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the Mink Test - READ ONLY

88 messages,  Last post on Jul 10, 2006 at 10:45 AM

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Messages Page 9 of 9

#80 of 88 Re: . [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 10, 2006 (8:23 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jul 10, 2006 8:17 am)
That's right! The 560SL handles well and gets decent gas mileage and is pretty quick, too. Three attributes that the 450SL does not possess.

#81 of 88 Re: . [Mr_Shiftright] by fintail

Jul 10, 2006 (8:26 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 10, 2006 8:23 am)
They are also by far the most expensive variant...but they are that much better than the rest, and their values seem relatively stable now. That car was a real retro car...a 1972 model being made in 1989.

#82 of 88 Re: . [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 10, 2006 (8:30 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jul 10, 2006 8:26 am)
You can get a nice one for maybe $18,000.
 
They were good cars, the 560SLs....

#83 of 88 Back in 2000... by andre1969

Jul 10, 2006 (8:33 am)

one of my coworkers bought a 1973-74 450SL. I think he paid something ridiculous like $15,600 for it. It had close to 200,000 miles on it, but it did look great in the pictures and the video they sent him before he bought it! And even in person, it did look good, although there was a bit of rust in the door sill area as I recall.
 
In the end, I think he sunk a couple grand into it during the few years he had it, and finally sold it to someone he knew for about half of what he paid for it. The tranny went out soon after that.
 
How much is a tranny rebuild on one of those things?

#84 of 88 Re: Back in 2000... [andre1969] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 10, 2006 (8:47 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 10, 2006 8:33 am)
with labor, probably $2,800.

#85 of 88 . by fintail

Jul 10, 2006 (9:42 am)

People must see that three pointed star and get all emotional. 15K for a 450SL? Maybe for a perfect ultra low mileage example in 100 point condition, and no 75-76-77 models from what I hear.
 
I still almost regret not buying that mint 560SL that was a perfect match for my W126. But of course, that third car would have been a silly move, and I wouldn't have bought the C43 if I had three cars already/

#86 of 88 Re: . [fintail] by andre1969

Jul 10, 2006 (10:01 am)

Replying to: fintail (Jul 10, 2006 9:42 am)
People must see that three pointed star and get all emotional. 15K for a 450SL?
 
I'm guessing that to some people who aren't knowledgeable, they might also look at a price like that and think that they're still getting a luxury car at a cheap price, especially when they see how much a new one is!
 
I know that's one way my buddy justified paying the $16K or whatever he did for his '78 Mark V. His rationale was that car was about $20,000 brand-new, which equates to $60,000 today. So in his mind he thinks he's getting a $60K car on the cheap!
 
I wonder if that type of rationale is common? I think one trap I fall into sometimes is when I start thinking that it would be cheaper to go out and buy a nicer version of a car I have rather than fix mine up. However, that still doesn't justify over-paying for the nicer version!

#87 of 88 Re: . [andre1969] by fintail

Jul 10, 2006 (10:13 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 10, 2006 10:01 am)
Maybe he underestimated repair costs. I think with some of those cars, they are also bought by people who remember them when new. From what I can tell, having something like a 450SL when they were new meant having quite a prestigious and even chic car. Probably even moreso than they are today, due to being a little rarer. Maybe that Mark V can be explained the same way. If you get a no-miles as-new one for well under original MSRP, someone could see that as a deal, esp if they are fond of the car to begin with. It might not be safe logic, but it is logic.
 
At the same time, some people think vintage = worth a fortune. If a new SL is 90K, a nice vintage one must be worth a bit, right? Some people assume that about my fintail...if a loaded new E-class is 60K and a S-class is 90K, a shiny old MB with fins and chrome must be worth 30K anyway, right? People have actually told me that.
 
Funny thing too...according to my 1976 NADA and KBB guides, a 74 450SL had a MSRP of $15450, and a 73 at $13340 - so that guy paid more than original MSRP!

#88 of 88 Hmh by british_rover

Jul 10, 2006 (10:45 am)

Very interesting thread here.

Messages Page 9 of 9

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