Postby Hollybrook on Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:52 pm
After looking for a 500e for about a year, I recently found one in an unexpected way. I was browsing craigslist looking for a W124 wagon for my wife, when I saw a local ad for a '92 500e. So, I sent the owner an email message and was surprised to find out it was someone that I worked with many years ago. The car had been listed less than 24 hours, but he had a potential buyer coming over that evening to look at the car with his wife, and my friend was pretty sure the sale would close on the spot.
We jumped in the car with our checkbook and got there ASAP. With only an hour to look at the car and decide, I took a quick look at the car, found out about its history and records, and went for a test drive. Out came the checkbook and we had a deal!
Except for wheels and a keyless entry, everything that I have looked at is stock, but I will be digging into the car a little more as I go through the usual post-purchase maintenance. The paint color is Smoke Silver and the leather is Parchment. I was looking for a driver, not a garage queen, so this car fits my use very well. It appears to be in very good condition, but with 160K miles on the clock. I am the third owner, and my friend's wife used it for a daily driver for 10 years.
Unfortunately, I was not able to get in in the garage before it rained, so these pictures will need an update later.
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby sportline7 on Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:01 pm
Cool story, that's the way you do it!
sportline7
===================================
Postby Glen on Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:19 pm
Nice story, congrats...looks like it's in good condition.
What part of the country are you in?
Glen Tokuhara
A few cars...
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:40 pm
Glen wrote:What part of the country are you in?
In Virginia, near Washington DC. We get salt on our roads, so you have to be careful of rust with local cars that are driven in the winter.
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby omegabenz on Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:18 am
Welcome! I saw that car posted online for sale as well. I was pleased to see those wheels on it, and I saved those pictures from the add so that I would know what my car would look like with them (BBS RC 18") I am curious how wide and what are the offsets of your wheels, are they all 9" wide?
I too have a smoke silver 500E with cream beige interior
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=43&hilit=omegabenz
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:52 am
omegabenz wrote:Welcome! I saw that car posted online for sale as well.
Thanks! Out of curriosity, where did you see the ad?
omegabenz wrote:I am curious how wide and what are the offsets of your wheels, are they all 9" wide?
They appear to be 18x8.5 with 32mm offset. The paperwork shows spacers were puchased at the same time, but I did not have any luck searching on the P/N and won't know what they are until the wheels come off the next time.
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby 195910 on Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:04 am
Congratulations !! I love buying a car this way, bought my 500E in less than an hour, which is less than the time it takes for me to buy a shirt!.
You might want to try the BBS without the centre caps, as suggested on the R32 forums. its two BBS wheels in one
NEED MORE PICS
Regards
195910
===================================
Postby 195910 on Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:22 am
Hollybrook wrote:They appear to be 18x8.5 with 32mm offset. The paperwork shows spacers were puchased at the same time, but I did not have any luck searching on the P/N and won't know what they are until the wheels come off the next time.
Yeah these are the right spec. But They should fit without spacers. you can look at the hub area with the wheel fitted, to see if their are any spacers. I would be interested to know if they use Hub rings.
E600 Renntech with same wheels : http://www.500ecstasy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6139
regards
195910
===================================
Postby omegabenz on Fri Mar 20, 2009 2:38 am
Hollybrook wrote:They appear to be 18x8.5 with 32mm offset. The paperwork shows spacers were puchased at the same time, but I did not have any luck searching on the P/N and won't know what they are until the wheels come off the next time.
I know that size will fit without spacers, but they would look much better with a 12 mm spacer to bring them out to the fenders.
195910 wrote:you can look at the hub area with the wheel fitted, to see if their are any spacers. I would be interested to know if they use Hub rings.
My BBS 17x8 ET35 wheels had hub rings because they are used on Audis and for MB applications. I think the wheels look terrible without the center cap. I had a picture somewhere.
Thanks for the info.
===================================
Postby RollyCoe on Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:22 am
Great story and the car looks really nice. Would like to see some interior photo's when you get a chance.
Like those wheels also.
RollyCoe
===================================
Postby s500e on Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:46 am
Congratulations! nice story...
Here's the other side of the story, I believe,
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e- ... -door.html
The potential buyer and his wife did come that evening with cash in hand.
Good luck with your 500e.
s500e
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:35 am
s500e wrote:Here's the other side of the story, I believe,
Thanks for the link. We have actually been talking -- I gave him a lead on a black pearl 500e and I also have a potential interest in his wagon to replace my wife's minivan.
I sure feel for him as pretty much the same thing happened to me on a E320 Wagon last fall...
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby need2speed on Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:05 pm
s500e wrote:Congratulations! nice story...
Here's the other side of the story, I believe,
LOL, you've gotta love the networking of our MB forums! Welcome Hollybrook
need2speed
500E500 owners motto: "Lead, follow, or better yet, get out of the way."
===================================
Postby s500e on Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:07 am
Hollybrook wrote:Thanks for the link. We have actually been talking -- I gave him a lead on a black pearl 500e and I also have a potential interest in his wagon to replace my wife's minivan.
I sure feel for him as pretty much the same thing happened to me on a E320 Wagon last fall...
wow, this story is even more intersting! Please post photos of the low-mi 94 black wagon if you become the owner.
s500e
===================================
Postby 195910 on Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:31 pm
Here's a picture of the RC's without the centre caps. on an E36 M3. they are really crazy about these wheels over on the BMW forums, one thread was 17pages long (4years).
195910
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:34 pm
omegabenz wrote:I know that size will fit without spacers, but they would look much better with a 12 mm spacer to bring them out to the fenders.
I looked at the wheels and the spacers are in place. They look to be approximately 12mm, but I did not measure them. I did not have time to go any further, so am not sure if they are hub centric or not.
I have been spending my time chasing DTC codes, and think I finally have the CEL off for now...
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby 195910 on Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:36 pm
Hollybrook wrote:I looked at the wheels and the spacers are in place. They look to be approximately 12mm, but I did not measure them. I did not have time to go any further, so am not sure if they are hub centric or not.
I have been spending my time chasing DTC codes, and think I finally have the CEL off for now...
Looking forward for more pics.
195910
After looking for a 500e for about a year, I recently found one in an unexpected way. I was browsing craigslist looking for a W124 wagon for my wife, when I saw a local ad for a '92 500e. So, I sent the owner an email message and was surprised to find out it was someone that I worked with many years ago. The car had been listed less than 24 hours, but he had a potential buyer coming over that evening to look at the car with his wife, and my friend was pretty sure the sale would close on the spot.
We jumped in the car with our checkbook and got there ASAP. With only an hour to look at the car and decide, I took a quick look at the car, found out about its history and records, and went for a test drive. Out came the checkbook and we had a deal!
Except for wheels and a keyless entry, everything that I have looked at is stock, but I will be digging into the car a little more as I go through the usual post-purchase maintenance. The paint color is Smoke Silver and the leather is Parchment. I was looking for a driver, not a garage queen, so this car fits my use very well. It appears to be in very good condition, but with 160K miles on the clock. I am the third owner, and my friend's wife used it for a daily driver for 10 years.
Unfortunately, I was not able to get in in the garage before it rained, so these pictures will need an update later.
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby sportline7 on Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:01 pm
Cool story, that's the way you do it!
sportline7
===================================
Postby Glen on Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:19 pm
Nice story, congrats...looks like it's in good condition.
What part of the country are you in?
Glen Tokuhara
A few cars...
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:40 pm
Glen wrote:What part of the country are you in?
In Virginia, near Washington DC. We get salt on our roads, so you have to be careful of rust with local cars that are driven in the winter.
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby omegabenz on Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:18 am
Welcome! I saw that car posted online for sale as well. I was pleased to see those wheels on it, and I saved those pictures from the add so that I would know what my car would look like with them (BBS RC 18") I am curious how wide and what are the offsets of your wheels, are they all 9" wide?
I too have a smoke silver 500E with cream beige interior
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=43&hilit=omegabenz
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:52 am
omegabenz wrote:Welcome! I saw that car posted online for sale as well.
Thanks! Out of curriosity, where did you see the ad?
omegabenz wrote:I am curious how wide and what are the offsets of your wheels, are they all 9" wide?
They appear to be 18x8.5 with 32mm offset. The paperwork shows spacers were puchased at the same time, but I did not have any luck searching on the P/N and won't know what they are until the wheels come off the next time.
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby 195910 on Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:04 am
Congratulations !! I love buying a car this way, bought my 500E in less than an hour, which is less than the time it takes for me to buy a shirt!.
You might want to try the BBS without the centre caps, as suggested on the R32 forums. its two BBS wheels in one
NEED MORE PICS
Regards
195910
===================================
Postby 195910 on Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:22 am
Hollybrook wrote:They appear to be 18x8.5 with 32mm offset. The paperwork shows spacers were puchased at the same time, but I did not have any luck searching on the P/N and won't know what they are until the wheels come off the next time.
Yeah these are the right spec. But They should fit without spacers. you can look at the hub area with the wheel fitted, to see if their are any spacers. I would be interested to know if they use Hub rings.
E600 Renntech with same wheels : http://www.500ecstasy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6139
regards
195910
===================================
Postby omegabenz on Fri Mar 20, 2009 2:38 am
Hollybrook wrote:They appear to be 18x8.5 with 32mm offset. The paperwork shows spacers were puchased at the same time, but I did not have any luck searching on the P/N and won't know what they are until the wheels come off the next time.
I know that size will fit without spacers, but they would look much better with a 12 mm spacer to bring them out to the fenders.
195910 wrote:you can look at the hub area with the wheel fitted, to see if their are any spacers. I would be interested to know if they use Hub rings.
My BBS 17x8 ET35 wheels had hub rings because they are used on Audis and for MB applications. I think the wheels look terrible without the center cap. I had a picture somewhere.
Thanks for the info.
===================================
Postby RollyCoe on Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:22 am
Great story and the car looks really nice. Would like to see some interior photo's when you get a chance.
Like those wheels also.
RollyCoe
===================================
Postby s500e on Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:46 am
Congratulations! nice story...
Here's the other side of the story, I believe,
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e- ... -door.html
The potential buyer and his wife did come that evening with cash in hand.
Good luck with your 500e.
s500e
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:35 am
s500e wrote:Here's the other side of the story, I believe,
Thanks for the link. We have actually been talking -- I gave him a lead on a black pearl 500e and I also have a potential interest in his wagon to replace my wife's minivan.
I sure feel for him as pretty much the same thing happened to me on a E320 Wagon last fall...
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby need2speed on Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:05 pm
s500e wrote:Congratulations! nice story...
Here's the other side of the story, I believe,
LOL, you've gotta love the networking of our MB forums! Welcome Hollybrook
need2speed
500E500 owners motto: "Lead, follow, or better yet, get out of the way."
===================================
Postby s500e on Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:07 am
Hollybrook wrote:Thanks for the link. We have actually been talking -- I gave him a lead on a black pearl 500e and I also have a potential interest in his wagon to replace my wife's minivan.
I sure feel for him as pretty much the same thing happened to me on a E320 Wagon last fall...
wow, this story is even more intersting! Please post photos of the low-mi 94 black wagon if you become the owner.
s500e
===================================
Postby 195910 on Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:31 pm
Here's a picture of the RC's without the centre caps. on an E36 M3. they are really crazy about these wheels over on the BMW forums, one thread was 17pages long (4years).
195910
===================================
Postby Hollybrook on Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:34 pm
omegabenz wrote:I know that size will fit without spacers, but they would look much better with a 12 mm spacer to bring them out to the fenders.
I looked at the wheels and the spacers are in place. They look to be approximately 12mm, but I did not measure them. I did not have time to go any further, so am not sure if they are hub centric or not.
I have been spending my time chasing DTC codes, and think I finally have the CEL off for now...
Hollybrook
===================================
Postby 195910 on Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:36 pm
Hollybrook wrote:I looked at the wheels and the spacers are in place. They look to be approximately 12mm, but I did not measure them. I did not have time to go any further, so am not sure if they are hub centric or not.
I have been spending my time chasing DTC codes, and think I finally have the CEL off for now...
Looking forward for more pics.
195910
