Car of the week

[Patrick_R]

Here are some pics of the new X Trail.
For some reason Australian X Trails don’t get an engine cover, so when you pop the bonnet, it looks like someone has stolen it.
All the mounting points are there, but no cover.
View attachment 26268View attachment 26269View attachment 26270View attachment 26271View attachment 26272View attachment 26273View attachment 26274View attachment 26275View attachment 26276View attachment 26277View attachment 26278View attachment 26279View attachment 26280View attachment 26267

The new X Trail had its first service today.
With a brand new engine for this model, and modern oils, the service intervals are still every 10k.
A huge let down in a modern world.

 

[ProfessorExperimental]

The 280E looked nice, but had a quite bad rust hole above one of the rear jacking points. Given it wouldn't have required a lot of paintwork, the sort of thing that would have been better to fix before selling the car if the seller wanted a good price.

View attachment 26290

the 230 was a carby import and they never do all that well.

Oh I see it now, I thought I was looking at a fuel distributor there...
Ironic given the growing restomod/custom-classic trend to harken back to racing carb setups on anything that could suit them (eg putting triple Spanish dcoe webers on 80s falcons)...

 

[c107]

Oh I see it now, View attachment 26291I thought I was looking at a fuel distributor there...
Ironic given the growing restomod/custom-classic trend to harken back to racing carb setups on anything that could suit them (eg putting triple Spanish dcoe webers on 80s falcons)...

The W123 230 and 250 W123's developed a reputation of being quite troublesome, plus being very thirsty and under powered. The ADR restrictions made the carby setups overly complicated and it took quite an expert to make them run properly. The 250 in particular was known for leaning out and causing engine damage. These days everyone wants the 230E, 280E and 300D and the 230, 250 and 240D are rarely seen.

 

[ProfessorExperimental]

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1977-mercedes-benz-450slc-auto/SSE-AD-15152786

Seems our man had his car on gumtree for 29k, got sick of waiting so put it up for auction via Lloyd's, bidding petered out <7k, now he's put it on carsales for 24k. Unless thats the winning bidder turning a quick profit...

maybe not "car of the week", but can I nominate Nick from Kogarah for "dream of the week"?

 

[c107]

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1977-mercedes-benz-450slc-auto/SSE-AD-15152786

Seems our man had his car on gumtree for 29k, got sick of waiting so put it up for auction via Lloyd's, bidding petered out <7k, now he's put it on carsales for 24k. Unless thats the winning bidder turning a quick profit...

maybe not "car of the week", but can I nominate Nick from Kogarah for "dream of the week"?

Its amazing how much primer 24k buys you, including the wrong seats, no carpets etc.

 

[ProfessorExperimental]

Oh they're the wrong seats? Like w126 coupe or something? Was wondering what the go was with those exposed frames that seem to only lean forward on the outside of the driver's side....

 

[c107]

Oh they're the wrong seats? Like w126 coupe or something? Was wondering what the go was with those exposed frames that seem to only lean forward on the outside of the driver's side....

They are from a 107 SL not SLC

SLC seats have vacuum locks, not the mechanical lever and are always leather or velours, not mB Tex

 

[ProfessorExperimental]

Oh wow, that's an interesting "tell". Sounds like the coupes were pitched as more upmarket than the roadsters then. Odd given their respective worth now...

Meanwhile, for anyone who would love a car in the colour and trim combination "Drug Dealer":

Mercedes Benz 250 coupe Automatic Coupe Auction (0001-50705932) | Grays Australia

www.grays.com

 

[Styria]

Hi Bryce, thanks for bringing us up to date. It is always best to have final prices to gauge the market. By the look of things, some Mercedes offerings are below par and that is reflected in the low prices. Did all the cars featured in this post part of just the one auction ? Surprising to see a fairly large number up for sale. Regards Styria

 

[c107]

Hi Bryce, thanks for bringing us up to date. It is always best to have final prices to gauge the market. By the look of things, some Mercedes offerings are below par and that is reflected in the low prices. Did all the cars featured in this post part of just the one auction ? Surprising to see a fairly large number up for sale. Regards Styria

Yes all part of the same auction. Lloyds normally have about 10-15 each month.

Prices probably reflected a very down market and also the quality of the cars offered this month.

 

[c107]

Oh wow, that's an interesting "tell". Sounds like the coupes were pitched as more upmarket than the roadsters then. Odd given their respective worth now...

Meanwhile, for anyone who would love a car in the colour and trim combination "Drug Dealer":

Mercedes Benz 250 coupe Automatic Coupe Auction (0001-50705932) | Grays Australia

www.grays.com

At the time, the SLC was significantly more expensive than the SL.

For example, in 1977 you had:

450SE: $38,230
450SEL: $39,300
450SL: $39,410
450SLC: $44,010

 

[BenzBoy]

Using the Reserve Bank Inflation calculator, the equivalent price today of the 450SE would be almost $240,000.
Try it and see how useful it is - https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html
Regards,
Brian

 

[c107]

This 450SE project car will probably go quite cheap. Needs quite a bit of work, but its a 450.
Seats have been changed from a 280, and it has various dings and minor rust blemishes.

11603222031361

1/1973 Mercedes Benz 450SE 4d Sedan Metallic Blue V8 4.5L

1/1973 Mercedes Benz 450SE 4d Sedan Metallic Blue V8 4.5L - BID NOW

www.carbids.com.au

 

[c107]

This 280SE 3.5 is a good illustration of how soft the classic car market is right now. THis would have gone over $50k during covid:

 

[c107]

 

[ProfessorExperimental]

Still trying to work out why Nick from Kogarah (see post #1424) thinks the red fixer-upper is worth *more* than the other one... He's still got it on carsales for 24k (3 months later) and just reactivated his gumtree ad at 29k from before it struggled to get to 7 at auction...

 

[c107]

Still trying to work out why Nick from Kogarah (see post #1424) thinks the red fixer-upper is worth *more* than the other one... He's still got it on carsales for 24k (3 months later) and just reactivated his gumtree ad at 29k from before it struggled to get to 7 at auction...

Call me old fashioned, but I don't think buyers are going to spend that sort of coin on a car with no paint on large sections of the body.

 

[Patrick_R]

Using the Reserve Bank Inflation calculator, the equivalent price today of the 450SE would be almost $240,000.
Try it and see how useful it is - https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html
Regards,
Brian

Very interesting.
This means one of the two 3 room parlour suites with private promenade on Titanic would cost £494,000 today.
the cost then was £3,651.00 in 1912.
The yearly male wage in 1910 was £157.00, so that equates to 23 years wages To go first class

The average yearly wage today is $95,576.00
So it would only take just over 5 years to travel first class.

 

[c107]

300TE wagon going very cheap in Melbourne - about a day to go. An auction over the xmas holidays is probably not the best idea. No service history and some scuffs and marks, but these cars are workhorses, so you expect that.

WDB1240902F124377

1990 Mercedes-Benz (W124) 300 TE for sale by auction in Melbourne, VIC, Australia

collectingcars.com

 

[Styria]

In some ways, they seem to hold up, and seem sturdier bodywise, than all of the 116s, particularly the interiors and from a "rust" point of view. Regards Styria