1979 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Description

NOTE TO BIDDERS:
I've relisted this nice car after the winning bidder wasn't able to complete their purchase obligation.  Please folks, don't let Little Jimmy or your darling daughter, Suzy-Q, have access to
YOUR
Ebay account unless you plan to pay for what they buy.  OK, enough rant!  Here's the description again as it was presented last week:
1979
Mercedes Benz
300D Sedan
No reserve, highest bidder wins!
VIN: 12313012158195
Here’s another great running & driving vintage Mercedes we’ve acquired recently for our Ebay buyers.  According to the previous owner, this nice 300D sold new in sunny Walnut Creek California before arriving here in the Pacific Northwest to begin driving our snow & salt-free roads over 23 years ago.  From the moment I first laid eyes on this clean sedan, it’s obvious that respect and care have been given over the years.  Reluctantly, the Benz was turned over to us to find its next long-term caretaker and I’ve got to tell you, having driven it virtually every day for the past month, what a treat!  Where else will you find this kind of luxury, vintage style, safety, mechanical reliability AND terrific (25+MPG) fuel economy wrapped up in one gorgeous ride?  Please feel free to contact me with questions or to make an offer.  My name is Mark and my direct phone number is
206/914-1173
.  You’re welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to inspect and drive this outstanding
boulevard cruiser here at my Auburn warehouse
.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
Ever driven one of these cars with the uber-dependable 3.0-liter diesel engine?  The W123 chassis Mercedes constructed during the late 70’s & 80’s have always been a favorite of mine and are some of the last hand-built, truly high-quality Benz.  Take a look at the posted photos (all taken on 6/26/2021) and I’m sure you’ll agree what a find this is.  What you see is the result of a wash and vacuum only.  It’s obviously been allowed to spend these many decades garaged because the overall exterior condition is far above average.  Climb over, under and throughout and I know you’ll come up smiling!  Rust?  Please, this Benz hates rust and you
WON’T
find a thing to worry about here.  Yes, the Puget Sound area is famous for rain, but our
winter roads
are never salted.  We only have one or two days of light snow each year.  Everyone panics and stays home.  Climb over, under and all around this car - I know you’ll come up smiling!!
Having personally owned dozens of Mercedes over the years, I’ve developed a great appreciation for their style, mechanical reliability, and overall driving experience.  I’m convinced you’ll be proud to own and drive it as well.
CONDITION:
In total, this is a clean, well-cared-for, smoke-free Benz.  I take pride in the vehicles I’m offer on Ebay and feel you should know as much about them as possible.  Accordingly, here’s a list of the good and also any small things needing attention: take five or six seconds to heat the glow plugs when starting cold and the peppy 3.0L inline five diesel engine fires right up every time!  It helps that the starting system’s been upgraded with modern “pencil-style” glowplugs for greater reliability.  The
automatic transmission shifts
strongly and just as it should. The car idles, runs, and drives like a Mercedes is built to – immediate, strong
oil pressure
, good battery and charging system, no overheating and no brake pull to either side or alignment issues!  I’ve now put on several hundred miles over the last five weeks including freeway cruising at 60 MPH.
The silver metallic paint appears original and I’d call it a 7 out of 10 for overall condition; very minimal scratches, rock chips, fading or missing clearcoat.  Though I’m not an expert, I’ve not found any evidence of accidents or body repair.  Good chrome and exterior trim all around, too!  The front fenders, doors, rear quarters, and floor pans all appear solid; in fact, the entire undercarriage is in good condition for a 42-year-old car!  No other real body flaws to point out.  The jack & spare are in the trunk as shown.
It’s pretty rare to come across any vintage Benz with a stock Becker “Europa” AM-FM radio still in place (much less actually working!).  The Kenwood CD/stereo receiver here is a good-working upgrade but a new antennae mast is needed.  All the glass is free of any chips or cracks.  Same goes for the dash.  The wood trim is also excellent.
All four
factory wheels
are straight and true. They’re wrapped with good 195/70R14 touring radials with at least 70-75% tread remaining.  Take another good look at the interior pics.  Hop in and feel comfortable sitting on these firm buckets for hours as the springs and factory-original Mercedes MB-Tex upholstery are in great overall shape!  The rear bench hasn’t suffered the fate of most other vintage W123 models and has excellent original MB-Tex on both the base and back rest as well.  The next caretaker will find the factory first aid kit still there in its package shelf case.
Both the odometer and the speedo work perfectly (as do all the dash gauges, including the clock).  I believe the miles showing are actual based on the overall condition inside and out.  There’s no evidence of any water leakage on the headliner and it’s pretty easy to see from the photos how nice the front factory carpets are.  About the only flaws to point to are: the factory sunroof is sticky and doesn’t always want to close easily.  The door locks need to be manually activated. All four electric windows work great.  You’ll need to have your tech look over the A/C as the compressor’s powerline was disconnected when the car came to us and I’ve not attempted any investigation or service of it.
I’m always happy to work with any shipper a buyer chooses, but you’re also welcome to do what many previous purchasers from as far away as Alaska, Arizona, the Midwest, Canada, Florida, New York and even the Mexican Baja have done – fly in here to Seattle (We’ll pick you up at Sea-Tac International just a few miles away) and then start a summer road trip home the same day.    As a respected
Ebay seller
with many satisfied online buyers, I want you to bid with confidence knowing that this Benz runs and drives as well AND that it is being properly represented.  Please don’t be upset if I miss a minor flaw or some other small issue comes up on the car as NO used vehicle is perfect.
Please check the photos over closely and call me with any questions BEFORE you place a bid!  You’re encouraged to stop by, inspect the car at my Auburn, WA warehouse and take it for a test drive.
As always, it is being sold “as-is, where-is” with a clean, free & clear Washington State title in my name
.  Because of the amount of money involved with a vehicle purchase, I reserve the right to cancel your bid if you have any
negative feedback
.
I also ask that potential bidders with a feedback rating of five or fewer transactions on
Ebay
contact me before placing their bid.
Please feel free to contact me directly thru eBay’s system or, as outlined above, call me at
206/914-1173
anytime.  My name is
MARK
.
A Few Additional Terms and Conditions:
The entire purchase price is due by cash (in-person only), a wire transfer or other certified funds within seven days of the auction closing.  I can accept credit/debit cards but will need to first send an invoice from our card processor and will add the 3.25% fee charged by them.  Please remember you’re bidding to buy, and I fully expect the winning bidder to fulfill their Ebay contract!  You are not bidding to hold or then come inspect and test-drive the vehicle later -- You’re more than welcome to do this before the auction ends.
If you do decide to have the Mercedes shipped home, there are numerous vehicle transport companies to choose from.  While delivery and the company chosen are the responsibility of the
BUYER
, I ship vehicles regularly and have access to the nationwide
Central Dispatch
system.  I can check to see what typical delivery costs have been to your area recently and we can then post a transport offer for the car at a fair price.  Usually, a shipper is lined up within a few days.  You’ll pay the transporter COD when they arrive.  No upfront deposit or other hassles.
The Benz can be stored free of charge at my location for up to two weeks after the auction ends assuming full payment has been received.  After that period storage is per day.
Final Note: I list and sell my vehicles exclusively here on Ebay.
If you see them advertised "For Sale" on other sites
BEWARE:
you are being scammed. We've recently come across more than a dozen of my past Mercedes Ebay vehicles (with my pics and descriptions lifted verbatim) on the scam site
"Classic Cars for Sale"
also known as
"TOPCLASSICSALE.COM".