Rough 1965 230SL sold on eBay for $22,835

[JonathanB]

Some of you may have been watching this car on eBay. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-Mercedes-Benz-SL-Class-4-Speed-717G-Papyrus-White-332G-Dark-Blue-Hardtop-/272353987159

It appears to have sold for nearly $23,000.  I could see spending the same again, maybe more, just to get this into nice driver condition.

Am I correct?

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

You are correct, if I was younger I would have made a bid for $25K and properly got it for a restoration project.

Dieter

[Iconic]

Dieter,
We usually agree ... but in this case, we don't.
I would not buy that "car"  for $25k.
It reminds me ........
Once there was a home inspection done on a house we were thinking of buying.
The home inspector put his hand on my shoulder and said "I'm not sure what your reasons are for wanting this house, but my report will start with: Everything you can see or touch needs to be repaired or replaced".
The same applies to that Pagoda.
I bought the house, but I wouldn't buy that car.
I think the best advice is to buy the best car you can with the money you have available.
That is just IMHO.
Take care,
Mark

[BRYANH815]

As a recent member of this esteemed organization and a member of the Corvette Restoration Society I have to agree with purchasing what you can best afford. It is usually more expensive to restore than to purchase. my 1st venture was a 1956 Corvette which was a very expensive lesson. it taught me to be very careful with my next purchase a 1965 which made me even more careful when I bought my 280SL . Bryan Hepper

[stickandrudderman]

The redeeming feature of that car is that it is unmolested. Yes, it will cost a lot of money to restore but at least the finished product has a half chance of being a really good car. Molested ones that have forever lost their original details can never be so.

[Pinder]

That is a steal.

[swood1]

I agree.  That's a good buy.  If you're worried about spending money to fix it you could strip it and double/triple your money on the parts.

Good luck to the person who did manage to win it.

[Benz Dr.]

I lump cars like this into two distinct possibilities. Either it's a diamond in the rough or it's rough diamond. I'll take a rough diamond any day, and this car is a rough diamond.

Diamond in the rough: A running driving car that would probably fall into a general number 3 level. Everything that's been done will either need to be redone or restored to get it to high 2 or low 1 level. It's a decent car but far from decent.

Rough diamond: an original unmolested car that needs a full restoration. Nothing important is missing and all of the car is complete. This a far more valuable car than a typical number 3 although that often goes unseen. ( Shiny paint and fresh carpet will often draw in the uneducated buyer)

This car that just sold is a rough diamond and well bought.

[BaronYoungman]

Just my 2 cents but that seller is part of an organization that knows full well what Mercedes are profitable to restore and which are "flip to make some quick money" because not a profitable venture when you figure in labor.  So for someone who their free time does not cost them anything maybe it is a worthwhile project.  But if you look on rear underside rails that is not a good sign , getting those rails right is a &^$#@ I know from experience.  People use the trunk as a canary in the mineshaft but I have scapped out a car that had a decent trunk area but the frame rails were too rotted to ever get it right.
Bob

[kampala]

I must be looking at a different car than some of you as the car I see has significant visible rust and body filler on the fender where it wraps into the engine bay.  We have examples of cars with "very little" rust like ScottCorvette, Joel & Star63, and many others and if you see the amount of work they have put in to get it cut out, you can imagine this car needs far, far, far more.   There are many other examples. 

This car visibly has significant rust, all interior chrome has pits, the wood is warped, the hard-top has rust holes, the parcel shelf area has cut-outs,  etc etc.

I know these cars have increased in value, but in my inexperienced opinion, this one needs too much.   Maybe I'm linking to a different car.

[badali]

It looks like it was relisted and sold again for $24500

[ohoraherecaptain]

NIGHTMARE!
JOH.

[guyke]

ist almoast the same as mine , the color age engine , but this one is full of rust , and i think lot of body parts need to be replaced after sand blasting the body , untherneed jou see the rusty floor , but stil for someone ho dont have the start capital , its a nice project to  do easy on , like in 5 jears time period , and spend the money on when it is availlable , my guess , buy it now becoase in 5 jears its to late , it would be to expensive