When we think of barn finds, it’s easy to envision a car being put on blocks for a restoration that never happened. But this 1969 Mercedes 300SEL sedan here on eBay is actually a strange case of a nice, driver quality restoration being sidelined for a mere transmission leak and left to disintegrate mechanically until just recently. Bidding is up to $5,100 and the car is located in Virginia.

Here it is uncovered, revealing a decent but not great repaint and fortunately, dry storage. The seller claims that the Mercedes received extensive mechanical work before being offered in trade for a newer model Benz, but that the car was barely used in the years after the swap. The Mercedes specialist Star Motors handled the mechanical work which included a new water pump, ignition components and plug wires along with adjustments to the injection pump and choke thermostat.

The desirable Rial Bundt alloy wheels were also added at this time. Work continued to the insides, which included restoration of the wood trim on the door panels, glove box and ash tray. As you can see by this photo, storage has not been kind: the air suspension has deflated, the battery is dead and the fuel system needs flushing. The seller will not allow potential buyers to attempt to start the car and also conveyed that removal will be tricky due to the location of the outbuilding the Mercedes is stored in.

Here’s the real shocker: the 300SEL was driven to a car show just before it was parked for 10 years, and it certainly looks to be a nice 5-footer (this is the “before” picture). How can you let a running, driving classic like this Mercedes just fall apart while awaiting a simple fix? The seller said he planned to send it back to Star Motors for the repair, but given the choice between using a local shop and keeping it on the road versus sending it to a specialist nearly eight hours away, I’d choose the former. Do you think the story adds up?