1980 Mercedes 350se - Rare Original Euro Model; Rust-free, Road Ready Cruiser on 2040-cars

1980

Mercedes 350 SE

Rare European Model

VIN: 11602812054066

Here’s another great-running & driving, hard-to-find Mercedes we’ve just acquired for our Ebay customers.  From the moment I first laid eyes on this spotless sedan, it was obvious that it’s received the utmost respect and care over the years.  There aren’t many left out there in this condition and brings to mind the old saying in the collector world: “Any car can be restored, given enough time & money, but it can only be factory original once!”  Reluctantly, it was turned over to us a few days ago by only its second caretaker for resale.  I’ve got to tell you, having driven it every day since, what a treat!  Where else will you find this kind of luxury, vintage style, safety, mechanical reliability, ease-of-maintenance AND decent economy wrapped up in one gorgeous ride?  Please feel free to contact me with questions or to make an offer before the auction ends.  My name is Mark Thompson and my direct phone number is 206/914-1173.  You’re encouraged to make an appointment to inspect and drive this outstanding car here at my Auburn warehouse. 

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Ever driven one of these Mercedes with the powerful 3.5 liter engine?  Smooth is the word for sure.  Smooth powerful acceleration.  Smooth handling in the curves or on the highway, too.  1980 was the last year for the vaunted W116 chassis and I’ve always considered these sedans constructed during the 70’s as the last hand-built, truly high-quality Benz with many others saying the same thing!  Take a look at the photos and I know you’ll agree with me what a great find this is.  What you see is the result of a wash and vacuum only.  It’s obviously been garaged since day one resulting in an overall condition that’s superior to ANY other original sedan you’re likely to find!  Climb over, under and throughout and I know you’ll come up smiling!  Rust?  Please, this Benz hates rust and you WON’T find any to worry about here.  Yes, the Puget Sound area is famous for rain, but our winter roads are rarely ever salted.  We only have one or two days of light snow each year.  Everyone panics and just stays home.  Climb over, under and all around this car - I know you’ll come up smiling!!  Having personally owned more than twenty Mercedes over the years, I’ve developed a great appreciation for their style, mechanical reliability and overall driving experience.  THIS CAR RUNS OUT JUST AS IT WAS MEANT TO. I TRULY HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A VINTAGE BENZ THAT I’VE LIKED BETTER!!  I know you’ll be proud to own and drive it as well.

CONDITION:

In total, this is an ultra-clean, well-cared-for, smoke-free car.  I take great pride in the vehicles we sell and feel that you should know as much about it as possible.  Accordingly here is a list of what I’ve discovered: Hop in, turn the key, even when starting cold, and the powerful V-8 engine fires right up every time!  The car idles, runs and drives like a Mercedes is supposed to – instant, strong oil pressure, good battery and charging system, no overheating, no brake pull to either side or alignment issues!  Most U.S. versions of this body style came with the 4.5 liter engine (called a 450SE or SEL).  Basically, this 350 motor is the same, but has higher compression heads and MORE horsepower!  Back in the day, if you could find a set of 3.5 heads for your 450 sedan or roadster, you’d struck mechanical gold.  Very few made their way to North America but could occasionally be sourced from Benz club members or an overseas contact.

The automatic transmission shifts smoothly between all gears, just as it should, with NO slippage.  Over the Christmas break the car was driven from Seattle to Palo Alto, California and back without ANY problems (that’s over 1,500 miles) and is ready now for another road trip!  I’ve now put hundred miles on myself over the past few weeks including freeway cruising at 65 MPH for several hours at a time.

The factory color maroon paint has had one quality re-spray sometime in the past and, with the exception of a few small chips, is virtually flawless; no thin spots or peeling clearcoat anywhere!  I’ve not come across any evidence of accidents or past body repair.  Great chrome and perfect exterior trim all around, too – none of the cloudy anodized aluminum you’ll find on EVERY other car!  The front fenders, doors, rear quarters and floor pans are all solid; in fact the entire undercarriage is about the best you’d ever expect on any 34 year-old car!  The factory wheels are straight and true. They’re wrapped with 205/70R14 Michelin MXV4 radials with at least 75-80% tread remaining.

Take another good look at the interior shots.  The original wood trim is the best you will ever find.  Hop in and feel comfortable sitting on these firm Euro-fabric bucket seats for hours as the springs have held up far better than most.  There’s no cracked, shrunken, splitting leather or MB Vinyltex here!  The matching rear bench hasn’t suffered the fate of most other W116 sedans either and still has strong underlayment and great upholstery on both the seat base and back rest.  All door panels are near perfect as shown.  You’ll love the very large sunroof!  Open it year-round and it’s almost like driving a convertible (it can be a little slow to close).  The heater/defroster system blows warm & cold just fine.  Both the speedo and mileage counter work perfectly.  There’s no evidence of any water leakage ever on the headliner or factory carpets.  I haven’t had the A/C tested as the drive belt is off, but the former owner swore it works fine and all components are there – I’ll try to have a belt fitted while the auction is running and double-check.  It’s a mystery why Daimler has always had difficulty coming up with a quality, long-lasting German stereo radio for any of their cars.  Even modern Mercedes seem to always have troublesome factory stereos, so it’s not surprising that the original Becker Europa tuner was changed out long ago for a nice Panasonic model.  The jack, spare and original tools are in the trunk as shown in the photo.

I’m always very happy to work with any shipper you choose, but you’re also welcome to do what many of my previous 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!  As a respected Ebay seller with many, many satisfied online buyers, I want you to bid with confidence knowing that this Benz runs and drives 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 on the car as NO used vehicle is perfect.  Having said that, I won’t hesitate to drive long distance in this Mercedes today!

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 car at my Auburn, WA warehouse and take it for a test drive.  As always, it is being sold “as-is, where-is” with a clean, free & clear Washington State title.  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 through 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 48 hours of the auction’s end.  We can accept PAYPAL, but only for the deposit amount because of the high fees they charge.  The balance is due by cash or certified funds within seven business days unless prior arrangements have been made with me.   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 do decide to have the Benz shipped home, there are numerous vehicle transport companies to choose from.  We deal with them 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, Janice, directly at (469)587-5096.  Give her my affiliate number (2362642) and she can pull up all our information for door-to-door or even station-to-station price quotes. 

As an alternative, you might also get bids from the U-Ship.com website and be able to choose a transport broker from multiple offers.  The zip code for pick-up is 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.