SOLD 1992 500E, Pearl Black/Black, 55kmi, SALVAGE TITLE, C&B auction (Vancouver, WA)

[gsxr]

No affiliation. $1400 for new caps, rotors, insulators, and plugs... and <3kmi later it's misfiring again. Someone needs to read this forum!


VIN = WDBEA36E1NB791060

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carsandbids.com

Highlights​

THIS… is a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E, finished in Black Pearl Metallic with a black interior.

• The odometer on this 500E currently displays approximately 54,600 miles.
• The attached Carfax history report shows some gaps, though it lists no mileage discrepancies for the given time period. It also shows ownership in Oregon, Washington, and Arizona since new.
• According to the build sheet provided in the gallery, notable factory equipment includes headlight wipers, a power-operated sunroof, leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a power rear sunshade, automatic climate control, and a high-performance sound system.
• Notable modifications reported by the seller include 17-inch Performa wheels, a Remus muffler, and the deletion of the resonator.
• Nicknamed the "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing," the 500E was a high-performance variant of the W124. Mercedes-Benz commissioned Porsche to assist with re-engineering the W124 chassis to fit the 5.0-liter M119 V8. The widened fender flares made the chassis too big for the W124 assembly line, leading Porsche to step in to help with assembly. The back and forth movement of each 500E chassis between the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche factories for different stages of assembly resulted in an 18-day assembly time. Roughly 1,500 were imported into the United States between 1991 and 1994.
• Power comes from a 5.0-liter M119 V8, rated at 322 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Output is sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission.

​

Equipment​

A build sheet is provided in the photo gallery, and a partial list of notable equipment reported by the seller includes:

• Headlight wipers
• Power-operated sunroof
• Leather upholstery
• Heated and power-adjustable front seats
• Power rear sunshade
• Automatic climate control
• High-performance sound system

​

Modifications​

Notable modifications reported by the seller include:

• 17-inch Performa wheels
• Remus muffler
• Resonator deleted

​

Known Flaws​

• The attached Carfax history report indicates that a salvage title was issued in October 1997. The seller reports that a collision occurred and that the front bumper cover and passenger headlight were replaced, and the passenger-side fender and hood were refinished as a result. The report adds that a reconstructed title was issued in January 2015, and a rebuilt title was issued in May 2025.
• Some chips and scratches around the exterior
• Scuffs on front lip
• Misaligned hood
• Some creases on front seat bolsters; some wear on interior trim
• Crack in center console wood trim
• The seller reports that the driver-side outer dashboard vent was adhered with glue.

​

Recent Service History​

Service documentation in the photo gallery indicates that the following maintenance has been performed:

• May 2025: Tires replaced
• September 2024 (54,366 miles): Thermostat, radiator, and radiator hoses replaced
• February 2023 (54,075 miles): Engine oil and filter changed
• May 2021 (51,369 miles): Engine oil and filter changed, distributor, distributor cap, spark plugs, and high beam fuse replaced

Additional service history is detailed by documentation pictured in the gallery.

​

Other Items Included in Sale​

• 1 key [Seriously? One freaking key? How cheap was the owner?]
• Owner's manuals
• 3 factory floor mats
• Aftermarket floor mats
• Spare tire

​

Ownership History​

The seller reportedly purchased this 500E in 2021.

​

Seller Notes​

Due to the modifications performed to this 500E, it may not pass emissions testing in some states. As always, it's the buyer's responsibility to perform all due diligence regarding registering this 500E in their respective state prior to placing a bid.

 

[daantjie]

Probably had a major front end shunt so I would be interested to see if there was frame damage for one thing.

 

[gsxr]

Probably had a major front end shunt so I would be interested to see if there was frame damage for one thing.

Yep - upper radiator support has been replaced, so it was a pretty good front-end hit. Not just a grille-bender.

A couple years ago, someone was considering buying this car for low 30's. They shared this bit of secondhand info. Apply grains of salt as required:

"Hmmm... Well apparently the original owner was a doctor who was gonna scrap it when it got hit. Then, his buddy bought it from him. Then, he was gonna give it to his mom in Arizona and so that's where the AZ title comes from. But she didn't want it. The owner then bought it from the second owners son (who's dad apparently had a sizable car collection)."​

 

[gsxr]

@gerryvz @xfadmin @Jlaa

Any of yous guys have an image downloader that can get all 165 pics from the MBM listing? The ones I'm using aren't working. They're only picking up a few full-size images. Figured you Mac/Linux guys prolly have stuff that, like, actually works.

 

[Jlaa]

@gerryvz @xfadmin @Jlaa

Any of yous guys have an image downloader that can get all 165 pics from the MBM listing? The ones I'm using aren't working. They're only picking up a few full-size images. Figured you Mac/Linux guys prolly have stuff that, like, actually works.

What URL should I be using? I try this one and site sucker downoads 16 files but they aren't images - https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3yl21o4o/1992-mercedes-benz-500e

 

[gsxr]

What URL should I be using? I try this one and site sucker downoads 16 files but they aren't images - https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3yl21o4o/1992-mercedes-benz-500e

That's the correct source URL.

Images may be hosted elsewhere, but a proper image downloader should be able to figure that out.

Here's a sample image file URL - I don't know if they are all located in the same directory:

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media.carsandbids.com

 

[Jlaa]

Ugh, yeah, its not working for me either then --- I tried a whole bunch of permutations of that image file URL.

 

[gsxr]

The comments section is, uh, getting interesting on this one. Yikes.

AMGEeee​

Re: OldGuy: Bingo. As you mentioned, this is not how car insurance works. The damage to the car must exceed 60-70% average cash value. Back at the time of accident, the car still had a rough $30,000-$40,000 price tag which means it would have had to sustain $18,000-$24,000 in damage assuming a 60% ACV; $21,000-$28,000 @ 70%. A bumper, a headlight, and a light respray upfront does not come close to this; maybe a quarter of that cost at the time. It seems sketchy between this suss insurance claim, the convenient loss of the repair paperwork, going unregistered/undriven for years like some man-killer horse, and the stories about doctors and collectors. If this was a solid example albeit salvaged, it would have some serious YOLO miles on it like every other salvage car out there. I hope that I'm wrong and that the odds favor the buyer/seller but the odds of this poor car being solid are grim in my opinion.


AMGEeee
Re: BONTA007 [<-- seller]: Public information is lovely this time of year. Do you also believe that it would be malicious or slanderous of me to highlight that you severely downplayed the damage done to your Polestar to OldGuy as “pretty minor” in your little insurance fib? In reality it was totaled after being in a significant head-on collision with oncoming traffic and airbag deployment on Sandy blvd on 10/27/2023. How about if I were to highlight that your Polestar actually had 15,000+ miles when you bought it and likely much more when you wrecked it half a year later instead of the 2k you claimed?

But really though, my apologies if I’ve offended you but I don’t believe you can genuinely fault someone let accuse them of bad faith for being weary of salvaged cars that have more stories than receipts. Especially when said salvage car has been MIA for like 9 years with 10,000 additional miles on it in that time & no explanation as to why. Even more so after basic research reveals that you're a sales manager at a used car lot and likely gut trade ins on the exact same grounds.

In light of this, I also do not believe that you can rationally fault me for growing even more weary of this sale when you forgo maximal profit via listing it through your own car lot for reasons unknown in favor of listing it for a fast sale through private party channels for less margin. Call me myopic or malicious but there doesn't seem to be much of a justification for this approach outside of bypassing frame damage declaration requirements that dealerships must abide by.

Unfortunately, I just can't justify all of the labor required to swap an LS9 into a car likely to have frame damage. Salvage? Sure let's talk, papers plz. Frame damage risk and sketchy sellers though? Not today satan.
​

 

[puchak]

Performa wheels will never not be gaudy to me. Change my mind.

 

[AMGEeee]

The comments section is, uh, getting interesting on this one. Yikes.

​

Receipts. This is the accident he's referring to. I'm glad I'm not the only one that saw an ocean of red flags with that ad.

I actually made an account on c&b just to buy that 500e but it became progressively more suspicious as my research continued. I love how he's avoiding the entire discussion while playing victim instead though.


Moderator edit - here is the comment from the seller of the 500E about his Polestar. Then see photo below.

"BONTA00721Seller3d​

You can guess but it would be wrong. Also, in 1997, these cars were worth the least amount they have ever been after the introduction of many new AMG Models arriving like the C43 and E55 with big V8's stuffed in. Lastly, I had my 2k mile Polestar totalled two years ago after a pretty minor accident because I told them no matter what they did, I would not accept the end repaired product."​

 

[gsxr]

There's multiple things that raise eyebrows here. HoldenOn's comment on the upper radiator support made me chuckle:

"We looked closely at the marks on the radiator support that remain from the accident and the do indeed seem minor, the metal is no longer flat, and the paint is rough in two areas the size of dimes. But theres no creases in the metal. YMMV but for me, at the very least, do not contradict the seller’s statement that the original damage was minor. Nothing I observed would suggest this car has been in a major accident."​

Dude... that is the NEW REPLACEMENT radiator support. Not the original! Having to replace it requires cutting & welding, which is by definition (IMO anyway), a "major accident".

The hood alignment is another mystery. The passenger side could be sitting high due to a worn hood hinge, but I doubt it. A bad hinge typically causes only the rear of the hood (by the windshield A-pillar) to sit high, and the hood should align with the fender by the corner turn signal & headlight. The photos show the entire side of the hood is sitting above normal. That alone makes me question the repair job.

And, your analysis of the damage vs ACV at the time of the wreck is good stuff - this car should have been repaired without a salvage title if it really was "minor". Not to mention the oddity of this car being sold with a single key - what high-roller owner has zero spare keys, when new VIN-cut keys are available at the dealer?

 

[gsxr]

I actually made an account on c&b just to buy that 500e but it became progressively more suspicious as my research continued.

There are a lot of other 036's available without the questionable history. Don't get blinded by low odometer readings. You're better off buying a well-cared-for, well-documented car with higher miles. I own several W124/M119 combos with 200-250kmi that drive as good or better than the 50kmi examples. These cars will last nearly forever with proper care and feeding. Browse the classified section to see what else is out there.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

 

[AMGEeee]

There's multiple things that raise eyebrows here. HoldenOn's comment on the upper radiator support made me chuckle:

"We looked closely at the marks on the radiator support that remain from the accident and the do indeed seem minor, the metal is no longer flat, and the paint is rough in two areas the size of dimes. But theres no creases in the metal. YMMV but for me, at the very least, do not contradict the seller’s statement that the original damage was minor. Nothing I observed would suggest this car has been in a major accident."​

Dude... that is the NEW REPLACEMENT radiator support. Not the original! Having to replace it requires cutting & welding, which is by definition (IMO anyway), a "major accident".

The hood alignment is another mystery. The passenger side could be sitting high due to a worn hood hinge, but I doubt it. A bad hinge typically causes only the rear of the hood (by the windshield A-pillar) to sit high, and the hood should align with the fender by the corner turn signal & headlight. The photos show the entire side of the hood is sitting above normal. That alone makes me question the repair job.

And, your analysis of the damage vs ACV at the time of the wreck is good stuff - this car should have been repaired without a salvage title if it really was "minor". Not to mention the oddity of this car being sold with a single key - what high-roller owner has zero spare keys, when new VIN-cut keys are available at the dealer?



View attachment 217742 View attachment 217741

IMO him claiming to be able to total cars with minimal damage via issuing an edict to the insurance companies was the most indicting aspect of this. That's when I knew I was dealing with a liar and that this car is being misrepresented. Car community has been good to me, so I'm good to the car community.

 

[AMGEeee]

There are a lot of other 036's available without the questionable history. Don't get blinded by low odometer readings. You're better off buying a well-cared-for, well-documented car with higher miles. I own several W124/M119 combos with 200-250kmi that drive as good or better than the 50kmi examples. These cars will last nearly forever with proper care and feeding. Browse the classified section to see what else is out there.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

I was hoping I found a nice salvage candidate for surgery. I flat out refuse to heavily modify rare cars with clean titles. I like to modify and fix cars but I'm also a purist too; no love lost with salvage titles.

 

[gsxr]

I was hoping I found a nice salvage candidate for surgery. I flat out refuse to heavily modify rare cars with clean titles. I like to modify and fix cars but I'm also a purist too; no love lost with salvage titles.

Ah, that's right, I forgot you were talking about an LS9. Good idea to start with a salvage car. This one will likely end up a bit too spendy as a donor chassis though.

 

[AMGEeee]

It’s not the expense of this chassis; I just can’t waste that expense and labor on a chassis with frame damage. Without frame damage I’d have gone up to 60k on that car. With obvious frame damage + the effort to obscure it makes me wonder if it’s even worth 30.

 

[TML89]

This was far more interesting than reading the new this morning news. I nearly made some popcorn when I sat down

 

[TML89]

@AMGEeee If you're in the market for a 500 - there's another one for sale in Bridgeport CT (20 minute drive for me) in the low 20's that needs a bit of work. I'd be happy to go over and check it out for you - it's on the thread just bellow this one.

 

[R129 UK]

I've been skim reading this thread over the past few days so apologies if this has been addressed so far but what does this mean?

Due to the modifications performed to this 500E, it may not pass emissions testing in some states.

What mods might this be and why would they impact emissions?


Thanks

 

[AMGEeee]

I've been skim reading this thread over the past few days so apologies if this has been addressed so far but what does this mean?

Due to the modifications performed to this 500E, it may not pass emissions testing in some states.

What mods might this be and why would they impact emissions?


Thanks

Ad claims resonator deleted. I’m guessing they took the cats too which prevented it from being registered in Oregon due to smog requirements. This car is pre-OBD2 which means it will be sniff tested at the muffler in every region that smog tests instead of simply scanning their diagnostic port for emissions failures with OBD2.

 

[AMGEeee]

@AMGEeee If you're in the market for a 500 - there's another one for sale in Bridgeport CT (20 minute drive for me) in the low 20's that needs a bit of work. I'd be happy to go over and check it out for you - it's on the thread just bellow this one.

God that thing looks like rough. I’ll look into that one next

 

[AMGEeee]

This was far more interesting than reading the new this morning news. I nearly made some popcorn when I sat down

More to come. Buckle up.

 

[gsxr]

I've been skim reading this thread over the past few days so apologies if this has been addressed so far but what does this mean?

Due to the modifications performed to this 500E, it may not pass emissions testing in some states.

What mods might this be and why would they impact emissions?

Factory catalysts are present. I have no idea what they're on about, other than adding that statement as boilerplate "CYA".

There's no reason the car shouldn't pass emissions test in all 50 states unless it isn't running properly.

 

[AMGEeee]

So I was able to track down and speak with the original owner's younger brother; he actually remembers this Mercedes vividly. Apparently a valet took it for a joy ride up a curb and into a light pole in Portland. It needed extensive frame repair with the front rails being bent inward, lots of body work up front, new front wheels, new radiator, new fan, new headlight, core/radiator support, new bumper, bumper cover, new shocks, new motor mounts, and transmission mounts among other things.

When I told him the current sellers tall tale about the car he had a good laugh and let it be known that his brother wasn't the petty type that would try to refuse the car over a minor repair, that he adored that car, and that he and the insurance company agreed that it was not worth the repair in the end. The last he heard about the car was that some russian kid bought it from the insurance auction to fix it; hence the hood gap.

I also spoke with a few of his Facebook friends; $100 in Venmo goes a long way. According to two of them, he’s had it since 2020ish, never registered it during that time, kept it in his communal apartment parking garage in Portland until very recently, and used it to masquerade as a well-to-do car collector at local car shows, bars, and sex clubs. Trying to collect cars while renting is absolutely insane to me, possibly the most insane aspect of this entire scenario, but welcome to car people.

I digress but I’m confident that the sellers entire backstory is fabricated and is done so to obscure the obvious frame damage and extensive repair. Hence the salvage title, story inconsistencies, hood gap, and grand tales instead of documentation. Consider the mere possibility that this is how a bad faith yet advanced career used car salesman trying to move product with frame damage. Buyer beware.

 

[Saphiro]

Right now the bid on this car is $31,250.
It's still going for decent money even though these issues (and the seller's selective disclosures) have come to light! I'm grateful for the 500e board, because now any serious future buyer will find this thread and know as much about the cars story as a previous owner.

 

[AMGEeee]

Right now the bid on this car is $31,250.
It's still going for decent money even though these issues (and the seller's selective disclosures) have come to light! I'm grateful for the 500e board, because now any serious future buyer will find this thread and know as much about the cars story as a previous owner.

Silver linings. I think this Mercedes has a lot of potential and am excited to see what an upstanding enthusiast does with it. I think it needs a proper 20-30k restoration and that it needs to be enjoyed on the road and/or used in movies.

By the time this auction is done the seller will have made 50-100% over his initial $20,000ish investment back which is fair-ish. Although he clearly wanted more money, he’s still having a good day.

 

[gsxr]

Sold for $31,500 or ~$33k with vig, figure $35-$37k all-in with T/T/T/T.

Strong support for the ±$30k ballpark. Top 6 bidders below. I honestly expected this to end RNM. Probably would have bid higher if the hood was aligned properly, and/or there was documentation of the accident repair.

$31,500 = wfd​

$31,250 = wutang​

$31,000 = tonykingnyc​

$29,500 = bgolpaye​

$28,750 = FogHammer650​

$27,900 = tjkohli​

 

[AMGEeee]

Part of me wonders if WFD is legit or if it’s a shill bidder/friend bailing him out of the transaction. I’m guessing the seller was expecting 50s from this auction and would like to try to sell it elsewhere; maybe through his own lot

I’ll be optimistic for now though.

 

[gsxr]

wfd is a brand new user in the past week. Guess we'll see what happens. The rest of the bidders appear legit.

 

[AMGEeee]

wfd is a brand new user in the past week. Guess we'll see what happens. The rest of the bidders appear legit.

*cracks knuckles*

 

[Saphiro]

wfd is a brand new user in the past week. Guess we'll see what happens. The rest of the bidders appear legit.

A bidder with zero history on C&B, one bid on a $30k plus car, no other comments or interactions. Seems awfully suspicious to me after all of the questions about the car and the seller's relationship to the truth.

 

[TML89]

The argument become rather personal on both sides, it was ugly to watch. Carsandbids should have stepped in and either started trying to calm things down or postponed the auction as there's clearly undisclosed history with the car and a buyers inspection should be mandatory before next time to highlight any issues. I saw something similar with that 400e on BaT and the moderator postponed the auction pretty quickly.

 

[AMGEeee]

Eh. I have a clear conscience. All I did was appeal to reason, do research, and make a few calls.

The problem with scammers, narcissists, and liars is that they treat facts and scrutiny like a personal attack. There is no way to correct the record and appeal to reason without drama and theatrics exhibited the past few days. This is ultimately their failing, not mine though.

Look at my first post for example. I stated the facts but extended the best for the buyer and seller. The seller got triggered and went off crying malice, slander, victimhood like some little brat that just got caught stealing candy rather than owning up to it like a man; and then began calling my credibility into question.

 

[gerryvz]

I’m a bit late to this party, but because of the Portland connection on this car I checked it against my private database. No hit. Must have been a Portland resident after I moved away in summer 2008.

Thanks for the detective work on this car @AMGEeee. A man after my own heart.

I’ve always loved nothing more than shining lots of sunlight on shady sellers with lame back stories and “accidentally on purpose” omissions of problems. Oh, and flipper-dealers who enjoy trying to mark up cheaply bought cars by 200, 300 and 400%.

There’s nothing more thrilling than fucking up these idiots with hard facts and watching them squirm, fumble, attack you and then implode. They always end up slinking away with their tail between their legs, and you never hear from them again.

With one exception: Richard Pelota (nee’ Ball) and the infamous red “AMG” 124 cabrio. He was the Energizer Bunny of shady flippers. I think he took the cake for 1) omitting that his cabrio was a flood car; 2) inventing a faux provenance story of a rich Swiss widow custom-ordering the car in Europe 3) inventing the story of a full MB factory restoration (which MB Classic — very very unusually & uncharacteristically — wrote a letter explicitly denying they had anything to do with); and 4) marking up the car with a price 5-6x over what it was worth because of the composite tale woven from #1-3 above. There’s a splendid thread about this car here on the forum documenting this car over a number of years.

 

[WFD]

Yes Virginia, wfd is for real, first bid on cars & bids-you gotta be new sometime. I've owned a specialty car company for 40 years (hearse & Limo), so you'll probably see some of those quirky registration issues continuing. By the way, did anyone note that AMGEeee is brand new and wonder what spurred all the personal attacks? My son has a very nice 500e and I was looking for one to drive. We've repaired a lot of expensive vehicles and as long as done correctly (never know) have come out fine. I preferred this over a high mileage speciman, personal choice. This is a great website with a plethora of needed information. I'm hopeful that it will be used for that rather than critical, personal comments about contributers, buyers & sellers.

 

[gsxr]

Welcome aboard, @WFD! Everything you need to know about taking care of your new 500E (and your son's 500E) is on this forum. Please let us know how you like the car once you take delivery. You can also start an OWNER thread here.

 

[TML89]

Yes Virginia, wfd is for real, first bid on cars & bids-you gotta be new sometime. I've owned a specialty car company for 40 years (hearse & Limo), so you'll probably see some of those quirky registration issues continuing. By the way, did anyone note that AMGEeee is brand new and wonder what spurred all the personal attacks? My son has a very nice 500e and I was looking for one to drive. We've repaired a lot of expensive vehicles and as long as done correctly (never know) have come out fine. I preferred this over a high mileage speciman, personal choice. This is a great website with a plethora of needed information. I'm hopeful that it will be used for that rather than critical, personal comments about contributers, buyers & sellers.

@WFD , welcome! I was new to the forum only a few months ago when I started my hunt for a W124 and this community is second to none. Friendly, funny and informative. Keep us updated on the car!

 

[TerryA]

@WFD,

With 2 500E in the family you should find this forum very useful and informative. There is not much about these cars that has not been discussed. I’ve been a member here since 7/2009 and have owned my beloved 500E for close to 21 years since 10/2004.

I’m also on other forums that I pay very little attention to because they are pretty useless to an 124036 or 34 owner. So I hope you take advantage of the knowledge acquired here and keep posting about your new ride/rides.

Anyway, Good Luck and Happy Motering!

 

[Jlaa]

Welcome @WFD. This forum has been like a gateway drug, in a good way, to the world of multiple old Mercedes-Benz car ownership. In my nine years here, I have learned so much about the tools, processes, and resources used to maintain these cars to a superlative standard that I now own three old MBs…. And this is coming from a guy that is all thumbs. I hope you stay a while!

 

[AMGEeee]

Yes Virginia, wfd is for real, first bid on cars & bids-you gotta be new sometime. I've owned a specialty car company for 40 years (hearse & Limo), so you'll probably see some of those quirky registration issues continuing. By the way, did anyone note that AMGEeee is brand new and wonder what spurred all the personal attacks? My son has a very nice 500e and I was looking for one to drive. We've repaired a lot of expensive vehicles and as long as done correctly (never know) have come out fine. I preferred this over a high mileage speciman, personal choice. This is a great website with a plethora of needed information. I'm hopeful that it will be used for that rather than critical, personal comments about contributers, buyers & sellers.

You act like I’m the first person to take an internet grifter to task on a public forum, let alone a car forum. Stating facts and exposing grifts aren’t personal attacks; that’s just a good christian moral imperative where I'm from. Much like children, grifters also tend to interpret being held accountable with being attacked personally but again that’s their problem, not mine. My moral high ground is intact.

Either way, I find it really odd that you seem miffed about my “fact-laden personal attacks” while perpetuating the sellers hilarious narrative of being attacked. This is especially odd when said "attacks" ensured you made an informed purchased and received a fair deal on your new car. A *very* good argument could be made that you should be thanking me.

Interesting.

 

[Jlaa]

Hi guys, the car in question has now been auctioned off and the transaction is waiting to be completed. Can we please focus on talking about the car going forward? Let’s focus on the car and not focus on each other (unless something goes horribly wrong). Thank you!!!

 

[AMGEeee]

Time will indeed tell. There’s been an implication of shill bidding here while the winning bidder is acting like the seller is a victim of personal attacks instead of the perpetrator of a provenance grift. Could be a coincidence but still odd given their direct benefit from these efforts.

While we can all agree to not be hasty and share a willingness to be wrong, we can also speculate here where prudent as has been the case thus far and can agree to not be naive.

 

[TimL]

Dude, the car sold. Move on

 

[gerryvz]

While this community in its near 17-year existence has become the "go to" site for V-8 W124 models (and arguably, all W124 models no matter what displacement/engine/body style), and is a friendly place, there are quite a number of folks here who suffer no fools when it comes to cars that are deliberately mis-represented.

And (as seen in this case) there are some sleuths here who also will dig up previously undisclosed history on cars.

More than a few folks (both buyers and sellers) have gotten very very butt-hurt about this happening, over the years. But, there are MANY folks who have also avoided expensive mistakes, and they are forever grateful for this site helping them in this regard.

I have always been a proponent of the "as much sunshine as possible" philosophy when it comes to disclosures -- even moreso if there is evidence of a seller who is knowingly untruthful/over-representing a vehicle's condition. And indeed, there are definitely cases where a seller honestly is just not aware of a vehicle's history.

This is why we document every possible car here, via VIN. And these VIN threads here are findable via Google search.

So -- take this site for what it is. If you don't like it, you don't have to come here. Nobody is being deliberately malicious, and no one here has a grudge against anyone else. But people are going to state the facts, and their opinions/takes on the facts.

 

[BONTA007]

Hi Gerry - I would love it if you would reach out to me personally. You should have my email and I am happy to provide you with my personal phone number.