SOLD 1992 500E, Spruce Green/Cream-Beige, 192kmi, BaT auction, NO RESERVE (Sea Cliff, NY)

[TerryA]

Malachite/Cream spent time in snow lots of rust on undercarriage.

VIN = WDBEA36E2NB735595

No Reserve: 22-Years-Family-Owned 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: 22-Years-Family-Owned 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #172,061.

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22-Years-Family-Owned 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E​

This 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E was acquired by the seller’s father in 2002 and has remained within the seller’s family since. Power comes from a 5.0-liter M119 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, and the car is finished in Spruce Green Metallic over Beige leather. It has been fitted with 18″ AMG five-spoke wheels, H&R lowering springs, and a custom stainless-steel exhaust system, and additional equipment includes a power sunroof, automatic climate control, a Bluetooth-capable Becker stereo, and heated power-adjustable front seats. Work since 2022 has involved overhauling the brakes, rebuilding the throttle body actuator, and replacing the timing chain and related components. This W124 500E shows 192k miles and is now offered at no reserve by the seller on behalf of their mother with service records, a spare set of 16″ wheels, a Carfax report, and a clean New York title.

The 500E was assembled by Porsche and featured wheel arch flares, revised bodywork, and a lower ride height when compared to other W124 models. This example is finished in Spruce Green Metallic (249) with light green lower cladding and black bumper trim. Additional exterior details include a hood ornament, a power sunroof, fog lights, and power-adjustable side mirrors. The Carfax report contains an April 2011 entry describing an accident, and the seller states that the rear bumper cover was damaged as the result of a parking lot incident and subsequently replaced. The front bumper cover has also been repainted under current ownership, and further work included installing an aftermarket third brake light and a fixed antenna mast. The clear coat has failed on the hood, roof, trunk lid, and front fenders, and photos in the gallery show missing paint on the lower front lip and rust surrounding the wheel wells.

Silver-finished 18″ AMG five-spoke alloy wheels are mounted with Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position tires measuring 245/40 up front and 285/35 out back. The car rides on H&R lowering springs, and braking is handled by four-wheel ventilated discs. The tie rod assemblies were replaced in November 2018, and work in 2023 involved replacing the brake lines and brake pads, rotors, and sensors at each corner along with the rear lower control arms, ball joints, and upper shock mounts. A leak is noted from the steering box and the condition of the wheels can be viewed in the gallery.

The heated and power-adjustable front seats are trimmed in Beige leather that extends to the rear seats, center front armrest, and portions of the door panels. The Becker stereo has been modified to add Bluetooth connectivity, and other amenities include automatic climate control, a power-adjustable steering column, dual front airbags, and cruise control. The comfort control module has been replaced with a W202-specification unit. Photos provided in the gallery show cracked wood trim surrounding the shifter as well as a split seam on the lower portion of the driver’s seat and cracks in the leather upholstery on the front seats and armrest. The seller notes that the headliner has become detached at the rear of the cabin and that the power adjustments for the driver’s seat do not work as intended.

The four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a 160-mph speedometer and a tachometer with a 6k-rpm redline and an inset analog clock as well as gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The six-digit odometer shows 192k miles, approximately 92k of which were added under current ownership. The ASR warning light is currently illuminated.

The 5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8 was removed from the chassis in April 2022 to facilitate the replacement of the timing chain and related components. The cylinder head and valve cover gaskets were also replaced at that time along with the alternator and other various gaskets and seals. The ECU is said to have been refurbished in 2022, the throttle body actuator was rebuilt in that same year, and the starter motor and various fuel lines were replaced in July 2023. A custom stainless-steel exhaust has been installed and the seller notes the upper and lower wiring harnesses were replaced in the early 2000’s. The driver-side valve cover gasket has a leak at the rear and the underside of the battery tray is rusted.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission, which received a fluid change and leak repairs in April 2022. The neutral safety switch is said to have been replaced in 2024. Corrosion is visible on various underside components, and rust holes are noted in the right-rear wheel well.

A spare set of 16″ eight-hole alloy wheels mounted with older Bridgestone Blizzak tires are included in the sale. Service records will also accompany the car and can be viewed in the gallery.

 

[TerryA]

@gsxr, Thanks for straightening out my post.

 

[gerryvz]

I have record of this car in my personal database, from April, 2005. At that time, the car was located in the New York City area, and had around 116,000 miles on it. The car was owned by a 500Ecstasy forum member named Wayne Ehmann.

My notes from the time on the car, which came to my attention from a private, proprietary invite-only forum for MB technicians that I was a member of for a few years in the early 2000s. The car evidently had been stumping a tech, so he posted about it. The thread on this forum was as follows:

Wayne Ehmann. Spruce green over seafoam green cladding; 17" wheels, Sony trunk mounted CD changer.


Another note from XXXXXX forum email:
VIN: WDBEA36E2NB735595
Model Type: 124 500E
Model Year: 1992
Engine Type: 119.974 5.0L V-8 Twin DOHC Gas
Trans Type: 4 Speed Automatic
Area - Engine Electrical
Malfunction - Code R17
Condition - Intermittantly
Test 1 - Test CAN @ DM 59.3 Ohms : -
History - Last service, replaced starter lockout/backup lamp switch.

----------------------Fix-------------------------
I would just like to say thank you to all who responded. As per Martys suggestion I replaced the starter lockout/backup lamp switch, cleared codes and all seems to be well. No more codes.
Thanks again!

----------------------Update-------------------------
Marty suggested to replace the starter lockout switch. I replaced this switch for the same fault last service. Has anyone had new switch failures?
Thanks,
Joe

----------------------Update-------------------------
Hi,
Sorry for not giving all info.
Test Results are as follows:
LH - No Fault
EA - 96 starter lockout/back up lamp switch
DM - R17
Traction - No Fault
Tkank you!

----------Original----------
Hello All,
We have a 500E with a intermittant CEL illuminated. I am getting code R17 in the DM. (data exchange malfunction between individual control units. I unplugged the DM and checked CAN line and reads 59.3 Ohms which is within spec.
I reset this code a few mounths back, code returned after 1 month. Does anyone have any suggestions on this one?

 

[duuder]

I hate that site! I'm still trying to figure out if I was dealing with a shill bidder for something I wanted

 

[duuder]

I hate that site! I'm still trying to figure out if I was dealing with a shill bidder for something I wanted

I'm not too difficult to find, judge for yourselves

 

[gsxr]

Almost $12k for engine-out refresh less than 10kmi ago, including chain rails, upper+lower oil pan gaskets, PCV hoses, front & rear crank seals... wow. Invoice doesn't show full part list, can't tell if the cylinder heads were removed and head gaskets replaced.

Soooo much $$$ invested in the mechanicals. Somehow, the torn boots on the tie rods and ball joints were missed.

 

[mistermiata]

And....it has a valve cover leak already!
Wrong headlights as well.
Not to mention the rust issues.

 

[gerryvz]

It appears that the seller is the same peeps as who used to be on 500Ecstasy back in the day. I guess a CarFax or AutoCheck would confirm that the car has remained in the family and not had additional owners over the years.

 

[gsxr]

CarFax is in the BaHaT listing, also attached to post #1. Appears to have been the same owners since 2002.

 

[duuder]

I always find it funny when a commenter says something in the line off the owner spending tens of thousands of dollars on the car, we'll yea - any fine vehicle of this vintage you'll be spending a lot of money...

Except that rust spot

 

[gerryvz]

As I recall, back from the 500Ecstasy days, Wayne Ehmann was (is?) an architect or designer and was pretty active on the 500Ecstasy forum. This is going back some 20 years, so other 500Ex "OGs" here may have stronger recollections than me.

 

[PavelV]

Looks like the long-term owner, the father, has passed away. A lot of great work done to it. I imagine it was used as a daily, and hence the rough exterior and well-worn driver seat.

 

[jhodg5ck]

The son of the 2002 owner is who is currently offering it up. He and his mother have been making Efforts to keep it going since dad is no longer with us, but it handling a high mileage 036 with limited capable shops is not the simplest of tasks, so time to move along.

 

[MK500]

Fair value estimate?

 

[gsxr]

Auction ends in less than 5 hours. Current bid just under $10k. I'm really not sure where this one will end up, the crazy $$$$ invested (in recent repairs/maintenance) will somewhat offset the cancer and general rough condition. I'm wild guessing the ±$20k ballpark?

 

[duuder]

definitely under, maybe in a stronger market it would be slightly higher

 

[duuder]

and i'm still waiting for a response from them about the shill bidder

 

[gsxr]

and i'm still waiting for a response from them about the shill bidder

Shill on this auction, or the white W210 E60? Don't expect any help from BaHaT. All they care about is getting their fees.

 

[duuder]

Shill on this auction, or the white W210 E60? Don't expect any help from BaHaT. All they care about is getting their fees.

it was for this car:

No Reserve: Twin-Plug 3.8L-Powered 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe 5-Speed

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: Twin-Plug 3.8L-Powered 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe 5-Speed at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #170,587.

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@ tinashaf964

i probably would've just forgotten about as i have pretty short attention span but someone mentioned it and i havent stopped thinking about it

 

[Sharif]

This is already nearing 13k
Is this a 20k
Car?

I’d go to 15k because I’m local but there’s an extraordinary amount of work that this car needs. I see torn ball joints, misaligned hood etc

bodywork and paint isn’t cheap anymore. I took my w140 to get an estimate and my friend that owns the Bodyshop was talking me out of doing it. 10k and up he mentioned and still doesn’t want the headache

 

[gsxr]

Sold for $17k, or about $18k with fees, plus T/T/T/T.

 

[gsxr]

@Sharif, this car is strictly a driver... as you noted above, the cost to restore would likely exceed the value. But, you'll probably pay at least $25k for one with less rust, that still might need >$10k in mechanicals...

 

[steve h]

Sold for $17k, or about $18k with fees, plus T/T/T/T.

Seems to me a lot of money for a rust bucket with other issues

 

[gsxr]

Seems to me a lot of money for a rust bucket with other issues

Doesn't seem much worse than the wrecked cars that have sold for as much or more. At least this one is intact and straight! But as noted above... poor ROI for a restoration project.

 

[Sharif]

The thing that makes it hard to bid higher on this is the fact that the last 500 that sold on bat went for 23k and it was miles apart literally and figuratively from this one.

Maybe that wasn’t a good example to compare it to but even the other “less desirable” ones sold under and slightly above 30.

The hunt is the best part of buying a car anyway

@Sharif, this car is strictly a driver... as you noted above, the cost to restore would likely exceed the value. But, you'll probably pay at least $25k for one with less rust, that still might need >$10k in mechanicals...

 

[Sharif]

Even strictly as a driver I couldn’t drive the car with an asr light on, I couldn’t drive it with the sagging headliner, I couldn’t drive it with holes in the fenders, I couldn’t drive it with the gaping hole in the seat. I know personally I’d have to sort those things out and It would take me to the 23k mark. That’s when Pandora’s box opens and then I’d have to fix all the cracked wood, start working on the undercarriage rust, why not paint it at that point. Before you know it you’re in it for mid 30’s. Been there done that with my m5

The thing that makes it hard to bid higher on this is the fact that the last 500 that sold on bat went for 23k and it was miles apart literally and figuratively from this one.

Maybe that wasn’t a good example to compare it to but even the other “less desirable” ones sold under and slightly above 30.

The hunt is the best part of buying a car anyway

 

[gerryvz]

Look, this car is 110% a "driver" that is meant to be driven into the ground, and then broken up for parts to help keep other E500Es on the road. It's got plenty of life left in it. Nobody in their right mind is going to spend the $50-75K it would take to bring this car up to an excellent standard, so it is just going to be driven, until it can't be driven anymore or gets in an accident. That's what it is -- an entry-level car for someone who wants to get a 500E.

There's nothing wrong with all that. But it would never make financial sense to spend the money to make this car whole.

Basically any E500E under the $30K mark is pretty much a "driver" car with significant issues. By significant issue, I mean somewhere on the order of $30-40K to make into a nice car by the standards of this forum, perhaps $50K if a paint job is required. Much easier just to spend $50-60K and buy an excellent car with a documented history, enthusiast owned, etc.

You have to pay in, up front. You can't get an E500E on the cheap. If you do and think you're going to fix it up, you are chasing a fallacy.

 

[LTYLER]

I haven't seen a driver 500e in this bad of cosmetic condition in a while. I wouldn't part with any serious money for it. Way too much headache, especially with that rust...... But for someone a dream has been fulfilled.

You're buying the maintenance history on something like this. At least it been under the same family for a very long time and not through 5/6 owners over a 15–20-year period.

Everyone knows what these cars are. The premium is set, for most just save up longer and buy the right car, but I hope the chap who bought this just wanted to realize that dream. Fix the ugly spots and drive it with a smile.

 

[TimL]

I'd also say that you will bump into so many part availability issues that I don't think it's even possible to bring a $20k car back. 036 restorations without cheap, poor quality aftermarket parts are far and few in-between and next door to impossible, no matter how much money you throw at it

 

[duuder]

Even strictly as a driver I couldn’t drive the car with an asr light on, I couldn’t drive it with the sagging headliner, I couldn’t drive it with holes in the fenders, I couldn’t drive it with the gaping hole in the seat. I know personally I’d have to sort those things out and It would take me to the 23k mark. That’s when Pandora’s box opens and then I’d have to fix all the cracked wood, start working on the undercarriage rust, why not paint it at that point. Before you know it you’re in it for mid 30’s. Been there done that with my m5

Just buy any of the other cars, plenty here and they start at 30k plus!

If you've been there, done that, prepare to spend more! Any nice 90s German car is just gonna cost money!

 

[stickyvicky]

this example easy will swallow $15 k+

 

[gerryvz]

this example easy will swallow $15 k+

If you triple that number, you'll be getting into the correct ballpark for a proper resto to a good standard.

Right @jhodg5ck ?

 

[gsxr]

Depends what exactly is being resto'd. The PO already invested a small fortune into mechanicals (note the $11k, engine-out refresh) and fixing all the rust simply isn't practical. $15k sounds reasonable for stuff like the ASR light, scraped bumper, torn seat leather, and whatnot.

But yeah, if someone wanted to restore to near factory condition, paint/body/rust remediation (in addition to the aforementioned bits) could easily be $40-$50k. Body and paint work is insanely expensive for quality work (not Maaco/Scheib).

Totally agree with Gerry about this car being a driver as-is. Toss a seat cover on the front cushion, fix the ASR problem, and rack up the miles.

 

[duuder]

this would be good for a young mechanic, daily it and fix as need it