1966 Mercedes 200S, should I get it?

Hi, I have an opportunity to get a really cheap (around $1000) 1966 200S, 2L 4cyl gas. The car is supposedly fine mechanically, it passed what we call AirCare here. It requires a new clutch, that's about it for serious work. Is this a car for which parts are hard to get? It is supposedly 65% restored. Are these cars money pits?

TIA cp

Reply to
cp
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Mercedes-Benz has a classic parts department that can find the parts that this old car may need. You might first ask the price before ordering.

Owning such an old car is something for someone who loves to be involved with the car - as a hobby - for these small motors need to be carefully adjusted to make their power - old style ignition systems and carburetors, mechanical valve adjustment etc.

If that's what you like then the car may be the one for you, otherwise pass.

Reply to
T.G. Lambach

How are the shock towers? When they are rusted through, that signifies end of life for this fine car.

Rick Rikoski

Reply to
R. Rikoski

Good point, am checking car out in 30 min, thanks! cp

Reply to
cp

old car may need. You might first ask the price

I just talked to a mechanic and he said the parts are not a problem, the problem is how many parts the car needs :-)

the car - as a hobby - for these small motors need

carburetors, mechanical valve adjustment etc.

hmmmm so the motor is high maintenance? If so, then I definitely will pass.

Thank you for the much needed advice!

cp

Reply to
cp

I've taken a close look at the car and I'm still interested in it. Will have to get a mech to check it to make sure.

The only problem mechanically the car seems to have is that the differential leaks a bit. It has a rebuilt transmission and new clutch. The engine? When the owner tried to start it, it would just turn, but then he realized that the choke was off (I noticed that the double carbs were both full open) and when he tried again the car started immediately, no hesitation. Not bad for an engine that was supposedly only turned a couple of times this year, about a month ago last. He turned the engine on and off a couple of times, it started no problem. No smoke, even exhaust, engine works very evenly, didn't notice any breathing when I opened the oil cap. The car looks like a prime candidate for restoration, body is excellent, just a bit of rust under the right side trim, about 80 of the body is ready to paint, much restoration done. The owner says it will do 75mph no problem, small engine after all. All the maintenance records are available till 1980. The undercarriage looks more solid than most recent benzes I've seen, everything is massive and has no rust, probably a southern car. I have to take it for a test drive, see how it goes uphill, the owner says it goes fine, no race car of course. It doesn't have power steering, you think the steering will be heavy?

And no rust anywhere important, actually, it doesn't really have noticeable rust, definitely not around the shock towers.

What you think? Worth calling the mech over for an inspection? :-)

Thanks in advance for any advice

cp

old car may need. You might first ask the price

the car - as a hobby - for these small motors need

carburetors, mechanical valve adjustment etc.

Reply to
cp

Run. Run away at a very high rate of speed. There is nothing so expsenive as a $1000 Mercedes and a $1000 108 is going to need $10,000 to turn it into a $3000 car.

Find one for $300o that soe other sucker dumped 10K into.

Problem areas on a 40 year old 108: o Brakes o Suspension o Motor o Rust o Electrics o Heat. Or lack thereof. You do know you have to disassembler 3/4 of the car to replace the ehater fan, right?

There's no such thing as a rust free 108. You just havn't found it yet.

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Reply to
Richard

get a mech to

leaks a bit. It

Pinion seal. $100 to fix including parts.

start it, it

the double carbs

hesitation. Not

about a month

problem. No smoke,

opened the oil cap.

bit of rust under

done. The owner

Uh-huh. THat's a $3000 repair job. Tip of the iceberg.

I've seen,

it for a test

course. It doesn't

WHo cares? See how tight the front end it. They're expensive pigs to fix.

rust, definitely not

ONLY if the inspector is very very familar with 108's. If not it's no batter than tossing a coin (that always comes up on the wrong side).

Some parts are getting had to find. The classics center had them but they're ultra stupid expensive.

Keep in mind these cars were built when labour was $4/hr. They're increadbly labour intensive.

You'd really be way better off in a 123 or 126. I love my 108's but I do't for a moment consider them to be practical cars. And how to you feel about 15MPG on premium?

Or 14" tires in a size you can't get any more?

Reply to
Richard

Look at it this way, what do you have to loose? If you like it, buy it.

I bought a classic Merecedes myself a couple of years ago under very similar circumstances and am very happy.

As other folks have mentioned, expect problems. Its an older car and things will break. If you don't mind spending some 'quality' time pulling wrenches, you should be in good shape. I you're going to pay someone else to pull the wrenches, expect to spend a lot of money.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

the effort needed to hold a job is "minimal"; but usually, in lower- to middle-level jobs, whatever effort is required is merely that of obedience. You sit or stand where you are told to sit or stand and do what you are told to do in the way you are told to do it. Seldom do you have to exert yourself seriously, and in any case you have hardly any autonomy in work, so that the need for the power process is not well served.) 62. Social needs, such as sex, love and status, often remain in group 2 in modern society, depending on the situation of the individual. [10] But, except for people who have a particularly strong drive for status, the effort required to fulfill the social drives is insufficient to satisfy adequately the need for the power process. 63. So certain artificial needs have been created that fall into group 2, hence serve the need for the power process. Advertising and marketing techniques have been developed that make many people feel they need things that their grandparents never desired or even dreamed of. It requires serious effort to earn enough money to satisfy these artificial needs, hence they fall into group 2. (But see paragraphs 80-82.) Modern man must satisfy his need for the power process largely through pursuit of the a

Reply to
iNet

it is dishing out large amounts of sex and violence. Entertainment provides modern man with an essential means of escape. While absorbed in television, videos, etc., he can forget stress, anxiety, frustration, dissatisfaction. Many primitive peoples, when they don't have work to do, are quite content to sit for hours at a time doing nothing at all, because they are at peace with themselves and their world. But most modern people must be contantly occupied or entertained, otherwise the get "bored," i.e., they get fidgety, uneasy, irritable. 148. Other techniques strike deeper that the foregoing. Education is no longer a simple affair of paddling a kid's behind when he doesn't know his lessons and patting him on the head when he does know them. It is becoming a scientific technique for controlling the child's development. Sylvan Learning Centers, for example, have had great success in motivating children to study, and psychological techniques are also used with more or less success in many conventional schools. "Parenting" techniques that are taught to parents are designed to make children accept fundamental values of the system and behave in ways that the system finds desirable. "Mental health" programs, "intervention" techniques, psychotherapy and so forth are ostensibly designed to benefit individuals, but in practice they usually serve as methods for inducing individuals to think and behave as the system requires. (There is no contradiction here; an individual whose attitudes or behavior bring him into conflict with the system is up against a force that is too powerful for him to conquer or escape from, hence he is likely to suffer from stress, frustration, defeat. His path will be much easier if he t

Reply to
Steve

:-) This is how I'm thinking. It's in very good mechanical shape, other than the diff leaking. If the diff were to be replaced, any idea how much one would cost? Could one be used from a more "recent" generation (w115,w123) ?

Thanks, cp

Reply to
cp

:-) You've got me thinking too, it's just that this car already has had much time and money (perhaps) put into it. New clutch, rebuilt transmission, the engine (2L 4cyl, 2 carb) is faultless. After a month being off, it started each time in a moment, runs very even, no smoke, the exhaust is very even. Everything is massive about it, no rust other than under a fender. The rest of the body has been prepared for painting. The guy is moving so needs to get rid of it as he has 4 cars, 2 outside and the heckflosse is taking up too much space.

You given me some things to think of, I will have to take it for a ride to make sure it goes as well as the owner says.

This one is it! Except that it's only $1600, will let it go for $1200

Aren't those cheap and "standard"?

You mean shocks? They're cheap anyways.

Motor is excellent.

No problem.

It has electrics?

The fan? I know it has to have the heater core replaced, its out, waiting for one to be put in, any idea how much those are? I'm not about to go welding the old one.

This one has already been taken care of. Ready to be painted.

Perfect, THANKS! cp

Reply to
cp

looked at, fun to drive. It is a hobby, however.

of months. You are not buying transportation, you

True but this is in better shape than half the w123 on the road. What work it needs is in the interiors, and a paint job, mechanically it's very good. Will have to have a mech check it out of course.

cars actually more time than I drive them) When

unless you have more money than God. Otherwise, you

your nails dirty, bringing an old beast back to life,

expenses. Buy a new car.

Nah, this doesn't need any mechanical work, it was on the road before, my friend told me to buy it last year as all it needs is a paint job, no this car is ready for the road, I'm definitely not looking to restore it mechanically, it has to be solid, and I tell you, it's in better shape than a lot of w123. Actually, it doesn't need a mechanical check up, if it drives no problem than that should be good.

It's a 2L 4cyl 2 carb engine, in very nice shape, doesn't even breath with the oil cap off, very shiny inside; what do you think the fuel mileage is on a car like this?

TIA cp

Reply to
cp

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leaks a bit. It

Sounds good!

a bit of rust under

done. The owner

No, duuude, $3000?? For what? The paint job? That's just the thing, I know the right people. I know a bunch of Euro immigrant car shops and they do everything, the paint jobs are beautiful, and they're my dad's clients and my friends, so no problem there. One friend used to have a pro paint shop, he would do paint jobs on expensive cars, now he works for another friends paint shop (had a health problem, lost everything) and I can get a beautiful paint job for $300CAD! If you're in Vancouver and needs painting email me! :-)

Another thing to check, thank you.

Actually, no point for an inspection on a $1000 car, if something happens I'll just ditch it. My parents will probably give me their old 300D but I tell you, mechanically the heckflosse is better! On the 300D I will have to buy another W123 (have to phone the guy in a minute) so I can use for replacement parts. The one I want to buy (also $1000) has a bad engine and transmission, not that I care, I'll chuck them. But the heckflosse is solid. Goes

120kmh and that's enough for me, will have to test it out on our steep hills here.

Oh there's no way I'd buy from mercedes, ebay or something germany. I hears in the middle east these cars are still for everyday driving. :-)

But I don't need any labour on it.

a moment consider

Can't it use w123 wheels? Or are those too heavy for the 4cyl engine?

Thank you for your advice, VERY HELPFUL INDEED, for myself and any future readers.

cp

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Reply to
cp

I forgot to ask about the gas mileage!

a moment consider

15MPG?? It's not a 6cyl! It's a 2L 4cyl 2 carb engine, why would it need high test gas? Couldn't I put in the cheap stuff?

TIA cp

Reply to
cp

No insult intended, but you are out of your freaking mind.

Look at this...

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For $1100

Reply to
iNet

That car is in condition five, described as follows -

#5 Poor: In need of complete restoration, but is complete and not a rust bucket beyond repair. May or may not run and drive. Not roadworthy.

At level 5, book value is $350.00

Lets say it moves up a notch to level 4

#4 Fair: runs and drives OK but needs work throughout the vehicle. Body shows signs of wear or previous restoration work. Any rust should be minimal and not in any structural areas. Cosmetics, body, and mechanics all need work to some degree.

Book value at level 4 skyrockets to $975.00

Were you to make it a level 1 car -

#1 Excellent: A close to perfect original or a very well restored vehicle. Generally a body-off restoration, but a well done body-on restoration that has been fully detailed may qualify. The vehicle is stunning to look at and any flaws are trivial and not readily apparent. Everything works as new. All equipment is original, NOS, or excellent quality reproductions

The book value tops at $6000.

The guy is selling the car to you for one reason - he actually thought he was going to need to pay someone to tow it away.

Not trying to be harsh, guy, but there are MUCH better deals on MUCH better cars for MUCH, MUCH less $$$

Reply to
iNet

Man, I looked at the pics - If he sells it to you for $600, he has doubled what the going price is.

Reply to
iNet

Wow, I didn't think I'd change my mind so fast. The ebay thing did alright. I can't believe anyone would sell a car like that for that little money......

Thanks for saving me!! :-)

Now I'm going to have to bother you about the 300D! I had a 300SD before but this one will require work.

Can't believe I changed my mind so fast.

cp

Reply to
cp

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