1992 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Sedan

3.0

Automatic

WDBEA30E6NB639946

Flood, Water Damage

Gasoline

Hello, you are looking at my 1992 Mercedes 300E that I have just recently (2months ago) had professionally painted for a cost of $2000. The paintwork came with a 5 yr warranty. My wife and I are Mercedes people. We believe it doesn't matter what you drive as long as its a Mercedes. It also doesn't matter what year it is as long as its kept in great shape. We currently have a 2000 SLK Kompressor that my wife drives as well as another 1991 300E that is now my daily driver. I bought this car from its original owner at the beginning of this year and loved it so much after taking our first 3500 mile road trip that we decided to have it painted. The paintwork is beautiful, even the rims were refinished. The lower panels were painted the same color to make it look like the newer models and it worked beautifully. A new front chrome grill, and headlight lenses were installed, and we had the headliner redone. Services were all brought up to date with transmission fully flushed, coolant flushed brake fluid flushed, new set of tires, new brakes/rotors all installed, along with a new battery. Like I said our intention was to keep this car for atleast the next 5 years. 3 weeks ago a tropical depression hit Florida. The east coast where we live got quite a bit of rain. Our community couldn t handle the amount of water run-off and large puddles formed in all the lower areas. While trying to drive out of the community we had to go through one of those puddles. The water level got up to just below the door threshold when we decided to turn around. Unfortunately a truck came by us which actually created a wave of water that hit the driver side door area and allowed enough water into the car that the carpets got pretty wet. We drove the car back to our house and parked it. All of a sudden the windows all went down, the sunroof opened, the seat started moving, and the rear view mirror was adjusting. I disconnected the battery and everything stopped. I contacted my insurance company (State Farm) and they told me I was covered under my policy for whatever repair would be needed. The next day I drove the car to their preferred repair facility and there the car sat for two weeks completely covered. The shop and the insurance appraiser decided that it was easier for them to just write off my car rather than even attempt to repair it. I argued that I had spent over $3600 just in maintenance and updates in the past 3 months but they refused to change their mind. They issued me a check for $4100 to buy another similar car which I have done. I bought the 91 300E just last week. Its nice but its not my 92 by a long shot. I asked to be able to buy my car back from them and they agreed to it and sold it back to me. I drove it from their repair shop to my personal mechanic that same afternoon. Within 15 minutes my mechanic had popped out the back seat cushion and undid a module and handed it to me. He said smell it, which I did, it smelled burnt. He told me that that was my convenience control module that operates all windows, sunroof, and mirror functions and that as soon as it got wet it shorted out. He said it will take him another 30 minute to get the module out from under the driver seat which he said was sure to also have shorted out. Sure enough, that was the case. Replacing both modules and a relay cost less then $100.00 and the car is as good as it was before the incident. I drive it around our gated community every evening. All features work! (radio,windows,locks, sunroof, mirrors, telescoping steering column, a/c, etc.. The problem is that Florida law states that when a car is paid out by insurance at more than 80% of it value that the title is branded with a Certificate of Destruction. Absolutely ridiculous but that is the case. I did some quick research and found that Kentucky and a couple of other states will except these titles and process Salvage/ rebuilt titles so that they car can be legal to drive again on the road. If you are in that position to get it processed then you will wind up with a nice Mercedes 300e at a very reasonable price. Feel free to contact me at 352-601-2272On Oct-02-12 at 16:32:57 PDT, seller added the following information: A caller wanted me to clarify what engine this car has in it. This car has the 3.0 liter engine, which is known as one of Mercedes best achievements.