Moderator edit: Click here for previous history on this car from 2015.
Datacard: https://www.lastvin.com/vin/7l9rK2eJgMQAbZeLm
Time has come for me to finally sell my 92 Eurospec 500e (VIN: WDB1240361B611200). I will post pics in subsequent threads from mobile.
So much ground I could cover from my 10 year ownership journey with this car (purchased off this forum in June of 2015). I know this is a long post but there is so much more I could say, I’ll happily respond to public questions for all, but if you are a legitimately interested buyer we should chat live as that is going to be best way to cover the details
If you don’t want to read the details below, here’s the bottom line: This is a documented, known quantity example for the next buyer to turnkey acquire a proper e500e ownership experience from day 1. I spent my first ~5 years of ownership and many tens of thousands of dollars of expense before I had it sorted to my standard and it wasn’t until then that I began enjoying a proper e500e ownership experience. The scarcity value of being able to get that proper experience immediately (and the EuroSpec / options) are what the next buyer should value most here. During my 10 years of ownership, I have paper receipts totaling more than $65K (and I’m sure there’s some I lost along the way, like the 4 new tires and battery last year)…..I also have another nearly $23K of receipts from prior owners dating back to 2010 (nearly $90k of non-inflation adjusted care over the last 15 yrs). I have the paperwork from the US federalization of this car by Champagne Imports of Landsdale Pa (1994 dated). I have no doubt there are examples owned by members of this forum that are as fastidiously sorted, but a prospective buyer should appreciate these are exceedingly rare cars to source and you have to be realistic that most of the truly turnkey examples without deferred maintenance concerns are in long-term enthusiast owner hands and won’t be pried away frequently
Mine is relatively lowish miles at ~85k mi (137xxx k KM) but it’s not a garage queen so driving/enjoying it doesn't materially diminish value. I’ve driven it over 24K km during my ownership. The typical problems that occur in 30+ yr old cars have manifest in my ownership and I have addressed them with an open checkbook (I confidently daily drove this car for an ~18 month period that straddled COVID). Again, I cannot emphasize enough that the turnkey ownership enjoyment experience is rare and as the elders of this forum can attest, without the documented history of what has been done its a real gamble for how much time, energy and expense it will take to get it to where you want it and the core value my example brings a perspective buyer is the certainty that its ready to fully enjoy.
I am offering this car back to this forum first, as I bought it here a decade ago and the membership here was unbelievably supportive as I was sorting it out. Unfortunately, I hit the busy phase of life where kids, career, aging parents, etc. became a different level of time priority beyond my car hobby interests so I have not given back enough to this forum relative to what I took from it over the years. If I don’t have luck finding a buyer here relatively quickly, I intend to list it on BaT. Note I have not professionally detailed or otherwise professionally prepped the car for a formal marketing process like BaT, just a quick driveway wash to snap a few Iphone pics. I don’t have ready access to a lift or capacity to get 1,000 super detailed pics of every nook and cranny like a professional BaT listing would, but I welcome any buyers to check the car out yourself in person, commission a PPI or have someone more local to me look at it for you and I am more than happy to help facilitate that process
Price: $70K, in transparency, below is how I triangulated that as feeling like a fair value number (though open to hear perspectives of others here).
Datacard: https://www.lastvin.com/vin/7l9rK2eJgMQAbZeLm
Time has come for me to finally sell my 92 Eurospec 500e (VIN: WDB1240361B611200). I will post pics in subsequent threads from mobile.
So much ground I could cover from my 10 year ownership journey with this car (purchased off this forum in June of 2015). I know this is a long post but there is so much more I could say, I’ll happily respond to public questions for all, but if you are a legitimately interested buyer we should chat live as that is going to be best way to cover the details
If you don’t want to read the details below, here’s the bottom line: This is a documented, known quantity example for the next buyer to turnkey acquire a proper e500e ownership experience from day 1. I spent my first ~5 years of ownership and many tens of thousands of dollars of expense before I had it sorted to my standard and it wasn’t until then that I began enjoying a proper e500e ownership experience. The scarcity value of being able to get that proper experience immediately (and the EuroSpec / options) are what the next buyer should value most here. During my 10 years of ownership, I have paper receipts totaling more than $65K (and I’m sure there’s some I lost along the way, like the 4 new tires and battery last year)…..I also have another nearly $23K of receipts from prior owners dating back to 2010 (nearly $90k of non-inflation adjusted care over the last 15 yrs). I have the paperwork from the US federalization of this car by Champagne Imports of Landsdale Pa (1994 dated). I have no doubt there are examples owned by members of this forum that are as fastidiously sorted, but a prospective buyer should appreciate these are exceedingly rare cars to source and you have to be realistic that most of the truly turnkey examples without deferred maintenance concerns are in long-term enthusiast owner hands and won’t be pried away frequently
Mine is relatively lowish miles at ~85k mi (137xxx k KM) but it’s not a garage queen so driving/enjoying it doesn't materially diminish value. I’ve driven it over 24K km during my ownership. The typical problems that occur in 30+ yr old cars have manifest in my ownership and I have addressed them with an open checkbook (I confidently daily drove this car for an ~18 month period that straddled COVID). Again, I cannot emphasize enough that the turnkey ownership enjoyment experience is rare and as the elders of this forum can attest, without the documented history of what has been done its a real gamble for how much time, energy and expense it will take to get it to where you want it and the core value my example brings a perspective buyer is the certainty that its ready to fully enjoy.
I am offering this car back to this forum first, as I bought it here a decade ago and the membership here was unbelievably supportive as I was sorting it out. Unfortunately, I hit the busy phase of life where kids, career, aging parents, etc. became a different level of time priority beyond my car hobby interests so I have not given back enough to this forum relative to what I took from it over the years. If I don’t have luck finding a buyer here relatively quickly, I intend to list it on BaT. Note I have not professionally detailed or otherwise professionally prepped the car for a formal marketing process like BaT, just a quick driveway wash to snap a few Iphone pics. I don’t have ready access to a lift or capacity to get 1,000 super detailed pics of every nook and cranny like a professional BaT listing would, but I welcome any buyers to check the car out yourself in person, commission a PPI or have someone more local to me look at it for you and I am more than happy to help facilitate that process
Price: $70K, in transparency, below is how I triangulated that as feeling like a fair value number (though open to hear perspectives of others here).
- About 88% of the way towards a Hagerty #2 on the range of value between a #2 and #3, and ~6% below a Hagerty #2 ($74,100)
- Gut instinct feels like an appropriate discount to other high quality recent Eurospec examples that have traded in the public domain:
- Silver Eurospec that sold on BaT in Dec ’24 ($77K post fees) - that was lower miles, but less detailed documentation history than mine
- Recent Euro Bornite metallic that sold for $73K post fees (quite a few more miles, less well documented history than mine, but has more scarcity value given the rare color/interior combo - I personally don’t love the Bornite but do love the seats on that one)
- Purchased from an owner on this forum (bob996) in June of 2015 with 113k km (~70k mi), nicest one I could find on the market at the time
- I had been searching since 2009, got close on a couple but never pulled trigger until this one (still regret being cheap in 2010 and not buying the Dr. No car because I had a $5k difference of opinion for setting a new value high watermark at the time!)
- I have put ~24k km+ on it in my ownership
- I am attaching the prior 3 for sale ads dating back to Euroclassic Motors in 2010, followed by Dr Sean Seitz of Boston and the owner I bought it from a decade ago on this forum. You can see a lot of history on this car on the forum and some of the longtime members I’m sure have perspectives, opinions and stories they may be able to provide
- The federalization paperwork for this Eurospec is dated 1994 (see pics), though a prior owner claimed it was brought over in 1992 and i do have a maint booklet with 1992 service stamps in S Fla
- Has the rare Euro Trip computer / different gauge cluster layout
- Owner before me claimed this car belonged to Matthias Muller (CEO of Porsche in early 2010s and later all of VW group)
- The Federalization paperwork is addressed to a “Mathias Muller” of Cos Cob CT (Greenwich Area)
- Could be a Seinfeld “John Voigt car” moment as “Mathias” is spelled with one “t” in the federalization papers vs the Porsche CEO spelled it with 2 t’s? or could be a typo?
- It didn’t really matter to me much, but I note it for those interested in these types of things
- While it was the nicest I could find in 2015, I am picky and spent profusely to sort it to the level I wanted to enjoy driving it
- Car was cosmetically strong when I bought it and remains so. Most of my spend $ was on the mechanicals beneath that were most important to me for a proper driving experience
- I spent ~5 years chasing the sorts of things that inherently need replacing in 25+ yr old cars to get them functioning as I wanted (attached spreadsheet has some high-level summary details of various invoices)
- Most noteworthy items done:
- Most noteworthy was basically a mini resto by Jono at BlueRidge MB during 2017/18. I just ripped the bandaid off and decided I was going to get it properly sorted at whatever it cost. I shipped it to him and spent over $30K between a combo of my own to-do list and gave him carte blanche for anything he would do if it were his own car while he is in there (I’m sure he charges way more nowadays
) - Both harnesses were done in 2010
- new accumulator spheres, rear rams, front struts and inevitably redid pretty much all of the wear related F&R suspension items that impact ride quality (various bushings / bearings / arms / etc.)
- Vacuum pods / control solenoids and overhaul of anything else HVAC related while we had the dash fully off as well as new AC compressor, drier, belt tensioner and other various HVAC system valves, etc.
- Most noteworthy was basically a mini resto by Jono at BlueRidge MB during 2017/18. I just ripped the bandaid off and decided I was going to get it properly sorted at whatever it cost. I shipped it to him and spent over $30K between a combo of my own to-do list and gave him carte blanche for anything he would do if it were his own car while he is in there (I’m sure he charges way more nowadays
- 4 New Tires, replaced in 2024 went with Conti Tourers (I enjoy the touring tire on this car and didn’t feel the Michelin PS I previously had were worth it)
- Replaced the battery in 2024
- The NOS EVO II wheels are still flawless, no curb rashes or marks whatsoever
- Paint is overall in very good shape, shines up and shows beautifully in totality but has minor imperfections consistent with a well cared for example at this mileage/age (see pics for these). I have not had it professionally detailed / paint correction since before my period of daily driving it (yes I drove it in the rain). I’d probably get it professionally detailed if I were hanging on to it or if i ultimately need to BaT auction it
- On the interior, no trim pieces are missing, broken, or loose
- All the non-driving systems function as they should - power windows, rear sunshade, all vacuum systems, sunroof, stereo, heated seats, HVAC, seat adjustments, rear headrest drop
- I have a few extra parts / items that next owner will get:
- Has a really cool full factory MB logo fold up tool kit in the trunk (have never seen this on a US-Spec – see picture)
- I bought the absurdly priced MB OEM “Anti-Squeak” kit of various lubricants / oils / felts / etc. – Jono used some of them but much of the kit still has life
- Original Becker Radio and Speakers (to my knowledge they still work but I haven’t had them installed in the car for years)
- Fire extinguisher and mount specific to the 500e (prior owner had this and I elected to remove)
- Extra set of Headlights / Signals (I believe these are aftermarket and not MB OEM Euro – I replaced with the proper glass Euro OEM Lights when MB classic did a run)
- Disclosure Items:
- Noteworthy paint imperfections:
- Most noteworthy is around the antenna, following the trip to Jono, the screw in antenna mast was nowhere to be found (I blame truck driver for unscrewing it and forgot to put it back on). I searched high and low for a screw-in replacement for the base but couldn’t source one, so went with newer dated “shorty” antenna from an SLK as I wanted radio reception and needed something fixed.
- To remove the original antenna base it certainly “left a mark” underneath the old base and the new base covers a smaller surface area
- Passenger door paint chip (my kid bonked her bike handle bar into it getting her bike out of the garage)
- A light strip of oxidation on top of passenger front fender (see pic)
- Minor stone chips on front side of bulging front fenders and front bumper and fasica (very typical amount for mileage)
- Front Passenger window was replaced at some point (I presume from a truck kicked rock). Remaining windows are factory and Original rear window looks damn good - has virtually zero delam
- W124 “spontaneously combusting rearview mirror” happened to me and I never replaced it (was on the to-do list but never got around to it)
- The sunroof wind deflector springs (ones that make the detector stay firmly up when sunroof is open) are weak. When you open the sunroof you can manually push the deflector up with your finger and it stays in place and keeps the wind noise down, but the springs should be replaced
- The lights inside the gauge cluster that shine down on the gauge cluster to illuminate it for driving at night are currently not lighting up (I do not know if it’s the bulbs or a wiring connection that has come loose)
- The top left of the 4 buttons that cycle the trip computer gauge is not responding, worked fine before I had the HVAC job done so I suspect there is a connection under the console wood that came loose
- Noteworthy paint imperfections:
- Car has a few aftermarket / OEM + upgrades to it:
- It’s 92MY but was facelifted by Euroclassic Motors (see original ad with pics of pre/post facelift)
- I replaced aftermarket Euro Lights with MB Euro OEM when they did a run, has proper city lights that function correctly
- EVO II Wheels and 5mm spacers for more flush look
- I had the factory calipers painted red
- When Jono redid the brakes, I opted for Drilled front rotors (not a stock look)
- Remus Exhaust (it’s a perfect sound and look IMO)
- Steering wheel is a proper sportline/500e size but I had Dallas Custom refurb it and I added red stitching, partial perf leather, thumbpads and its thicker than standard
- MB 4602 stereo plus the Rainbow speaker upgrades and a connector to plug in an Iphone (the Iphone connection is still lightening, but one could get an adaptor for USb-C). I still have original radio + speakers that to best of my knowledge should still work but i have not tested them
- Slk “shorty” radio antenna
- I replaced a failing factory grey headliner with black alcantara
- At various times when things were pulled apart I had hushmat added (trunk / floorboards / doors / etc.) to improve sound deadening
- I had 3M clear tint added to windows to protect the leather (its not visible to naked eye but does make a pretty meaningful difference in interior temp)
- Carfax / Autocheck are clean but looks goofy on the owner two before me in Mass where the KM were converted to MI in the Mass registration vs all the other states the odo readings are as they show in km
- Car is located in Charlotte NC
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