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Easy Project? 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300E

I know what you’re thinking: why? Bear with me here, as this 300E is actually in pretty good shape aside from the body damage. Not only is this car in decent condition, aside from the body damage, but the seller is actually including the parts needed to fix it. Wrecked 10 years ago, many may see this as a lost cause, I encourage you to see this as an otherwise nice car in need of repairs. The right person could have this car, fix it, and drive it for $1,000. With a starting bid of $500, this Mercedes-Benz can be found here on eBay in Tennessee. With 188,330 miles, this car won’t be worth a lot once fixed. To someone who loves older Mercedes products, this could be the perfect opportunity! 

Though this car is somewhat high-mileage, the interior is in excellent shape. Coupled with a straight body (aside from the obvious damage), with a little work this could be a really nice driver. For someone who breathes Mercedes, this could be the opportunity for an affordable project. Though it will need mechanical and cosmetic work, it won’t need interior work. I can smell the leather from here, and if you’ve ever owned/ridden in an old Mercedes, you know exactly what I’m talking about!

Under the hood is an inline six cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine. Though their reputation has been different for quite some time, this 300E is still of the era during which Mercedes products were considered to be well-built reliable German automobiles. This 300E runs and drives, but will need a new gas tank as the original rusted after sitting for 10 years. The seller intended to repair this car, but “time just slipped away and the gas tank went bad and rusted out.”

Though time gets away from the best of us, I can’t help but wonder why the seller hasn’t opted to fix this car prior to selling it, especially since most of the required parts for the repairs have been gathered. Regardless, this 300E has some potential. The body is straight and clean aside from some minor clear coat peel, and of course front-end damage. With a little work and a lot of love, this will make a fantastic driver for someone who likes Mercedes-Benzes of this era.

Comments

  1. Avatar Sam

    Perfect 24 hr Lemon’s car…$350 for car, junkyard headlights, some tuneup work with a hammer and your done.

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    • Avatar Steve R

      Don’t forget the thousands of dollars needed for safety equipment. I have a friend that spent $6,000 to get his $500 Lemons car to pass tech. It’s cheaper to buy a turn key car that someone got tired or racing.

      Steve R

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      • Avatar Sam

        😞

        Like 0
  2. Avatar Ex Benzo Tech.

    parts car at best.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Jay M

    Why didn’t he fix it?
    Maybe because Edmunds says average resale is $1000.
    Kelly Blue Book says $642.
    Just because something is inexpensive to buy does not automatically make it a good buy.
    I’ve seen lower mileage ones sell for $1,500.00 with no damage.
    Even if someone gave you all the parts for free, that’s a lot of labor just to end up with a car that was wrecked.

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    • Avatar Andrew Tanner Member

      Agreed, but the seller already has the parts needed to fix it, and it sounds like they are mechanically inclined, so that’s what had me wondering.

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      • Avatar dgrass

        All the parts Andy? I spy at least a dozen items they fail to mention, and that isn’t even including the front clip. No bueno.

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  4. Avatar Steven Jordan

    Wow ! That’s a SUPER deal. I found my first Cedes , an ’89 300 , been sitting for 6-1/2 year’s when I found her . I had to replace the fuel tank , pumps , etc.,etc., but with the abundance of quality , cheap priced aftermarket parts , it took me $ 596.83 to get her mechanically perfect . And as Andrew said , it’s not worth alot of money , but to me , she’s priceless . By far one of the most dependable , smooth riding cars I think I’ve ever owned . And from all the research I’ve done , these cars , 3.0L , are good for 300 – 500,000+ miles . I’m going to drive my barn find until the day I die , lol .

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  5. Avatar Slick

    Well i just got it running today , put a fuel pump and it fired right up and drove it around, run and shifted great like it always has, so now its a running piece , yes maybe it is just for parts , that’s why i said “for parts or repair” and i only bought the right fender and liner and headlight assembly so yes it would need front bumper (i do have the original)and various other parts to complete and make it road worthy, but if someone needs a drivetrain , BAM there you go , i just took some video of it running and posted to my youtube so go to Kattykat85225 and check them out and i cleaned on it some and put new pics up on ebay , so check them out also , yes it would make a good Lemon’s car

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  6. Avatar Nova Scotian

    It would be a love to want to rebuild this high milage car…and cash, lots of it, even if your half handy. I see the passenger axel ripped out of its anchor, and an engine that’s twisted in its bay. So, for starters, I’m thinking there is some chasis twist here that will need to be put on a stretcher to make the car “straight”. Otherwise you will end up having a car that doglegs down the road, forever! And alignment will forever be screwed up, thus wearing/scuffing tires…forevermore.
    Not worth the cost to rebuild….parts only. Apologies, as I like what I see, and wish it could be an affordable rebuild for some backyard repair guru like myself.

    Like 0

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