Well done @Elkman1!  Congratulations!

Reserve is OFF, bid to win!!!!

@Sergey
Amen to that!

Less than 90 minutes to go!

Another question was received regarding the steps required in the State of Delaware to privately sell a vehicle with DE title/plates. 
From the DMV document ( https://www.dmv.de.gov/VehicleServices/titles/pdfs/TipsforPrivatelySellingaDelawareTitledVehicle.pdf )

Out-of-State Buyer

Step 1:
- When a Delaware titled vehicle is sold to an out-of-state buyer, the seller
must complete the Assignment of Certificate of Title section 1 on the back of
the title.
- Be sure to include the buyer's name and address, date of sale, purchase
price, and odometer disclosure.

Step 2:
- The seller must also complete the back of the registration card or seller's
report of sale (all new titles have a detachable report of sale located at the
bottom of the title) and forward to the Division of Motor Vehicles.
- Include the buyer's name and address, date and hour of the sale and the
seller's signature.

Step 3:
- The license plate must be removed from the vehicle and returned to any DMV
office.

This probably is SOP for most States in the Union, but I have not done it before and needed to double-check. 

Now, let's see some more bids :-))

Good luck!

There were two questions that were asked in one-on-one conversations, which I will answer here.

1. A very careful reader of the comments here and on BaT asked me about the Star SDS system.  Is it still available? Will it follow the car?

I think I've communicated this already - the Star SDS is the only tool for a meaningful work on W140s.  It is a must-have, IMO.
I originally envisioned selling everything I have as a package deal, but have come to the realization that it will probably be impractical/too expensive. Therefore, as discussed yesterday, the winner of the auction takes the car.
All other "extras" will be sold separately, if wanted, including the SDS.


2. Transport.

I think I've communicated this as well. I don't have any contacts and unfortunately I cannot help/arrange for cheaper transport. I understand that it is difficult to navigate that market right now, but I will be very flexible with dates and storage.

And to make this simpler - if the winner is located within a day-driving distance from me (apologies to all on the West Coast) - if time and weather permits, I will personally deliver the car in exchange for a nice dinner and some good drinks.... :-))

Good luck!

Final hours of this auction, which has already generated a lot of excitement.
And, I did not realize it when I approved the listing in the final days of 2021, that the auction is ending on Christmas (the Christian Orthodox Church still chooses to celebrate on January 7, per the Julian calendar).
It snowed in Delaware last night, so we have a picture-perfect white Christmas.  I am hopeful for another Christmas-miracle later today :-))

@Elkman1  and @SCP80 - thank you for the bids!
@Boatymcboatface - thank you for the incredibly supportive comment - it warms my heart hearing such words!

Also, many thanks to everyone else who reached out to me via the private chat and asked questions and/or voiced their appreciation of the work I've done to restore this 600SEC to its former glory.

An update for @Elkman1, @SCP80, @Gwagon, @floman, @W140Fanatic, @simplefindsga, @AriBK, @RADSTR, @Coupester, @CarCrazy24, @MB8605, @Highheat and anyone else still on the sidelines.

Earlier today, @thembmarket and I had an offline conversation, and based on their advise, as of the time of this writing, the reserve price has been lowered. I do not mean the reserve is off, or that it has been met.
This pillar-less beauty needs to find a good new home tomorrow. 

Bid to win!

And a reminder - what comes with the car - the winner will take home the 600SEC as in the photos, 4 keys, factory literature and service records going back to ~2005.
I have receipts for almost all parts I purchased from the dealer and other online parts stores; an invoice from the body shop for the paintwork - these documents will follow the car too.

There are boxes with old parts that were replaced by me - anything from the brake pads through the bushings, o-rings, gaskets to the thermostat, water pump, etc.. Not suitable for reuse but "proof" that the work was done :-))
I cannot imagine anyone wanting them, but they are available.

Also, as I answered already to @CarCrazy on 12/29 - all the parts to convert the car back to 100% stock form - bumpers (not just the covers, the whole thing including the front fog lights), cladding, side skirts, wheels, catback exhaust are in my basement. If the winner of the auction wants them, I will sell them separately.

Good luck!

Hello everyone. A little over a day left for this auction.  I am tuned in and ready to answer any remaining questions, here in the comments section or in private (hit the "message seller" button and share contact info with me, even if your question does not pertain to this 600SEC - I am always  willing to help other fellow W140/C140 owners with whatever I can).

Since the weather on the East coast may become quite stormy in the next 12 or so hours, I don't want to miss the chance to say that I am absolutely flattered by the comments I've received. @floman, your words mean the world to me, thank you!

I also would like to express my gratitude to @Elkman1 and @SCP80 for the "early bids".  And by early I don't necessarily mean bids placed at 1:34 AM or 6:46 AM :-)))
It took almost 8 days for this auction to reach a new level and I am sincerely appreciative of your, and @Gwagon 's efforts to move the bidding into unknown territory.

And if I may, a semi-final comment from yours truly -  the next caretaker is not just buying a car, they are buying an adventure, a marvelous piece of German engineering from a bygone era, and, a part of ME. 
I am not exaggerating when I say that - there may be DNA material from me left on almost all parts of this incredible machine... :-))

The 600SEC has been part of my life for almost 7 years - In the time I have been the owner,  I have met many new friends (most I have come to know only because of THE CAR; many of whom have commented here or are reading these words - thank you for your support!) and shared so many life events. 

I can only hope the next caretaker can get much enjoyment out of the 600SEC and will cherish her as much as I have.

Don't let them steal it from you! Bid !

@floman and @W140Fanatic
Thank you for the support and the appreciative comments. 

I am not a mechanic by trade, but I do enjoy wrenching in my "spare time", if such a thing even exists.  This is why it took me ca. 4.5 years to sort the mechanicals and register the car. 
Note that I became  the owner of this 600SEC in late February 2015 and took possession of a vehicle that could not move on its own in late March of 2015.
First registration if Delaware was in August of 2019.  
The pictures in the gallery show what happened in my garage  over the course of 4+ years :-)))

@W140Fanatic, genuine AMG parts for these cars are next to impossible to find.  I lucked out that I found the body kit, in a remarkably good shape, from Japanese market C140 that had a blown engine.
It took me nearly 5 years to find it.
Making it complete also took countless hours of searching.  As you said, the jack hole plates and the tow hook covers are easily lost or broken. They are unobtanium in year 2022. This presents a serious opportunity for someone with good 3D-printing skills to make good money :-)))
The AMG fog lights, with good lenses, are also very difficult to find.

All-in-all, the AMG parts that give this 600SEC its unique appearance depleted my bank account by over 20 grand. Everyone that has seen the car in person has been amazed by the "road presence" and the "stance". Almost nobody believes me when I say that the car is nearly 30 years old. 

Absolutely timeless design!

Hello everyone. I just wanted to to drop a line and acknowledge the bids by @Elkman1 and @Gwagon - thank you!
We are still days away from the auction end, but please, keep them coming.

Also, I would like to encourage potential bidders to engage me in offline discussions regarding anything you may want to know. 

One such conversation via email alerted me to the fact that even the most recent pictures (professional photography with a 20 megapixel Nikon DSLR), when viewed in a browser, may not do justice to the beauty of the exterior and/or interior.

Since I am looking at the originals, and never spent much time with the gallery, I would have not know that.

Anyhow, 60+ pictures taken on 12/17 on the STAR campus (STAR = Science, Technology and Advanced Research :-)) of UD have been uploaded to my dropbox and shared with you.

Copy and paste the URL to view the originals in ~6000x3000 resolution:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1z074kis3i9r4yv/AAA0zQ59cq1FviCe7u5RgGpZa?dl=0

Hello everyone - we are half-way through with the auction. I am looking forward to your comments and bids in the remaining 5 days.

I was asked, via a private message to expand upon the situation with the keys for this 600SEC.
The auction description says "4 keys" but does not provide the details. Here they are.

1. First and foremost, let me state it clearly -- the 1993 S-class (sedan or coupe) does NOT have an immobilizer and/or transponder chip as in the 1997+ cars, where key availability is a critical issue. 

2. The 600SEC comes with 4 (four) ready to use keys. 2 are original, 2 are aftermarket. Since the pictures are not available in the gallery, I am proving links to my dropbox public folder. Copy and paste the URLs to view them:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/24907zao15zo3na/470%20four%20keys.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gzslyc3yu0mq0ra/471%20aftermarket%20remotes.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xm5vmgdtw4exgot/472%20original%20single%20button%20remote.jpg?dl=0


3. The original key fob uses IR (infra red) rays to send signal to the control module.
One must be about 10 feet away and point the fob towards the little window on the door handle (see picture #65 in gallery).

4. The aftermarket system uses conventional radio frequency and has much larger range. 
The biggest advantage though is that one does NOT have to point the fob to any specific point on the car in order to lock/unlock.

All 3 remotes work and all 4 keys start the engine.



I was also asked about the picture of the owners manual and other factory literature. Here is the URL for it:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t5okrzyocrb9cql/1993_mercedes-benz_600sec-with-amg-package_factory-literature-scaled.jpg?dl=0

Best regards an good luck!

@AriBK Great question. I don't think it has been addressed "head on" here.

The reasons why this C140 needed much TLC can be summarized with two words - PRIOR NEGLECT. The more politically correct way of saying it is "deferred maintenance". This is likely true for many other aging vehicles that fall under the "disposable" category, i.e., cost of service may exceed the "value" of the car.

To make the long story short, in late 2009, with ~49K on the clock, a shop in LA recommended suspension work (SLS) and transmission work (the 722.3 box behind the V12 runs hot and many develop shift problems, especially with the reverse, which was the case here).

At this point, the owner gave up, the car went through several flippers and severe neglect until I saved her from the crusher in Febr. 2015.
When the 600SEC arrived here in Delaware a month later, it became very clear that a simple repair of the failed transmission and replacement of the SLS shock absorbers and accumulators won't do it - everything that rotates, moves, flexes, etc. needed attention.

I posit that every 22-30 years old Mercedes W140/C140, regardless of the mileage and the looks, has now entered the restoration era.

Happy New Year, everyone! Or, as they will say in Stuttgart - Frohes Neues Jahr! Alles Gute und Gesundheit für alle in 2022!

Many thanks to all for the positive comments, and, especially BIG thanks to the bidders from last year. Please keep them coming in 2022 too :-)

@SCP80  Thank you for the bid! 

@Elkman1 asked earlier about modern day gasoline.  Apologies I did not respond sooner, had to figure out a way to share the owners manual for the 600SEC with you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p0opxq5m6u1ptja/1993%20500SEC%20600SEC%20Owner%27s%20Manual.pdf?dl=0

Please download the PDF and consult with p.133 - Fuel Requirements.
The manual says that 91 octane gasoline is required (R+M)/2 number.
It also says that up to 10% oxygenates are acceptable.

Also - just as a reminder - the paper manual in the leather case comes with the car.

@simplefindsga
I am humbled by the kind words! Thank you!

To your excellent question - yes, Gen I S-class had issues with the fuel injection (upper) harness, the starter (lower) harness and MAF harnesses.
All of these have been done - I used teflon coated wires and single-handedly rebuild the said wiring harnesses.
Please refer to picture #283 in the gallery - it shows the original FI harness circa year 2016.
Picture #451 shows the final product of my "labor of love", circa year 2018.

Pictures #417 through #422 show other details of my work. The condition of the electronic throttle actuators (ETA) is also evident - the ETAs are also known to have poor wiring insulation, but this is NOT the case here.  

@AriBK Go for it, you won't find another coupe like that. This is a very early 600SEC, one of the very, very first ever built. There were 8573 (total) V12 coupes produced, and VIN 114119 is among the unique cohort of 307 coupes that rolled out of the factory in the first production year, 1992. Only about half made it to NA according to my research.

The 600SECs have all but disappeared - most have been already sent to the junkyards and the surviving ones are not necessarily in good shape, regardless of mileage.  The only 600SEC that I know of, which has comparable looks to mine, and seems to be in very good mechanical condition is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8k39iq9_YU

@6thinline9  Thanks for the question, but I don't think I am allowed to discuss the reserve. Let me assure you - it is reasonable. Not just from where I stand - I have done my valuation with solid reference points (Hagerty, other recent online sales) and I have carefully settled on the reserve, being fully cognizant of the fact that I will be "taking a shower".
If I am not mistaken, you posted a comment ~2 weeks ago along the lines "don’t restore a car hoping to make money" - apologies if it was someone else. 
I will use this opportunity to state it again - I am not in the business of buying/fixing/selling cars for profit or otherwise. This was a “money is no object” endeavor for me. I did not do what I did to please someone else and selling the car, after all that went into it, was never my objective. However, my personal circumstances have changed and I will have to let her go.

I can only hope the next caretaker of this 600SEC will love it as much as I do.

Thank you @Coupester for the nice and concise response to @E55amg.
To confirm - there is no square inch on this 600SEC that did not receive proper attention and TLC :-))
I work alone and this is not what I do for living. It took me so long because I wanted it to be done RIGHT, and as we all know, the day only has 24 hours :-))

Big thanks to @SCP80 and @Elkman1 for the bids. Please keep them coming, and let me know if you have any questions. 

@AriBK, the car would have sold on December 14 if you had participated... :-))
I think I tagged you, having seen the enthusiastic bidding war between yourself, kporzee, and Aceking11 that was on full display on November 30.

@Elkman1 is correct that it was not my day , and the auction ended with RNM.

Bid to win this time. 

@Elkman1
Thank you for the bid and for your questions here and via direct messages. I appreciate the feedback.
"When did I finish all of the work?" - the last time I worked on the car was in September, when I installed the Sportline AMG steering wheel.  Everyone is aware of the difficulties with international shipping, but the experience I had with the European refurbisher was something out of this world. The package contained an airbag and had to be shipped specific way.  It took the better part of 2021 to finally reach me.

@CarCrazy24
Thank you for the kind words! And a great question. Pictures #428 through #435 show what I have in storage. The original body parts and the original catback exhaust. With those, the car can be reverted back to its 100% stock look in just one weekend.
The new owner and I will discuss the sale of those parts separately.

@Highheat
Thank you for the question. Mileage is absolutely correct. Never been "reset" in any way and the CarFax / receipts from previous owners dated back to 2005 confirm that.

Hello everyone and Happy Holidays!

The New year may begin with a BANG for one lucky person who could become the new owner of this incredible automobile next week.

Let me just say here that I have lovingly and painstakingly restored this beauty to its former glory with cost being no-object. Selling it, especially after all the work that went into the car was never my intention, but there are personal circumstances that require me to seek another MB aficionado who will become the next caretaker.

It has been a part of my life for almost 7 years, and needless to say - it is not just a car to me. 
As I hope the pictures and the videos show, the 600SEC is currently in showroom condition. It looks and drives as a new car!

I am looking forward to interact with all of you and I am here to answer any questions that you may have.

Happy bidding!

@MB8605
Thank you for your bid and the question. I too have been curious as to what happened in February of 1993 - the first two records in the VMI likely indicate that the vehicle sustained some type of damage while in transit to its original owner.

Unfortunately, I was not able to uncover this part of the car's history.