Interesting 1 on ebay

[norton]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1968-Mercedes-Benz-280SL_W0QQitemZ4626285267QQcategoryZ6338QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[Ed Cave]

Some of these ads are fraudulent, others just plain difficult to believe. This guy claims he is the original owner and that the car has only 37,282 miles on it. Sure, all of this is possible but highly suspect if you ask me. It also has a goofy VIN which you can make some sense of, but not total. If the car is what he says, he sure isn't making much of an effort to recognize its value. If you rate ebay ads for description and photography on a 1 to 10, I'd give this one a 2 (maybe less).

If anyone has a real interest in this car I would advise proceeding with caution.

Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA


1971 280SL
1973 911S
2004 A4 3.0
2006 GS430

[Chad]

Sounds like the guy has made a couple changes to the car that are recognized as legit changes. Sounds like the ad was written by someone who kinda knows the cars, at least. Looks like he is a new ebayer who just registered maybe to just sell this car and maybe he is not wise to ebay techniques for selling. Sounds like I would never buy a car on ebay without inspecting it in person and by a mechanic first. This is too much money for these cars, they clearly should just be inspected like any used classic car. So in that sense, a fake ad would be easily revealed for what it is.

[66andBlue]

Here is another one with only 34K miles AND a goofy VIN.
But it appears to have the original diamond pattern firewall!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1971-Mercedes-280SL-BEAUTIFUL-with-34102-MILES_W0QQitemZ4626334046QQcategoryZ6338QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[69280sl]

I notice that even with "power windows", the cranks have been retained.

inspectorgm

[RickInTex]

The 71 has two different VIN's.  The one up top is for a 111--I imagine, the one listed on eBay by the same dealer.  The one farther down omits the first 1, but otherwise seems correct.
 I have some familiarity with the dealer, if anyone's curious, as they did a buyer's inspection for my 250sl (private seller) before I bought it two years ago.  In fact, my VIN was incorrect on all the NY state docs that came with the car, simply because the first 1 was faded almost to invisibility on the firewall plate over the years.  
Gotta say that the color combo on the 71 is just about my favorite.  Icky radio, though.  Why WILL people do that, instead of hiding the new head unit?  It always amazes me the little sloppy things--cheap things to fix--that you see on very expensive cars that are otherwise (at least cosmetically) quite nice, and cars offered by dealers who should know these cars well.  E.g., the sagging underdash cardboard, the misaligned shifter knob (not original, of course, but matches Nardi wheel).  Even a more careful vaccuuming would make it look better in the pics.

Rick
Dallas TX
1967 250SL, 4-speed