1973 280SE 4.5 INCREDIBLE UNRESTORED SHOW CAR!

Description

Hello, and congratulations on finding the nicest W108 on eBay! This auction is for my 1973 280SE 4.5, the nicest example of one I have ever seen. I purchased this car a few years ago so that I could have one extremely nice Mercedes requiring no restoration work. Cars like this one almost never come up for sale, the owner before me had the car for seventeen years! I bought this car to enjoy driving around, and going to car shows in it which is exactly what I have done since I acquired it. The only "restored" portion of the car is the interior which was redone with original correct leather, and seat pads from GAHH. It was done so nicely that the car was featured in The Star, a magazine for the Mercedes-Benz club of America. Time to describe this spectacular sedan!
The exterior paint is finished in its original coat of Tobacco Brown. This car actually has its factory coat of paint and not only that it has been maintained unbelievably well! There are less than a half dozen small (size of a dime or smaller) blemishes or imperfections and often at car shows I challenge people to try to find them. Generally they can only spot one or two. The chrome is in equally glorious condition, along with all of the bright work around windows and such. It is very rare to find a Mercedes of this age in such well kept condition. The rubber seals for the doors, and front/rear windshields look nice and supple and should last for quite a while. The rubber strips on the bumpers are very presentable. The painted hubcaps are still in wonderful condition. Overall the exterior of this car is jaw dropping and has helped draw quite a few admirers at car shows.
The interior is downright amazing. The steering wheel and center emblem/pad are perfect, which is almost never the case with older Mercedes. The dash looks terrific with only one or two blemishes on it, they are next to nonexistent really. The wood trim on the dash is still shiny and without the cracking/crazing seen on so many MBs of this vintage. The seats and carpets have to be seen to be believed. They are literally as new and make the car a true joy to ride in! The level of comfort from a Mercedes seat with the correct seat pads and covers is supreme. The original Becker stereo works as it should and sounds pretty darn good! The power windows all work well, as do their switches. Fortunately there is no sunroof, I am tall and enjoy the extra headroom, not to mention the floor pans which are not rusted. All gauges work as they should, as does the horn ring. The car is tremendously quiet with the doors shut and the windows rolled up. The air conditioning has been serviced and it works, which is a true delight here in Arizona! The only items in the interior which require repair are; the lighting for the instrument cluster, likely attributable to a bad rheostat, and the decorative chrome cap that covers the center of the speedometer needle has come off. Both of these items can be fixed by pulling the instrument cluster. I do not drive at night so it has not been an issue for me. As for the little chrome cap for the speedometer needle, if that's the worst thing wrong with the car, life is good!
And now the mechanical condition. Mechanically the car is exceptional. The engine idles smooth and even at all times, and the cooling system works great even on days when it is over 110 here in AZ the engine stays at operating temperature. The previous owner replaced the radiator with the last one MB had as new old stock. When I acquired the car I had the upper cylinder heads refurbished as after forty years the valve stem seals required replacement. This car is emphatically NOT an oil burning old timer, it runs beautifully. I also had the front brake calipers rebuilt as they were showing their age. As mentioned before I had the AC system serviced and it functions well. All belts are oem and correctly tensioned. The power steering works exactly as it should and does not leak. The three speed automatic transmission operates very smoothly with no detectable slippage during shifting. Overall this car is a gem and will continue to give reliable service for many years to come with proper maintenance. There are only two maintenance items I would tend to on the "to do" list. The fuel filter should be changed as the previous owner did not remember having it done, and the tires, although the they have excellent tread left should be replaced due to age at some point.
The original tool kit and all paperwork/manuals will be included with the car.I will happily supply a video taken this week of a cold start and will also supply a video of the car running/driving if desired. With regards to the mileage, the car has a five digit odometer. In going through the paperwork for the car I have never seen the mileage listed at more than the current mileage. With the condition the car is in I believe the mileage to be true at 39,820 but have only the original paperwork and condition of the vehicle as evidence.
If you live near Phoenix feel free to drive the car home, although with a car this nice I always recommend trailering it home on an enclosed trailer. As with any old car if it is new to you I recommend hauling it home or to a reputable mechanic and commencing with a thorough safety inspection. I do not foresee any problems with this car and drive it all the time on short trips to the golf course or to the store on Sunday for a bottle of wine and some groceries. I have retrieved many old Mercedes and regardless of their condition I now tow them home or arrange for them to be shipped home. When cars get close to a half century old they can have unexpected failures and it's not worth risking everybody's life on the road to try "saving the cost of shipping by taking a road trip home." Tow/haul/ship it home and commence with a safety inspection. If you've ever been stranded on the side of the road trying to fix an old car you will understand where I am coming from, it is not fun. In the Arizona desert with temperatures over 100 degrees trying to fix an old car on the side of the road can easily lead to heat/sunstroke. There is no warranty expressed or implied in the sale of this vehicle. I have tried to describe it to the best of my ability but I am by no means an expert and may have overlooked something.
Some people may balk at my price, but it is a very fair one for the condition of the car. Yes it's possible to find a cheaper 280SE 4.5 but it is NOT possible to find one in original well cared for condition that's running perfectly and ready to head to shows as soon as you take possession of it. These cars specifically were not made for a very long time (less than five years) and this one is one of the absolute last of its line. Production stopped in Nov. '72 and late cars were sold as 1973 models, which is the case with this one. I am in no particular hurry to sell this car and am willing to wait for someone who appreciates it for what a fine example of the breed it is. This is a very special car and it commands a definite premium over the neglected, poorly repainted ones with tired interiors and wheezing engines.
In dealing with eBay in the past I have had mixed results. Sometimes the buyers have excellent communication, pay promptly, and arrange vehicle shipping fast, other times I have to deal with non paying bidders or people who want to leave the car on my property for three months while they try to find the cheapest shipping they can. Because of that, here are some terms.
1- Payment is due within ONE WEEK of the end of the auction.2- shipping MUST be arranged within TWO WEEKS of payment clearing.3- As stated above, it would be best to tow or ship this car to its final destination. It's a joy to drive, but any buyer should always conduct a safety inspection before taking to the road in a new acquisition. Buyer pays for and arranges all shipping.4-NO TRADES.5- $500 Deposit due WITHIN 24 HOURS OF AUCTION END TIME.
If you win this vehicle you are entering in a contract to purchase it, eBay frowns on non paying bidders. If payment is not received within the timeframe specified above you will be reported to eBay as a non paying bidder.
Why am I selling? I have too many old Mercedes that require my attention. I am reducing the number of cars I own so that I can really focus hard on the ones I love. I was diagnosed with a medical condition in 2013 and it has slowed down the rate at which I am able to work on cars. To compound that my dad was diagnosed with kidney, pancreatic, and bowel cancer last month. I simply don't have the time I once did to work on old cars. After this car sells I will be listing others for sale. I am trying to reduce my collection to two cars that I have sentimental attachments to. While this 280SE 4.5 is the nicest car in my collection, and is the most original MB I have ever owned I am not emotionally attached to it, and have decided to sell it.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I will reply to them as rapidly as I can. Thank you for reading my listing and have a wonderful day/night.