OWNER - kennyjr748

[kennyjr748]

Hello everyone- I've recently purchased a 1993 500e from a dealership out in Michigan. The vin is WDBEA36EXPB941055

First off - I'd like to thank some of the forum members that I pm'd with in regards to looking for the right car for me. Vexed in Hawaii was kind enough to look at a car for me. Melville and I were both looking for cars at the same time. It was fun to be able to share the information on cars that we were considering. He told me that he purposely didn't look into a car when he heard that I was seriously considering it - he's a class act.

When I was looking for a car I ran across one in Florida with 65k miles on it for $15995. I contacted the seller and he told me it sold full price within an hour of him listing it on autotrader! I didn't screen shot the vin as I didn't think the ad would disappear so fast.

I'm in an unique situation in that I spend 3 weeks of the month in Cleveland and 1 week out of the month in San Francisco. My wife and I moved to Cleveland last November to enroll my son in a special needs school. My business is still in San Francisco so I travel monthly. The 500e has been shipped from Michigan to San Francisco where my mechanic took delivery of it and is starting to go through it. It will be the car that I use when I'm in SF. I'm well aware of the $5-10k that will most likely be needed to get the car up to speed. Especially since this car hasn't been driven much the past 10 years.

The dealership told me that they bought the 500e and a Ferrari from the widow of an elderly man that passed. There are no records. Nothing. So that's where I'm starting from.

I had a local independent look at the car and I had him follow the buyer's guide that I found on this board.

Some of these issues with the car -
CEL was on but the car ran well
A/C not working

wiring harness looked ok - not brittle etc.

The salesman Doug at the dealership http://leadfootmusclecars.com/ told me that they would address these issues.

I had my doubts about the A/C but they charged it and they said it held. I'll see over time if it does. I'm expecting to have to do evaporator etc in the future. I hope I don't, but I think I will.

The dealership tracked down the CEL to the EGR valve. They tested the valve and it was ok. They figured out the CEL was due to a faulty solenoid which they replaced.

The service advisor also noticed that the radiator had a small leak that the independent didn't hear/notice. They swapped out the radiator for me.

Like I said earlier - I still haven't seen it. My mechanic sent me a text after he received the car "your 500e is here, pretty cool, clean" I can't wait to see it. I won't be back in SF until early August which will allow him to go through it and tell me the next thing that needs to be replaced LOL

I'll post pictures soon - They're all on my phone.

I look forward to spending some time on this board. Lot's to learn!

 

[kennyjr748]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

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[Melville]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Congrats!!! Can't wait to see pictures. As you said above, we were looking at a lot of the same cars at the same time. And we were exchanging a lot of our thoughts on the process. From what you've said above and what you've told me in PMs I don't doubt you got a great car.

Will you keep the car in California or will you be driving it to Cleveland ever? It's a long trip but I know from my 900 mile drive from Tampa to DC that there is no better far for a long drive. If I had to choose between my 1992 500E or 2011 E550 for a multi-hour drive, I would take the 500E (but I have to admit the massage feature on the E550 would be nice in the 500E).

 

[kennyjr748]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Interior shots



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[Melville]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Looks like pictures got posted as I was writing my message. Looks great!

 

[kennyjr748]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

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[TerryA]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Kenny,

Looks real nice. I'm sure you are going to enjoy the hell out of it!!

Take Care

 

[kennyjr748]

new owner - kennyjr748

Congrats!!! Can't wait to see pictures. As you said above, we were looking at a lot of the same cars at the same time. And we were exchanging a lot of our thoughts on the process. From what you've said above and what you've told me in PMs I don't doubt you got a great car.

Will you keep the car in California or will you be driving it to Cleveland ever? It's a long trip but I know from my 900 mile drive from Tampa to DC that there is no better far for a long drive. If I had to choose between my 1992 500E or 2011 E550 for a multi-hour drive, I would take the 500E (but I have to admit the massage feature on the E550 would be nice in the 500E).

Thanks Melville! The car will remain in SF indefinitely. We have another MB here in cleveland. If you have to drive a van... It might as well be an amg-






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[maplevalleyhammer]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Congratulations!
I am glad you found your car!

 

[MRV]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Congratulations!
Looks like a really nice car!
Cheers!

 

[Klink]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Thanks Melville! The car will remain in SF indefinitely. We have another MB here in cleveland. If you have to drive a van... It might as well be an amg-






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Hell Yes! R63! Wagons are made to haul people and stuff, so much the better if they haul ass, too. I love that contraption!

 

[makemann]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Congrats! Great looking car. Too bad you didn't have an opportunity to drive it from MI to CA, as it is a beautiful drive and a great way to really shake the car down.

 

[kennyjr748]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Hell Yes! R63! Wagons are made to haul people and stuff, so much the better if they haul ass, too. I love that contraption!

Another wolf in sheeps clothing!


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[Glasgo_Chris]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Gorgeous car love the black interior congratulations! Glad you found a car that fit well for you.

Chris

 

[sheward]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Congratulations! Thanks for posting all the pictures.

drew

 

[sheward]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

I never knew they offered a 6.2 "R-wagon" like that. That one looks great, even for a new car!

drew

 

[Maui]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Nice looking car. I'm surprised the R series didn't stick around longer, but I am told women did not like the body style. I can only imagine driving that with a 6.2l engine.

 

[Klink]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Nice looking car. I'm surprised the R series didn't stick around longer, but I am told women did not like the body style. I can only imagine driving that with a 6.2l engine.

Oh, they are still around, still built here, and they sell well in Europe, and most especially in the Orient. They are available with every engine imaginable. They simply stopped selling them here because the USA is SUV crazy, and instead of seeing this as the wagon-ized SUV that it is, Americans thought it was a "minivan". Interestingly enough, a minivan or a wagon is exactly what almost all SUV drivers actually should have, and would want if they were more vehicle savvy and less fashion conscious. The R in particular is a fabulous long trip vehicle, with a highway ride rivaling an S class. The R is yet another vehicle that over estimated the vehicular intelligence of its target market...

 

[8899]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Oh, they are still around, still built here, and they sell well in Europe, and most especially in the Orient. They are available with every engine imaginable. They simply stopped selling them here because the USA is SUV crazy, and instead of seeing this as the wagon-ized SUV that it is, Americans thought it was a "minivan". Interestingly enough, a minivan or a wagon is exactly what almost all SUV drivers actually should have, and would want if they were more vehicle savvy and less fashion conscious. The R in particular is a fabulous long trip vehicle, with a highway ride rivaling an S class. The R is yet another vehicle that over estimated the vehicular intelligence of its target market...

An R class is high on my list as a potential replacement for the W210 wagon. Similar to the W210, not the best looking MB, but in terms of size and practicality, it would be a perfect family hauler. Klink - mind sharing which model years and engine setups are the ones to avoid?

 

[Melville]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Oh, they are still around, still built here, and they sell well in Europe, and most especially in the Orient. They are available with every engine imaginable. They simply stopped selling them here because the USA is SUV crazy, and instead of seeing this as the wagon-ized SUV that it is, Americans thought it was a "minivan". Interestingly enough, a minivan or a wagon is exactly what almost all SUV drivers actually should have, and would want if they were more vehicle savvy and less fashion conscious. The R in particular is a fabulous long trip vehicle, with a highway ride rivaling an S class. The R is yet another vehicle that over estimated the vehicular intelligence of its target market...

+1. Minivans and wagons are great but the buying public in North America just doesn't want them. And now SUV and crossover sales are eclipsing 4 door sedans. If I find that I need a larger vehicle as a daily hauler/family car I will look for a wagon or a small minivan. But I'm not sure that any will be on the market.

 

[maw1124]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

+1. Minivans and wagons are great but the buying public in North America just doesn't want them. And now SUV and crossover sales are eclipsing 4 door sedans. If I find that I need a larger vehicle as a daily hauler/family car I will look for a wagon or a small minivan. But I'm not sure that any will be on the market.

This is what drove Audi away from the Allroad in 2004 after equipping it with a 4.2L V8. They came out with the Q7, because Americans don't like wagons. Ever since Reagan, all images of the 60's and 70's would rather be forgotten I suppose. Who knows?

But it also led them right back to the Allroad here lately, because not all of the buying public is so "fashion conscious" -- just most of it. I opted for the original Allroad 4.2, which is more like a grizzly bear in sheep's clothing. The R63 has always been on the short list of cars to potentially replace it, though I prefer it to the "minivan" look and feel of the R. These days, the S7 and RS7 have my eye. Thankfully Audi remains committed to the 5-door segment. NO ONE does a luxury AWD wagon like Audi, and I still say that now that the E63 Estate has gotten 4Matic. That rally car heritage still looms large.

Speaking of... http://mbworld.org/articles/topspeed-renders-mercedes-benz-allroad-competitor/

Cheers,

maw

 

[600Eric]

Re: new owner - kennyjr748

Oh, they are still around, still built here, and they sell well in Europe, and most especially in the Orient. They are available with every engine imaginable. They simply stopped selling them here because the USA is SUV crazy, and instead of seeing this as the wagon-ized SUV that it is, Americans thought it was a "minivan". Interestingly enough, a minivan or a wagon is exactly what almost all SUV drivers actually should have, and would want if they were more vehicle savvy and less fashion conscious. The R in particular is a fabulous long trip vehicle, with a highway ride rivaling an S class. The R is yet another vehicle that over estimated the vehicular intelligence of its target market...

Klink you hit the nail right on the head with that post. I will be the first to admit that when they came out I too looked at the R Class and said "those things are hideous". So when I threw in the towel with my wife's GL a few years ago my initial thoughts were E class Wagon and maybe even a 55 if I could find one. However at that time both of our kids were still in baby or booster seats and using strollers so the first wagon we looked at my wife said no dice. Not enough room in the back for all the junk. I said OK.... Same situation with the ML so that left us with two options G wagon or the ugly R Class. I do love G wagons and there is no question at some point I will own one but once I started looking at R Classes I couldn't believe how much you could get for your money as for the most part their resale value is bad for exactly the reasons you have stated. Now an overwhelming majority of them are 350's which is the only one I would not buy as in my opinion it is underpowered especially when you load them up with people. That leaves you with the 500 which I believe was discontinued in '07, the 63 which is extremely rare as they only built a handful of them or the Diesel which ironically is also fairly rare as well but with 400 pound feet of torque it is far superior to the 350 or even the 500 both from a driveability and economical standpoint. Anyways once I actually drove one my perception of them changed 180 degrees in an instant. Having owned multiple S Classes (both a 220 and 221) I can tell you hands down without question the R Class is almost on par with those in terms of comfort and vastly superior to both the GL and ML. To quote captruff who describes it perfectly, "The R Class is very good at moving people efficiently and comfortably". So much so that after owning one for a while you (or at least I) actually have become to somewhat even appreciate it's somewhat "unconventional" styling as for the most part is it one of form following function which is a concept I have always admired. Even my wife who initially skeptical about driving one has also come around and loves it. She has told me a number of times she would never go back to a GL. Also it is funny when you talk to service advisors and techs at the dealer they say the almost ever R class owner they come across tells them how much they love it.

An R class is high on my list as a potential replacement for the W210 wagon. Similar to the W210, not the best looking MB, but in terms of size and practicality, it would be a perfect family hauler. Klink - mind sharing which model years and engine setups are the ones to avoid?

Hands down you want the Diesel unless you want the hotrod 63 (and can find one)


Took this picture right after we bought it. First trip we took in it. Got 25.1MPG at an average speed of 69 MPH (which was more like 85 - 90 MPH the whole time on the freeway)

 

[kennyjr748]

Funny thing about our R class. It's the only car I've owned that I thought was ugly when we bought it. It's also the only car I've owned that has gotten better looking to me as time goes by. There's really nothing out there that compares to it. It's definitely a keeper.

As far as wagons go- we used to have a CTS-V wagon in a manual that my wife daily drove. It was another 500+ Hp beast. It unfortunately didn't make the cut when we moved. Sold it to a friend who loves it.

 

[600Eric]

Funny thing about our R class. It's the only car I've owned that I thought was ugly when we bought it. It's also the only car I've owned that has gotten better looking to me as time goes by. There's really nothing out there that compares to it. It's definitely a keeper.

Yep that is precisely my sediment as well. [emoji106]




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[kennyjr748]

Well here we go -

Even though I had a PPI done - some things were not checked properly by the PPI mechanic - even though I sent him a list of things to check.

The wiring harness has not been done - I'm not sure how he missed that - but its original according to my mechanic. He drove the car and it drives fine. He said I could probably wait until something goes bad with it. Anyone have an opinion about waiting? Or should I preemptively get that switched.

Also, the A/C had no charge by the time it got to California. So... he charged it and will try to trouble shoot it. He says the condenser looks new... so we'll see what else he finds.

I'm not terribly surprised with the A/C as I knew that was likely. I'm a little miffed at the PPI shop for missing the wiring harness- it is one of the few things I asked them to look at. "I have 20 years experience working on Mercedes yada yada yada."

I'll keep you guys posted!

Kenny

 

[gsxr]

The upper harness could wait until it causes problems, but with harness pricing pretty cheap at the moment, I'd at least buy a new one to have on the shelf even if you don't install it right away. I agree though, if you specifically asked them to check it, they should have gotten THAT part right! Sheesh. Might want to check the date code on the ETA as well (easy to see with air cleaner removed).

BTW, I noticed your photo showed the airbox unclipped from the air filter portions. Not sure if you know this, but you don't have to pop all those clips and separate the airbox. The entire airbox comes off in one piece... lift up at the front and it comes out of the metal clips at the valve covers, then gently side forward and it comes out of the mounts at the rear of the valve covers. 10 seconds total.

 

[lowman]

AC gass/fluid will leak even if there aint a "leak"...it is so thin..that it will leak out after some time..so recharging the system is normal..and really does not have to be any leaks at all.

Are you talking engine wiiring harness?i would personally change it BEFORE anything goes wrong..i would never wait until problems occur.

Your car looks veeery good by the way

Cheers from Norway

 

[kennyjr748]

The upper harness could wait until it causes problems, but with harness pricing pretty cheap at the moment, I'd at least buy a new one to have on the shelf even if you don't install it right away. I agree though, if you specifically asked them to check it, they should have gotten THAT part right! Sheesh. Might want to check the date code on the ETA as well (easy to see with air cleaner removed).

BTW, I noticed your photo showed the airbox unclipped from the air filter portions. Not sure if you know this, but you don't have to pop all those clips and separate the airbox. The entire airbox comes off in one piece... lift up at the front and it comes out of the metal clips at the valve covers, then gently side forward and it comes out of the mounts at the rear of the valve covers. 10 seconds total.

Good Idea about the buying a wiring harness now. Anyone recommendations for a vendor?

The airbox pic was from the mechanic that did the PPI. I'm not surprised that he didn't know he could remove it without taking it apart! FWIW I didn't know that either - but then again I don't have 20 years of experience working on Mercedes like the PPI mechanic claims! LOL

 

[kennyjr748]

AC gass/fluid will leak even if there aint a "leak"...it is so thin..that it will leak out after some time..so recharging the system is normal..and really does not have to be any leaks at all.

Are you talking engine wiiring harness?i would personally change it BEFORE anything goes wrong..i would never wait until problems occur.

Your car looks veeery good by the way

Cheers from Norway

Thanks Lowman! The dealership that I bought it from supposedly just charged it before it shipped to me last week. I have no way of knowing if they really did it or not. My mechanic charged it again and we'll see what happens!

 

[gsxr]

Good Idea about the buying a wiring harness now. Anyone recommendations for a vendor?

Should be p/n 124-440-20-06 for your 1993 but double-check that before ordering. $505 MSRP, $404 wholesale. Check with Lionel at MB Gainesville, and Tom Hanson at MB Classic Center.

The airbox pic was from the mechanic that did the PPI. I'm not surprised that he didn't know he could remove it without taking it apart! FWIW I didn't know that either - but then again I don't have 20 years of experience working on Mercedes like the PPI mechanic claims! LOL

No. Seriously?

 

[Melville]

Don't let the harness issue annoy you. That's a relatively cheap and easy fix and needing that doesn't change the fact that you got a great looking car. A few deferred maintenance issues are, as you know, to be expected. Once you get those addressed, the car will drive as well as it looks.

 

[Maui]

I was going to suggest huskerparts as another source but their website is currently not working. I've had pretty good luck getting parts from them even cheaper than MBCC and Lionel.

 

[gsxr]

Don't let the harness issue annoy you. That's a relatively cheap and easy fix and needing that doesn't change the fact that you got a great looking car. A few deferred maintenance issues are, as you know, to be expected. Once you get those addressed, the car will drive as well as it looks.

+1. Harness, ETA, etc are all 'consumable' items that you expect to replace eventually. The car appears to be in above-average condition based on the photos, if it looks half as good in person, it's totally worth spending a few bucks to take care of the miscellaneous mechanical bits!

 

[maw1124]

I agree with everyone else here, Kenny. Improving upon a great car is, for me, more fun than finding the great car in the first place. Sure, you would have liked to nip and tuck here and there on price based upon a competent PPI. But the joy of seeing this car snap back after you change this and that will surpass that, is my guess.

It's been fascinating for me to see how my car responded to seemingly insignificant changes -- a rebuilt LH module, stainless steel brake lines, new exhaust. Maybe not measurable but definitely appreciable. If there was nothing to do, you'd miss half the joy.

I'd do the harness now and enjoy the change. You have a good baseline; now see how good you can make it. Have fun!

Cheers,

maw

 

[Klink]

The airbox pic was from the mechanic that did the PPI. I'm not surprised that he didn't know he could remove it without taking it apart! FWIW I didn't know that either - but then again I don't have 20 years of experience working on Mercedes like the PPI mechanic claims! LOL

 

[kennyjr748]

Does anyone have a link to Gerry's deferred maintenance guide? I remember reading it when I was looking for a car to buy, but I can't find it anywhere. I tried searching for it, but I must be using the wrong search terms. I want to use it as a guide to start bringing my car up to speed. I'll be seeing the car for the first time tonight after work. Can't wait to see what I bought. Excited and nervous!

 

[gerryvz]

Here's another thread that may be of help:

http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1558

 

[kennyjr748]

Thanks Gerry!

 

[kennyjr748]

Well, I finally saw my car last night for the first time.

First thought that popped in my head? Car photographs better than it looks LOL. It's not that bad though - just typical wear and tear that you would expect for a car that's 22 years old that pictures don't pick up. Some rock chips on the hood that have been touched up pretty poorly. Some minor scratches here and there that may be able to be buffed out. No dings that I could see which made me pretty happy. Headlights are pitted. Interior looked pretty good for its age too. Overall I'm happy with the appearance of the car.

Under the hood - my mechanic showed me the upper harness and how brittle it was. So I'm going to order new Upper and Lower Harnesses, and also an ETA (either a used one or a remanufactured one). When he was showing me things under the engine bay I asked my mechanic "are those what I think they are?". Sure enough two small rat nests. Not big ones - but it shows you how awesome the PPI I got was. I can't believe they didn't see the nests. My biggest fear with the rats are them chewing wires (which happened to another used car I bought before a long time ago). Since I'm changing out the harnesses etc I'm not that worried about the nests.

The car passed California Smog with flying colors - so that made me happy! It's going to be a fun project getting this car up to speed. This forum is great. Thank you all for all the help!

 

[Melville]

It is pretty much always the case that you will see defects in person that don't show up in photos. For the cosmetic things, a trip to a good detailer will work wonders.

Try to get some touch up paint that matches your car and take that to the detailer for them to apply to chips. Whenever I try to do my own touching up, it looks terrible so I think I will eventually ask a detailer to do it. I managed to get MB touch up paint for my color at a dealership. Not cheap but the match is perfect. I called a few autobody shops but they said they wouldn't prepare touch up paint because they use water based paints that will just wash away.

Re: the ETA, I believe Gerry had a used unit that is dated post-bad wiring era for sale at a very good price. If it's still for sale you may want to jump on that. New ones go for something like $2K - $2.5K. Yikes.

 

[TerryA]

Speaking of rat nests. When I first bought my car (now ten years ago) I was having my transmission serviced. Anyway I was showing my trans guy my engine and mentioned how ratty the intake tubes were. I told him that I had ordered new ones.

Upon closer inspection he says those are rat teeth marks. The guy I had bought the car from didn't drive it much since he had 5 cars to choose from.

My advise to anyone is keep the car moving or put out rat poison. My neighbor lost his never used RV to rats. They ate up the electrical system.

Take Care


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[kennyjr748]

Ordered today from Tom at Classic

New Upper Wiring Harness
New Lower Wiring Harness
New Coolant tank
New Coolant tank sensor

On the hunt for some wheels...

 

[gsxr]

On the hunt for some wheels...

Classic Tom can hook you up with a set of silver Evos...

 

[8899]

On the hunt for some wheels...

I've got some nice wheels for sale.

 

[kennyjr748]

I've got some nice wheels for sale.

Pm sent!


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[Bogeyman]

Car showing for sale on BAT out of Fremont, CA.

Moderator edit: New For Sale listing here:

SOLD Thread '1993 500E, Pearl Black/Black, 144kmi, BaT auction (Fremont, CA)'

Dec 3, 2025

No affiliation. Previous ownership history in this thread. Sold for $34k with fees, see post #4 below.

Some good stuff here. BOTH harnesses replaced, rebuilt transmission in 2020 ($3k invoice), and - gasp - correct 500E Euro headlights!

From a quick glance through the photos, the only real concern is potential rust in some areas. For example, look at the rubber drain grommet in the spare tire well, and the bubble below the tunk badge. I'm surprised the exhaust system still has all the heat shields intact. The blank headlight wiper panels need...

• gsxr
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Cars for Sale - 500E / E500 ONLY

• 

Historical details on this car dating to 2006 can be found here.

Moderator update: Sold for ~$34k, details here.