1979 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Description

Note to Bidders:
We've relisted this nice Mercedes after the winning bidder wasn't able to complete their purchase obligation.  Please folks, don't let 'lil Jimmy or your darling daughter Suzy-Q have access to YOUR Ebay account unless you plan to pay for what they purchase.  OK, enough rant!  Here's the description again as it was last presented several weeks ago:
1979
Mercedes Benz
300SD Turbodiesel
VIN: 11612012011837
No Reserve past the opening bid
Here’s another rare, great-running & driving vintage Mercedes we’ve acquired recently for our Ebay buyers.  This nice 300SD sold new in sunny Houston, Texas (we have the original factory books to go with the car) before arriving here in Seattle many years ago.  The car’s spent its life driving our salt-free Pacific Northwest roads ever since.  From the moment I first laid eyes on this clean sedan, it was obvious that there’s always been respect and care given over the years.  There aren’t many left on the road in this condition and brings to mind the old saying in the collector world: “Any vehicle can be restored, given enough time & money, but it can only be factory original once!”  Reluctantly, the 300SD was turned over to us a short time ago by its long-term owner.  I’ve got to tell you, having driven the car hundreds of miles since, 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
boulevard cruiser here at my Auburn warehouse
.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
Ever driven one of these Mercedes with the powerful 3.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine?  Smooth is the word for sure.  Smooth powerful acceleration.  Smooth handling in the curves or on the highway, too.  I’ve always considered the W116 chassis sedans constructed during the late 70’s as some of the last hand-built, truly high-quality Mercedes and have heard others say the same thing!  Take a look at the photos and I’m sure you’ll agree with me what a find this is.  What you see is the result of a wash and vacuum only.  It’s obviously been allowed to spend the decades garaged because the overall exterior condition is great.  Climb over, under and throughout and I know you’ll come up smiling!  Rust?  Please, this Benz hates rust and you
WON’T
find much 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!!
CONDITION:
In total, this is a clean, well-cared-for, smoke-free car.  I take pride in the vehicles I’m able to offer here on Ebay and feel that you should know as much about them as possible.  Accordingly, here’s a list of the good and also any things needing attention: take four or five seconds to heat the glow plugs when starting cold and the peppy 3.0L inline five diesel engine fires right up every time!   The
automatic transmission shifts
strongly and just as it should. The car idles, runs and drives like a Mercedes is supposed to – immediate, strong
oil pressure
, good battery and charging system, no overheating or alignment issues!
For safety, we spent many hundreds back in April installing new brake calipers, hose lines and brake pads on all four wheels.  I’ve since put on more than 500 miles (including freeway cruising at 60 MPH)
.  Not claiming to be an expert, I haven’t found any evidence of accidents or body repair.  Good chrome and exterior trim all around, too!  The front fenders, doors and floor pans are all solid; there is a quarter-sized rust hole in the left rear quarter, below the bumper, likely caused by water that was allowed to pool in the left-side trunk well sometime in the distant past.  No body flaws to point out other than a small dent (as pictured) on the passenger front door and some loose clearcoat on the top of the left rear fender.  All four
factory wheels
are straight and true. They’re wrapped with excellent BF Goodrich 205/70R14 T/A touring radials, each with at least 85-90% 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 original leather upholstery are excellent.  The rear bench hasn’t suffered the fate of most other W116 sedans with good original leather on both the base and back rest.
While the A/C – heater/defroster system blows warm & cool just fine, an R-12 refrigerant recharge might make it colder.  The climate control valve system has already been upgraded.  I’m assuming the odometer is reflecting true miles as both it, the speedo and the tachometer function properly.  Even the clock keeps accurate time!  There’s no evidence of any water leakage on the headliner and you can see from the photos how nice the factory carpets are.  About the only flaws to point to are both the sunroof and driver’s window are sticky and don’t always want to open/close.
I don’t know why the Benz factory seemed to always have difficulty coming up with a quality, long-lasting stereo.  Even their modern cars have radio issues so it’s not surprising the former owner changed out the original Becker AM-FM with this aftermarket model many years ago.  The factory jack and spare are in the trunk as shown.
I’ll be sure to include the factory plastic sleeve containing the owner’s manual, warranty book and other info safely locked away in the glovebox when the car leaves my warehouse.
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 our past auction vehicles (with my Ebay pics and descriptions lifted verbatim) on the scam site
"Classic Cars for Sale"
also known as
"TOPCLASSICSALE.COM".