FOR SALE 1991 500E, Pearl Black/Black, 196kkm, 600k NOK (Kongsberg Norway)

[Autostern]

Possible purchase – opinions on this 500 E listed in Norway

Hello everyone,

I’ve been following the W124 500 E/E500 market for quite some time and have been hoping to find the right car to buy eventually.
Recently, this example appeared for sale here in Norway:

Bruktbil til salgs: Mercedes-Benz E-Klasse - 1994 - Svart - 326 hk - Kombi 5-dørs | FINN.no

According to the seller, it’s a 1994 E500 with original AMG optics, but the VIN (WDB1240361B490820) seems to indicate an earlier 1992 500 E built by Porsche. The production code “B” points to model year 1992, not 1994.

My intention in posting here is simply to gather other members’ views on this car and the information given by the seller — whether anything stands out as inconsistent or worth double-checking.

Any feedback or background knowledge on this particular chassis number or similar Norwegian-market cars would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards
Autostern Oslo Norway

 

[steve h]

VIN comes back as 1991 car, so they have changed the hood & are trying to pass it off as a E500, when it is a 500E

 

[036]

Car Number 568. Quite early exemplar

 

[doolar]

Yea early car, pity it’s not stock!

 

[gsxr]

Link to datacard here. @500AMM - any input on this? Is it local to you?

Hood, trunk, headlights, taillights, and front turn signals are all 1994 E500 (facelift) style. As noted above, this is an early-1991 production 500E which was modified with the facelift parts. Also, there were never any factory AMG body pieces available for any E500E. This car has AMG-style side skirts, plus add-on bumper pieces, and an aftermarket muffler. Price of ~$59k USD seems on the higher side but I don't know the local (Norway) market. Needs closer inspection for sure.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[036]

And you need another $63k to bring it to proper condition

 

[szvook]

I’m not a Benz purist and have made changes to my whip, but even I would not modify the body on an 036 and would not buy an 036 with those AMG pieces. But that’s just me.

 

[500AMM]

Link to datacard here. @500AMM - any input on this? Is it local to you?

Hood, trunk, headlights, taillights, and front turn signals are all 1994 E500 (facelift) style. As noted above, this is an early-1991 production 500E which was modified with the facelift parts. Also, there were never any factory AMG body pieces available for any E500E. This car has AMG-style side skirts, plus add-on bumper pieces, and an aftermarket muffler. Price of ~$59k USD seems on the higher side but I don't know the local (Norway) market. Needs closer inspection for sure.

I live in Kongsberg, so this car is in my city. I have seen it once a couple of years ago, but didn't do any detail study of it. It appeared fine, not super shiny that day, but OK. I spoke some words with the driver - a friend of the owner who was out of the car on an errand. Norwegians having something most of the other people don't have think it's gold, so the asking price is typical for Morepay.

 

[500AMM]

Possible purchase – opinions on this 500 E listed in Norway

Hello everyone,

I’ve been following the W124 500 E/E500 market for quite some time and have been hoping to find the right car to buy eventually.
Recently, this example appeared for sale here in Norway:

Bruktbil til salgs: Mercedes-Benz E-Klasse - 1994 - Svart - 326 hk - Kombi 5-dørs | FINN.no

According to the seller, it’s a 1994 E500 with original AMG optics, but the VIN (WDB1240361B490820) seems to indicate an earlier 1992 500 E built by Porsche. The production code “B” points to model year 1992, not 1994.

My intention in posting here is simply to gather other members’ views on this car and the information given by the seller — whether anything stands out as inconsistent or worth double-checking.

Any feedback or background knowledge on this particular chassis number or similar Norwegian-market cars would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards
Autostern Oslo Norway

View attachment 225242 View attachment 225243

Hello and welcome to the forum!
As mentioned in my previous post, this car is in my city and I have it in my 500E/E500 register already. I guess I could take a closer look for you if you like, or even better I could be a back up on details while you take a look yourself. Just reply to this thread if that sounds interesting.

I guess you have noticed that 1 million NOK Limited for sale on FINN as well? I do also know about another Limited for sale here in Norway in case you have particular interest in Limiteds. I haven't got any price estimate from the owner yet, I think he is still on the fence about selling.

 

[Autostern]

Hei
Ja det hadde vært helt supert!
Jeg mener også at prisen til selger er litt optimistisk, men tenkte kontakte selger for å høre om mulig visning i helgen uansett.
«Limited» blir nok for dyrt for meg uansett dessverre!
Jeg var også å kikket på denne:

https://www.finn.no/mobility/item/422697011

Bilen er ikke i nærheten av tilstanden som selger beskriver!
Det kan nevnes hel lakkering av karosseri med svært tvilsomt resultat, alle dører hadde slitt hengsler, alt av brytere hadde slitt som skulle til si en vesentlig høyere km enn 97 000 km
Det skal også nevnes at kombiarm var nylig skiftet uten at det ble opplyst!
Setene var pene forøvrig!

Beklager bruken av «translate»

======================

Hi
Yes, that would have been great!
I also think that the seller's price is a bit optimistic, but I thought I would contact the seller to ask about a possible viewing this weekend anyway.
"Limited" will probably be too expensive for me anyway unfortunately!
I was also looking at this one:

https://www.finn.no/mobility/item/422697011

The car is not close to the condition that the seller describes!
It can be mentioned that the entire bodywork was repainted with very questionable results, all doors had worn hinges, all switches had worn which would indicate a significantly higher km than 97,000 km
It should also be mentioned that the combi arm was recently replaced without being informed!
The seats were nice by the way!

Sorry for the use of "translate"

 

[500AMM]

OK, that sounds fine and I am available during the weekend, the weather forecast is promising as well.
Text me latest Friday evening with an exact time & place, telnr: niatten førtisju tretreni

As for the other 500E; in addition to your findings it has regular pedestrian 124 headlight lenses - or even the entire headlights, facelift hood but not the trunk lid, the 500E emblem sits too high, that twisted muffler is pressing the bumper upwards - which means it's hardly 036-specific, is it something with the steering wheel?? No pics of the engine bay and undercarriage, which is very typical for Norwegian car sellers. They actually don't know how to present an 036 for sale, they may think it is a regular car.


Admins: the currency in the thread title should be NOK = Norwegian kroner. (SEK = Swedish kroner)

 

[Surf Blau]

Judging from the amount of "hearts" (ie: how many has saved the ad) on both this specific 500E and the other two offered for sale on the Norwegian ad site www.Finn.no there should be well over 400 people interested in acquiring an 036 here in Norway It seems to have gone up quite a bit since my car was offered in the fall of 2024.

Just looking at the pictures of that last car makes my alarm bells go off; As Arnt mentioned it has too many panels and lights replaced on the outside, and add to that the unpainted bumpers (ie not even completed the facelift) and aftermarket wheels, sheesh.. The interior also doesn't look right, with the steering wheel having been renewed and the original radio gone, the wood finish appears to have been poorly redone and the door panel and driver side power seat switch looks to be damaged (probably due to poor installation - which begs the question; Why was it removed in the first place?), and general wear on switches and back seat pockets.. When I was actively searching myself these were all things that made me move on, as I wanted an original spec - it even made me turn away from the ice cool ice green car I found in Belgium..

Fun fact; The VIN of the last car mentioned above is just 3 digits apart from my car, although they were finished two days apart.

 

[Surf Blau]

BTW; If you are looking for more of an affordable or even project-ish car, I assume this car is still available and might be worth considering: Perlmuttgrau 1992 500E

The seller comes off as a bit aggressive in the ad, and presumably bought the car cheap many years ago as (s)he is clear on "parking it for another year" if it doesn't get sold. Which I think is what happened.

This car will need some TLC though, but at least it is clear to see on this one..

 

[sheward]

That ice green car might be the holy grail for me! Just beautiful. I saved a picture of this same color car years ago. Same car?

 

[Surf Blau]

That ice green car might be the holy grail for me! Just beautiful. I saved a picture of this same color car years ago. Same car?

It might be, it's not uncommon for cars to move between Belgium and the Netherlands ("yours" is Dutch, and "mine" is Belgian), but looking at for instance the antennas used on both cars I kinda doubt it. I had to re-check the Paint Code Wiki to refresh my memory on how many cars were built in this colour and found that I remembered wrong (again) though; It's called "Crystal Green", not "Ice Green" Its paint code is 256 and it might only have been offered in 1991, which might explain why there were only 11 cars built?

Not much more info from the offering dealer either. It does look freakishly cool though - I really shouldn't have looked at it again

Edit: And obviously the Dutch car has a trailer hitch retrofitted! My friend "MBenzNL" has retrofitted trailer hitches on so many special cars that were never offered with it from factory, like C63s etc.

 

[Autostern]

Fantastisk å se engasjementet her inne, og all kunnskap som villig deles.
Har nå snakket med selger på telefon og avtalt visning i helgen.
Arnt, jeg kontakter deg på telefon
========================
Fantastic to see the commitment here, and all the knowledge that is willingly shared.
I have now spoken to the seller on the phone and arranged a viewing this weekend.
Arnt, I will contact you by phone

 

[Autostern]

Forresten; Hvis du er ute etter en rimeligere eller til og med mer prosjektorientert bil, antar jeg at denne bilen fortsatt er tilgjengelig og kan være verdt å vurdere: Perlmuttgrau 1992 500E

Selgeren fremstår litt aggressiv i annonsen, og antagelig kjøpte han bilen billig for mange år siden, ettersom han er tydelig på at han skal «parkere den i ett år til» hvis den ikke blir solgt. Noe jeg tror er det som skjedde.

Denne bilen trenger litt kjærlig omsorg, men det er i det minste tydelig å se på denne.

Motortempraturen på den du viser til bekymrer meg litt, den nærmer seg 115 grader celsius ser ut til……
========================
The engine temperature on the one you're referring to worries me a bit, it's approaching 115 degrees Celsius it seems...

 

[gsxr]

The engine temperature on the one you're referring to worries me a bit, it's approaching 115 degrees Celsius it seems...

Yeah, that's likely a dead fan clutch, but could also be a stuck thermostat or bad radiator. All fixable, but makes you wonder what else is wrong.

 

[500AMM]

That Crystal Green posted by @Surf Blau soften my knees, reeeeally tasteful!! I am weak on green cars - why don't I have a green 036..??

BTW; If you are looking for more of an affordable or even project-ish car, I assume this car is still available and might be worth considering: Perlmuttgrau 1992 500E

The seller comes off as a bit aggressive in the ad, and presumably bought the car cheap many years ago as (s)he is clear on "parking it for another year" if it doesn't get sold. Which I think is what happened.

This car will need some TLC though, but at least it is clear to see on this one..

That Perlmuttgrau is also in my city, Kongsberg, but I have never seen it. It needs a lot of TLC! All that visible rust tells me this may be a rust bucket, how goes the saying; "It's always 3-4 times more rust than what you see!"

 

[Surf Blau]

That Crystal Green posted by @Surf Blau soften my knees, reeeeally tasteful!! I am weak on green cars - why don't I have a green 036..??


That Perlmuttgrau is also in my city, Kongsberg, but I have never seen it. It needs a lot of TLC! All that visible rust tells me this may be a rust bucket, how goes the saying; "It's always 3-4 times more rust than what you see!"

Yeah, the Perlmuttgrau car is most likely a project car, which makes me think that its price is way to high - but at least it's clear that it is a project, unlike the black one further up..

 

[Joe500]

Well at least we know that the SLS system on this one definitely works...

 

[Autostern]

Went to have a look at the car yesterday, It had been rinsed off, but definitely not washed. The passenger window was left about 2 cm open, so the interior was soaking wet. Inside it was filthy, the cabin fan didn’t work, and the headliner was loose and sagging. In the trunk there was something that looked like an ECU just lying there, and the battery wasn’t even secured.

The car had clearly been repainted at some point, and nothing seemed to have been properly reassembled afterwards. Roof trims were loose, paint was flaking around the rear wheel arch, the outside temp sensor wire was hanging below the bumper, the hood didn’t line up properly, and the rubber grommet around the power antenna was missing — giving water a free path straight into the trunk.

The seller casually mentioned some belt and pulley noise. All four wheels were heavily curb-rashed and looked awful, with nearly slick tires. Supposedly, the car “passed inspection” back in 2020 — hard to believe, honestly.

No paperwork, no service history, nothing.

And these were just the obvious things at first glance. I didn’t even get under the car or do any sort of mechanical check. When I mentioned that I probably wouldn’t be buying it, the seller refused to let me even start the engine. Says it all, really.

Patience is key with these cars. I’ll keep looking for the right one.

 

[lowman]

Car Number 568. Quite early exemplar

How can you tell it is car number 568?Can you get that info on my car aswell?

 

[lowman]

Went to have a look at the car yesterday, It had been rinsed off, but definitely not washed. The passenger window was left about 2 cm open, so the interior was soaking wet. Inside it was filthy, the cabin fan didn’t work, and the headliner was loose and sagging. In the trunk there was something that looked like an ECU just lying there, and the battery wasn’t even secured.
The car had clearly been repainted at some point, and nothing seemed to have been properly reassembled afterwards. Roof trims were loose, paint was flaking around the rear wheel arch, the outside temp sensor wire was hanging below the bumper, the hood didn’t line up properly, and the rubber grommet around the power antenna was missing — giving water a free path straight into the trunk.
The seller casually mentioned some belt and pulley noise. All four wheels were heavily curb-rashed and looked awful, with nearly slick tires. Supposedly, the car “passed inspection” back in 2020 — hard to believe, honestly.

No paperwork, no service history, nothing.

And these were just the obvious things at first glance. I didn’t even get under the car or do any sort of mechanical check. When I mentioned that I probably wouldn’t be buying it, the seller refused to let me even start the engine. Says it all, really.

Patience is key with these cars. I’ll keep looking for the right

Helt hinsides at dem prøver å få 600k for den bilen..spesielt med tanke på hvor dårlig annonsen er. Da ville jeg mye mer handlet den som står hos Bengtsson .Den ser jo rimelig pen ut
=================
It's beyond the fact that they're trying to get 600k for that car...especially considering how bad the ad is. I'd be much more likely to buy the one at Bengtsson's. It looks pretty nice.

 

[lowman]

That Crystal Green posted by @Surf Blau soften my knees, reeeeally tasteful!! I am weak on green cars - why don't I have a green 036..??

That Perlmuttgrau is also in my city, Kongsberg, but I have never seen it. It needs a lot of TLC! All that visible rust tells me this may be a rust bucket, how goes the saying; "It's always 3-4 times more rust than what you see!"

Eieren av den bilen der, sa at det " ikke " var mye rust på den..noe som ikke kan stemme,når man såg den gamle Finn annonsen som låg ute Var jo rust på hvert eneste panel omtrent...
====================
The owner of that car there said that there was "not" much rust on it...which can't be true when you see the old Finn ad that was out there There was rust on just about every panel...

 

[gsxr]

Went to have a look at the car yesterday, It had been rinsed off, but definitely not washed. The passenger window was left about 2 cm open, so the interior was soaking wet. Inside it was filthy, the cabin fan didn’t work, and the headliner was loose and sagging. In the trunk there was something that looked like an ECU just lying there, and the battery wasn’t even secured.

The car had clearly been repainted at some point, and nothing seemed to have been properly reassembled afterwards. Roof trims were loose, paint was flaking around the rear wheel arch, the outside temp sensor wire was hanging below the bumper, the hood didn’t line up properly, and the rubber grommet around the power antenna was missing — giving water a free path straight into the trunk.

The seller casually mentioned some belt and pulley noise. All four wheels were heavily curb-rashed and looked awful, with nearly slick tires. Supposedly, the car “passed inspection” back in 2020 — hard to believe, honestly.

No paperwork, no service history, nothing.

And these were just the obvious things at first glance. I didn’t even get under the car or do any sort of mechanical check. When I mentioned that I probably wouldn’t be buying it, the seller refused to let me even start the engine. Says it all, really.

Patience is key with these cars. I’ll keep looking for the right one.

Insane. That's a 200 NOK ($20k USD) project car.

 

[8899]

All four wheels were heavily curb-rashed and looked awful, with nearly slick tires. Supposedly, the car “passed inspection” back in 2020 — hard to believe, honestly.

Although I do love those wheels on the 036.

 

[gsxr]

Although I do love those wheels on the 036.

You and I must be the minority. I've had a set for sale for years that nobody seems to want (although, I've not advertised outside of this forum and Ben's Whirled).

 

[TerryA]

You and I must be the minority. I've had a set for sale for years that nobody seems to want (although, I've not advertised outside of this forum and Ben's Whirled).

@gsxr,
19” is a hard sell on a 124036. Someone will eventually buy them. Maybe when the tire tech improves the ride. Michelin definitely improved the tire tech from my original set of 18” takeoffs from a 2004 SL500 and the next set of Super Sports.

Keep slugging someone will love them.

 

[Autostern]

I worked as a mechanic for Mercedes in Oslo during the 1990s and 2000s, so I know what a good W124 is. But time passes, and maybe after 25 years my expectations are too high? Either way, if this is the standard you get for 500–600K NOK — around 50–60K USD — then there won’t be a 124036 for me! GSXR is absolutely right: this is a 20K USD car, tops.