Note to bidders: I’ve relisted this nice car after the winning bidder was unable to complete the transaction. Please folks. don’t let little Jimmy or darling young Suzy-Q have access to YOUR Ebay account unless you’re willing to pay for what they purchase! Okay. enough rant. Here’s the description again as it was presented here last week: 1981 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo Diesel VIN: WDBCB20A9BB002265 Here’s another desirable. great-running & driving Mercedes diesel we’ve just acquired for our Ebay customers. This nice 300SD sold new right here in Seattle at Phil Smart Mercedes back in 1981 and has spent its life here in the great Pacific Northwest driving our salt-free roads. It was reluctantly passed it on to us a few weeks ago in hopes finding the next caretaker. From the moment I laid eyes on this nice sedan. it was obvious the car has been treated with respect and care over the years. I will be sure to include the original manuals tucked away in the glove box. in their plastic sleeve. when the car leaves my warehouse. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. My name is Mark Thompson and my direct phone number is (206)914-1173. You’re welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to inspect and drive this outstanding car. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION Ever driven a Mercedes with the powerful 3. 0 liter turbocharged diesel engine? Where else will you find this kind of luxury. vintage style. safety. mechanical reliability AND terrific (25+MPG) fuel economy wrapped up in one great ride? Smooth is the word for sure. Smooth handling in the curves or on the highway. I’ve always considered the W126 chassis cars constructed through the late 1980’s as some of the last hand-built. truly high-quality Mercedes and have heard many others say the same thing! Take a look at the photos and I’m sure you’ll agree with me what a nice car this is. What you see is the result of a wash and vacuum only. Climb over. under and throughout and I know you’ll come up smiling! Rust? Please. this 300SD hates rust and there’s nothing to worry about here. Having spent a lifetime in the Seattle area there’s never been any exposure to major corrosion starters. Yes. western Washington State is famous for rain. but our winter roads are never salted. At most we’ll have one or two days of light snow. Everyone panics and stays home hunkered down with a blanket and book. Having personally owned dozens of Mercedes over the years. I’ve developed a great appreciation for the classic MB style. mechanical reliability and overall driving experience. THIS CAR RUNS OUT JUST FINE. I’VE SPENT ALMOST TWO WEEKS DRIVING IT DAILY AND CAN SAY THERE ARE VERY FEW VINTAGE BENZ’S I’VE LIKED BETTER!! I’m convinced you’ll be proud to own and drive it as well. CONDITION: In total. this is a clean. well-cared-for. smoke-free vehicle. I take great pride in what we sell and feel that you should know as much about the car as possible. Accordingly. here is a list of the good and also a few small things needing attention: take literally four or five seconds to heat the glow plugs when starting cold and the peppy 3. 0L inline five diesel engine starts immediately with only few moments of starter cranking! The automatic transmission shifts just as it should with absolutely no slippage. The car idles. runs and drives like a Mercedes is supposed to – strong. immediate oil pressure. strong battery and charging system. no overheating. no brake pull or perceived alignment or rear differential issues! Over the past week I’ve put on almost 400 miles freeway cruising at 60+ MPH for hours. I’ll bet most viewers of this auction have never seen this rare. special order “English Red” factory paint color! It is all-original and I’d give it an 8. 5 out of 10 with only a few scratches here and there. Though I’m no expert. I find no evidence of bodywork or accident repair anywhere. The front fenders. rear quarters. doors and floor pans are all very solid; in fact the entire undercarriage is in fine shape for a thirty-four year-old vehicle! Between the rear bumper and the passenger’s side taillight is the one and only corrosion spot I’ve found. probably caused by a ding through the paint many years ago that was allowed to fester. It’s been touched-up to the factory color and is not very noticeable. No other real body flaws to point out. just a few nicks and retouched scratches as pictured. All the glass is good including the windshield. I’ve never encountered Mercedes alloy wheels that were anything but straight and true. These fit that bill and are wrapped with Yokohama 195/70R14 touring radials with at least 80-90% remaining tread all around. Take another good look at my interior shots. Often. you’ll find worn. disintegrating seats in vintage Mercedes. This is NOT the case here. The original Tobacco Brown MB Vinyltex covers (including the rear bench) have held up exceptionally well with no wear-through spots on the bolsters or center inserts and no saggy springs. All door panels are in excellent shape and I’m willing to bet the clean. dark brown carpets have always been protected by floor mats. Both the speedometer and odometer work fine. though the tach can sometimes be intermittent. The heater/defroster system blows warm air when activated and the A/C system has been upgraded to modern R134a refrigerant but could benefit from a recharge in order to blow colder. All four electric windows function properly however the vacuum-powered door locks do not. There is NO evidence of past cigarette smoke odor. burns or interior stain here. As you’ll find on most vintage Benz. the old Becker stereo has been replaced by a modern unit. in this case a nice Panasonic CD model with a remote. I’m always very happy to work with any shipper you choose. but you’re also welcome to do what many of our past buyers from as far away as Alaska. Arizona. the Midwest. Canada. Florida. New York and even the Mexican Baja have done – fly in here to Seattle (we’ll pick you up at Sea-Tac International just a few miles away) and then start a road trip home the same day. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive long-distance in this car! As a respected Ebay seller with many. many satisfied online buyers. I want you to bid with confidence knowing that this Mercedes runs and drives out as it should AND that it is being properly represented to you! Please don’t be upset if I miss a minor flaw or some small issue comes up. NO used vehicle is ever perfect. Having said that. I won’t hesitate to drive this excellent car cross-country! Please check the photos over closely and call me with any questions BEFORE you place a bid! You’re encouraged to stop by. inspect the Mercedes and take it for a test drive as it is being sold as-is. where-is with a free & clear Washington State title. There are NO title brands for any nasty negatives like salvage history. theft or flood damage to cause you concern! Because of the amount of money involved with a vehicle purchase. I reserve the right to cancel your bid if you have any negative feedback. I also ask that potential bidders with a feedback rating of five or fewer transactions on Ebay contact me before placing their bid. Please feel free to contact me directly thru Ebay’s system or. as outlined above. call me at 206/914-1173 anytime. My name is MARK THOMPSON. A Few Additional Terms and Conditions: A nonrefundable $500 deposit is due within 24 hours of the auction’s conclusion. The balance is due by cash or certified funds within seven business days unless prior arrangements have been made with me. I can accept PAYPAL. but if you plan to pay any more than the deposit through them I’ll first need to invoice you and ask that you cover the 3. 0% fee PayPal charges. Please remember you are bidding to buy and I fully expect the winning bidder to fulfill their Ebay contract! You’re not bidding to hold or then come inspect and test-drive the vehicle later -- You’re more than welcome to do this before the auction ends. If you decide to have the car transported home. there are scores of companies to choose from. We ship vehicles regularly and I'd suggest that you get a transport bid from Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS). They're Ebay's preferred transporter and will give you a fair quote. Call my designated rep. Brad Simon. directly at (908)290-1575. Give him my affiliate number (2362642) and he can pull up all our information for a station-to-station or even door-to-door quote. As an alternative. you might also get bids from the U-Ship. com website. You’ll be able to choose a transport broker from multiple offers. The zip code for pick-up would be 98002 (Auburn. Washington). The shipping of the vehicle and company chosen are the responsibility of the BUYER. The Mercedes can be stored free of charge at my location for up to two weeks after the auction ends assuming full payment has been received. After that period storage is $20 per day.