Late low mileage E320 Sportline cabriolet wanted

[NJSS]

I am looking for a late low mileage E320 Sportline Cabriolet, not too far from Hampshire, nor at a silly price please.

NJSS

 

[Smiley]

Hi I have a late 96 P reg e320 sportline with 82k miles for sale - is that low enough or do you mean a really low miles one?

 

[NJSS]

Thanks Smiley

At this stage, at least, I am looking for a car with a lower (verifiable) mileage, as I intend to keep, and use, it for many years.

I am well known for keeping cars, I have owned my MGB since it was new in 1973.

 

[kth286]

NJSS

Don't want silly prices AND

want under 82000 miles AND

near to Hampshire !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


How much time do you have left on this earth ???????????

It is going to be a very boring time for you as you are highly unlikely to meet your spec.

Whereas you could shortly be driving and enjoying a good 320 cabriolet, as above offer.

 

[bolide]

Just bear in mind that a 1996 car with less than 80k has done less than 6700 miles a year and so has probably only been serviced every 18 months. It may well have periods when it was serviced less frequently than that

Cabs often have low recorded mileages but I'd want to see evidence of annual servicing, and that the car was garaged when not in use, to justify the usual W124 Cabriolet asking price

KTH286 (above) has a point...

Maybe you should cut to the chase and call Charles Ironside?

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[NJSS]

Thank-you Nick

Yes I am, of course, aware of Charles Ironside, I have looked, on the internet, at the 1993 34.9k miles L reg he is offering at £19.95k - but IMHO the price is soooo way out of line of my view of current values that I haven't contacted him, as my offer would probably be considered insulting!

Basically I like the car, but not the price.

Am I wrong, what would you offer for this car?

 

[Ian B Walker]

Look here
Item one

 

[janner]

I'm selling my 1996 E320 sportline cabriolet. It's in Azurite blue with black leather. It's only done 35,000 miles because it was left to me years ago in my grandfather's will. It's currently stored in a lockup in Southampton. I'm asking £5000.
Full details on my website.

 

[NJSS]

Does your grandfather's car have rack & pinion steering :-


http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/pagesv/rackpinion.html

I wish I was better at this !!!

 

[imadoofus]

For the right car, mileage is largely irrelevant.

Go and look at some, and be prepared to travel. Expecting the right car to fall into your lap is unrealistic, I'm afraid.

Also, if your opinion of values differs to that of the sellers, there's a chance that it's you that's wrong. Charles Ironside's cars are at the top end, it's true, but Smiley's looks like a corker to me, and if you dismiss it because it's got 82k on it, then as kth286 has said, you're going to be waiting for some time...

 

[Smiley]

Mine has been serviced every year - except for one year that has a gap of 18 months.

You have reminded me of many many years ago when I drove about 100 miles to look at a very low mileage SL300 that was about 10 years old at the time - and the owner had told me that it had a full MB service history. All was going well until I opened the service history booklet and there was only one stamp in it......he said welll it hasn't done any miles........
Hasty retreat.......

 

[Smiley]

Thank-you Nick

Yes I am, of course, aware of Charles Ironside, I have looked, on the internet, at the 1993 34.9k miles L reg he is offering at £19.95k - but IMHO the price is soooo way out of line of my view of current values that I haven't contacted him, as my offer would probably be considered insulting!

Basically I like the car, but not the price.

Am I wrong, what would you offer for this car?

Maybe the price is a bit steep - but on the other hand I doubt that he is desparate to sell it - he can hang on to it until someone else comes along. Actually thinking about it I am sure this would have been more than £20k a year ago. There is another one for sale at the Hairpin company for £25k. The point about these cars is that there are just not that many around, once you have discarded the 220s, and the ones in not so nice colours, and the ones with not much service history, and the ones without basics such as aircon and heated seats...then you end up with maybe 10-20 for sale at any one time across the whole of the UK - and maybe only 10 have done less than 100k miles. To get a low mileage one - I guess you mean less than 50k miles - you are definitely going to have to pay quite a premium. Most of the owners of these cars are not debt laden individuals who are going to be some sort of forced sellers.
My advice if you are going to keep it a long time is just get on and buy the best one you can afford, look after it well - and actually over a 10 year period it is not going to matter whether you paid £10k or 20k (assuming you can afford it) - but the sooner you get one the sooner you will start enjoying it.
Good luck.

 

[bolide]

Maybe the price is a bit steep - but on the other hand I doubt that he is desparate to sell it - he can hang on to it until someone else comes along. Actually thinking about it I am sure this would have been more than £20k a year ago. There is another one for sale at the Hairpin company for £25k. The point about these cars is that there are just not that many around, once you have discarded the 220s, and the ones in not so nice colours, and the ones with not much service history, and the ones without basics such as aircon and heated seats...then you end up with maybe 10-20 for sale at any one time across the whole of the UK - and maybe only 10 have done less than 100k miles. To get a low mileage one - I guess you mean less than 50k miles - you are definitely going to have to pay quite a premium. Most of the owners of these cars are not debt laden individuals who are going to be some sort of forced sellers.
My advice if you are going to keep it a long time is just get on and buy the best one you can afford, look after it well - and actually over a 10 year period it is not going to matter whether you paid £10k or 20k (assuming you can afford it) - but the sooner you get one the sooner you will start enjoying it.
Good luck.

That just about sums it up, I think

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[SilverSaloon]

Thank-you Nick

Yes I am, of course, aware of Charles Ironside, I have looked, on the internet, at the 1993 34.9k miles L reg he is offering at £19.95k - but IMHO the price is soooo way out of line of my view of current values that I haven't contacted him, as my offer would probably be considered insulting!

Basically I like the car, but not the price.

Am I wrong, what would you offer for this car?

I bought my W124 Estate from Charles Ironside. Nice, friendly bloke - give him a ring I am sure the price is negotiable.

IMHO you get what you pay for - i also wouldnt go crazy over very low milage either.

If you want a low mileage 124 then you will HAVE to travel. If you want the right spec you will HAVE to travel.

I travelled 1000 miles round trip to buy and collect mine. (athough i took the plane to get there).

p.s. 7 months down the line and the car has been superb

 

[Ade B]

Low mileage brings its own issues I've found as it usually means the car has been stored for a period and also hasn't had significant cost wear items replaced.

I have spent a fair bit replacing springs, brakes, CHG, ATF and filters and sundry bits and bobs (including cooling system niggles) on my CE which had a full MBSH and was on 51k when I bought it. It had spent 7 years in a garage in two stints.

Corrosion on bolts and fixings to the suspension and steering bits and AC compressor will make repair to these items fun when I get there, as it looks like they havn't been touched in 18 years.

Still it is nice to know that even after I have put 50k on it over 5 years, it will only have 101k miles


Ade

 

[nullogik]

I understand, Mr Ironside's prices are very high but then he does have overheads and advertising costs etc.

You just have to be patient. I was looking for a very specific car with a specific mileage. I placed adverts all over the net and scoured the usual car websites for months and months. Suddenly I logged on to a site and there it was - and for less than my budget!

There is a car out there for you, but you just have to wait for it.