1979 Mercedes 300SD Turbodiesel - LAST OF THE CLASSIC GREAT BOULEVARD CRUISERS!

1979

Mercedes Benz
300SD Turbodiesel

VIN: 11612012011677

Here’s another rare, great-running & driving vintage Mercedes we’ve acquired recently for our Ebay buyers. This nice 300SD sold new in sunny Southern California (we have the original dealer’s window sticker and factory books to go with the car) before arriving here in Seattle many years ago. It has 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 few weeks ago by its long-term owner. I’ve got to tell you, having driven it virtually every day 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 come drive this outstanding 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 many 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 superior. Climb over, under and throughout and I know you’ll come up smiling! Rust? Please, this Benz hates rust and you WON’T find a thing to worry about here. Yes, the Puget Sound area is famous for rain, but our winter roads are rarely salted. At most, we'll only have one or two days of light snow. Everyone panics and stays home. Climb over, under and all around this car - I know you’ll come up smiling!!
Having personally owned many Mercedes over the years, I’ve developed a great appreciation for their style, mechanical reliability and overall driving experience. THIS CAR RUNS OUT JUST AS IT WAS MEANT TO. I’VE NEVER DRIVEN A VINTAGE DIESEL THAT I’VE LIKED BETTER!! I’m convinced you’ll be proud to own and drive it as well.

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, even when starting cold, and the peppy 3.0L inline OM617 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 built to – immediate, strong oil pressure, good battery and charging system, no overheating, no brake pull to either side or alignment issues!I’ve now put on almost 500 miles over the last month including freeway cruising at 60 MPH for hours at a time.The factory color medium brown metallic paint is in great overall condition. Though I’m not an expert, I’ve not found any evidence of accidents or body repair. Good chrome and exterior trim all around, too! The front fenders, doors, rear quarters and floor pans are all solid; in fact, the entire undercarriage is in good condition for a 41-year-old car! No other real body flaws to point out, only a small dent (as pictured) on the passenger’s side rear dog leg. The factory wheels are straight and true. They’re wrapped with excellent 195/70R14 touring radials with at least 85-90% tread remaining. Take another good look at the interior shots. Hop in and feel comfortable sitting on these firm buckets for hours as the springs and MB-Tex upholstery are near perfect. The rear bench has not suffered the fate of most other W116 sedans as it still has excellent original MB-Tex on both the base and back rest.

While the A/C – heater/defroster system blows warm & cool just fine, a refrigerant recharge might make it colder. The climate control valve system mounted under the hood near the firewall has been upgraded with a digital box that is FAR superior to the factory control unit. I’m assuming the odometer is reflecting true miles as both it, the speedo and the tachometer work perfectly. 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 the sunroof and passengers front window are both sticky and don’t always want to open/close. I’ll be sure to include the factory plastic sleeve containing the window sticker, owner’s manual, warranty book, hangtag and other info safely locked away in the glovebox when the car leaves our warehouse.

I don’t know why the Mercedes factory had difficulty coming up with a quality, long-lasting stereo. Even their modern cars seem to have radio issues so it’s not surprising the former owner changed out the original Becker AM-FM to a Blaupunkt CD "Helsinki" sometime back in the 1990's. Now all it needs is a replacement power antennae! The jack, spare and tire wrench are in the trunk as shown.
I’m always very happy to work with any shipper you choose, but you’re also welcome to do what many of my 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 and start a spring road trip home the same day. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive cross-country in this car! 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 it should AND that it is being properly represented to you. Please don’t be upset if I miss a minor flaw or some small issue comes up 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. 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 ask that the 3.5% fee charged by them be added. Please remember you are bidding to buy, and I fully expect the winning bidder 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 do decide to have the Mercedes shipped home, there are numerous vehicle transportcompanies 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 just a few days. You’ll pay the transporter COD when they arrive with the vehicle. No upfront deposit or other hassles.

TheBenz 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.