450SLC Buying advice

[mercmonkey]

Off to have a look at this at the weekend

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1979-MERCEDES...610877631QQcategoryZ31360QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

any suggestions on what to look out for?

 

[maldon]

Same colour and spec as my old one, MM. Rust is the enemy - apart from the vacuum stuff (probably shot) and a few electrics, everything else is almost bomb proof.

Have the footwell carpets out, especially on drivers side check for water ingress. Go into the boot and check for water there too.

Rust is to be expected on the rear wheel arches, aft of the front wheel arches, round the bottom of the rear screen.

Lift the bonnet look at the left hand side bearer - there is an odd sort of well (design fault) where water will collect and can be a problem.

Although initially not everyones cup of tea, thistle green and that crazy 70's 'caramac' colour (MB Tex, I doubt very much it is leather) will grow on your - especially in the sunshine.

Check all electrics, sunroof, windows - check the seat backs controls - vacuum driven. Mine were blown so did a quick permanently fixed bodge for the MOT (a mechanical solution could be easlit put into place).

Hate to say it but the chrome wheel arch things imo are naff and are most probably hiding rust.

If rust is not too advanced and you have access to a good body/paint man* then, if all mechanicals are OK.

I reckon tops for that car looking at the rust that can be seen in photos - and assuming about a grand worth of body repairs to get her really back in shape - is £ 2000

I paid £2500 for a '78 model with genuine 78k and three owners (last owner had the car three months and had major financial agg. prev owner for five years).

They are super cars - lots of space and lots of pace. I never really found a decent stretchof traffice free dual carriageway to get the car screaming in second. A mate has an absolute peach he drove it to Spain and said that he got the old panzerwagen over 140mph. I do not doubt it.
On a run at 70mph the fuel cons is not at all bad - round town with a heavy right foot expect substantially less - three hundred quid abs tops for classic insurance.

You probably know anyway, but these things are huge - you may possibly get the car in a garage but I doubt you will be able to get out of the car....

Would be interested to hear how you get on.

*See you are in Essex - I did have a very good bloke on Mersea Island - he made a hell of a job of mine - I would still have the car today, if had not blown the gearbox after a particulary snotty oik wanted 'a go' on the M25. Still, I did see the violent orange Corsa off in style.

 

[shayes]

I was watching with interest this one on ebay 4608464606
350SLC in Green

I rusty backside I think may have kept the bidding down to the price £590 that it went for.

 

[shayes]

ps to last message
If only they had kept that nice Dashboard layout instead of what I have in my SEL and 80's cars.
I much prefer it, and have thought (extremely flightingly) about changing the Dash for an older one. Don't suppose one would fit and the gubbins to the Heater matrix etc would all need to be changed at the same time.
No don't go there - life's too short!!
I think the more modern cars have gone back? Don't take much notice of them so may be talking out my rear quarters again.

 

[mercmonkey]

cheers for the suggestions guys.

I was looking for an SEC origionally but looking on here with the budget I have I would have to buy a dog, and would probably end up throwing money at it for years so decided to look into one of these instead. Would love a convertible but again waaaaaay out of my budget

 

[maldon]

SLC's (IMO) way way prettier than the SEC.... If you bide your time, get a relatively rust free one and get it sorted over a period of time, you will be motoring for free. Unless you get an abs minter (SEC) I reckon you will be looking at depreciation.

Good SLC's are out there and they still do not make the right money.

 

[maldon]

MM

...did you go for a spin then?

 

[mercmonkey]

went and looked on saturday and it was pretty good. bid on it and won

BUT...
I was watching it for the last few mins and there was server Issues on Ebay, so as you can see I got it for a bargain price.
The seller is now reluctant to sell as he is aware of the server issues and is claiming people have contacted him saying they were trying to bid but couldnt.

heres what he sent me:-
Hello again. You will have received confirmation earlier that you won the auction for this car. I have been made aware that in the last few minutes of the auction that the ebay server holding my item was malfunctioning and no other bidders could place bids in the last few minutes of the auction. I have had emails saying that people were atempting to put higher bids on the car but couldnt. I have put in a complaint to Ebay but this leaves me in a difficult position as I am now aware that the car should have gone for more. Please can you make contact with me in the next 24 hours to discuss. It is not my intention to not go through with the transaction but I need to satisfy certain criteria

Currently waiting for him and ebay to decide on the next step forward

 

[maldon]

Bit of a turn up - I reckon that if the seller can seriously prove his 'losses', and who can say whether the eventual winning bidder would have performed or defaulted?

It will o course be difficult to achieve, but I reckon Ebay should stump up the difference between your bid and what the seller purports to have had 'offers' at.

Were carpets nice and dry?

 

[mercmonkey]

I think he isw going to relist it

I have to admit tho I did notice my ebay was doing Odd things while I was watching it, my ebay page refused to show watched items.

Carpets were bone dry, no damp smells, was a ****** good car.

and at £1310 was a bargain.

I did pass coment in my reply about early birds and worms lol

 

[maldon]

MM

Be interesting see what money the green 450 finishing tomorrow fetches - it looks clean nough from the pics, but that green interior would make me come over quite billious... Shame the 380 is err a 380 as also looks sensible enough.

 

[shayes]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1979-MERCEDES...610877631QQcategoryZ31360QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Interesting sitivation that!

Competing in Bids against an Israeli zero bidder. and went way beyond the Green 380SLC and even the Gold 380SLC

Vendor got a good price.
Did vendor get the wind up, or did MM?

Having looked at the photo's seems like it must have been owned by a Yank as its on the wrong side of the road. Or is that the better side of the car?
In any case, looks like three colurs for three parts of the nearside. Replaced wing, pudding stuffed door, and perhaps the rear wing is in good order?
Or do my eyes deceive me??

 

[mercmonkey]

looked pretty good when we went to see it.

Although Having a nightmare with ebay at the moment, they have suspended my account for "Inappropraite behavior"

Apparently calling someone a "cretin" is inappropriate lol

Currently in dispute