1985 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

Sedan

3.0

Automatic

WDBAB33C4FA269366

Clear

Diesel

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300D with 53k original miles This car came from the widow of the original owner who purchased it at Tysinger Mercedes-Benz in Hampton, VA on September 25th, 1985. The car was maintained expressly by the dealership its entire life. The original owner was a disabled veteran whos health had many ups and downs over the years, contributing to the low original mileage. Service records from Tysinger corroborate the mileage, as do both the Autocheck and Carfax reports which will be included with the car. I'll do my best to describe the car in as much detail as possible, but please see the following link for over 300 detailed pictures of the car and its condition: https://plus.google.com/photos/115234421522755019392/albums/5985533324139188913?authkey=CP7oldD5oK_HEg The car had been unused for some time, and was brought out of storage around 2010. It has traveled less than 1,000 miles since then, but during that period, it has had new belts, hoses, tires, front brakes (pads, rotors, flush, master cylinder, etc) among other items. It passed Virginia State Safety inspection last week with no issues. It runs and drives beautifully, with the 3.0 I5 Turbocharged Diesel coming to life instantly upon turning the key. As with most diesels of this vintage, the car does drip some oil. It idles smoothly and has great power. Its smooth and quiet on the interstate, and cruises effortlessly at 70 mph. The 4 speed transmission shifts almost imperceptively, and has none of the harsh shifting typical of older/high mileage Mercedes. I recently took it on a 200 mile trip from my home in Richmond to Virginia Beach and back, and it performed flawlessly. All factory accessories work including the cruise control (!), windows, instrumentation lighting, cigarette lighter (which has never been used), sunroof, and Becker Grand Prix cassette stereo with original Hirschman power antenna. The original speakers sound great! The climate control servo cycles through hot and cold properly, and with the AC engaged it just blows cool. There are some bubbles in the sight glass, so I assume it will need a recharge. The compressor does cycle properly. The only electric items that are not working properly are the clock which works intermittently, and the glow plug light which appears to be burnt out. The glow plug system works perfectly, but the light isn't illuminating. Every vacuum accessory works properly as well. The locks are quick and the vacuum reserve system holds a charge well when the car is not running. The body of this car is remarkably straight, which is a testament to the low, original mileage. It wears an older repaint which is presentable for a driver, but is showing signs of its age. There are some chips and dings here and there, but the paint is glossy and shows well overall. There is some crazing of the paint on the roof. 123 body sedans very typically have a lot of rust, but not this one. The floor pan and sills are excellent. The only area that has an issue is on the driver side corner of the trunk, where some minor rust has occurred underneath where the trunk seal is. I pulled the seal out and wirebrushed the area to assess the rust, and the area is still very solid and serviceable. I've included detailed pictures of the area. The spare tire well in the trunk is another area that can get rusty on the 123 body, but this one is perfect. The spare tire appears to be original and the wheel is beautiful. The interior is all original and shows beautifully. There is a minor imperfection on the drivers seat and some slight sun fading on the bottoms of the two front seats, but they look great. The dash is perfect with no cracks or fading whatsoever, as is the headliner. The door panels look great, and the carpet is nice as well. The first aid kit cover has been repaired at some point, and the first aid kit looks like it has never been touched. I cleaned the car lightly prior to listing it, but its new owner will probably want to do their own detail. Original cars of this caliber are extremely rare to find, but this is your opportunity to own one. It turns heads wherever it goes, and its new owner will not be disappointed. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have about this lovely old car. I will be more than happy to discuss the car with you, or to show it to you if you wish. I reserve the right to end the auction early, as the car is listed for sale locally as well. On Mar-05-14 at 06:07:57 PST, seller added the following information:Thanks for all the interest in the car! Going forward, if you have a feedback score of less than 10, please contact me before bidding. If not, the bid will be cancelled. Thanks so much!