1978 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Gorgeous Convertible

4.5L V8 Gas

Automatic

10704412045943

Clear

Gasoline

Up for auction with modest reserve is a gorgeous 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SL Roadster with 89,xxx original miles. The story......Cars have numerous areas and systems that make up the "whole" essence of that car: body + fender, drive train, undercarriage, chrome, body rubber, interior, convertible top etc. We are very appreciative of garage kept cars, because we notice that systems like body rubber, paint, and even chrome has less sun and weather damage. This car fits into the category of a garage kept car, due to the overall freshness of many items, and of course the undeniably low miles. This car has been a California car for 99% of its life span. It has never seen snow or salt. It is a two woman owner vehicle and never smoked in. The car still smells as new. Excellent appearance aside, this car drives well. We could go down a list of typical W107 front squeaks, rear clunks, slipping shifts, and engine maladies that crop up with high miles and/or needed maintenance. The spark plugs and distributor cap were all replaced within the last 100 miles. It is tight, responsive, and smooth. Our drive and test sessions were filled with moments of appreciation and amazement at the speed and agility of this Mercedes A car is original only once. Full owner's manuals, stamped service books, original tool kit, spare tire, top removal tool and first aid kit and all factory stickers/vin plates all remain. Paint presents itself extremely well like factory new with only a few minor flaws, perfect glass all the way around and low miles make for an investment quality car. The original upgraded factory Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels are in excellent overall condition. Tires are less than 1000 miles old. Great looking original chrome, full - color lenses, and lustrous paint give this car an extremely high presentation quality. Not as visible, but of utmost importance: a rust free body structure. While driving we take note of engine temperature, oil pressure and other gauge readings. It is important to note that we have put this car through over a hundred miles of road testing and it has performed nicely. The VDO gauges are all operational, turn signals, power windows, power antenna, hazard lights, headlamps, odometer/trip meter, tail lamps, break lights all function. There is an aftermarket cd player installed in this vehicle with speakers that were placed tastefully in the rear compartment. The vehicle will also include a collector 1980 Baja California/Mexico license plate seen in the pictures. We could spend additional time expounding on the positive attributes of this car. However, this is where we stop to point out a few flaws on this masterpiece of German engineering. First, while the convertible top is in excellent condition . The canvas top underneath has only been up a few times in the cars lifespan however it is not perfect with two minor rips in the seems, but presents itself nicely and still looks presentable. The factory A/C is currently non operational but as an added bonus we will include a re-manned working A/C compressor and brand new belt for installation if deemed necessary for hot weather days if you don't feel like using the convertible feature of this vehicle.. (The expensive part has been taken care of for the new buyer). The factory dash is very nice with a minor flaw or two and presents itself well. The factory seats are in very good condition with the only signs of wear on the drivers side, side. The tops and bottoms are in excellent shape however and conditioned to last many years more. The carpet presents itself nicely as well as door panels, glove box and trunk are also very nice. In summary, we are loving this car. The weather is beginning to warm up and it is a blast to drive with the top off on warmer weather days. Top off weather will be upon the rest of the Northern Hemisphere very shortly, so plan ahead. This car has a free and clear Idaho title and is currently registered and roadworthy. If you have any questions contact us directly via email. Shipping is completely the responsibility of the buyer. The car is also available for sale locally and is subject to removal from the auction at anytime should it be sold. If you have less than 10 feedback's your bid is subject to cancellation unless contacting us with your phone number prior to your bid. Please check our 100% positive feedback rating and bid with confidence. Please US Buyers only due to recent scam attempts. Thanks for looking! Mileage may differ slightly due to this car still being driven on a limited basis. Shipping...Responsibility of the buyer to arrange and pay for shipping anywhere in the continental United StatesYou may also fly in and pick up the vehicle in person. Payment...Please only bid if you are financially able to, please bid responsibly. A $500 non-refundable fee will be mandatory if the auction ends and you are not able to pay the full amount requested and force us to re-list. There are no returns or warranties on this vehicle. This masterpiece is being sold as is. For those paying buyers we require a $1000 deposit within 48 hours of the auction close.The remainder of the payment must be made within 72 hours of auction close, we accept wire transfer, money order, or cash in person. Once we receive FULL payment your item may leave our complex.Your title and bill of sale will be mailed the day your item leaves for shipping or pickup.This is a private seller and no taxes are needed as well as no document fees that you would need to pay for buying from a dealer. On Mar-03-13 at 12:25:03 PST, seller added the following information: If you are a SERIOUS overseas bidder, you may contact me prior to placing a bid, and I will determine if the Vehicle may be shipped to your location. On Mar-05-13 at 18:01:55 PST, seller added the following information: Q. Have you replaced the timing belt? Do you have all receipts for work and maintenance?A. I have many receipts for maintenance and going through them the timing chain has been replaced on 1-25-02. That is also something that is a problem with w107 vehicles and this service has been done. The vehicle from 2007 until we acquired it recently was garaged and not driven, it was covered with the provided car cover. The previous owner had kept up with all routine maintenance and oil changes previous. The vehicle has since been taken back out and spark plugs, cap and rotor replaced as well as fresh 89 octane gas and fuel treatment. On Mar-08-13 at 22:23:45 PST, seller added the following information: The already low reserve price has been lowered to ensure a quick sale. Good luck and let the highest bidder win.