280te wagon with a broken timing chain, 140K miles? I haven't had the chance to look at the car yet, but I'm far from a mechanic, so I don't know all the in's and out's of dealing with a broken down used car.

The lady I spoke to said that car died while she was driving it, and it needs a new timing chain...that is supposedly the only mechnical problem with the car (so her mechanic says), though I'm a bit worried that it may have damaged the engine as well, it seems almost inevitable.
It's a grey market vehicle that looks just like the 300td, but it is a gasoline engine (I actually think it was converted from a 300td to the 280te, I've seen a few like this before). It's a really sharp looking car. The interior and exterior are in excellent condition. It's a really nice forest green color with a tan leather interior, which go beautifully together. I just saw one of these on ebay go for around $1100-1200 which was in excellent condition, and there is another one on ebay that is around the $1000 mark as of now, also in excellent condition.

The seller is asking for $1900 as is, I think that is a bit high considering the mechanical problem and the ebay market value. Also, since I would be buying the car as is, I'm not prepared to deal with additional costly repairs on a grey market vechile. Am I being too stingy?

 

Hi Spottedfish,

Do you have aquariums? I do.

Unfortunately,....with a broken engine, the car is only worth $400-500 US. If it were running, and in good condition, it could be worth ten times as much. The problem isnoone really knows what is wrong with it until the engine comes apart. It may cost you $5000 to repair the engine, and that usually kills the selling price. To pay $1900, it better have nice carpets, seats, paint, and tires.

Blue

 

Yes, I do have aquariums! = )

Thank you for the reply, I think I'm going to forgo this opportunity as I'm not prepared to put in anymore work than replacing the timing chain. She said many have called, yet nobody has purchased it, so it sounds likepeople before me have already smelled a lemon.As I've been researching a bit more, it seems as though the 300td are the wagons that are highly sought after, not the 280te, so even if I did purchase it and fix it, I would never get my return. Beautiful car nonetheless, I would take it if she would go under $1,000 and pray that I hadn't opened up a pandoras box.

 

It would be much easier and probably less risky to find another engine at a salvage yard and swap engines. Good luck finding another engine.

Honestly, its never "just" a timing chain.When that chain breaks, it usually grinds-up the timing chain covers and guides, bends a valve or two, and sometimes fills the engine with metal filings, which would require a complete overhaul, for ANY type of reliability. Surely, the seller is aware of this.

We have kept a 150 gallon salt-tank for nearly seven years with the same fish. Last year I became so busy, that I had to give the fish up for adoption to a good home. We had a Naso Tang, a Yellow Tang(Zebrasoma),some little chromis, and a few small corals. I still have the tank and all the gear. I hope to set it back upthis fall.

Blue