has been converted to 134A. A new compressor and some other bits have been installed. This cost $1500 and blows ICE COLD. Other people selling cars simply say ‘A/C needs a recharge’ when in fact major work is needed. Again, the A/C work is complete and blows ice cold!
INTERIOR
Interior is mint or near mint, looks like it has 5000 miles on it.
The passenger side sun visor vanity mirror is broken, and the passenger side seat cables are a little sticky.
I replaced both driver’s and passenger’s side power seat switches, retrofitted to the later model 'plug and play' type.
I had the driver’s side seat rebuilt using a factory new Mercedes seat frame/spring assembly. It feels like a new seat. Actually, it feels better than ANY new car seat I have sat in. I wish I could keep this seat.
I replaced a couple of soiled sections of carpet with FACTORY new correct Mercedes carpet. I will also include the rest of the carpet I didn’t use so you can replace any section of carpet you desire.
New floor mats, factory Mercedes of course
Eclipse CD player with Ipod hookup and pre-wired for an amp. Since there is no amp the new owner will need to purchase and install an amplifier, or wire the head unit directly to the speakers. Installing the amp will be easy, all power wires are run, and speaker wires are run too. All these connections were made the right way-soldered not crimped.
Factory Becker tape deck works flawlessly and will be included
Polk speakers new in the box, I never got around to installing them but the new owner can and should as the old speakers are admittedly garbage.
Fresh detail interior is crisp and mint and ready for the new owner, right down to a new, unused, unblemished key
Door check straps replaced and included. The nice thing about Mercedes is that one can replace the mechanism which gives the door its ‘feel’. I did this, and the doors feel like new. I will include for the buyer two more straps for the rear doors. They don’t need replacing and all 4 doors feel like a new car.
EXTERIOR
Exterior is mint or near mint, looks like it has 5000 miles on it.
Paint is glossy, car has always been garage kept
Chrome has no pits. A couple of pieces of chrome are dented. However, I will include replacement pieces of chrome the buyer can install at his/her discretion. This will bring the chrome from 95% to 100%
Car has a few scratches and dings. I have received quotes of $300 to remove all the dings from the entire car.
I replaced the windshield because the old one was a bit pitted up.
Wiper blades are new.
Overall, exterior is 92% by my standards, and I am picky. Replacing the chrome (which I will include at no charge) and fixing the dents ($300) will bring it up to 98%. A couple of scratches here and there would then be the only thing that separates it from 100%. If you desire, you can win trophies with this car, or simply enjoy it for your driving pleasure.
So there you have it! I really overspent on this car and as a result all you will need to do is turn the key. I doubt you will ever find one like this. It truly looks and drives like new. I received compliments wherever I go. Mercedes of this era have service lives of 500,000 miles and parts are still made and readily available. It will surely be a delight to own and drive and if you decide to sell you will surely recover your investment. I will even include a $200 car cover and a $50 sunshade, both custom fitted to this car. Car is currently located in Orange County, CA. I will deliver the car to the DAS terminal in Carson. CA for no charge. I would like $10,500. The title is clear and in my name now for an easy transfer to the next lucky owner.
You won’t find another example like this. My grandparents acquired this car as a new dealer demo back in 1983. The original purchase invoice, a photocopy of the check used to pay for the car, and all service records will be included. It is quite a stack!
This car has never been wrecked, and still wears ALL of its original, thick, and lustrous German lead based paint. They don’t make paint like this any more, for sure!
This Mercedes was properly maintained all its life, and serviced mainly at a Mercedes-Benz dealer. My grandfather passed away in 1992, and my grandmother didn’t put many miles on it between 1992 and 2004. She did have it serviced semi-annually, even when she barely drove it.
In 2004, my grandmother didn’t want to drive any more, and she let me use the car and eventually sell it for her. I am a car freak and spent way too much money on this car, partly for my love of cars, mainly for my love of my grandparents. I spent close to $12,000. As anyone will tell you, old low mileage cars are wonderful, but they have their own unique issues from age itself (not mileage), which need to be addressed. I have addressed them all. Many people don’t know this and spend thousands on a car they thought would need no work; that is not the case here, just turn the key and go.
Here is a partial list of things I have done. I am sure I left a few things out but you can see I way overspent.
SAFETY
New tires (the good kind, Bridgestone Turanza, not some cheap Pep Boys tires people put on to sell a car)
New rims 560 SEL style, chrome plated. They are NEW and perfect. I bought new rims because the old rims are too hard to find a quality tire for. No curb rash, scratches or blemishes, these rims are new!
New front brakes include calipers, brake lines, rotors, and pads. Very complete!
New Master cylinder factory dealer master cylinder was used
Rear brakes lots of pad left, checked out aok. No leaks.
Suspension COMPLETELY REBUILT SUSPENSION. I did not just ‘patch it’ with a $30 ball joint, instead I spent nearly $2,000 completely rebuilding the suspension, any thing that had a rubber boot, moved, or could wear out was replaced. All 4 shocks were replaced too and the car was professionally aligned. This Mercedes drives like a new one, well, actually better since the tire technology has improved drastically in the last 25 years.
Exhaust Completely new exhaust from exhaust manifold to exhaust tip. I replaced the catalytic converter with a stainless steel high flow (for increased mileage) unit, and replace the oxygen sensor too.
Seat belt I replaced the driver’s side seat belt and receptacle with NEW factory Mercedes parts. Why? The old ones got a little gummy and I wanted the crisp new feel of a new one!
MECHANICAL
Double row timing chain conversion Anyone who knows 380s will tell you that the original single row chain was a design flaw and needs to be replaced with a double row timing chain. This is not cheap ($1500-$2000). I did it, you won’t have too. Factory Mercedes dealer parts were used, and all rails, gears, etc. were replaced. It was a very complete job.
Rebuilt cylinder heads From age some of the valve stem seals and one guide started leaking. I had the heads completely rebuilt, and went overboard too. I replaced all the lifters, (an extra $500), and even spent a little extra $$ cleaning up the ports. The head work was $2500. I used good core heads so I wouldn’t tie up the car waiting for the machine shop. Because of this, the new owner will also receive the original heads which he or she can keep or sell. The original heads have never been machined or warped before and this makes them worth more $$. I used all factory Mercedes-Benz parts from a dealer, and really went overboard.
New Hoses, Belts etc. Naturally I replaced these items
New water pump
New ignition module I will even include a spare new one! I bought two to troubleshoot the car, and you will get two!
New coil
New ignition wires
New spark plugs
New fuel injectors
New fuel pump
Relatively New Alternator (replaced at a MBZ dealer about 15k miles ago)
New cap and rotor (spare included too)
New battery (factory Mercedes)
Transmission freshly serviced, works flawlessly and should for another 150k miles.
AIR CONDITIONING
A/C has been converted to 134A. A new compressor and some other bits have been installed. This cost $1500 and blows ICE COLD. Other people selling cars simply say ‘A/C needs a recharge’ when in fact major work is needed. Again, the A/C work is complete and blows ice cold!
INTERIOR
Interior is mint or near mint, looks like it has 5000 miles on it.
The passenger side sun visor vanity mirror is broken, and the passenger side seat cables are a little sticky.
I replaced both driver’s and passenger’s side power seat switches, retrofitted to the later model 'plug and play' type.
I had the driver’s side seat rebuilt using a factory new Mercedes seat frame/spring assembly. It feels like a new seat. Actually, it feels better than ANY new car seat I have sat in. I wish I could keep this seat.
I replaced a couple of soiled sections of carpet with FACTORY new correct Mercedes carpet. I will also include the rest of the carpet I didn’t use so you can replace any section of carpet you desire.
New floor mats, factory Mercedes of course
Eclipse CD player with Ipod hookup and pre-wired for an amp. Since there is no amp the new owner will need to purchase and install an amplifier, or wire the head unit directly to the speakers. Installing the amp will be easy, all power wires are run, and speaker wires are run too. All these connections were made the right way-soldered not crimped.
Factory Becker tape deck works flawlessly and will be included
Polk speakers new in the box, I never got around to installing them but the new owner can and should as the old speakers are admittedly garbage.
Fresh detail interior is crisp and mint and ready for the new owner, right down to a new, unused, unblemished key
Door check straps replaced and included. The nice thing about Mercedes is that one can replace the mechanism which gives the door its ‘feel’. I did this, and the doors feel like new. I will include for the buyer two more straps for the rear doors. They don’t need replacing and all 4 doors feel like a new car.
EXTERIOR
Exterior is mint or near mint, looks like it has 5000 miles on it.
Paint is glossy, car has always been garage kept
Chrome has no pits. A couple of pieces of chrome are dented. However, I will include replacement pieces of chrome the buyer can install at his/her discretion. This will bring the chrome from 95% to 100%
Car has a few scratches and dings. I have received quotes of $300 to remove all the dings from the entire car.
I replaced the windshield because the old one was a bit pitted up.
Wiper blades are new.
Overall, exterior is 92% by my standards, and I am picky. Replacing the chrome (which I will include at no charge) and fixing the dents ($300) will bring it up to 98%. A couple of scratches here and there would then be the only thing that separates it from 100%. If you desire, you can win trophies with this car, or simply enjoy it for your driving pleasure.
So there you have it! I really overspent on this car and as a result all you will need to do is turn the key. I doubt you will ever find one like this. It truly looks and drives like new. I received compliments wherever I go. Mercedes of this era have service lives of 500,000 miles and parts are still made and readily available. It will surely be a delight to own and drive and if you decide to sell you will surely recover your investment. I will even include a $200 car cover and a $50 sunshade, both custom fitted to this car. Car is currently located in Orange County, CA. I will deliver the car to the DAS terminal in Carson. CA for no charge. I would like $10,500. The title is clear and in my name now for an easy transfer to the next lucky owner.
11-11-2007, 06:30 PM
#5
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380 SEL 1982
thanks for the vote of confidence!
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Yes it is as good as I described, I have two kids and I am a freaky car nut so I have no reason to lie and waste my time. It still smells new. Im sold on MB-Tex. It wears like iron...I even put it in three other cars I did!
I just listed it on craigslist but really hope someone on this board will want it.
Yes it is as good as I described, I have two kids and I am a freaky car nut so I have no reason to lie and waste my time. It still smells new. Im sold on MB-Tex. It wears like iron...I even put it in three other cars I did!
I just listed it on craigslist but really hope someone on this board will want it.
11-29-2007, 05:31 PM
#6
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2008 C300 Sport
Pristine 380SEL
You realize you are making my life difficult 
Do you still have the vehicle for sale?
I live on the other side of the country, but know where Orange County is, as I used to have a customer in Buena Park...
If the car is still available, please send a few more pics, including under the hood.
I've got an 81 300SD, but that 380 would fit nicely into my stable...
Do you still have the vehicle for sale?
I live on the other side of the country, but know where Orange County is, as I used to have a customer in Buena Park...
If the car is still available, please send a few more pics, including under the hood.
I've got an 81 300SD, but that 380 would fit nicely into my stable...
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11-29-2007, 07:20 PM
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Manassas, VA, USA
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2011 VW cc, 2004 ML350
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Yes it is as good as I described, I have two kids and I am a freaky car nut so I have no reason to lie and waste my time. It still smells new. Im sold on MB-Tex. It wears like iron...I even put it in three other cars I did!
I just listed it on craigslist but really hope someone on this board will want it.
Yes it is as good as I described, I have two kids and I am a freaky car nut so I have no reason to lie and waste my time. It still smells new. Im sold on MB-Tex. It wears like iron...I even put it in three other cars I did!
I just listed it on craigslist but really hope someone on this board will want it.
