Unnecessary Car Shopping With Mercedes (Update: I Was Contacted By The Buyer!)

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart) 03/15/2018 at 16:22 • Filed to: unnecessary car shopping with mercedes, unnecessary car shopping with E90M3

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Details are slim right now, but someone did what I was too scared to do and took the plunge on this diesel. I think they saw my hat tip on the smart forums. They are local to WI, so maybe I’ll help the new owner fix the rust and maybe hopefully get to drive it!

Original Post:

My favourite E90M3 series has...sort of become my own thing as of late. With Spring coming around, I’ve been accidentally running into smart cabrio after smart cabrio after smart cabrio. Tonight, I have a wild specimen for Oppo!

While not a cabrio, these are exceedingly rare. In fact, I can count on a little more than 1 hand how many of these I’ve run across.

This is a smart diesel brought in from Canada.

There were just a couple official diesels imported into America by now-defunct importers. The rest of these specimens are from Canada. Getting a Canadian cdi smart legalized is nearly as hard as getting a roadster legalized (ie: almost impossible), yet here it is.

This particular model is very Canadian, with “hips” added onto the rear end that contain reflectors and side marker lights. It also has Canadian spec rear taillights too. US federalized versions only have a single reverse light.

On the side here sits the lone modification I could find, a S-Mann intake tube.

The interior further suggests its Canadian-ness with a complete lack of padding on the A-Pillars. This one does appear to have power mirrors, which Chelsea does not have.

I’m not sure why the passenger side carpet is rolled up. I can only guess that this car has been sitting long enough for it to require a jump.

Now, here are where things make me think that the price is just a little bit too much for me.

That door handle would not be a fun job to replace...and that’s assuming the door still even works. This also makes me question if the window regulators work. Those are usually the first things to break in these old smarts.

This car is also a winter car. There shouldn’t be rust developing around the taillights like that. At least on Chelsea, her rust spots were from obvious rock strikes. These rust spots are most likely salt eating through the protective wax layer.

This likely also means that there are possibly very nasty rust spots (if not rusted-through holes) under the wheel liners in the wheel wells. Though, all of these would be easy for me to fix.

Diesel smarts are only worth about $7k in great condition and low miles. They are rare, but nobody really cares about them, so they aren’t appreciating in value further than the small premium these cars carry over simply existing in the USA and being a car that technically shouldn’t exist here.

With 90k miles, some visible rust, unknown rust, and a broken door? I’d probably pay like $3k-$4k.

I’m too afraid to ask the guy if he’d take that much off his asking price!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

In case of Kinja.

Steve in Manhattan > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 21:20

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I don’t have any time off until late April, but if you need an intervention I’m sure we could put one together. It’s mostly locking you in a room at a Doubletree (or worse, a Marriott Suites) and hammering it into your head that having 19 Smarts isn’t a good idea. I mean, the insurance bills alone.

Mercedes Streeter > Steve in Manhattan 03/03/2018 at 21:27

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Oh, I only pay for insurance on the other two during Spring, Summer, and Fall. Since they’re stored during the winter, there’s no point in keeping them all current! But yeah...eventually I’ll get to a point where I could only keep a few insured at a time.

I kiiiiinda wish Illinois had the kind of SR-22 where the driver is insured and not the cars. Oh well. lol

That intervention sounds fun! What do I get when it’s finished? *crosses fingers*

Chariotoflove > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 21:30

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Your problem is you need a matching set, one for each foot. Otherwise, you really can’t wear then in public.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 21:36

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the air scoop is cute

Steve in Manhattan > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 21:37

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You get a hand-inscribed certificate and a 50 dollar Sizzlers gift certificate.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 21:37

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If we allow Miss Mercedes to gather any more Smarts, she’s going to start breeding them.

traitor joe > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 21:46

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Liberty Mutual does a thing where you can pay a base rate and then a per-mile rate on top. My base rate worked out to about 1/2 what I would pay for a normal policy, with a break even point around 5,500 miles. Might save you some dough when you have to insure multiples.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 03/03/2018 at 23:36

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I have found that those with wildly unreasonable asking prices, are not worth wasting your time on.

Mercedes Streeter > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 03/04/2018 at 00:05

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Challenge Accepted.

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher 03/04/2018 at 00:07

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The all caps are what turned me off from even trying. I mean, some people are willing to take half their asking price. Sometimes they intentionally overprice just so you have to barter it down. But this may be a case of “I know what I got!”

And he may be right. Diesel smarts are so rare someone may bite the bullet and take this one on.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 03/04/2018 at 00:10

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Half price is highly unlikely. Either they actually think it’s worth way more, or they don’t really want to sell it. Either way, it’s a waste of your time.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Mercedes Streeter 03/04/2018 at 06:05

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offer him what you think it’s worth, he can only say no.

how hard would it be to source replacement hips (if something untoward should happen?)

Frenchlicker > Mercedes Streeter 03/04/2018 at 08:58

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Isn’t that the dream?

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Mercedes Streeter 03/04/2018 at 14:35

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If only there can be more Smart roadsters.

S65 > Mercedes Streeter 03/15/2018 at 17:04

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So when is the turbocharged Hayabusa swapped Smart of death coming?

Frenchlicker > Mercedes Streeter 03/15/2018 at 22:14

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You are the same way with Smarts as I am with Jeep Cherokees. I dream of buying them and making them perfect or doing ridiculous things to them.

Long-Voyager > Mercedes Streeter 03/16/2018 at 07:42

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You and Smarts are like me and 90s Mopar.

People will never understand.

Mercedes Streeter > Long-Voyager 03/16/2018 at 12:01

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They don’t need to!  I’m officially labeled as the most eccentric person in my department, I wear it with pride. :)

Mercedes Streeter > S65 03/16/2018 at 12:02

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As soon as someone gives me $4500 :/

Mercedes Streeter > Frenchlicker 03/16/2018 at 12:02

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Doooooo it! :D

Long-Voyager > Mercedes Streeter 03/16/2018 at 13:18

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Hey, love what you love and own it, it’s what I do.

Frenchlicker > Mercedes Streeter 03/16/2018 at 17:45

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I have to fix the Grand Cherokee I just bought to make it daily driver material. Then I get the tear into my Cherokee. It needs and engine and suspension. Then from there it will probably get a differential swap and a new bumper and the list goes on. The. There is a nice solar yellow one I want to buy near me and do a better than new restoration on it. Costs pile up too quickly.