SOLD SOLD: 1992 500E, Ice Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

[8899]

ADMIN UPDATE 1: Price reduced from $20k to $18k in mid-September, 2014. Thread title updated with new price.

ADMIN UPDATE 2: Car was sold and shipped to Norway, see post #56 for details. New owner posted here.



No affiliation. VERY rare color combination. Only two of this color combination imported into the US. Hard to tell, but it may have the incorrect Euro headlamps installed.

VIN: WDBEA36E3NB755631

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?&listingId=380006277

http://mercedeshowroom.com/mercedes_showroom/500e/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251648071175 <-- Listing ended Oct-7, 2014. $17,900 Buy It Now only (not an auction, no Make Offer button)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251681746240 <-- Listing ended Oct-22, 2014. $17,900 BIN. "Listing was ended by the seller because the item was lost or broken."

Ice Blue with Creme Beige Leather. 141k Miles with Books and Records. Only 2 Owners Since New. Same Owner Since 1996 and 25k Miles. Garage Kept Since Day One. Very Nice, Rare 500E! These 500E were built in collaboration with Porsche. 1 of 633 Produced in 1992. They took 18 days to build at an original price of $85,000! All Options Including Power Rear Sunshade. Super Clean and Well Maintained. These 500E are great investments or daily drivers. Gorgeous Color Combination. Must See to Appreciate. Carfax Certified.


Mercedeshowroom
51 SW 5TH CT
POMPANO BEACH, FL 33060
1-877-647-5308
WWW.MERCEDESHOWROOM.COM
​

 

[bpat]

Re: FS: 1992, 500E, Ice/Pearl Blue Exterior, Creme/Biege Interior, 141k miles, $20k (Pompano Beach)

Like that color!

 

[mistermiata]

Re: FS: 1992, 500E, Ice/Pearl Blue Exterior, Creme/Biege Interior, 141k miles, $20k (Pompano Beach)

Wow....very rare color! Not sure I like it though, looks too feminine for such a bad ass sedan.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992, 500E, Ice/Pearl Blue Exterior, Creme/Biege Interior, 141k miles, $20k (Pompano Beach)

I am NOT a fan of that Mercedes Showroom operation.

Car has had the headlight wipers removed.

That said, this is only one of two cars imported to the US with this exterior/interior color combination, and one of only four cars with this external combination alone.

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Old AutoCheck attached. The car spent a few years in the rust belt, so prospective buyers should carefully inspect the soft underbelly. Wrong headlights too (standard 124, not 500E, so it has four fogs and lost 2 high beams).

I LOVE that paint color though. Droooool.

 

[maw1124]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Yeah, count me in on the color. BMW tried that color, called it Frozen Silver. I almost painted my M3 that color, still might. Simply gorgeous.

maw

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Reminds me of the (in)famous RENNtech Idaho Spud manny-tranny 6-liter car, minus the errr.... "custom" ... interior.

 

[racemor]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Nice, thanks for posting! My father actually bought the 560SL I own now from this dealer back in 1994. No affiliation other than that.

Ive been talking with the owner of the gray '94 in Monterrey - http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6303 . There are still unknowns about this blue one, maintenance records being my biggest concern. But if the two cars were comparable in condition and mechanical quality, is the rare color and 80k less miles worth the $7000+ mark up?

 

[8899]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I Luuurrvvve this color! I put it just beneath ShaneR's nautical blue 036 and slightly ahead of Biohound's teal green 036. Please someone in the DC area buy this one so we can line them all up and snap some pics.

 

[Stevester 500E]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Nice paint color, but I think black interior would make it more masculine.
Install correct headlights and this car is ready to rock and roll.

 

[Klink]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Nice paint color, but I think black interior would make it more masculine.
Install correct headlights and this car is ready to rock and roll.

I like this color combo, but to me you're absolutely correct. When I first saw the picture I thought "Wow! Just imagine that with a black interior!"

 

[racemor]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I emailed with the dealer. He seemed to feel that stamps in the service book should be good enough to prove that this is a well maintained car. Maybe for someone, but not for me.

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Something is up with the rear bumper trim on the passenger side, but otherwise, it looks pretty clean. If I had the $$$, I'd love to buy it... but I would be too tempted to swap in a black interior, and the current 'shroom interior looks too nice to remove. I'd expect it to need at least the $5k average that Gerry claims is always required, but for a "keeper" color, I'd be willing to invest in it. Fortunately, I don't have the dough, so it's a moot point.

 

[Maui]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I think the color takes the 500E lines out of the car. It looks like a 400E.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $20k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Mercedes Showroom is notorious for gussying up cars with lots of product, and selling them for top dollar. I've heard more than a few tales from buyers over the years of the cars sometimes not living up to the billing (or price paid) once received.

 

[550Maranello]

1992 500E Ice Blue

I will be there on Thursday to look at another car, if anyone is interested.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251648071175

 

[maw1124]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Please let me know what you think of those guys. I hear stories all over the map about them but nothing beats first hand experience. And your eyes on them are as good as mine for now, Horacio. I have it on the list to check them out when I'm over there next.

Cheers,

maw

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I've heard more bad than good stories.....

 

[savmjv]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Horacio, you need that F430 Spyder they have!

 

[DRW]

Re: 1992 500E Ice Blue

Im interested rested but dealer seems shady. Lots of stories about god service with no records. Mmmmmm. Dealers don't lie right? Looking forward to your assessment.

I will be there on Thursday to look at another car, if anyone is interested.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251648071175

 

[TRAKCAR]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I'm local if I have time I may go for a ride this weekend to take a look for the hell of it.
Picking up mine from Palm Beach MB today.

 

[Maui]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Every time I see one of these dealer ads the original price is higher. This one was $85k new. Must have something special like baby seal oil lubrication or koala claws thermal paste.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

The original selling price in the US was around $79-81K depending on the year, but I am sure there were cases where variations happened based on sales tax percentages, dealer options (i.e. CD changer) and probably some dealer markups too.

That said, I agree that if it's the list price being quoted, it's a bit of an upward rounding error.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[550Maranello]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Does any of you have concrete evidence that Mercedes Showroom is an untruthful dealer? If not, it just adds to the innuendo without providing any concrete evidence of any wrongdoing.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I have a definitive negative story dating some years back, but I am sworn to secrecy from providing details by the person who got burned for confidentiality reasons. I am sorry that I can't say anything more than that. It was not an E500E-related transaction, but more of an old-timer MB model.

Needless to say, I personally would not buy a car from them, though I have enjoyed their presentation of various models over the years.

 

[DRW]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

My concrete evidence is: When a selling party claims that all service was done & there is no deferred maintenance with absolutely no evidence to back up his statement. Furthermore, speaking with conviction and with a condescending tone about these unsubstantiated representations. Oh and also, the seller stated that there is in fact a local MB dealership, however, they will not perform a PPI. Does any of this qualify, or is it innuendo?

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Keep in mind that dealers are usually not technicians nor mechanics, and may be selling a car that is a complete lemon, but have no idea they are doing so. A good dealer would be willing to make things right if anything went wrong. A better dealer would have the car carefully inspected before listing it for sale. A lousy dealer will say "all sales final, didn't you read the fine print, sucker?". Most dealers take stuff on trade, give it a cheap detail, and nothing else.

Shell out for a PPI at a shop you trust, although it doesn't guarantee anything, the ~$200 up front should identify any serious/severe issues before making a $20k mistake. Maintenance records, and talking to the previous owner(s), can be pure gold. Be careful out there.

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

...the seller stated that there is in fact a local MB dealership, however, they will not perform a PPI. Does any of this qualify, or is it innuendo?

Any seller that refuses to allow a LOCAL MERCEDES DEALERSHIP to do a PPI... I'd run, not walk, away. They are either hiding something, or amazingly arrogant. Neither is a good scenario for the seller buyer.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I think it is safe to say, that with that level of mileage on the car, there is a good $5+K of deferred maintenance on this car.

I know, I know, it's getting to be a cliché. But it's true.....

Neither is a good scenario for the seller.

Nor for the prospective buyer, IMHO.

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Nor for the prospective buyer, IMHO.

D'oh. Typo - fixed now, sorry.

 

[Klink]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I think it is safe to say, that with that level of mileage on the car, there is a good $5+K of deferred maintenance on this car.

I know, I know, it's getting to be a cliché. But it's true.....

I'm not sure that it can be said often enough! If the standard is something approaching perfection, and at these asking prices it is, then no it is not a cliché, it's just how it is probably 99% of the time...

 

[550Maranello]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

MB of Pompano does not do PPIs, I called them, it is true.

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

That is very different than the seller refusing to allow a PPI. Need some clarification here...

 

[Melville]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I've experienced a dealer saying they wouldn't do a PPI, but I got the impression that it was more to do with the fact that no one there knew enough about early 1990s MBs to do it properly rather than a general policy against PPIs.

 

[DRW]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

For clarification, the seller seemed suspicious, not guilty.

 

[550Maranello]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I don't think that a definitive story that dates some years back is enough to condemn someone. I am interested in a S55 that they offering for sale, Bobby told me that I can take the car for a PPI to the shop of my choice, no strings attached. Those who are suspicious or do not trust this dealer should forget about him.

 

[bing]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

That is very different than the seller refusing to allow a PPI. Need some clarification here...

don't think the seller is refusing but MB dealer is or won't/don't perform PPIs

the seller stated that there is in fact a local MB dealership, however, they will not perform a PPI. Does any of this qualify, or is it innuendo?

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I say go for it! I am sure there are plenty of happy buyers, or else the company wouldn't still be in business.

 

[Jimbo]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Bah, excuses....who needs a dealer to do a PPI? Everything one needs to look at has been discussed here in detail. The mileage is low IMO, it's not like some high miles car that would have needed a lot of work to get it up there. Of course it prolly needs some things being a 20+ year old car...they all will at this point. We aren't going to find a mint and 100% perfect car for anything under 20 grand.

If someone can't tell by now with an in-situ look that the car is either good or bad, then ya shouldn't be looking at these type of cars.

 

[maw1124]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I've never had a PPI. The closest I had to one was when I bought this car. But since the shop I would have had do the PPI was the same shop that had maintained the car for 15 years for the prior two owners, and was the same shop that alerted me to the car in the first place (the car wasn't for sale), I thought it in poor taste to put them in a conflict position. They put the car in the air, I looked at it and the 15 years of records, seller and I made a deal. Done in less than an hour.

But he was a different type of seller than what we are seeing out here today. All of the sellers I met were choosing their buyers. Most these days are trying to maximize profits.

I think I've already said I think this car is priced appropriately, as is the other car Horacio is looking at on Thursday. These folks are 2 for 2 in my book, which is why I'm gonna go check them out next time I'm over there.

And I'm a different kind of buyer -- I know about what I'm buying.

maw

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I've never had a PPI either on any car I've bought. To Jimbo's point, if you are experienced enough with Benzes it's pretty easy to read a car's bones and tell from a wide variety of little and big things whether it's an honest car or not. Never a bad idea to run an Autocheck/CarFax to learn about accident history, if any. But I've always bought my cars from trusted sources I've known for years, so never had any major surprises.

That said, with my G-wagen I've found a few things that have left me slightly nonplussed, including a "half and half" mixture of green and MB coolant (which I'm changing out now), a stripped block coolant drain plug, a "pedestrian" M104 air filter rather than the metal-reinforced G-wagen specific air filter of the same size/shape (which is about 4x the cost), Bosch resistor spark plugs instead of non-resistor plugs, and a few minor things like that.

Nothing that is anywhere near a show-stopper, but things to be corrected as I continue to go through the vehicle. All things that are corrected over time. Truth is, whenever you buy a used car there are always going to be things that you have to correct, or want to correct, based on what previous owners or "mechanics" have done to the vehicle. I always hate finding things like the stripped engine block coolant drain plug, which a previous mechanic had almost totally rounded off. I could have just probably left it, but the perfectionist in me decided to try to remove it and replace it with a correct/virgin MB part - something that many folks would not have bothered with. It irks me that a previous mechanic would not have just removed and replaced this $6.00 part rather than leaving it for the next guy (me) to deal with, and it has caused me a lot of extra time/effort/work to deal with.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Melville]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I envy those of you that are skilled enough that you don't need a PPI. I know my own limitations so getting a PPI is a must for me, particularly if I keep in mind that the $5K of deferred maintenance rule is a baseline / best case scenario. Without a PPI, I could very easily miss big latent issues. Since I got my cabrio, I started doing a little bit of work on it by myself, but I still need a pro to do a lot of the work most of you guys can do yourselves. I've wanted to bring up my skills for working on my cars but without a place to work, proper tools, someone to help give me a baseline level of knowledge etc., I often get stuck. Even though resources like this site provide an amazing amount of info (like the recent transmission swap thread), those resources often skip the steps that are very obvious to even a moderately knowledgeable DIYer but are a total mystery to a novice. My strategy has been to get as knowledgeable as possible so when I take a car to a professional, I have a sense as to whether he is on track, how much work/cost something should be, etc.

 

[maw1124]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

It's all risk and reward, to state the obvious. Carfax, Autocheck, PPI, knowledge about what you're buying (sites like this) buying from trusted sources (including knowledgeable mechanics), being a mechanic yourself, whatever -- they're all just different ways to KNOW your risk. They don't change the risk, they just help you know it better.

Sometimes you can get a lower price based upon that knowledge, sometimes not. Sometimes you either accept the risk or go without the car, as with some of these rare "unicorn" vehicles. So I think however you get "up to speed" is up to you and a good thing. It helps you buy well.

But up to speed or not, you're going to learn about the car as you own it, and that means spending money. No two ways about that.

maw

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

Melville, I totally hear you! I have found that the biggest learnings (and consequently, the highest satisfaction) is when I carefully plunge into the unknown and attempt something I've not done before. Biggest/scariest experience translates into highest satisfaction. Experience (and occasional stumping, and even failure) is often the best teacher. Getting out of the comfort zone is a scary feeling, but wow what satisfaction when a job is done that you never thought you could do before.

Also I've found that experience breeds confidence to attempt more complex tasks. It's still scary, but you also gain a base level of trust in yourself that you can do it successfully.

The best quality one can have, is a sense of persistence and a bit of urgency to get a job done so that it doesn't languish and then turn into an unfinished job with a car that ends up sitting idle for weeks, months or years. Even if it's putting 30-60 minutes a night into the job, it's progress.

Lastly, probably the biggest thing for me that keeps me on track & motivated when I do jobs, is the documentation of them on this site as HOW-TOs. Meaning when I document things, and post them, it shows tangible progress on a daily basis for the big jobs. And it keeps me going because I can't imagine the shame among all of the peers here of starting a big job and then not having the gumption to see it to completion

I'm in the middle of a real stumper right now (extracting a stripped coolant drain plug from the block) on my G-wagen.....I just remember this saying from President Calvin Coolidge and then everything will be OK:




Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I've never had a formal PPI on any car that I've purchased either, although I did have a couple where kind forum members were able to see the car in person, which was immensely helpful. HOWEVER: Without a PPI, you are taking some risk of receiving a car with serious mechanical issues.

Example 1: One car I bought long distance (looked GREAT in the photos) supposedly had a "slight uneven idle". When the car arrived, it had a wickedly oscillating idle (would barely run), CEL on, lots of error codes, lacked high-rpm power, and had numerous other problems. Many hours later (months of labor) I had it running great. But you could never tell this from pictures. If any semi-competent shop had done a PPI, at least I would have had some warning about the issues.

Example 2: Remember the in-famous Rosewood hot potato car? That think looked awesome in the photos. Then a forum member saw it in person and spotted a bunch of bad Bondo bodywork on the car which did not show in the pictures. That car bounced around for nearly two years between dealers before someone finally bought it, last I saw the new owner was trying to unload it.

This particular Ice Blue car spent a number of years in the rust belt. I'd want to see multiple photos of the undercarriage. They have zero photos of the underside. Just sayin'. Hey, if it's a non-issue, they wouldn't mind putting it on a lift and snapping a dozen pictures, right?

 

[gerryvz]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Ice Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

What about your "Stigwagen" - did that have a PPI Dave?

I should amend my previous PPI post and also state that I have a personal philosophy that I would NEVER buy a car that I didn't physically see (and hopefully drive) myself. If I was serious about a remotely located car, I'd try to have a trusted forum member see it and give me their first-pass assessment, and then make a decision from there as to whether to travel to see the car or not. But I have never bought a car that I hadn't seen (and generally driven) beforehand.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gsxr]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Ice Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

What about your "Stigwagen" - did that have a PPI Dave?

It sure did! By the PO... who, in retrospect, may have been biased. He did send many, many, many photos though. Even pulled the transmission out to get better pictures. Swell guy!

But I have never bought a car that I hadn't seen (and generally driven) beforehand.

Clarification: I've never purchased any car long-distance without at least receiving multiple photos.

 

[Maui]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Ice Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

I can understand why people are reluctant to jump on a plane and scour the country looking at cars. It's expensive and time consuming. If you can get a trusted colleague to view the car for you at least you have something. I have purchased several cars sight unseen. In all cases the cars generally met my expectations and in some cases surpassed. You just have to be willing to except what you get and deal with it and ask a lot of questions. A used car is a used car unless its been sitting in a cocoon it is going show wear and tear.

 

[Maui]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Ice Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

It is a pretty car.

 

[DRW]

Re: FS: 1992 500E, Pearl Blue / Creme Beige, 141kmi, $18k (Pompano Beach, FL)

One of my favorite quotes. Take it from a talentless yet relentless individual.

Melville, I totally hear you! I have found that the biggest learnings (and consequently, the highest satisfaction) is when I carefully plunge into the unknown and attempt something I've not done before. Biggest/scariest experience translates into highest satisfaction. Experience (and occasional stumping, and even failure) is often the best teacher. Getting out of the comfort zone is a scary feeling, but wow what satisfaction when a job is done that you never thought you could do before.

Also I've found that experience breeds confidence to attempt more complex tasks. It's still scary, but you also gain a base level of trust in yourself that you can do it successfully.

The best quality one can have, is a sense of persistence and a bit of urgency to get a job done so that it doesn't languish and then turn into an unfinished job with a car that ends up sitting idle for weeks, months or years. Even if it's putting 30-60 minutes a night into the job, it's progress.

Lastly, probably the biggest thing for me that keeps me on track & motivated when I do jobs, is the documentation of them on this site as HOW-TOs. Meaning when I document things, and post them, it shows tangible progress on a daily basis for the big jobs. And it keeps me going because I can't imagine the shame among all of the peers here of starting a big job and then not having the gumption to see it to completion

I'm in the middle of a real stumper right now (extracting a stripped coolant drain plug from the block) on my G-wagen.....I just remember this saying from President Calvin Coolidge and then everything will be OK:

View attachment 33505


Cheers,
Gerry