Gorgeous & Rare 1988 Mercedes 560 SEC Coupe--Southern California car

Description for Mercedes-Benz 500-Series 1988

Up for auction just in time for summer 2015 is my beautiful stock automatic all-Signal Red 1988 MercedesBenz 560 SEC coupe (top-of-the-line S Class) witha watertight factory sunroof and power everything that all works.Only about 1600 of these were sold in the USA in 1988. It is a somewhat rare car. The Vehicle History Report is impeccable. The AutoCheck Score of 61 is VERY high. The average is 15-36. There is no reserve. It has been a Southern California automobile since 1990 and garaged most of its life.I am the third owner and have had it more than six years. The title is clear and it has always been a non-smoker's automobile. The second owner had it since 1990 when he purchased this lovely 560 SEC used when it was two years oldfrom the exclusive House of Imports Mercedes dealership in upscale Newport Beach California. He owned it for 19 years and spared no expense. He had the car professionally re-sprayed in the originalSignal Red at The House of Imports by Mercedes pros in 1995...I have the receipt...and about ten years ago had all the parking lot dings and little blemishes addressed and the car completely clear-coated again by House of Imports. All chrome was removed before it was painted in 1995. The clear coat still shines brightly to this day as you can see in the photos. I keep it protected with high-quality spray wax and never leave it in the sun too long or covered. She is a truly gorgeous sassycar with NO RUST WHATSOEVER no dents or scratches anywhere andissuper-clean...truly a head-turner.The powerful 5.6 liter fuel-injected V8 (342 cubic inches) under the hood is one of Mercedes' most reliable units capable of running for hundreds of thousands of miles with little more than basic maintenance. Torquey and smooth and NO computerized bells and whistles it actually gets decent MPG when driven sanely. The shiny chrome wheels are aftermarket and show nicely. FULL ENGINE REBUILD at 85000 miles....it drives and shifts VERY smoothly and tightly idles quietly tracks true & straight a tremendous road car has about 245000 babied miles on it BUT don't let that number faze you...the second owner HAD A NEW LONG BLOCK INSTALLED (complete new engine) AT 85000 miles in 1995....a brand new engine installed by Custom European Motor Cars of Huntington Beach at over $12000 dollars. He was quite the obsessive owner. I have the receipt for that new factory motor. He also installed a lowering kit giving it a more modern stance. However I have the four original coil springs if you wish to have it put back to factory specs. The vehicle has a driver's-side air bag. I havea stack of VIRTUALLY EVERY RECEIPTthe car has ever accumulated since it was new in 1988 arranged year-by-year in chronological order. In the last couple of years I have had my mechanic install a new oil pan gasket two VERY expensive spherical factory gas shocks in the rear in excess of 1000 dollars with labornew rear axle boots...and most recently a brand-new 375-dollar EGR valve AND brand new front rotors calipers brake lines and brake padswere installed in early May 2015. It should be noted that it just passeda VERY strict CA Smog Test and has been recently lubed all fluids checked oil changed. I have detailed the vehicle inside and out. It's a very pretty car. It's important to note that the vehicle does NOT nor has it ever smoked overheated it does not hesitate blowor leak oil or transmission fluidand can be assuredly driven long distances with pleasure andknowledge that it is still adependable very smooth powerful tight and efficient German luxury but sporty coupe. The hood and deck lid are all-aluminum. The engine compartment is dry and very clean. I drove it 400 miles one way to San Francisco late last year and it performed flawlessly. The car REALLY has tremendous acceleration and top end...the speedometer maxes out at 160 mph...great oil pressure and can cruise at 90 MPH all day long. Has all the great features you'd expect from a quality vintage Mercedes but is old school without all the complicated computers they have today. This car is becoming more and more rare. My wishing to be very transparent about the vehicle....the ONLY issues are....the heater and AC both need to be serviced...does not blow hot air nor does the AC blow cold. The fan does work strongly however. I have never had the issues diagnosed. Additionally I must lock the carfrom the passenger side by pushing down the lock and closing the door though it can be unlocked on the driver's side with the key.But other than that every single thing works perfectly fine including the clock all electrics and telescoping rear antenna. It has never been in a wreck and the entire tan interior and dash arein really excellent condition as the photos will show except for one very minute area on the driver's seat (photo) which can easily be repaired. It is the only flaw. It has a nice sound system with an Alpine AM-FM radio and CD player and an AlpineCD holder in the trunk that holds several more.She is a lovely car that has been well-cared for that you'd be proud to own and drive for years.Comes with a car cover and original handbook extra keys. BTW...did you know Mercedes offers FREE 24-hour road service for life on any of its cars...as long as it's a Benz. The 800 number is conveniently seen on the inside of the glove compartment door. Both side-mirrors are manually-operated. I am asking only 5600 dollars for this great car. A LOT of car for the money. The well-over one inch of year-by-year of chronologically-arranged receipts and history on the car really show how much money the second owner obsessively spent on maintaining this lovely vehicle. MANY thousands over the years. He was a man of means and spent freely on the automobile...it was "his baby." Please call me if you wish to ask questions. I have a solid 100% eBay rating at 1305 transactions with 13 years on eBay and that is my bond. I really want this car to go to a happy home....someone whom will appreciate it as much as I have. Buyer will be responsible for arranging shipping if necessary. I can provide more photos if required. Thank you...Jim L....Huntington Beach Orange County SoCal USA...714-840-8866