FOR SALE 1993 500E, Silver/Gray, 119kmi, Bat (Las Vegas, NV)

[JordiC]

ADMIN EDIT: For sale by new owner August 2019, see post 8 below. Thread title updated.

No affiliation.

VIN: WDBEA36E3PB857594

ADMIN UPDATE 11/17/2011:
On AutoTrader for $13,900 (previously asking $19,900 on eBay in August 2011)
AutoTrader link: Autotrader - page unavailable
Current eBay auction (reserve not met) : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/180757359608

Sears Imported Autos, Inc
13500 Wayzata Boulevard
Minnetonka, MN 55305
1-866-605-8765
Dave Tobin




"All of the expensive age susceptible parts have been replaced with factory Mercedes parts. No money was spared on this 500E. No leaks, no mechanical issues, no drive ability issues. The following is a list of recent services and upgrades preformed here in our shop. - Full tune up : Plugs, wires, distributor caps & rotors. - New Throttle Body - Valve cover gaskets - All new crank case venting/breathing hoses - Transmission pan gasket/filter/fluid - Transmission accumulator seal - New power steering pump - New power steering gear - New power steering lines - New self leveling struts - New self leveling accumulators - New engine wire harness - New battery - Ambient temperature display - All new OEM factory burl wood console pieces - New 6 piece factory Active-Bass speaker system - Mercedes in dash CD player w/ NAV capabilities - New headliner - New shelf speaker grills - New mirror covers - Driver window regulator/motor - Refrigerant charge - Mobil 1 5W40 Synthetic Oil & Filter Mileage may be a bit more as it is still being driven for test drives."
Original eBay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1993-Mercedes-Benz-500E-W124-036-500-E-Astral-Silver-/270798402204

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: eBay '93 500E, Silver/Gray, 117kmi, $19.9k, Mankato, MN

First knew about this car in November of 2004, when it was in Phoenix and had 103K miles on it. It popped up again in 2006, in Las Vegas, at 106K miles.

A few comments on the car: "18" AMG monoblock wheels; rear trunk spoiler, aftermarket stereo. UPDATE 4-26-06: Car on eBay again, located in Las Vegas, at 106,253 miles. Says that car has aftermarket Alpine stereo and amps, Lorinser rear spoiler, and 17" AMG wheels, otherwise basically stock. ALso that lower half of car was painted, removing nicks and dings."

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: '93 500E, Silver/Gray, 117kmi, $19.9k, Mankato, MN (eBay)

This car popped up on AutoTrader recently - price reduced to $13,900:
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=310702682

Current eBay auction - reserve not met, lots of new photos:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/180757359608

The Lorinser rear wing fits very well, btw... much better than the aftermarket wing on my car. Price is much more reasonable this time. Appears to be a Mercedes dealership selling the car.

New auction description:

1993 Mercedes Benz 500E -118,169 original miles - Silver exterior with grey leather interior. I'll spare you the history lesson, if you're looking at this car I'm sure you know what it is, if you're not sure, see the last paragraph below.

This particular example was traded in here at Sears Imports Mercedes Benz by a long time, local Mercedes Benz Club member (with one other rare, modern Mercedes, an '87 190E 2.3-16, also listed here on eBay) on Saturday, November 12. I took the more than 70 photos below Monday morning, before this car had been washed, cleaned or otherwise touched by anyone at the dealership. This car came in extremely clean, of course a good detailing will make it look even better, I just had to take photos of it and get it up here on eBay.

We do not have every service record for the car, we just don't, but it has been owned by a long time Mercedes enthusiast who has about 8 other cars in his fleet, it has been well cared for.

The body is great... clear coat is perfect all the way around, no peeling or sun wear. NO rust (not even a hint of body rust, bubbles, nothing!), there is no evidence of a repaint or other paintwork on the car. There are no dings, no dents, this car is awesome and original, it's led a pampered life. The interior is in very nice condition, light wear to driver's seat, but not much (clearly photographed below). Interior wood is in perfect condition, not dry, not cracked, the dash is perfect. Everything works... all the electric windows, sunroof, everything. It's a non smoker, no smoke smell or any other weird smells inside (feet, dogs, cats... I smell a lot of use cars and they aren't all good!). There is no First Aid kit on the back shelf, see photo, two holes were cut under the First Aid kit cover, maybe for speakers, I don't know.

This car runs and drives perfectly, the transmission shifts smoothly, no clunking of any kind through the gears or when shifting into reverse. I have extensive experience with Mercedes-Benz cars from the 80s and 90s, I have owned several and worked with many more, this is the best driving one I've ever experienced... not the usual 'clunky' transmission like the old W126 chassis cars or older E classes that are 'all used up' of this vintage.

The suspension is tight yet comfortable. Acceleration is smooth and FAST. It's a great driving car, as nice today, with 118,169 original miles as it was when new. Huge fender flares all the way around, AMG wheels and a Lorinser spoiler, anyone in the know will understand what you've got when you pull up in this 'Young Classic' Mercedes Benz muscle car.

Looking at the Carfax it looks like this car has had 4-5 owners. It started out in Florida, then went to Arizona, from Arizona it went to Nevada, then to Virginia and finally to Minnesota in 2009. Regular service visits appear on the Carfax throughout the long ownership history. No accidents, no stories, clean Carfax vehicle history report.

Remember: Only 1,596 500E models were built in 1993, they boasted 322 Horsepower and a top speed of 161 mph. This was the ultimate 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' according to the motoring press of the period. The 500 E was created in close cooperation with Porsche. Each 500 E was hand built by Porsche, being transported back and forth between the Mercedes plant and Porsche's Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany during assembly. Each example of the 500 E took a full 18 days to complete.

Give me a call (Dave Tobin, Internet Sales Manager: 952-512-6685) with specific questions or if you'd like to put a deal together over the phone. This car is for sale locally, it is advertised on our dealership website, someone could walk in and buy it at anytime. I handle many 'out of state' deals each month. We have a good system in place whether you want to fly in and pick up your vehicle or if you want to have it shipped. Paperwork is easily handled via Fed Ex. ​

 

[sheward]

That wing does fit better than the others I've seen. Although, like you Dave, I'm not a big fan. A proper duck tail is another thing...really like those.

 

[gerryvz]

That wing does fit better than the others I've seen. Although, like you Dave, I'm not a big fan. A proper duck tail is another thing...really like those.

+1 all the way !

 

[Chemosabi]

Hello everyone, newbie here. Very impressed w/ Gerry's posting of previous Ebay/Autotrader advertisements. What an invaluable resource. I am potentially interested in this car. If anyone has any advice, or knowledge of this specific vehicle, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[janos_z]

No affiliation.

Grille top is smooth, with no hole for a hood ornament/badge - the only other 500E I've seen this on was that shabby ex-Canepa one that was on craigslist for a while for $14k.

VIN: WDBEA36E3PB857594

BaT website:

1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E

Bid for the chance to own a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #22,129.

bringatrailer.com

 

[gsxr]

VIN: WDBEA36E3PB857594

BaT website:

1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E

Bid for the chance to own a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #22,129.

bringatrailer.com

Some of those undercarriage pics are concerning. Looks like it was driven in winter while in VA/MN...?

 

[Dunnik]

So what does Gerry's Law of Deferred Maintenance™ say about a car that has been driven less than 100 miles in 8 years?

Stored indoors, started weekly and generally looked after, according to seller, but still...

 

[gerryvz]

We are talking a solid $12-15K to bring this car to where it needs to be.

Remember the adage “Garages Kill.” This means that if you don’t drive a car (starting and warming it up is NOT driving it) it will begin to erode, and this erosion snowballs over the years.

A significant part of snowballing erosion is deferred maintenance. It only gets worse.

 

[Melville]

I think this auction would have gone much better for the seller if he would have driven the car for 6 months / +1,000 miles, replaced all fluids and filters, some hoses, had an inspection done and fixed what was needed. Yes, that would add cost and hassle, but I'm pretty sure it would have paid for itself in multiples of his outlay.

I don't mean paying for all deferred maintenance. Just the stuff to make a buyer reasonably certain that it can, for example, be driven home on an 800 mile trip and maybe for a few weeks before things get sorted.

Of course, if the seller just doesn't have the time (which I can understand), then it's a moot point.

Maybe this will be an opportunity for a flipper who wants to actually add value to the car and sell to someone else who will pay for the peace of mind of getting a more or less maintained car.

 

[Dunnik]

So with $12-15k in deferred maintenance, one should buy this car for the same amount of money, $12-15k. Current bid $5k, but six days to go. Will be an interesting one to watch.

A bold statement for the seller to say it could immediately make an 800 mile trip without issue. Maybe it can...or maybe not.

 

[gerryvz]

Photos from BaT auction:

 

[gerryvz]

So with $12-15k in deferred maintenance, one should buy this car for the same amount of money, $12-15k. Current bid $5k, but six days to go. Will be an interesting one to watch.

A bold statement for the seller to say it could immediately make an 800 mile trip without issue. Maybe it can...or maybe not.

My prediction is that this car is going to RNM out at the low to mid $20K level, given the stock market climate and recent E5000E sales on BaT. The BaT party is over, for a while, for 500Es unfortunately. Unless you have a rare E60 or a Limited model, a low-miles survivor for the odometer buyers, or an unusual color that is documented and anally cleaned/maintained, you're no different than the rest of them out there.

People are freaking out about the stock market's wild gyrations and watching their 401(k)s values circling the drain. It can be sobering eye-opening to check one's investment portfolio and see onesself "down" by $700K+ in a day, then back up the next day by $200K, and then down another $300K the day after that, etc.......

 

[gerryvz]

Looking more and more like an RNM by the hour....$5,000 and hasn’t budged for a while. Too bad this isn’t a NO RESERVE auction.

 

[gerryvz]

Seller added more photos, attached. These are close-ups of the grill/hood latch area, showing the welding that closed up the hood star mount on top of the chrome grill surround. Someone went to some length to create that mod.

Still $5,700 with one day to go. Guaranteed RNM at this point. The stock market has really scared away the buyers, flipper/dealers and speculators.

Good time to scoop up an E500E before the inevitable market rise in the future.

 

[gsxr]

The plastic striker for the hood latch is missing. Easy to replace and it will hide the scratched paint.

It isn't clear from the photos but the welding to close the hole would be on the top of the grille surround, not the hood. Easy to replace with a stock grille if desired. Never seen this done before, that I can remember anyway.

 

[gerryvz]

the welding to close the hole would be on the top of the grille surround, not the hood.

Correct. As this is a pre-facelift car, the hood star would have come from the factory mounted on top of the chrome grill surround, not further aft onto the hood itself as with the facelift cars.

Original picture of the car:

Car as it stands now:

 

[sheward]

I like the look and may try to create the same one day as an option.

drew

 

[janos_z]

I like the grille too. Like I said, the only other car I saw this on was that ratty ex-Canepa 500E from last year, which was scooped up by @bunty660:

SOLD - SOLD: 1992 500E, Silver repaint / Black, 128kmi, $15k (Santa Cruz, CA) | Cars for Sale - 500E / E500 ONLY

(Admin edit: Datacard indicates paint was originally 199 Pearl Black. As mentioned in posts below, it's unclear if the car was repainted silver, or if it's been wrapped.) VIN: WDBEA36E2NB767768 Datacard: https://www.datamb.com/vin/9yRLjEL8xmLEgKkBY Just came across this one on Craigslist...

www.500eboard.co

Pic attached.

 

[2phast]

Jeeze, no one ever noticed this before?

 

[gerryvz]

$7500 with eight hours to go. I predict $20K (give or take) and confirm the RNM stated earlier.

Folks are not in a buying mood, at least for E500Es. Too worried about their 401(k) loans and HELOC balances and the supposedly looming recession.

At this point, unless the stock market dramatically picks up, I think the US E500E market is going to be muted until the next Presidential election, when there will be more clarity on US economic policy. That’s 15 months of a muted/mixed/dampened E500E market, folks.

Exceptions will be unicorn, concours/low-odo and “special” examples. But every they won’t bring the $$$ they did a year or two ago

This mood is not just for the E500E market. Pebble Beach total auction results were WAY down this year from 2018.

Market psychology ... it’s a strange thing.

 

[TerryA]

Not much love shown for this car. With 6 hours left it cheaper than a rolling parts car.

Can’t wait to see where the Hammer drops on this one.

 

[gerryvz]

I think this car is deserving to be sold for a fair price. It's a nice example.

 

[Pathung]

Should there be a factory VIN sticker on the trunk lid, in the license plate area? There isn't one on this car, and I wonder if that concerns anyone, with the previous Lorinser wing having disappeared over the years and all.

 

[2phast]

Should there be a factory VIN sticker on the trunk lid, in the license plate area? There isn't one on this car, and I wonder if that concerns anyone, with the previous Lorinser wing having disappeared over the years and all.

Yes, there should be. The panel is removable, so its not a indication the trunk has been replaced. It's possible the panel has been replaced and/or repainted. Unlike the 92 model, there are few VIN decals on the body panels (93/94 model), this is the only one I am aware of. (not counting the door jam VIN)

 

[gerryvz]

Yes, ALL E500Es (and W124s, for that matter) came from the factory with a VIN sticker that is just behind the license plate, mounted on the outside of the deck-lid. If it is not there, then it means that either the decklid was replaced, or the sticker was removed for a repaint.

Facelift cars also had a VIN sticker on the underside of the rear bumper (at least, mine did before I switched the rear bumper cover). Cars up to 1992 had VIN stickers on the underside of the hood, on the inner fenders, etc. My 1989 560SEC is same.

This car is up to $13,250 with 37 minutes left. I think it will do the $20K (give or take a couple of K) that I mentioned earlier, but it's a guaranteed RNM.

 

[2phast]

Yes, ALL E500Es (and W124s, for that matter) came from the factory with a VIN sticker that is just behind the license plate, mounted on the outside of the deck-lid. If it is not there, then it means that either the decklid was replaced, or the sticker was removed for a repaint.

Facelift cars also had a VIN sticker on the underside of the rear bumper (at least, mine did before I switched the rear bumper cover). Cars up to 1992 had VIN stickers on the underside of the hood, on the inner fenders, etc. My 1989 560SEC is same.

This car is up to $13,250 with 37 minutes left. I think it will do the $20K (give or take a couple of K) that I mentioned earlier, but it's a guaranteed RNM.

Is your definition of the decklid the license plate panel or the trunk?

 

[gerryvz]

Trunk lid ... the thing that's hinged that covers the boot. With the E500 and MB star glued to it. The facelift cars' deck lid does not have a license plate panel.

 

[gerryvz]

If this deal did indeed consummate for $16,750, someone got a pretty good deal on this car. We're talking $15K worth of maintenance, but for $32K + fees, all in, a car of this color combo and mileage isn't too shabby.

 

[2phast]

Trunk lid ... the thing that's hinged that covers the boot. With the E500 and MB star glued to it. The facelift cars' deck lid does not have a license plate panel.

If the VIN is missing it does not necessarily mean the decklid was replaced, as the license plate panel could of just been repainted and/or replaced.

 

[gerryvz]

If the VIN is missing it does not necessarily mean the decklid was replaced, as the license plate panel could of just been repainted and/or replaced.

Indeed ... pretty much as I said above (though I did not mention the removal of the license plate filler piece):

Yes, ALL E500Es (and W124s, for that matter) came from the factory with a VIN sticker that is just behind the license plate, mounted on the outside of the deck-lid. If it is not there, then it means that either the decklid was replaced, or the sticker was removed for a repaint.

 

[500AMM]

I like the grille too. Like I said, the only other car I saw this on was that ratty ex-Canepa 500E from last year, which was scooped up by @bunty660:

SOLD - SOLD: 1992 500E, Silver repaint / Black, 128kmi, $15k (Santa Cruz, CA) | Cars for Sale - 500E / E500 ONLY

(Admin edit: Datacard indicates paint was originally 199 Pearl Black. As mentioned in posts below, it's unclear if the car was repainted silver, or if it's been wrapped.) VIN: WDBEA36E2NB767768 Datacard: https://www.datamb.com/vin/9yRLjEL8xmLEgKkBY Just came across this one on Craigslist...

www.500eboard.co

Janos, there is a lot of 036 around with various bonnet-star-badge-delete. I've put together a selection for you.
( my '92 is in mid at right)

 

[Bogeyman]

Now on Ebay out of Las Vegas with an $18K BIN

1993 Mercedes-Benz 500-Series 500E | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500-Series 500E at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[ace10]

Looks like the BaT auction from August didn't get consummated based on the "winning" bidder being based in Montreal, and this ebay listing still showing Vegas, which was the location for the BaT auction.

For the record, the winning bid was $16760, which is $17600 all-in.


There were no takers on the previous Ebay auction (ended 08OCT), which had a $20000 BIN.