FOR SALE FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 87kmi, BaT auction (Austin, TX)

[brent mosing]

ADMIN UPDATE 1: Car is listed on Mecum auctions in Texas as of Nov-2014. Thread title updated with current mileage and location.

ADMIN UPDATE 2: Car is listed on BaT in Texas as of Aug-2016. Thread title updated with current mileage.



1992 Mercedes 500E

VIN = WDBEA36EXNB757358


Color: Black Pearl with alto gray lower cladding


Interior: light grey


Repairs in the last year - New engine compartment wiring harness, recovered headliner, repaired kick panels behind front seats,new left and right Headlight door, new headlights on both sides, front strut boots, battery, Mercedes Floor Mats, refinished wheels, Kumho Ecsta Tires, New Plugs, Tie rod assembly, Steering damper, Third Brake light cover and lens, Valve cover gaskets, Headlight switch, light control relay, interior rear view mirror, New shocks front and back with bushings, Alpine radio with XM, blue tooth, (have original radio but it needs work) lightly tinted windows, heater valve replaced, Mercedes car cover.


I have a new driver side windshield wiper motor to install


Mileage - 80,300


Interior - Door panels pouch needs recover. One of the last things I wanted to do to interior. Center console wood has crack in it (see photo). Driver seat upper bolster has a few threads wearing where you rub getting in and out.


Mechanically sound - Only thing I know doesn’t work mechanically is the heater for the windshield wiper fluid. It kept blowing a fuse so the Mercedes dealership unplugged it. I may have a heater in by the time I sell.

Exterior - Small hole on lower front bumper cover. Truck has small amount of fish eye in paint.

May 1992 Road and Track Magazine with article on the 92 500e.

Asking $19,500, located in Lafayette, LA
Contact # 337-277-9138
Email - brentm@frankscasing.com

 

[morgancjames]

FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

Just saw this doing my usually searches. Not sure if it has been posted:

VIN = ???

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/mercedes_benz/500e/1698550.html

https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail.cfm?lot_id=AU1214-198542

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

a bit more (actually, a lot more) info on either site would be extremely helpful. i'm up for a drive to Austin...

 

[savmjv]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

Agreed, more info needed, but Mecum gives up little in their posts unless it's a premium, restored or historic situation on a featured car of the weekend. The F34 aution spot and Austin location sets up nicely for a potential buyer though if it's a desirable car. Not one of the high attendance locations and fairly early on the first day of the auction before the big money rolls in around lunch. Most of that was key in my getting the Shatner-car at a reasonable price.

 

[texas993]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

You can call Mecum and they will give you more information: miles, vin, etc. They just think that they have perceived liability in advertising miles, etc.

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

i rec'd an email back from mecum saying that they were inquiring with the owner about the details that i had asked about. will update when i get any info.

 

[morgancjames]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

It's this car:

http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3293

WDBEA36EXNB757358

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 80kmi, $19,500 (Lafayette, LA)

AutoCheck attached.

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 80kmi, $19,500 (Lafayette, LA)

all i initially received from Mecum today was the VIN, but we now have that here already. it would be great to know current mileage and a bit more insight into the accident/repairs. the car certainly looks much better in the recent pics, but that's a simple matter of not probably prepping the car for the prior sale.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 80kmi, $19,500 (Lafayette, LA)

The AutoCheck report that Dave posted should provide some clues as to mileage when it last passed emissions/safety inspection.

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 80kmi, $19,500 (Lafayette, LA)

the report doesn't supply any current mileage info - i had checked. the last mileage entry was 5.23.2009 @ 74,709 miles. that's 5 1/2 years ago.

 

[morgancjames]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 80kmi, $19,500 (Lafayette, LA)

Morgan,

Here are the answers I was able to get from the seller of the Mercedes. Let me know if you would like to bid on it.

“Mileage: 84,097

VIN: WDBEA36EXNB757358

Paperwork: Yes. Full records from previous two owners including thousands in repair receipts, as well as a complete vehicle master inquiry from Mercedes-Benz.

Options: There were no available options in 1992 from MB on this car when imported to the U.S. that we're aware of. It does *not* have either of the dealer-installed options; the cellular telephone or the CD changer.”

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

rec'd the same exact info from Mecum.

 

[sheward]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

Those are certainly the answers a buyer wants to hear.

drew

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

anyone planning on hitting the Mecum auction for this car? unfortunately, other commits are not going to allow me to make the auction. i hope we get some feedback on what this car goes for. i have a feeling that if it's a Friday listing (likely), a good price is very possible.

 

[Kip]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

anyone planning on hitting the Mecum auction for this car? unfortunately, other commits are not going to allow me to make the auction. i hope we get some feedback on what this car goes for. i have a feeling that if it's a Friday listing (likely), a good price is very possible.

I am. We'll see. I hope it has a realistic reserve.

 

[Kip]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

Bidding didn't get above $19,000. Reserve not met.

 

[gerryvz]

FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

19K? Wow That was a 13-14k car, max.


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[savmjv]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

I don't know GVZ...when was the last time we saw a reasonable condition 85k mile car go for $13,500? Previous listing had the car at $19,500. I'm guessing with auction fees they were still at that price or better.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

I was perhaps mistakenly thinking this car had accident history, but maybe I'm confusing it with another one.

 

[savmjv]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

You are correct. I didn't look at the carfax, but there was an accident in early '99.

 

[500ebeebe]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

wow. i'm impressed by that number and somewhat surprised it wasn't let go at that. with premium, that would have been $20.9k to the buyer. must have been a nice car. still might sell in the 'bid goes on'.

 

[Ron500E]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

Anyone have an idea as to what the Blue 230SL sold for?
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/auction/mercedes_benz/230sl/1698548.html

Thanks,
Ron

 

[Melville]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

I'm surprised the bidding got so high in a Mecum auction on a car like this. It seems like most of the cars offered through Mecum are American muscle cars so there might be a small audience that knows/cares about E500Es. I was looking through old auction results and it seemed that other similar vintage MBs (W124 cabrios, R129s, W140 coupes etc.) sold for less than might be expected. Do others here have more experience with Mecum and know whether my ideas about pricing for these kinds of cars is correct?

I was thinking about putting in a low(ish) bid just to see how things turned out. Luckily I didn't as it would just have been a waste of time.

 

[Bogeyman]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

Ron:
Tyat car will go tomorrow (Sat) morning..

 

[Kip]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

I'm surprised the bidding got so high in a Mecum auction on a car like this. It seems like most of the cars offered through Mecum are American muscle cars so there might be a small audience that knows/cares about E500Es. I was looking through old auction results and it seemed that other similar vintage MBs (W124 cabrios, R129s, W140 coupes etc.) sold for less than might be expected. Do others here have more experience with Mecum and know whether my ideas about pricing for these kinds of cars is correct?

I was thinking about putting in a low(ish) bid just to see how things turned out. Luckily I didn't as it would just have been a waste of time.

I'm not sure that actual bidding was that high. I watched it online and got the impression $19k was an artificial bid with no real activity. But even so, the reserve was higher than $19,000 which is WAY more than I would want to be in this one considering the CarFax and panel repairs/paintwork. I had someone look at it for me and the hood, trunk and one quarter panel have been repaired/repainted.
Only about ⅔ of the cars sold today, maybe a little more. The rest are listed as "The Bid Goes On". It was an odd auction with the auctioneer obviously frustrated at the lack of response on some cars at times.

 

[savmjv]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Black/Gray, 84kmi, Mecum auction (Austin, TX)

FWIW...here's what I've learned from my experience buying the Shatner-car at Houston Mecum 2013 and hanging out with my friend at a few of these now. For reference, my friend actually "bought" the Shatner-car since he was already a registered buyer/seller for the weekend and passed it through to me. He let me bid and everything, but it was his paddle # that executed the transaction. I watched him sell another 4 cars that weekend for a total of $300k and he bought a 1969 Vette for about $45k. For auctions, he usually sticks with Mecum and works the Texas locations to keep shipping costs reasonable, but he probably rolls through 1 or 2 cars/month and has 6 -10 around most of the time. Most of it goes through eBay and Autotrader.

As mentioned in a previous post, Mecum is no doubt geared towards American muscle. The high dollar cars are almost all '60s vettes, camaros, chevelles, shelbys, etc. and those are the people that turn out in mass. There are a few hot alternatives like restored Toyota Landcruisers that also play well. Cars that are early in the day and early in the auction weekend have only paid the basic fee to get in, cars later in the day and weekend have paid premiums, in addition to the hammer fee to get in those spots. You can see it in the past results listings easily once you know how it works. Cars are marked as "star", "feature", etc. pay a different price than cars with no designation. The day I bought the Shatner-car was my first day at an auction and it rolled across the block as Lot # F20, very early in the day. There were only 2 bidders past $10k and that's why I got it for $15k + $900/ 6% hammer fee. On the first day of the auctions, the bidding frenzy doesn't pick up until after noon when the quality of the cars, the crowd, etc. picks up and the booze starts flowing. If you find a car you want with a lot # that puts it early, you've got a fair shot at a good price, as long as the reserve is not unreasonable. The window on Saturday is smaller since there are more high-end cars the money rolls in earlier, but same is true early in the day. I have witnessed the auctioneers get frustrated when they can't get the room going and 2 or 3 cars pass without selling. It takes the excitement out of the air and you can see Dana Mecum working the owner of the car off to the side or on the phone trying to get them to lift the reserve hoping it will run up afterwards.

Also, you just never know who's going to show up to bid for the alternate marques. At the Houston Mecum 2014 auction, I spoke with the owner of a Ferrari 355 conv. that I was interested in before the auction. Really nice 2-owner car, 19,000 miles, binder full of records, fresh full $15k kevlar belt engine out service, matching leather luggage, cover, perfect leather and no sticky plastic, the works and he told me his reserve was $62k. Maybe worth it, but not going to happen here I thought...and not a steal to take advantage of. When the car rolled across mid-afternoon the bidding stalled around $44k. They worked the owner to lift the reserve and the car took a minor jump (maybe the smallest I've ever seen) to $46 or 47k! I was crushed, but had already told my wife I wasn't bringing home anything and I let it go. (For reference, I had warned her at the beginning of the day that I WAS going to buy the Shatner-car) The buyer put 750 miles on the F355 and sold it at Mecum Dallas 6 months later for $62k. Roughly a $10k profit after all associated costs and he got to drive it for 6 months.

Finally, consider the location. Austin is a small auction for Mecum and I'm guessing the crowds are similar to the low # of cars relative to other locations. If you see a Ferrari or 500e going to Indy, it can probably be bought cheap or "the bid goes on" if the seller doesn't know not to take that car there. Indy, Davenport, KC are all about muscle. 124s, 129s, BMW 750s, 600/V-12s, CLs can all be had on the cheap for the most part. I've noticed that 600-series and CL cars seem particularly cheap at these. I'm thinking that the buyers, in addition to not being there for those models, know that the GVZ rule increases to $10-15k quickly with those models. They didn't cost $125k when new for nothing.

 

[Bogeyman]

FS: 1992 500E Pearl Black/Gray 86K miles Austin, TX Bring a Trailer

VIN = WDBEA36EXNB757358

http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-mercedes-500e-3/

This 1992 Mercedes Benz 500E has just under 87k miles and is finished in Black Pearl (199) with Alto Gray lower cladding over Light Gray leather (278). The 500E was hand-built by Porsche and is powered by a 5.0L DOHC V8 paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The first owner was from Baton Rouge, LA and routinely maintained the car during 18 years of ownership. The previous and current owners are IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge drivers Brent and Jeff Mosing of Austin, TX, who have recently serviced the car with a new wiring harness, spark plugs, and battery. Cosmetics are in good order with late model AMG wheels, and the car is said to handle well with new shocks, tires, and a recent alignment. The selling dealer is offering this car with a clean Texas title.

The current owner had the trunk lid repainted last year after noticing some fish eyes on the paint. The finish shows little wear aside from a small scratch detailed in the image gallery below. A small ding on the roof and some cracks on the neck of the passenger-side mirror are said to be the only other faults on the body. The Carfax shows an accident in 1999 many years before the seller acquired the car, thought the seller can find no evidence of the repairs.

Admin comment: These appear to be replica wheels, not genuine AMG: Late model AMG wheels have been fitted to the car and wear newer Continental ExtremeContact DW tires. The original 16″ wheels are also included in the sale. The car is said to track straight and was recently serviced with an alignment, new shocks, and new bushings. Chrome trim on the grille and window surrounds looks bright, and the exterior rubber has held up well over time. The owner has replaced the headlamps and installed a new third brake light cover and lens.

The four-place interior features leather bucket seats supplied by Recaro that appear to be in nice condition for their age and mileage. The newer floor mats show some staining, and have preserved the original carpets underneath. The headliner was recovered, and the kick panels behind the front seats have been repaired. The dash looks smooth with no UV damage apparent, though there are a few hairline cracks in the lacquer on the burl wood trim. A Passport radar detector and Alpine head unit have been added, and the original two-piece Becker radio is included but is non-functional. The owner reports that the passenger side front window is inoperable.

All of the gauges, lights, power accessories, and switchgear are reportedly working correctly, with recent service replacing the headlight switch and light control relay. The owner has routinely maintained the car and recently addressed any reliability issues in preparation for the sale. The most recent service includes a new wiring harness, spark plugs, and battery. The original window sticker and owner’s manuals are included in the sale.

​

 

[wf758]

Saw the car today. Dealer kindly pointed out a small coolant leak. He said when the car was driven daily, it went away. But returned after being driven less regularly. Any idea what this might be? I couldn't see anything directly. This is on the passenger side. Is this possibly the overflow tank leaking? TIA

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[nocfn]

I agree, if not it's a simple investigation or repair.

 

[wf758]

Also has a shudder over 50mph. Dealer said they've recently had it aligned as well as replaced some suspension parts, but can't figure it out. He thinks the issue only arose when they changed the rims from stock. They've had the new rims evaluated and believe they are true?? Anyone have that experience?


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[gsxr]

Coolant leak is PROBABLY a minor fix, related to the plastic reservoir on the passenger side. It looks new in the photo so it could be a loose hose clamp, bad cap, or bad O-ring seal for the level sensor that plugs into the tank. Also confirm the fluid is not coming from the washer reservoir.

Shudder over 50mph could be wheels/tires, best way to validate is swap on different, known-good (preferably stock) wheels/tires for comparison. Or get the current wheels/tires RoadForce balanced and make sure none are over 26 lbs road force (prefer a number lower than 20). If the aftermarket wheels don't have the correct 66.67mm center bore and use plastic centering rings, that's another possible cause.

 

[wf758]

On the inside of the car, there are a number of places where the leather is delaminating from the plastic (both front door cards and center console). Also, the top piece of the center console literally lifts off. I'm assuming the leather can be glued back in place easy enough. Not sure if the center console piece is actually busted though. Finally, are the knobs still available to replace on the window lock button?

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[vatc5637]

Window lock knobs can be found in junkyards, don't know if they are available new.

 

[nocfn]

I switched my knobs to euro style, they are available new, both styles.

 

[maw1124]

Coolant leak is PROBABLY a minor fix, related to the plastic reservoir on the passenger side. It looks new in the photo so it could be a loose hose clamp, bad cap, or bad O-ring seal for the level sensor that plugs into the tank. Also confirm the fluid is not coming from the washer reservoir.

Shudder over 50mph could be wheels/tires, best way to validate is swap on different, known-good (preferably stock) wheels/tires for comparison. Or get the current wheels/tires RoadForce balanced and make sure none are over 26 lbs road force (prefer a number lower than 20). If the aftermarket wheels don't have the correct 66.67mm center bore and use plastic centering rings, that's another possible cause.

+1

I'm actually surprised how good the wheels look on the car to me. I may have overlooked this, but what size are they? In any event, I suspect the shudder is the wheels need balancing. The coolant leak may be a hose from near the coolant tank. I had one go last year and it showed the same symptoms -- only when the car sat for a couple of days did it show a drop or two. IIRC, it was not obvious but the guys found it (meaning it took some time). Not major, though. Just 20-year old car stuff.

I almost think it's the hose pictured (the braided, fabric wrapped one, or whatever), but don't quote me on that. It was in that area, had that texture to it, and carried coolant. So unless there's another hose carrying coolant in that area with that texture, don't be surprised if that's it.

maw

 

[gsxr]

Door pocket peeling is very common. They may not be available new (not sure), if so you can glue them, or have an upholstery shop glue them. The center console box can be repaired or replaced, not a big deal. As noted above, the rear window kiddie switch is easily available used if new is unavailable or prohibitively expensive. All of this is typical stuff you will find on most E500E's for sale.

 

[wf758]

Any idea what this sticker inside the driver's side door jamb means?

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[nocfn]

Service sticker by dealer

 

[jhodg5ck]

if the dealer couldn't get it to balance out right on their $$$$ road force machine either those wheels are Bent/Trash (granted, they are China, but would think some decent miles could be had) or some other issue is @ hand.

I'd look real hard @ the water pump weep hole... most of the small coolant leaks I'm seeing are pumps on their way out these days...whether it's from age or mileage, same results.

I've also got to question any repairs that were done when the fellow puts Chinese wheels on a car... makes me wonder about Everything he/they did from there on out.

jono

 

[nocfn]

I'd look real hard @ the water pump weep hole... most of the small coolant leaks I'm seeing are pumps on their way out these days...whether it's from age or mileage, same results.
jono

As a major PITA on the C126 to remove the water pump - "IF" the time comes, does the W124 provide the same amount of component removal?....

 

[jhodg5ck]

Yup. It's a Lot-o-work.

 

[nocfn]

Audible Sigh! (think AlGore)

 

[gsxr]

Water pump is NOT fun. Thankfully, it is not a common problem on M119's... yet... as long as the coolant was flushed/changed on schedule. As they get older this could become a bigger issue. To date, out of over a dozen M119's that I've owned, none have had a water pump failure and all except one appear to have the original pump. (The one which wasn't original was replaced as the PO had a shop chasing a hot-running issue, which they never did solve.)

Anyway - the pics on this car seem to indicate the source is near the plastic reservoir, but it wouldn't hurt to check the pump weephole too.

 

[nocfn]

how about server busy messages, that's no fun.