My search continues. I am considering looking at the following car because it is the color combination that I want and is not far from my home. I know the issue with the 1983 and will look into the drive chain issue. Can someone tell me how hard it is to repair the dashboard damage shown in the picture:
I hope you live near this dealer and you can take a drive over and look at it as the pics are pretty non informative. From I can see there might be a bit of rust under the headlight (hard to tell in the pic) I had the same issue in my car - easy to fix if its surface rust.
The coolant is the dreaded green stuff which should be changed asap with Mercedes stuff - issues with aluminum alloy compatibility.
The armrest looks like its been leaned on one too many times by somebody too heavy but it could be the picture angle - one picture it looks straight and the other shows it bent downward. The passenger seat is also missing a chrome cover piece.
Crack in the dash is not uncommon and can covered with a dash cap. Check this link to see how easy it is to do.
1 - The pictures definitely don't give much info - don't buy it unless you see it in person.
2 - The driver side belt fastener is broken and I've never seen replacements anywhere. That doesn't mean they don't exist, it just means I haven't seen them.
3 - It looks like there might be something weird going on with the driver side front fender, at the lower trim. Bring a magnet to check for bondo.
4 - The front grill looks brand new. Check the radiator support in the engine compartment to verify the VIN is stamped into the metal. If it isn't that points to previous accident/body work. And could explain #3. Or it may mean nothing. I replaced mine because it was old and had cracks.
5 - The blower cover is missing. Make sure the blower works. That's expensive.
6 - It may have been converted to R134 refrigerant. That would be a plus.
7 - What's up with that button on the dash?
8 - Looks like there's a ding on the trunk lid, right side of the picture.
9 - The upholstery is approaching the end of its attractive life. You won't have to change it immediately, but it's going to need it if you want it looking pristine. Ditto for the carpet.
10 - The hood seal is missing. These don't usually wear out, but they're not obvious so they frequently don't get replaced by body shops. Another indicator that there may have been a front-end collision in this car's past, along with #2, #3, #4 and #5. #6 would be logical adjunct to collision repair, since a front end collision would damage the condenser and the AC system would have to be repaired anyway.
I'm going to guess it's been in an accident, since there's so many things that point to that.
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When I die I want to go quietly, in my sleep, like Grandpa.
Not screaming, like the people in his car.
THANKS. Amazing how much you guys can tell from pictures. I think I am going to pass. I spoke to the guy and seems weird to me. Just gut feeling. There was one more local one on ebay that I am not sure on price. I just spoke to the owner and have a muich better feeling. The pictures arent helpful but I will post eBay Motors: Mercedes-Benz : SL-Class (item 220249194457 end time Jun-29-08 10:58:09 PDT)
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