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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / June 20091981 300SD: What's it worth?
Der Klunker is settling into advanced klunkerhood. Rust is everywhere, the head liner is dripping. There's a large dent on the left front fender. Seats are broken down. The hood ornament is long gone -- the third one. Radio stolen. Paint is chipping. In short, it looks terrible. But it runs extremely well. The suspension was completely reworked some years ago. AC works, It too was renewed not long ago. New tranny a couple of years ago, Engine replaced with a much lower-mileage one. Indeed, I spent a whole bunch of money that I would have been better off spending on a newer better car a cardinal sin. For reasons of advancing age and poor night vision, I am considering de-accessing Der Klunker in October. Any idea what it might bring? Or should I just sell it off in bits and pieces? I have to agree that you are better off selling it in pieces... since you put so much money into it already... Have you considered buying another of the same car... that is in better shape and transplant as much as you can into the better car? What to do with the car afterward? Sell or give it to your family member? The above work is intensive and costly if you are not mechanically inclined. Otherwise, I'd have to say maybe you can get $1500... which is a serious insult to what you may have spent on the car... Consider this... say you get a 1998 E300TD for $10,000... it is not so bad that it cost $8500 with the $1500. If you sell in pieces, you probably might be able to get $4000 if you found buyers for all your parts... which is a bit hard at this time. >I have to agree that you are better off selling it in pieces... since you >put so much money into it already... Have you considered buying another of [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >If you sell in pieces, you probably might be able to get $4000 if you found >buyers for all your parts... which is a bit hard at this time. Thanks for your thoughtful and helpful response. I did indeed think of transplanting the good stuff to a similar car in better cosmetic shape. The mechanic who has maintained my car did have such a one. But the cost would have been daunting. Anyway, we have had it for more than ten years and I would think it is pretty well amortized by now. Parting out isn't really an option as we live in a high rise apartment in the city and park the car onthe street. I think the authorities would look dimly on a dismantling operation going on in the public street. I am thinking of offering it to the mechanic at a reasonable price. He knows the car better than anyone and is far better placed than I to part it out. Given its cosmetic shape, regardless of how good everything under the skin might be, I doubt one could get $500 for it. Perhaps eBay is an option. We have reached that stage in life where our belongings possess us and are yearning to be free of such stuff. Ahh... yeah City life is daunting... I would ask the mechanic to see if he wants to buy it. At least you know he might do the work himself and have a good car to drive or sell later. A second life for your car cores. Your insurance must have cost alot more than what the car is worth... At a tangent: this is only partly relevant since insurance covers items beyond one's own car, such as third party damage, which could be considerable. DAS To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling" --- [...] > Your insurance must have cost alot more than what the car is worth... >Ahh... yeah City life is daunting... I would ask the mechanic to see if he >wants to buy it. At least you know he might do the work himself and have a >good car to drive or sell later. A second life for your car cores. > >Your insurance must have cost alot more than what the car is worth... Always carried only liability, which is of course required by law. Not cheap. Interestingly, we also have a sail boat worth a great deal more than the car. On that we have complete insurance -- we get paid if it sinks. And eight tons travelling at any speed can do an impressive amount of damage. But the premium is far less thasn the liability only prmium for the car. ...not comparing apples with apples... How do the risk probabilities compare....? DAS To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling" --- [...] Interestingly, we also have a sail boat worth a great deal more than > the car. On that we have complete insurance -- we get paid if it sinks. > And > eight tons travelling at any speed can do an impressive amount of damage. > But the premium is far less thasn the liability only prmium for the car. >...not comparing apples with apples... > >How do the risk probabilities compare....? Well, that's a given that the extent of coverage and size of premiums clearly reflect. A difference, though, is that you don't get both insurances from the same company. Allstate knows from nothing about boats and Boat US has nothiung to do with cars. >DAS > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >> eight tons travelling at any speed can do an impressive amount of damage. >> But the premium is far less thasn the liability only prmium for the car. A common issue, I suggest. In the car world, if you have a specialist or unusual car you are advised to go to specialist insurers to get lower premiums (or even just cover) rather than general motor insurers, as they have a better understanding of the actuarial risks. DAS To send an e-mail directly replace "spam" with "schmetterling" --- [...] > Well, that's a given that the extent of coverage and size of premiums > clearly reflect. A difference, though, is that you don't get both > insurances > from the same company. Allstate knows from nothing about boats and Boat US > has nothiung to do with cars. [...] |
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