1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SEL

• Ivory paint looks glossy, straight and even from every angle, no repaint needed on what is shown.
• Chrome grille, bumpers and window trim look mirror-bright up close, no chrome bill visible.
• Cognac leather seats front and rear look supple and clean with only light creasing, no need to reupholster.
• Dash wood and the Becker radio face look rich and intact in close-up, no dash or wood refinishing needed.
• Underside of the hood is clean painted metal with no rust showing, no hood repair money needed.
• Underside floors look solid and coated with no holes visible, though the differential and axle are oily and grimy, budget a clean and reseal check.
• Body-color hubcaps look clean and the tires show deep tread, no immediate tire spend visible.
• A small rust spot shows at the rear door jamb by the latch, budget a local touch-in before it grows.
• The engine itself is barely shown in the sampled photos, so I can't judge engine condition or leaks from these photos.
• The last sampled photos are paperwork and inspection documents, not the car, so the tail of this big gallery is documentation.

Money: At $19,500 the paint, chrome and leather look like top money already spent, and the solid underside helps — only the oily differential and the door-jamb rust spot need budgeting.