1998 Mercedes E320: Your thoughts?

[PBfrEAk]

So I may have come into a deal on a 1998 E320.

Looks a lot like this, and black too.

I'll try and get a cellphone pic up of it.

EDIT: here it is.



Anyway, the story: My uncles fixes R-titled cars. He mainly does Cavalier's and now Cobalts (anything mainly GM cause he works as head of auto body at a dealership). But sometimes he comes upon good deals on other cars too. That's how I got my 1st Maxima.

Recently he just got a hold of a '98 E320. Black with tan interior. It needs driver side quarter repair and a new taillight and possibly new bumper.

He has a guy looking at it now, but if it falls through, he wants to sell it to me for 200 bucks, then he and I would fix it up.

It has 160K on it.

Just wondering if there are major issues with the 3.2l V6's in these, or maybe transmission issues or anything that may cause me to have have more money in it than its worth.

I plan to just buy, fix, drive for a little bit (month maybe) and sell.

Any thoughts? Jesda??

[AZ89two4Tsx]

$200? wtf? Are you serious?

What's wrong with it mechanically?

[PBfrEAk]

Nothing AFAIK.

He bought it at a dealer auction and got lucky and no one bid on it.

It does need a bit of work on the rear end, its worse than it looks, but is fixable none the less.

I know everyone is gonna be like 200 bucks?!?!? OMGBBQSAUZWHYAREYOUEVENQUESTIONINGBUYINGIT?!?!?

But I currently am trying to sell my maxima and parts car, and don't wanna get into it if its going to cause me more problems than I have time for.

[Jesda]

I'm usually the first to say HELL NO to W210 MBs, but for $200 you need to jump on it ASAP.

You -will- have transmission issues. If it hasnt been rebuilt or serviced by now, expect to deal with a stuck gear or intermittent overdrive. Should be good for a few years once repaired.

The interior is cheap-ish, and the dashboard will develop cracks.

The electronics are hellish. I recently repaired the AC for a friend's mom. It needed a transmission rebuild at 100k as well. I had to dig up instructions that involved logging into diagnostics mode on the climate control display, retrieving a set of values, squaring each of them, adding them to another number, doing something else, then inputting the newly calculated values into the system. I got it working, but come on, WHAT THE F*CK was that about!

Expect the AC to leak, usually from the condensor, but could be anywhere.

The overall build quality isn't as good as W124, and there are sometimes weird issues like leaks from the windshield and backlight.

The V6 can develop a head gasket problem, but its not terribly expensive to do if I recall correctly.

Once repaired, its actually very pleasant to drive. It takes off and stops like a big Boeing jet.

Expect to spend a few grand immediately and a 1-2 grand each year after that for at least the first couple years. It'll probably be worth the trouble since your cost of entry is practically zero.

The engine is good. The chassis is good.

[PBfrEAk]

I'm usually the first to say HELL NO to W210 MBs, but for $200 you need to jump on it ASAP.

You -will- have transmission issues. If it hasnt been rebuilt or serviced by now, expect to deal with a stuck gear or intermittent overdrive. Should be good for a few years once repaired.

The interior is cheap-ish, and the dashboard will develop cracks.

The electronics are hellish. I recently repaired the AC for a friend's mom. It needed a transmission rebuild at 100k as well. I had to dig up instructions that involved logging into diagnostics mode on the climate control display, retrieving a set of values, squaring each of them, adding them to another number, doing something else, then inputting the newly calculated values into the system. I got it working, but come on, WHAT THE F*CK was that about!

Expect the AC to leak, usually from the condensor, but could be anywhere.

The overall build quality isn't as good as W124, and there are sometimes weird issues like leaks from the windshield and backlight.

The V6 can develop a head gasket problem, but its not terribly expensive to do if I recall correctly.

Once repaired, its actually very pleasant to drive. It takes off and stops like a big Boeing jet.

Expect to spend a few grand immediately and a 1-2 grand each year after that for at least the first couple years. It'll probably be worth the trouble since your cost of entry is practically zero.

The engine is good. The chassis is good.

I love you.

hehe

Well I knew that $200 on a car that's inspect-able was something that I can't pass up either way. What we might just do is split profit.

The one thing I did want to know you answered well. As you all may know I just bought that Frontier, and with me being a college student I don't have a whole lot of disposable income. But I really think even if it has a few of these problems (or will soon) I can put a little in it and come out with a few thousand profit.

I'll keep this updated as things come up.

[HashiriyaS14]

Hell man. $200?

If it drives, bring it down here and I'd pay you a grand for it (after we talk specifics, o'course).

[nametakennow]

My mom had one for several years. Terrible electronics, finicky transmission, and the engine had to be replaced within the first few months due to oil starvation. Oh, and the AC took a dump at some point too.

If you can find some sucker to pick it up off of you after a month, $200 makes it doable. Otherwise get the Hell away.

It's also one of the most miserable to drive cars ever. Engine's alright and actually sounds kind of interesting, but the suspension is like riding on a giant cloud of elephant dung. I'm pretty sure there are battleships with more feel than that thing had. The electronic brakes, while effective, are weird to modulate and not at all progressive.

I got my license in it, actually.

[Bubba1]

I have a good friend who bought one new. He liked his, but was thankful for the warranty and free regular maintenance deal MB had at the time, which included free loaners. He traded it before the warranty expired (on an S class), so his was a good experience.The one thing he noted was the very expensive non warranty costs that caught him off guard. For example, he had gotten a crack on one of those oval headlight lens. A new replacement lens cost more than 3 times what you paid for that car, and that's without labor.

Keep in mind there's a reason no one bid on it. IF you put several thou into getting it nice enough to sell, you likely won't recoup you expenses. But for $200, you can make a nice buck if you part it out.

[Jesda]

But for $200, you can make a nice buck if you part it out.

And if by some miracle it runs and drives well, its an instant $2000-$3500 sale. Craigslisters will be pounding on your door trying to get it.

[car nut]

My moms W210 E300 isn't too bad. The dash is cracked and it burns through every possible exterior light multiple times, but the turbodiesel is bulletproof and she gets 500 miles to the tank (roughly 21 gallons; was great when diesel was cheaper then gas). It also happens to have the dullest driving feel I've ever felt.

[r34 gtr]

W124 or bust. No other car made me feel like a pompous rich ***hole than one of those. Like, smoking a cigar in a maternity ward pompous. The 1992 300E also drifts like a champ, even with the automatic. Ask me how I know!

Yeah but for $200... I mean, I paid more (all said and done of course) for a 1980 Yamaha 50cc dirt bike.

[PBfrEAk]

And if by some miracle it runs and drives well, its an instant $2000-$3500 sale. Craigslisters will be pounding on your door trying to get it.

Thats the hope.

Well I'll be sure to let you all know if it ends up going through and where it leads me.

I love NICO. The info here is just priceless.

[Koshin]

man, if that things runs and drives well, I wouldnt even fix the body. I d just flip it immediately. It isnt worth holding onto even if it does run well. Because its gonna break, and it will be hella monies to fix it. If it were a better Benz Id say keep it for a while. I was blessed enough to own a LWB W140 S600 Sedan for a year. It was awesome. I paid an 1/8th of what it was worth and put about 700 bucks into it. It had the V12 and 18 inch staggered big lipped AMG wheels on it. Flip that thing, and if it doesnt run, take the 200 bucks and buy something nice for your girl or something.

example of baller Benz


Modified by Koshin at 12:01 AM 2/18/2010

[lino]

Buy it! Flip it or part it whatever you feel like. You can't lose with this deal.

[PBfrEAk]

UPDATE

No benz. Guy bought it who had 1st dibs.

I'm quite glad though due to the transmission being shot and some funky electrical issues. hehe

Oh well!!

[lino]

I suppose it wasn't meant to be .