1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL Roadster Convertible 2-Door 3.8L V8 2-Owner NO RESERVE

For sale: 1983 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Technical specifications

Condition:
Used
Item location:
Winter Park, Florida, United States
Make:
Mercedes-Benz
Model:
SL-Class
Type:
Convertible
Trim:
380SL
Year:
1983
Mileage:
104,600
VIN:
WDBBA45A9DB021470
Color:
Brown
Engine size:
3.8L V8
Power options:
Air Conditioning, Power Locks, Power Windows, Power Seats
Fuel:
Gasoline
Transmission:
Automatic
Drive type:
RWD
Interior color:
Brown
Safety options:
Anti-Lock Brakes
Options:
Cassette Player, Leather Seats, CD Player, Convertible
Contact the seller / ! Report

Description

Black Titanium Template 1983 MERCEDES BENZ 380SL Description Odometer: 104600 VIN# WDBBA45A9DB021470 Engine: 3.8L V8 Transmission: Automatic

You are bidding on a very beautiful and outstanding Classic Two-Owner 1983 Mercedes Benz 380SL with Automatic Transmission and 104K all miles are from the state of Florida. This Mercedes is very fuel efficient with about 23MPG Highway resulting in huge savings on fuel cost. It runs and drives very well with smooth acceleration and shifts good from gear to gear. This vehicle has only 104K Original Miles and for a Mercedes Engine it has many more miles to travel. Most of the miles racked up because this Mercedes was like a Snow Bird during the summer season it would go to for the past 15 years in Owensboro, entucky and also be serviced by Tri-Star Mercedes a lot and also Fields Motorcars in Daytona Beach during the winter season. All this Information was provided by the CARFAX. I got this Mercedes from Fields Motorcars in Daytona Beach, L. It was traded in by the Second Owner back in April of this year, here Sales Manager and then they had it on there lot for sale until they sold it to ARC MOTORS INC (ME). I was told by the sales manager that the Mercedes used as a show room classic SL promo, s it sat in the show room for most of the time when it was at Fields for sale and what I'm saying is that it was used a display car with other SL's models. It stayed parked next to generations of SL's. Also Comes with Both Top Including Hard Top and the soft top works flawlessly.

There is something pleasant about driving a Mercedes and my SL is a lot of fun to drive. Its unusual, t handles well, t attracts attention, here are some neat attributes about it, nd there is that big star on the front. The 380SL is not technologically sophisticated nor does it have all the bells and whistles like electric seats or tilt steering wheel that do exist on most any car today and did exist on many high-end autos in 1983. Only the right hand mirror is electric - the left hand mirror is manual. Also has factory installed options like 14" Mercedes wires wheels, uro Headlights, nd the original Becker Radio. The convertible top is not electric but instead a simple manual procedure to put down and put up. It is neat the way the convertible top folds down behind a metal cover. The removable hardtop takes two pretty strong men to lift off or put back on.

The 380SL was a very very expensive vehicle in 1983 and cost an excess of $40,000 for it.

I call the allure that we have about the engineering and build quality of 380SL's, long with those 450SL's and 560SL's, ostly hype and myth. I coined the phrase "Mercedes Myth" because my experience with a new Mercedes failed to meet my expectations. What is not myth is the desirability for Mercedes cars like the 380SL and the reason is basically the overall design and styling. 380SL's are fun to drive, un spending time detailing, nd fun to show. The following is my critique of Mercedes 380SL's:

"Engineered Like No Other Car in the World"? Lets take a look .....

Body
The 380SL metal body is constructed with what seems much thicker steel than most other cars. But, L's are notorious for rusting around the fender wells, ocker panels and corners. Chrome seems to be of high quality. The #1 quality feature that sold me on buying a Mercedes and one that I still appreciate is the way Mercedes folds the metal around the door edges along with the bank like thunk when you close the door. Still, y 380SL when fitted with the Hard Top has some wind noise that is a disappointment. I expect wind noise with the soft top, ut not when the hard top is on. I've noted that the body side trim can come loose and slide horizontally. The rubber material for the bumpers and around exterior mirrors seem to high quality and holds up nicely. Usually the Paint is high quality on the obvious surfaces but down low I note its somewhat sloppy that I find failing to meet the "Mercedes Myth". The hood release and the soft top release can be problematic as I have noted this frequently is a problem. I have had problems in both of these areas. The door handles do have that solid quality feel that one expects. The Hood on 380SL's is aluminum and nicely constructed and finished. I have read accounts of paint coming off in places on the hood and paint prep for aluminum is different from steel.
The fit and trim on the removable hard top is top notch and what one expects of the "Mercedes Myth". The removable hard top is heavy and will take two strong men unless you have a ceiling hoist to lift it off.

Summary: Very high quality but also very rust prone and painted areas down low on the body are usually sloppy. I would consider the Body of 380SL's as meeting the expectations of the "Mercedes Myth" were they not so prone to rust. You would think that Mercedes would have been farther along with rust prevention but obviously were not.

Interior
380SL interiors are normally either Mercedes Tex (vinyl) and/or Leather. I've noted experts who describe all 380/450/560 SL interiors as "weak" and I tend to agree. Interiors have a number of short comings that is not up to the Mercedes myth - namely that seat bottoms usually flatten out and/or stitching comes loose over time, oor panel vinyl coverings are always wrinkled, he dash often cracks especially the blue colored ones, nd the center armrest is basically ordinary. The sun visors are 'cheaper' than what one would find on a Chevrolet Vega - not only being cheap, hey do not have lighted mirrors that one would expect on a $40K car. In addition, here are some parts that are chrome plated plastic but are done quite well. Specifics that do meet the 'Mercedes Myth' are the door handles and associated mechanism, eneral layout of the interior, arpet is high quality and seems to wear well, lectrical switches have a nice firm quality feel, hat big Mercedes steering wheel is a pleasure to use.
Summary: SL interiors have a very short durability from what I have observed, nd completely fails to meet the expectations of the "Mercedes Myth" for quality - a big disappointment here.

Soft Top
Original Soft Tops are German Canvas and are quite pleasing in appearance. Those Soft Tops are water tight and do last quite a while if well taken care of. The rear windows, hree of them, re plastic and do yellow, ade, nd are easy to scratch. I think Mercedes should have made it a priority to figure out a way to have real glass instead of plastic. The soft top is easy to put up and down even if it is a manual operation. One of the neatest things about 380SL's is the way the soft top can be stowed away behind that pop up cover. Sure is attractive with the top down and stowed underneath that metal cover.
Summary: SL soft top meets the "Mercedes Myth" if the SL is sold as a sports car. If sold as a 'luxury car', t fails to meet the "Mercedes Myth" because of the plastic windows and because it is not powered.

Engine, ransmission, echanicals
Engine: 380SL engines are aluminum alloy and are generally not as reliable as the older 450SL or the newer 560SL. The 380SL has the least powerful engine of the group but it certainly is not underpowered and it gets very good gas mileage.
Transmission: No major problems and appears to be long lasting. The Automatic Transmission does have a noticeable "thunk" when shifting through the gears.

Brakes: Brakes work well, ome but not all 380SL's have ABS braking. I had to have the Master Cylinder overhauled on mine at 98,000 miles. The brake pads that 380SL's use do create a lot of dust that tends to accumulate on the wheels making those silver painted wheels appear black. Brake dust is hard to clean off and you might want to look into dust shields for each wheel - I use Kleen Wheels and they seem to work good for me. Course, urist will tell you that dust shields cut down on brake cooling but I don't abuse my 380SL and this has never been a problem for me.

Steering, lignment: Good road feel, lignment seems to stay when set. Steering is not rack and pinion but instead recirculating ball.

Wheels: has 14" factory installed Mercedes wire wheels

Tires: Michelin tires, sually 205/70-14, re what one expects of the "Mercedes Myth".

Summary: SL mechanicals fail to meet ones expectations of the "Mercedes Myth" of reliability and engineering.

Accessories
Radio: Adequate, othing exciting here. The electronic tuning basically sucks and I often wish for the a rubber vacuum hose cracks.
Summary: Fails to meet ones expectations of the "Mercedes Myth". In addition, here is nothing exotic or unusually as far as accessories go with SL's - just basic accessories where most other 'luxury' cars at that time were better equipped.
The Mercedes SL series is quite likely the very finest automobile ever made.

The 380SL is visual poetry parked in your garage, nd poetry in motion while driven.

Driving the 380SL one learns what it must feel like to be a deity when freed from the shackles of place and time and the cares and worries that haunt ordinary drivers.

The 380SL engine runs without sound or vibration at idle and normal speeds. It has more power than even the largest military Hummer, et when pushed merely makes a slight whooshing sound while objects from afar get very big very fast and evaporate in your rear view mirror almost instantly. Shifting through the gears the 380SL gives no jerking forward and back, ut instead offers continuous, nbroken smooth acceleration more like a silent turbine jet engine. The 380SL's ground speed exceeds the speed at which aircraft lift off, nd ten 380SLs have more power than a locomotive with a lot less weight and noise.

While moving the 380SL reminds one that it costs over five times what a normal car does not by excess, ut by the absence of all the little noises, nconveniences and compromises of lesser cars. As many world religions have noted, leasure and Heaven are not obvious pleasures, ut the complete lack of unpleasantness.

The 380SL accelerates smoothly and brutally at any speed. Acceleration comes from torque, ot horsepower. The horsepower advertised by sub-six-figure vehicles has much less to do with acceleration than torque. A normal car has only about 150 ft-lbs of torque, eak. The 380SL not only has 224 ft-lbs, t does this over most RPMs.

Driving the 380SL is salvation. Behind the wheel your life is perfect.

Aug 9 at 11:08 PM

The Three Tops

The 380SL is a bargain when you consider it's three cars in one: a coup�© with the hard top attached, roadster with the top down, nd a ragtop with the cloth top up. The cloth top is always with the car while the hard top is removable. If you get an SL with the hard top rest assured the soft top is snuggled away underneath.

The Soft Top

The tonneau cover covers the lowered top. The SL is a $100,000 car, ot a $20,000 Dodge Chrysler Sebring or similar. At speed the soft top of the SL is quiet and makes no wind noise. I never appreciated this until we got stuck with a Chrysler Sebring rental. Drive the Chrysler with the top up and you hear a ruckus coming from where the soft top and windshield meet, nd whistling from above the side windows. Mercedes designs the tops and interfaces for perfect aerodynamics, irflow and quiet. It costs more to do it correctly. The soft top of the SL even includes rain gutters to keep rain and windshield washer fluid off your side windows, ust like Mercedes hard tops. These gutters are the slight indentations towards the front that channel water to the rear instead of letting it slip off to the side.

The 380SL is a masterpiece of beauty, ower, moothness, afety and convenience which cannot be put into words by any living poet. The rest of this is all technical. Other cars occasionally can offer better performance on paper in one aspect or another, ut always at the expense of something else at which the SL continues to excel. The rest of this cannot possibly convey the pleasure received from owning an 380SL. I present the rest of these facts for my personal reference after having researched them.

This R107 body style was made from 1972 through 1989.

Condition

There is No Rust on the vehicle. A Southern Vehicle from the Sun Shine State

� 23MPG. Huge $avings on fuel cost!!!!!!

�The A/C blows cold and the Heater works great too.

�Controls such as the Power Mirrors, ower Door Locks, ower Windows, /p>

�Car Runs and Drives Good. Don't miss out on this beautiful Classic Mercedes (R107) Roadster. Bid with confidence.

�Overall, his is an outstanding and beautiful vehicle and it is awaiting its new owner. Bid with Confidence.

�See lots of Pictures Below!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*The exhaust has no signs of smoke

*The engine shows no signs of oils leaks

*The paint looks repainted but very small imperfections and very small spots of surface 8.5/10

*Interior Condition is 9/10 the seats are original and has no tears or rips

*TIRES are in Great condition

*A/C WORKS FINE AND EVERTHING ELSE 10/10

*has 104,500 MILES

* Florida CAR ALL IT'S LIFE

* NO RUST

Terms of Sale

* $275 doc fee for all buyers + Florida residents must pay 6% sales tax or sales tax required for your county and tag for registration . Out of states buyers must pay sales tax varies from state to state We will ship the car...buyers are responsible for ALL shipping costs. We can help arrange shipping if necessary.

1. Placing a Bid: By bidding on this vehicle you are entering into a legally binding contract to purchase this vehicle and you agree to abide by all terms of sale set forth herein.
2. Vehicle Representation: Although we describe all our vehicles to the best of our abilities, t is still possible that we may have unintentionally made an error or left some information out. Please keep in mind that used vehicles may have typical dings and scratches inherent for their year and mileage. Interior wear should also be considered depending on the vehicle�s year and mileage. Opinions and expectations can vary, o please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding the condition of this vehicle. Used cars may not come with all of the original books, eys or accessories. Please review all photos carefully and if there is anything you are not sure about, sk questions prior to bidding. We are not responsible for errors or omissions in our listings. The mileage may be different than advertised due to test drives and demos.
3. Financing: If you are planning to finance this vehicle through a lending institution, ou must secure the loan prior to bidding. Secure all finances and be able to follow through with the payment before you bid. Please do not call us for financing help, e do not provide financing.
4. Warranty: Unless stated otherwise, his vehicle is being sold �as is� and "where is" with all faults and possible defects. No representations or warranties are made by seller, ither express or implied, ncluding but not limited to warranties of title or implied warranties of merchant ability or fitness for a particular purpose. Nor are any representations or warranties relied upon by bidders in making bids. We are not the first owners of this vehicle and therefore cannot guarantee history, ondition, eliability, ileage, itle, alvage/history of salvage, unction or performance of the vehicle. You are only buying what we have. Manufacturer�s warranties may still apply. You may chose to purchase extended warranty from many aftermarket warranty companies that can be found online.
5. Vehicle Transportation: Buyer is responsible for shipping and/or pickup of the vehicle. All shipping charges are the buyer�s responsibility. We will not be responsible in any way for claims arising from shipping damage. Shipping companies have insurance policies that protect buyers against damage. If you choose to pickup the vehicle yourself, losest airport to us is ORLANDO MCO, L.
6. Payment Information: If you are the winning bidder/buyer, ou must contact us within 24 hours of winning the auction or getting invoice to set up payment arrangements. We do add $275 dollar fee to every car we sell. We require a $275 dollars non-refundable deposit within twenty-four (24) hours. If the deposit is not received within the required time frame and alternative arrangements were not made, e reserve the right to make the vehicle available for sale to another buyer. The remaining balance is due within 5 calendar days of making the deposit. You must fax or email us your State issued driver�s license after you make the deposit. We reserve the right to keep your deposit and resell the vehicle to another buyer if final payment is not received within 7 calendar days. As final payment for the vehicle, e will accept a certified bank check, ank loan check, ire transfer, r cash. We will not release the vehicle and/or title until funds clear. If you pay cash, ou can pickup the vehicle immediately. If you pay by wire transfer the vehicle will be available for pickup once funds are available in our account. If you pay by bank check, ou will have to wait nine (9) business days until the funds clear.
7. Title Information: Vehicle titles may be held by banks or lenders as collateral for loans. In some cases there is a delay in receiving the original paper Title after the vehicle is paid off. While we usually have all titles in our possession at the time of sale, here are occasions where we may have to wait for them to arrive. It may take anywhere from 3 to 7 business days for us to receive the title.
8. Bidder�s Age: You must be 18 years of age or older to bid/purchase.
9. Storage Terms: Once the auction/sale completed, e will store the vehicle free of charge for (7) calendar days and at 20 dollars per day after that. Ones the payment has been made, he vehicle will be stored free of charge for (30) calendar days and at 20 dollars per day after that.
10. Liquidated Damages: In the event that the winning bidder refuses to honor his/her obligation to purchase the vehicle, e shall be entitled to liquidated damages from that bidder as follows:
a. $5,000 in liquidated damages on a vehicle sold for $15,000 or less.
b. $7,000 in liquidated damages on a vehicle sold for $15,001 - $40,000.
c. $10,000 in liquidated damages on a vehicle sold for $40,001 or greater.
11. Choice of Law & Forum: Buyer agrees that in the event any dispute shall arise, t will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of FLORIDA and litigated in ORANGE County. By bidding on this auction/sale buyer consents to service by certified mail.
12. Miscellaneous: We reserve the right to obtain and verify the registered information of all users who bid on this auction/sale. In order to protect the integrity of this auction/deal, uyers with zero or negative feedback must contact us prior to bidding. We reserve the right to cancel any and all bids at our discretion and end the auction early in the event the vehicle is sold locally prior to the end of the auction, e shall not be held liable for such cancellations.
13. Not responsible for Typographical errors, f you are not sure about something just ask us.

I accept the following forms of payment: traditional bank transfer cash in person certified funds Disclaimer

* This is a used car NOT new.... Although the car is in very good condition it will have some imperfections, s it is NOT new, hank you for not confusing the two. We do our best to explain everything about the vehicle to the best of our knowledge, ut again these are used vehicles and will have some history that is unknown.

International bidders are welcome. I will help in any way I can with coordinating shipping within the U.S. or overseas.

Seller reserves the right to end this listing at anytime should the vehicle no longer be available for sale. Professional pre-purchase inspections are welcome but must be made before the auction ends. We have described the above mentioned vehicle to the best of our ability. However, ith all pre-owned automobiles, he condition is subjective, o we recommend that the potential buyer fly out to inspect as well as test drive any of the vehicles before finalizing purchase. If your personal inspection is not possible, e will be glad to help facilitate an inspection by your chosen local independent service center and will make arrangements to deliver the vehicle to them for this purpose.

All vehicles are sold in "AS IS" condition. However, xtended warranty options are available on most vehicles. Please be advised that no oral statements concerning any vehicle constitute a representation or warranty of the condition of said vehicle. Our goal is to provide you with the best service and the most comfortable buying experience on eBay. We do not accept escrow, nd all inspections must be done prior to delivery. ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: Please be aware that you will be responsible for the Federal Reserve fee(s) charged for all incoming wires).

Pertaining to non eBay winners: anyone with a deposit but the sale is pending financing, rd party inspection or any other contingency, he said vehicle will not be held and is subject to be sold at any time, ntil all contingencies are removed and a manager or owner accepts and signs the purchase order.

The advertised mileage represents the actual miles when the car was placed on eBay. These vehicles are test driven and actual mileage may differ at time of sale.

Condition Disclaimer:

All used vehicles should be assumed to have some degree of wear. We do not manufacture our product. Each vehicle brand has its strengths, tyles, endencies, nd shortcomings. Therefore, espite our best efforts to verify a vehicle's mechanical condition, e are not able to warranty a manufacturers workmanship or a previous owners diligence in care. It is for this reason that all vehicles are sold "AS IS" and there are no mechanical guarantees expressed or implied.

We reserve the right to end the auction at any time.

About the Seller

*WE ARE A WHOLESALE USED CAR DEALER LOCATED IN WINTER PARK, LORIDA

ARC MOTORS INC

2286 W FAIRBANKS AVE, INTER PARK, 2789

407-803-1500

ARC MOTORS INC 407-803-1500 premium template powered by copyright 2014 www.hdauctions.com

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