1982 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

380SL Convertible

3.8L V8 gas

Automatic

WDBBA45A4CB017809

Clear

Gasoline

RIGHT CLICK ON IMAGES AND CLICK "VIEW IMAGE" to see full size 1982 Mercedes 380SL Roadster MAKE MERCEDES Click on the Pictures to see larger images ! MODEL 1982 Mercedes 380SL MILEAGE ~179000 (though odometer stopped working 5 years ago !) VIN NUMBER WDBBA45A4CB017809 COLOR Ocean Blue with Brown Leather ENGINE 3.8L V-8 TRANS Automatic A/C Yes CONDITION Excellent OTHER RARE European Headlights Vaccum Central Locking Power Windows CD stereo system Immaculate HardTop New Soft-top 560SL Alloy Wheels Working Cruise Control Tilting (front) leather seats Front foglights Professionally Restored NOTES PJ O'Rourke was quoted as saying "There are a number of mechanical devices that increases sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible." (source : www.abcdating.com) While we all may not totally agree with Mr O'Rourke's quotes - the fact is that the Mercedes 380SL is certainly one of the sexiest looking cars of all time. It exudes dominance on the road - being able to move at up to 140mph - but it also exudes control and dependability that comes from Mercedes themselves. The car purrs as it cruises - it growls when booted hard, and it squeals when one corners hard. No other car is as comforting to drive as a 380SL - a car that has more than its fair share of Character. And does this example have Character ! This lady is at her prime - able to recount stories of trips cross-country from California, cruises in Manhatten and slow evenings in Florida. After all, isn't Florida where all the retiring dames are found ? The car originated in New York - but has spent most of its life in Jacksonville, Florida. The previous owner drove often between Florida and California - imagine how many stories that would reveal ! The car was purchased by me when I moved to Florida in 2001. Gradually over the years, I added and changed to the car and restored parts of the car. The air conditioning is blowing cold, the engine had the timing chain replaced - 560SL wheels were added and the vehicle has practically brand new Bridgestone Potenzas. Although the patina of the car remains a 30 year old vehicle, it drives like a new Mercedes. The car is maintained by one of the best Mercedes mechanics (ex-Brumos) in Jacksonville. Receipts are included showing a new Stainless Exhaust system fitted to it, air conditioning restoration, timing chain and timing gear replacement, distribution system (electric) changes and other mechanics to ensure that this car is kept up-to-date. The car has been shown at local car events - including Amelia Island, and has had great praise on its condition for its mileage. If you are looking for a reliable, daily driven Mercedes convertible - then this is it ! Please note that although this vehicle is in good condition - there are some issues which I have detailed below. I want you, the buyer, to feel confident in the condition of the vehicle. As such, I always attach as many pictures to display the vehicle in its entirety. The pictures on this page links to more detailed pictures hosted on my website - please ensure that if you wish to bid, that you study all pictures attached. Note : buyer to pick up car in Jacksonville, Florida. Please call for any other shipping method ahead of your bid. VEHICLE INSPECTION Because this is a private sale, we would prefer if you could please email us and/or call us on (904) 382 5701 in advance. You are welcome to have a service inspect the vehicle or, if you wish, to arrange to show it to your personal mechanic. Average Price for 1982 380SL Median Price check at www.nadaguides.com : $ 21,800 CONTACT Directly contact me to ask questions on (904) 382 5701 or email me at sellsteal@iqto.com This is a 1982 Mercedes Benz 380SL Roadster. It is finished in an unblemished pale blue with Tan Leather interior. The car has been updated as a daily driver and includes special 560SL Alloy wheels as well as an updated quadraphonic CD player. I personally purchased the vehicle only recently, and am forcing myself to part with it to pay tax bills. DO NOT BID IF YOU ARE NOT A SERIOUS PURCHASER - For ANYONE with a negative feedback, please contact me directly on the above phone numbers prior to bidding. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOUR BID IS A CONTRACT OF SALE. This is an ideal opportunity to own one of these classics. Being 30 years old, the Mercedes 380SL is entering a "Classic" era - where the vehicles are already starting to dramatically appreciate in value - and who would blame it ! This is certainly one of the most desirable motor vehicles of the 1980's - and pushed Mercedes into an era of creating luxury roadster sports cars. I purchased this vehicle relatively recently - and cleaned and restored several aspects of the vehicle through a local Mercedes specialist. And has he done a superb job as can be seen in these photographs ! I have had a lot of fun driving this on sunny days to local car shows and to Amelia Island recently - almost everywhere this roadster goes, people exclaim how well it looks ! I have taken care of this car - and have only used Mobil 1 5W-30 Trisynthetic oil throughout the time I have owned it - an expensive way to run the car maybe, but I have not seen any issue with the engine or drive train. In fact, this car has also always been run on Premium. You can tell from the smoothness of the engine and the low purr from the exhaust that this lady loves to be pampered. The car has been garaged throughout its life - although with the mileage it is bound to have minor nicks and stone chips - it still shines. Note that the car is not the original paint - during its lifetime, the car has been professional painted by Mercedes - and the Passenger door was replaced at sometime - although it is not noticeable at all. The door hangs straight and was painted extremely well. There are some rust spots that have appeared over the years - but the majority of the body is in incredibly good condition - there are some rust spots inside the fuel filler cap, and a little around the bottom of the body - but nothing structural, the car has been taken care of. The car has a wonderful subtle color - an Ocean blue accented with Gold - the chrome helping to complement a very stylish looking vehicle. The lines show how Mercedes makes one of the lowest, aerodynamic cars available. In my opinion, there are few full size roadsters as attractive as the Mercedes - the newer range being a little TOO sporty for my tastes ! The car is shod in relatively new 225/60R15 tires - they have good tread all round. Check out the new Stainless steel Exhaust - good enough to last at least another 20 years ! I will provide ALL receipts that I have - documenting approximately 20 years of history. The interior is obviously used - but is original in detail, and extremely clean for its age. The owners prior to myself have driven this car not as a sportscar - but as a tourer. The car has a Pioneer CD Player built in - the only true modernization. The heater blows warm air, and the airconditioning works - the seats tilt and slide correctly, and all interior electrics work. I don't usually run the A/C unless the hard-top is on and it's a very hot day - since mercedes A/C is very temperemental ! Nothing is missing, everything is as seen in the picture - please ensure you click on the smaller image to see a larger image. However, there are some negative aspects on this car - as is normal with an older, daily used vehicle. Negative 1. There is rust appearing in places at the bottom of the vehicle. There are some scratches and stone-chips on the front of the vehicle. There are also minor markings on the RH side of the vehicle. All of these are minimal however. Negative 2. The air-conditioning works, in fact I spent a fortune getting the compressor working - but frequent use will increase the engine temperature. Very common with these Mercedes - so, its rarely used ! (just open the top !!!) Negative 3. A small repair in the headliner of the hard-top Negative 4. The Passenger door was once replaced and the car was repainted by Mercedes. No idea why the door was replaced - but the replacement was professionally installed - and wasn't even noticed until I went through the receipts ! Negative 5. The engine is tired, and although it is strong currently, it really needs to have a professional rebuild and refresh. Not surprisingly at 180,000+ miles ! Negative 6. The interior has some issues, particularly with the carpet and the seats - but this reflects the age. Luckily, getting a new 380SL interior is easy - recovering the seats is very easy. The largest issue concerning the car is the fact that in 1987, the records indicate a front-end collision. I have thoroughly inspected the entire front end - and my (and the mechanics) conclusion is that all work must have been performed by Mercedes - and that there is no visible or mechanical indication that there ever was a front end collision. However, there are a couple of aspects that show that this may certainly have occured : 1. The European (square) headlamps - this is not an option offered by anyone else but Mercedes. It is likely that any front end damage would have damaged the headlamps, and that the owner at the time decided to replace the headlamps with the smarter European design. 2. The front is totally straight - if not perfect. As soon as I found out about the front end collision, I checked all of the cross members, as well as the entire front bumper assembly. There are no visible signs of any damage - though it is difficult to say if the front assemble was replaced by mercedes - it is as good as new ! 3. The passenger door was replaced. It is likely that any front end damage would have damaged the doorskin. It looks as if Mercedes decided to completely replace the door. The passenger door is perfect, however. I have attached additional pictures of the front-end - and any inspection will show that there is NO damage whatsoever on the front. The guages show the standard 85Mph speedo - although the car can certainly exceed 100mph (and is extremely stable up to 120mph) - I like the american 85mph standard speedo design. Note that the guages include the later Economy guage that measures fuel flow to the engine. The clock works perfectly - it doesn't lose a single minute ! Lastly, I have never seen as strong an oil pressure in this late a Mercedes - with the oil hot, the pressure idles at 2 bar - but any acceleration over 1000 RPM - the pressure goes off the scale ! Its exactly what you want to see - a strong oil pressure engine. The engine bay is clean - but is not perfect. I could have polished the engine using some engine cleaner, but I wanted to show the correct condition of the engine area. The design of the engine bay allows one easy access - the V8 fits snugly inside a very large hood. Note the relatively new distribution system. The trunk area is relatively clean - though it has been used (often). The trunk on these SL's is extremely spacious - and it is possible to pack quite a large amount of baggage in the rear for longer trips. I placed an amplifier into the trunk, above the battery compartment - but the battery compartment still swings open, and the amplifier really doesn't take away any of the trunk space. The infamous SL seats ! I do not know if anyone regularly travels in the back of a Mercedes SL - note that the rear seat almost touches the front seat ! One has to have legs no thicker than a pencil to sit back there ! However, because the car HAS rear seats (and seatbelts) - it was classed as a 4 seater in Europe, and hence received a lower tax rate ! Bit of a liberty, though !!! Note the rear speakers. I updated the stereo system and there is a CD based stereo with an amplifier in the trunk. But very, very tastefully done - a great stereo system but taking into consideration the cars history and period. So thats my Mercedes ! I hope you have enjoyed viewing the pictures - please bid carefully ! I hate to part with the car, but I will sell if I reach a reasonable price. Please ensure that you look at ALL the larger pictures before you bid. I am happy to allow you to test-drive the car prior to bid - but once the car is sold, it is sold as-is. I am including other pictures - including of the hard top (which is usually on the car these days). Please bid with confidence - if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at sellsteal@iqto.com - I can take any additional digital pictures if needed of the vehicle - and provide any additional information about it. Please also feel free to call me at (904) 382 5701tto discuss the car, and to take it for a test drive if you can make it to Jacksonville, Florida. Please do not bid if you are not confident about this car - all sales are final though I only wish this vehicle to be sold as honestly and as upfront as possible. Please View all the larger pictures (by clicking on the smaller images) and Bid with confidence ! PAYMENT INFORMATION: All bidders must be able to pay immediately with available funds or have all loans pre-approved before bidding. This is a private sale! Make sure, if financing, your financial institution accepts the year and miles of this vehicle before bidding. Payment can be made by cashier's check, wire transfer, or personal check that clears before delivery, and of course, cash. NOTE : Buyer to pick up the vehicle (located in Jacksonville, Florida). Will gladly discuss other arrangements prior to your bid.On Jan-26-13 at 19:18:31 PST, seller added the following information: On Jan-26-13 at 20:05:00 PST, seller added the following information: I added a YouTube video of the car in action - the pictures and video were taken about a month ago. I have owned the car for more than 10 years - and have "tweaked" the car using my ex-Brumos Mechanic - Pat O'Neal of Atlantic Imported Auto, who knows the car very well. If a local buyer is interested in the car, I would recommend talking with Pat - and certainly continuing the relationship with Pat for servicing. Believe me, although I have invested a lot into the car over the years - all the hard work is mostly done. At some point, I'd recommend an engine rebuild - only because the car has so many miles on it. But there are SO many companies out there that are willing to rebuild Mercedes engines - its not that expensive a proposition. The engine runs fine now, and for a daily driver, I'd feel comfortable for at least a couple of years more. The Timing Chain was repaired not that long ago (less than 5,000 miles back) - which is supposed to last a minimum of 60,000 miles. I love Mercedes Benz. I also own a 1997 SL600 which I'll also be listing soon, as I just purchased my dream 2005 SL65 AMG ! As such, I need to get rid of both my current SL's to make way in the garage ! I also used to race a 190e 2.5 16v in the South East - and I've also owned E classes and C classes in the past ! Believe me, a Mercedes is not too bad economically - if you find a good mechanic that charges reasonable rates, it can often cost less to run a Mercedes than a Honda ! But those Mercedes Air Conditioners are awful ! This 380SL had the entire air conditioning rebuilt - and I hardly ever use it ! But I'd far rather have the air conditioner go than the engine/transmission go - these cars' engines last hundreds of thousands of miles !!! I'm listing the car with no reserve, because this has worked for me before in the past. I've bought and sold several of my cars - including race cars - on ebay - and I like the idea of letting the market work out the value of the vehicle. Trust me, you're getting a good vehicle that I've looked after. No creampuff here - but a great classic mercedes. Also, don't try and offer me cash or part exchanges towards the vehicle - I'm not advertising the car anywhere else (except to promote the ebay auction) - and I'm not going to "shut down the auction early" for a lowball offer. I know the "action" all happens within the last hour of all ebay auctions, cars included - and there are already a large number of "watchers" on this auction ! So expect the bidding to be active ! The car WILL sell to the highest bidder. Remember, your bid IS an agreement to purchase the vehicle - these auctions cost me LOTS of money to list and sell the vehicle. I strongly recommend using a mechanic to check the vehicle before you bid, and if you have ANY doubt, do not bid. My phone - (904) 382 5701 - is available from 9am through 9pm EST - so call me and ask me whatever questions you might have. Bid well and good luck ! On Jan-27-13 at 08:34:10 PST, seller added the following information: If you are interested in talking to Pat O'Neal of Atlantic Imported Auto in Jacksonville, his website is http://www.procarcarezone.com/shops/atlantic_imported_auto.com - but he is a very busy man, he has a lot of SL's to maintain around the NE Florida area ! If you're interested in a pre-purchase inspection - contact CarChex - their website is located at https://www.carchex.com/car-inspections - and they will perform an inspection on the car for under $200. Or alternatively, call me and pop over to have a look at the vehicle when I'm home ! If you were trying to get a look at the YouTube video earlier, I forgot to make it "public" ! I've tagged the video as public now, so you can see the car driving. The mileage states 173454 by the way - but the odometer stopped working years ago, though it WAS working when I purchased the vehicle. On Jan-27-13 at 11:28:41 PST, seller added the following information: ok - so today, I went out to clean the car and detail it for the buyer. There are a few things I neglected to mention in the auction, that need to be stated. Please, please read the following carefully. First of all, the air conditioning isn't working suddenly. A month ago, it was working fine, but today nothing is blowing whatsoever. No heat, no air. I checked the fuse, which seems fine - but its kind of typical of an old mercedes to start giving grief just when I said everything was fine. I'm sure its electrical somewhere - but that needs to be corrected by the buyer. Secondly, there IS rust on the door sills under the plastic. The car has been sitting for a while, and I haven't noticed it before - but when I started washing the plastic covering, it cracked and I saw rust underneath. There is also rust inside the gas filler cap door. No idea how bad the rust situation is - but the car seems solid, and I want the buyer to understand that the car is far from perfect. Bid accordingly. The paint has some blemishes. It looks like the clearcoat has peeled in a couple of spots - on the front hood in about an inch square, and right by the windscreen pillar. Both cannot be seen easily from about a foot away - especially once waxed. There is also a crack in the paint right above the 380SL badge - which I believe I mentioned before. The interior is old. I mentioned this before - but there is a split in the drivers seat, and some of the leather has cracked. You can see the interior issues in the picture above. The carpet is dirty, and to be honest, I'd rate the interior a "3" out of 10. Nothing is missing, as I mentioned, but theres a lot of fading and cracks in the leather. Overall, someone asked what condition I'd rate the car out of 10. I'd rate it a 3 or 4 - its far from perfect, but its no rust bucket. I want all bidders to be aware that to get the car "perfect" will take a lot of work. But heres the thing, this car is 31 years old. Its been driven probably in excess of 200,000 miles. Its been a daily driver for me for many years before I bought a 600SL - and then it sat for a while. But it IS a mercedes, and it has a lot of character. Good luck in bidding !