1977 Mercedes 240D - CLEAN, GREAT DRIVING DIESEL SEDAN - ALL RECORDS FROM NEW

1977

Mercedes Benz
240D Diesel Sedan

41 Years of Complete Records

VIN: 1231231202921

If you’ve followed my Ebay vehicle auctions over the past decade you’ve noticed we get a fair number of great vintage Benz on a regular basis. This nice diesel sedan sold new locally at downtown Seattle’s Phil Smart Mercedes Benz on March 24, 1977 and has remained in the area ever since. That’s important because it means the car has NEVER been exposed to corrosive road salt as we get little to no snow in western Washington state. Our other three seasons are also mild, so the paint and interior haven’t been sunbaked to death.

A thick folder containing complete maintenance records from new along with the factory books, manuals, even the original turn signal hang tag, came to us with the car. All service dates, the corresponding mileage and work performed have been reviewed and chronologically organized. Below is a brief history:

The original owners, May and Martin Gearges of Mercer Island, WA kept the car for a bit over 17 years, accumulating only 69,000 total miles. They passed the 240D along to the next caretaker (a former co-worker of mine) in August 1994. For the next 19 years she pampered the car, sometimes bringing it for service almost weekly, and added only 70,000 more miles to the total driven. The past 8 years have seen the reading increase to the present 149,781.

After spending just a few minutes behind the wheel I know you’ll be sold on this Mercedes as a daily driver or a nice road trip vehicle. Look over my photos; the level of respect and care given will be very obvious.

Please feel free to email, text or call me with any questions during the auction. My direct number is 206/914-1173 and my name is Mark Thompson. You’re encouraged to stop by my Auburn, WA warehouse to check over the Mercedes and take it out on the road. Having an on-site buyer’s inspection done is also welcomed.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Ever driven one of these mid-sized Mercedes with the bullet-proof 2.4-liter four-cylinder diesel engine? What a treat! Smooth is the word for sure. Smooth handling in the curves or on the highway. Comfort, style, and versatility all in one classic ride. I’ve always considered the W123 cars constructed through the late eighties as 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 you see is the result of a wash and vacuum only. “Time capsule” really is an accurate way to describe this Benz. It’s obviously been allowed to spend its life garaged because the overall condition is truly better than most any other 41-year-old daily driver you’re likely to encounter. Rust? Please, this Mercedes HATES rust and I haven’t found any here to worry about. Climb over, under and around this sedan, I know you’ll come up smiling!! As a respected Ebay seller with many satisfied customers, I want you to bid with confidence knowing this is a great car AND that it’s being properly represented.

CONDITION:

In brief, this is a clean, original, well-cared-for, smoke-free Mercedes. I take pride in the vehicles we sell, feeling that you should know as much about them as possible before bidding. Accordingly, here’s a list of the good and also small things possibly to be sorted out: Hop in, turn the key, let the glow plugs heat for about ten seconds and the engine starts immediately!The automatic transmission shifts crisply through all gears, just as it should. I feel the car idles, runs and drives as intended – immediate strong, steady oil pressure, a good battery and properly functioning charging system. When warm, the engine temperature maintains at 175 degrees no matter whether it’s been idling in traffic or plying the freeway for hours. There is NO excessive tailpipe smoke or blow-by (all the photos were taken with the motor running). I’ve driven the Benz daily the past two weeks, cruising at 50 MPH for several hours and using it for my 20-mile round trip work commute.

The fuel system is completely stock and has NEVER been exposed to component-destroying biodiesel or a goofy homemade conversion. Our records show the fuel tank was drained and thoroughly cleaned, the front brake pads, sensors and all the fuel filters were replaced within the last 10K miles. The factory installed windshield has no cracks or chips though there is a little clouding along some of the edges. It’s rare to come across a four-decades-old vehicle still in factory-original paint, in exceptionally good condition and with NO failing clearcoat or thin spots. The fenders, doors, rear quarters, trunk and floor pans are all solid. Along with a couple touched-up spots near the front vents there is a small dent around the right front marker light area and some amateur-level body spot work on the passenger rear corner near the tail light. Have it redone will make this rig look 100% original.

All four factory wheels are straight and true. They’re wrapped with Michelin X Radials, each with at least 60+% remaining tread. When braking, I’ve not encountered any binding, fade or pulling to either side.

Take another peak at the interior photos. The tobacco-colored MB-Tex upholstery is exceptionally good with the pictures giving an accurate view of condition. Hop in and feel comfortable sitting on these seats for hours. No visible shrinkage, cracks or wear-through spots on any seat fronts or backs. There aren’t any cracks or fading to the dashtop as typically found and all the wood trim is great. The carpets are clean and solid. All the dash gauges are as bright and true as the day the car left Stuttgart. Each appears to be working correctly. The heater, venting and fan system work. Switch-on the A/C and it blows cold but could benefit from a recharge. Many of these 240D's were shipped from the factory without a radio. The dealer installed a nice after-market Blaupunkt AM-FM (with an internal eight-track player) before the original sale. Although you’ll need to tune-in individual stations, it gets great reception.

I’m always very happy to work with any shipper you choose, but you’re also welcome to do what many previous buyers 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 (I’ll pick you up at Sea-Tac International just a few miles away) and then start a road trip home. Please don’t be upset if I’ve missed a minor flaw or something I’m unaware of needs attention. No used car is ever perfect! Having said that, I would not hesitate to drive this Mercedes long distance immediately.

Please check the photos over closely and contact me with any questions BEFORE placing your bids! Because of the amount of money involved with a vehicle purchase, we reserve the right to cancel your bid if you have negative feedback. I also ask that potential bidders with a feedback rating of five or fewer transactions on Ebay contact me before bidding. Finally, we reserve the right to end the auction early if the Benz is no longer for sale or an acceptable offer has been agreed to before the end of the auction period. Please feel free to contact me directly as outlined above.

A Few Additional Terms and Conditions:

Full payment is due by cash (in person only) or certified funds within seven business days unless prior arrangements have been made with me. I can accept credit or debit cards, but I’ll first need to invoice you and ask that you cover the 3.5% fee our processor charges us. Please remember you’re bidding to buy and I fully expect the winner to fulfill their Ebay contract! You’re 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 decide to have theMercedes transported home, there are scores of companies to choose from. I ship vehicles regularly and am happy to make suggestions about who to use. In addition to quotes using the shipping tab here on the auction site, you might also get bids directly from U-Ship.com. You’ll be able to choose a broker from multiple offers. The zip code for pick-up would be 98002 (Auburn, Washington). We do have a shipper that regularly delivers for us to western states and has arranged transport to the Midwest and East Coast. Ultimately, shipping of the vehicle and company chosen are the responsibility of the BUYER.

The information described above is based on the observed condition when listed. All the photos were taken on 6/27/2018. I've done my best to describe the car as honestly as possible and encourage bidders to contact me with questions.

Thecar 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 $20 per day. Though I have NO doubts about the vehicle’s road-worthiness, it is being sold “as-is, where-is”.