1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

• White paint is glossy and even with clean reflections, so no paint money shows on the surface, but check panel fit and history in person at this price.
• Chrome trim and bumpers look bright and straight, so no rechrome spend shows.
• A Spanish-language Guerrero transit permit sits in the rear window and there are no plates on the car, so verify the US title paperwork before anything else.
• Rear seats look excellent, smooth grey leather with almost no wear, so no rear retrim cost here.
• Front seats are visibly dirtier and more creased than the rears, and the carpets are stained, so budget a professional interior detail and possible leather work.
• Grey door cards look clean and complete, so no door trim money shows.
• Center console wood is faded and mismatched in tone and a Kenwood head unit replaces the original radio, so budget for wood refinishing if you want it right.
• The odometer shows 199,487 miles, so price it as a high-mile car no matter how shiny the paint is.
• Engine bay is dusty and tired-looking with grime on the air cleaner and covers, so budget a full service and engine bay detail.
• Later-style five-spoke alloy wheels look clean and the tires have tread, so no immediate wheel or tire spend shows.
• No underside or trunk photos in the sampled set, so underside and trunk condition can't be judged.

Money: at $29,900 the shiny paint is doing the selling — 199k miles, a worn front cabin and a foreign transit permit in the window mean the discount should come from paperwork and mileage, verified before purchase.