Elac Miracord on Craigslist: Should I grab it?

Just found an Elac Miracord 45 on Craigslist near me. Do you all think it's worth pursuing? What strikes me as odd is how the table is sitting in the plinth and the discoloration to the wood on the left side. Any input?
Link to ad: Turntable Miracord

 

YES. Elac was/is a German company and, in those years, made (certainly) more "tank-like" idler drive turntables than what a DUAL would be like (even a top-notch 1229). A "45H" was $169 in the mid-'70s. Just make sure all the automatic cycles are working and the grease on the linkages underneath hasn't gotten so sticky that it cracked any of the gears.

 

Excellent table but be prepared that it will need at least a standard refresher, ie grease cleanup, oiling, possibly new idler, wiring issues. Make sure the headshell is in good shape because they are almost impossible to replace. If you're ok with that then hell yeah grab it.

 

Unfortunately I can't really assess the condition of the table from the one attached photo. Not to mention I've been trying to get ahold of the seller for the past two days with no avail.

 

Looks like I won't be grabbing the Elac. I never could get the seller to respond to my inquiries. Strange. Anyhow, on my quest to find a vintage table to trump my LP-120, I've come across a couple of non-serviced Dual 1218's on eBay for $60 not including shipping. Worth looking into? Maybe I should just forget it, and get an Pro-Ject Carbon Esprit or mid-level Rega instead.

 

The wisest choice I would think.

 

Only if you are mechanically inclined or are willing to spend and additional $150-$200 on servicing. Unrestored Duals and Miracords are not for beginners.

 

Very true. However, I am at least a little bit mechnically inclined and have done a fair bit of research on how complicated and time consuming it can be to restore these units, so I'm willing to undertake it myself. Not to mention, I love the sound of idler drives. However, what I'm wondering about is would I be happier in the long run by buying say, a Rega Planar 1 or 2, than picking up a vintage deck and servicing it?

 

Great, it looks like you're thinking this through carefully. You can re-sell it for a nice profit if you buy it cheap, service it yourself, and decide it's ultimately not for you.

FWIW I personally prefer vintage idler decks, and presently own a Thorens TD-124 and Dual 1019.