1991 Mercedes 300te Wagon, 2-owner, Huge Services, All Southern Car E320 on 2040-cars

I am the 2nd owner of this loaded, pristine 300TE Wagon. I purchased it in November 2001 (12 years ago) from the original owner with 110,000 miles on the odometer. The first owner purchased new in Tupelo, Mississippi and his wife used it for herself and their two small children. It was always garaged kept and service at Mercedes-Benz of Memphis, TN and Mercedes Benz of Tupelo, MS. I also have always garaged the car and the paint, interior, and underbody reflect this. The car has never been driven further north than an occasional kayaking trip to North Carolina and has spent it's entire life in the temperate, salt-free Mississippi climate. I commuted frequently from Memphis, TN to Jackson, MS for work so the vast majority of the 67,000 miles I covered was on flat, Interstate-55 connecting these two cities. All services were performed by Mercedes-Benz of Memphis, TN; Star Service Center of Memphis, TN (Mercedes Master Mechanic for 35 years); Blackwell Mercedes Benz of Jackson, MS; and Mercedes Shop of North Miami Beach, FL ($5,100 service completed there three weeks ago by this Mercedes Master Mechanic).

  I am a certified car nut and have had anything and everything addressed on this car. This is my 4th and most dependable Mercedes-Benz to date. I still have a 1969 220D (soon to be listed on eBay), a 1983 300SD, and I recent sold my 1988 560SL for triple what I paid for it because of the exhaustive servicing and rejuvenation I poured into it. Just to give you an idea about this car...At 160,000, I had the timing chain, upper chain guide and tensioner replaced. At 161,964 I had the transmission service performed, flex discs replaced and new brakes and rotors installed. At, 163,000, new, factory-correct German Bilstien struts were installed. When I recently relocated to Miami, I had this car shipped to Mercedes Shop and told Austrian owner and M-B Master Tech, Helmut, to address any problems to make it ready for sale. Three weeks later, the car had complete top-end engine rebuild and valve job with new head gasket, new valves, vale seats, oil lines, new brakes, new radiator, new fuel distributors, relined gas tank, new Mercedes battery, news radiator, hoses, belts, and spark plugs to the tune of over $5,100. Only OEM Mercedes-Benz parts were used. These "big" services are in addition to the regular scheduled maintenance and oil changes that I was religious about. I have also only used Shell Premium 93 for all fill ups since owning the car. You may see other 300TE wagons on eBay going for $2,500 - $4,500 but I can guarantee they'll need double this amount in services to be brought up to the level of dependability and preservation this car has built in. Additionally, when you consider this car is a 2-owner, never wrecked, never driven on salty roads, has all matching VIN decals on all bumpers and body panels, you 'll start to realize how special this car really is. 

  A few perks about this car: 

  1. I replaced the black plastic bumper pads with factory painted ones and replaced the US sealed beam headlight units with authentic European headlights to give the car and E320 ('94-'95 look) and far superior nighttime visibility. 

  2. I added the only factory authorized navigation system approved in recent years for the W124, the Becker/Harmon/Kardon TrafficPro with a 6-disc Becker CD Changer and Sirius Satellite Radio. 

  3. This car has the most reliable M103 inline-6 cylinder Mercedes-Benze ever made. The '93-'95 engines were much more complicated and suffered from cheaper wiring harnesses, weaker head gaskets and valve seats, and much less reliable HVAC systems. 

  4. The factory R12 AC is ICE COLD and has never been replaced, opened or recharged. Additionally, the climate control system works perfectly and keeps the set interior temperature on the rotary dial accurately through all fan speeds and temperatures which are controlled atomically. 

  5. All power windows, mirrors, seats, door locks, sun roof, antenna, cruise, dash warning lights, exterior lights,  interior night time illumination, and other electrical items work perfectly. 

  6. The nuclear proof Mercedes M-B Tex vinyl looks new on all seats and door panels. Because this material is perforated, it breathes like leather but will not crack, fade, or patina like leather. When cleaned regularly, the M-B Tex should last the lifetime of the vehicle. There are absolute zero cracks or tears anywhere and all factory carpets, velour, and floor mats are 100% stain-free.

  7. The engine is perfectly quiet with excellent acceleration and transmission shifts perfectly through all 4 forward gears and reverse. The suspension (including the self-leveling rear suspension) is excellent and soaks up the bumps effortlessly. The entire drivetrain needs absolutely nothing and is 100% leak-free

  8. The 3rd row rear-facing seat with 3-point seat belts is really great and makes hauling 7 people easy. With all seats folded flat, the car has more cargo room than most SUV/CUVs on the market.

  9. Sitting in this car feels like sitting in a 1991 time capsule and really makes one understand the old adage "they don't make these cars like they use to." The W124 (this E-Class '86-'95), and the W140 (S-Class '91-'99) are widely considered to be the last of the uber-reliable and over engineered Mercedes-Benz products. I also have a 2007 Audi A6 Avant (wagon), and this car is much more quite and devoid of rattles, shakes and squeaks that I hear in the 16 year younger and half-the-mileage Audi.

  10. This car has never been smoked in, had an animal ride in it, nor have I ever allowed food or drink in it. Again, I'm OCD about my cars and all five show it! Mature, married driver with no kids and no animals here!

  A few negatives:  1. While loading a kayak onto my Thule roof rack (not included), the bow scraped the leading edge of the roof and required a respray in this area. The panel was not damaged but the scratch was too deep to buff out. The paint was blended well around the sunroof but the clear coat is beginning to fail in this small area and could use a fresh respray. This fault is super hard to see and you really have to catch it in the right light to notice it. I've photoed this area in the shade to try to highlife this fault. 

  2. A small, nickel-sized rock chip on the windshield was professionally repaired and sealed by Safelite. 

  3. The factory rear amplifier recently went out and no sound is coming from the speakers. Used amps can be found on eBay for $50-$100. 

  4. There are 3 small door dings and 1 larger grocery cart ding. I've tried to photo this. I have a $150 estimate to pull all dings via a painless dent remover in Miami. Other than those dings, all paint is glossy, and all body panels are completely straight and original with factory VIN labels.

  5. The driver's side rearview mirror housing rubber surround has cracked on top, see photo. Replacement surround can be found on eBay for around $50.

  6. The Michelin MX4 Rainforce M+S all-season tires in factory correct sizes have about 60% tread life remaining but are starting to show signs of dry rot from age and should be replaced soon. I drive the car daily at over 70 MPH on the interstate and they remain quiet, and comfortable but being the safety fanatic that I am, I would recommend replacing them. Since I don't know where this car will sell (snow belt or locally here in sunny Florida), I'm leaving this purchase up to the new owner based on their geographic location and driving habits.

  I have tried to the best of my ability to describe this great car accurately. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me. I have been an active member on eBay since its first year in 1998 and have 100% feedback. The car is being sold as-is and I do not accept returns. I am happy to asset with local pick up, personal delivery within 50 miles of Miami or shipping. Shipping charges are the responsibility of the buy but I can recommend vehicle shipping companies I've used in the past. Good luck bidding!

  Exterior Photos in full sun and in shade to (be patient these are large photos and take a while to load but a picture is worth a thousand words!):

 

  INTERIOR & ENGINE:

 

  COMING TO eBAY SOON: