1981 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

380sl Convertible

Automatic

wdbba45a5bb001147

Gasoline

Selling Another Classic European Sports Car I have been a classic car enthusiast for 9 years buying mostly Porsches Mercedes and BMW’s because in my opinion, nothing compares to German engineering. I have also helped several international buyers locate, purchase, and export these beautiful cars back to their place of origin for private collection therefore I accept and welcome bidders from around the world. Some vehicles I sell are my personal cars, others are ones that I am listing on behalf of others, but I always drive the cars and describe them to the best of my ability. Prior to bidding on any of my vehicles, please make sure to ask any questions as your bid is a binding contract stating that you accept the car in AS IS condition. All sales are final- I simply will not put up with anyone who is just shopping or wasting time. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FUNDS READY TO MAKE FULL PAYMENT WITHIN 7 DAYS PER AUCTION TERMS DO NOT BID. I know that most ebayers and classic car collectors are stand-up people but there are a few out there who simply should not be buying cars online. I do my best to describe the cars as they are in my opinion but in order to make sure that the cars are up to your standards it is your responsibility to inspect the car in person or have your assigned agent inspect the car, otherwise you are buying the car based on my opinion only- I am not a certified car inspector or mechanic- just an enthusiast that has been around a lot of classic cars. That disclaimer being stated, here is the description I offer for this particular car: This 1981 380SL was imported from the factory for resale by Ken Garff Imports of Salt Lake City, Utah, a local Mercedes Benz dealer who is still in business today. It comes with the original window sticker detailing the following factory specs: 2 door roadster with a 3.8L V8 light alloy OHC engine with CIS fuel injection Paint code 581-- A very rare Inca Red Metallic Upholstery code is also a rare 237 Sienna Leather Standard features include: 4 speed auto transmission, power steering, cruise control, climate control, power assisted 4 wheel disc brakes, breaker less ignition, central locking system, fully independent suspension, electric windows, electric heated rear window (on hard top), automatic antenna, 2 speed windshield wipers, quartz chronometer, tachometer, light alloy wheels, halogen fog lamps, halogen head lamps, first aid kit, and others Originally sold for $41,235 Per verbal history and what I can see this car had one owner who then traded the car back in at Ken Garff and then was purchased by the most recent owner who has had the car since 1985. In 1993 he refinanced the car so a new title was issued which is the certificate that I have with the car now. It has been driven very sparingly over the last 10 years as he and his wife are retired and the car didn’t really fit their lifestyle. He did register the car regularly and keep up on the mechanical components including replacement of the ignition recently and replacing the climate control system twice--once just a couple of years ago. In addition to the original window sticker the car will come with some receipts for service work, the original owners manual, original maintenance book, original tool kit, and original service and warranty policy. My overall assessment is that this car is above average all around. It runs and drives without any major issues. The transmission does not slip or clunk like many older Mercedes do and it still has a lot of pickup and go on the road. It drives straight and smooth without pulling or vibrating and I would not hesitate to drive it on a road trip. This car has a NADA classic car value of between $13,950 and $22,400 (http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Cars/1981/Mercedes-Benz/380SL/2-Door-Roadster/Values)-- that being said I think it is fair to assume that someone would list this car for sale at around $10,000 on Auto Trader or some other retail listing service. This car will sell to the highest bidder- I believe that value is determined by what people are willing to pay for a car which is why I list cars at NO RESERVE. As mentioned this car is in above average condition across the board- below is my very detailed an honest description of this car. Most people would just say “excellent condition” and not give all the details but I try to include everything, good and bad. Cosmetically this car is in above average condition compared to other SL models I have seen from this era. The seats have no tears, the carpets are clean, the wood dash trim is in tact, and there are no major interior flaws I can complain much about. It was a non smoker so there are no foul smells and all the blowers and controls seem to work properly. The paint is the original color but there are some clear coat issues where the paint was exposed to sunlight consistent with the desert climate of St. George Utah where it has been. Most of the peeling is on the rear trunk and the passenger side. Other than the clear coat issues, the paint is very unique and a rare color that I really like. The chrome is all shiny and the glass is clear and free of flaws. The hard top is in great condition and comes on and off as it should. The soft top was originally brown, but was replaced 15 years or so ago with black canvas but has been folded up ever since so it is tight and needs to be stretched out a bit. The plastic in the windows of the soft top is free of holes or cracks. There are a few small dings in the car as seen in the photos but nothing major- overall a very straight and true body. There are some slight surface bubbles on one of the rocker panels, but nothing that I would say is a rust concern- this is a very dry car from a dry climate. Mechanically the car is solid. The transmission was rebuilt somewhere around 75K miles and it shows as older Mercedes usually clunk and slip a lot. The motor takes a little bit to warm up and I think it could use a tune up to really perform to its ability, but once it gets warm it has a lot of power and feels great on the road. The brakes are solid and the suspension feels good. The previous owner told me that he had the front end suspension reinforced last year. As is almost always the case with older German cars, this does have small oil leak that looks to be coming from a return line- I always plan on them leaking and have oil proofed my garage with drip pads as it seems to be something that just comes with the territory with a 30 year old car. The front tires are newer- rear ones have a little mileage left. The climate control unit was replaced recently and the previous owner said that the AC unit will need to be charged. It has not been hot here (we had snow this week) si I cannot verify how well the system works but I was able to verify that the heat works and the blowers and components all seem to be working. In summary, this should be a very fun roadster for its new owner. I really like the color combo and attention this car gets from anyone who sees it. It would make a great collector car that still has a lot of life left in it. Feel free to ask questions prior to bidding. I can provide a reference for arranging very affordable transportation for this car to any state or port in the USA. TERMS: A NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT VIA PAYPAL OF $700 DUE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION’S END FULL PAYMENT OR PROOF OF WIRE TRANSFER IS DUE WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AUCTION’S END SALE IS FINAL ONCE ANY CAR IS PICKED UP OR ACCEPTED BY BUYER OR BUYER’S AGENTOn Apr-17-11 at 20:09:04 PDT, seller added the following information: It should be noted that all vehicles titled in the state of Utah that are over 10 years old are titled as mileage exempt. While I do not have full records for the vehicle the previous owner stated that the miles are accurate. I do not see any reason that they would not represent the actual miles on this vehicle.