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NEW GUY Is it worth it?

2K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  KCM 
#1 ·
alright heres the deal, my wifes grandmother just recently past away, she owned a 1970 250 sedan mercedes. since i was the only one in the family who showed interest in the car, they gave it to me. im wanting to fix it up for the family. so is this worth it or not? the car is in great shape, a little rust, fadded paint, and a few minor problems in the interior. it has a broken left passenger tail light. other than that all parts are thier. it sat in a garage for 15 years. the big problem is the engine, i found a mechanic to fix it but im just wondering if this is going to cost a ton of money or not. i have no past experience with benzes. please help i want to do this for the family, but i dont want to be poor for the rest of my life.

http://www.benzworld.org/publications/pub.asp?id=443
 
#3 ·
Can' t tell...

... from those photos.

Clean it up (remove the tire from the back seat for starters) and see what you think - post some daylight pics for the forum and you'll get all kinds of responses.

Some of us here are realists, others will throw themselves between the crusher and any Benz - do a bunch of searching and thread reading here before you make the call.

Sad to say, if you do it for sentimental reasons for the family without an absolute budget (max), you need to start getting sentimental about it too.

'course, if you start doing any kind of "restore" on it yourself, you'll find yourself "sentimental" in a hurry.

If that happens, you'll probably get the "bug" - in which case you've come to the right place.

In the event you choose not to go for it - post it for sale here (RECORDS! = $$$) and one of us will probably take it off your hands for a reasonable price.

They are easy to work on and the folks you find here help make it fun to do so.

I say - keep it in the family as a Sunday cruiser (unless its a basket case because of rust).

IMPORTANT! - don't start that engine without some serious rehab/prep - I'm sure you know an engine of any kind that "sits" for that long needs gentle resuscitation!

Let us know what goes on & happens...

Best of luck,
Kevin
 
#4 ·
I like the car. Looks very clean on the inside. So, when you ask "is it worth it" that's a tricky question. If you are looking to fix it in order to sell it, I'd say no. If this is the case, sell it as-is because if you are going to pay someone to do work on the car vs. you doing it yourself, it will get expensive. That coupled with the weak market demand for the gas powered w115 sedans will turn you upside down very quickly.

On the other hand if you are going to keep it in the family (hopefully) then yes, it's worth it. Maybe start with getting her roadworthy and go from there. They are a blast to drive. I had the coupe version of that car (250c) and loved driving it. Good Luck!

BTW if the temp gauge assembly isn't working, I have a good one! It is a special 1 piece setup which mercedes used on the 220 and 250 cars in your body style. It consists of the sending unit, the gauge and the gas filled capillary in between.

And definitely "pickle" that engine before you even attempt to turn it over!
 

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#5 ·
well i already have an update. on the 4th the car became officaly mine. just yesterday i brought it to a local mechanic i know, he worked on it for about 4 hours today and said the engine is actually still good. good oil pressure, the gauge WORKS! he put good gas in it ad did a little work on the carburators. The only thing stopping it from starting is a gunked up fuel pump and a hole in a fuel line. he changed the battery and the spark plugs. the tab for the day-20 bucks for the plugs, this man is awsome i must say, i think he sees it as a fun challenge so hes helping me out alot. hes even giving me a new hood emblum for free. ive decided since the engine is still good im going to rehab the whole car, bring it back to its original beauty. as for selling it im not allowed to my wife wont let me. i went thru the interior and its in very good shape a few headliner problems, a few cuts in the center arm rest, a small crack in the dash and a small crack in the passenger door panel.
thankyou Autobahnfahrer if i need the gauge i will let ya know. i have so many questions my head is going nuts. does the ignition key work for everything? the glove box is open and locked and i cant unlock it with the ignition key. the engine is a straight six dual carburated, is this the original motor? someone told me it wasnt. how can i rehab chrome? its coverd in lime build up. anyway thats enough questions for now. here are some more pictures.

http://www.benzworld.org/publications/pub.asp?id=443
 
#6 ·
Nanner, Benzes of that era had separate keys for the ignition and the doors/glovebox. The car looks cool. Restore it! Repaint it the same color too.

Congrats on finding a sympathetic mechanic. That's one major task accomplished already. [:)]
 
#7 ·
yes the mechanic is the father of a really close friend of mine so hes really nice. he got the car running for 300 bucks, the brakes are gunna run 700 and an engine rebuild in the future for about 2 or 3 grand. im kinda at a stopping point right now. i dont have the funds for the break job right now and i hate to just throw it in a garage for another year since i got the engine running. any suggestions?
 
#9 ·
The worst thing you can do is let it sit up for another year! A dose of Simple Green with clean up those bumpers and the MB-Tex seats. Use Murphy's on the wood. Take the mats out an check underneath for sign of rust. Let the air out and don't put them back in there until you are ready to drive the car. This will geeet rid of the musty smell. A little Febreeze will help too! These are great cars to own and drive.
 
#10 ·
Unless you are going to do a ground up restoration (or maybe if you are), I would get it cleaned up and fixed mechanically so it is driveable. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion the engine needs rebuilding (even if it is smoking) until you drive it a little to break it in after sitting so long. Stuff like piston rings need to reseat. I think you will be surprised how well it will clean and polish up. Then, after driving it a little, you can make a list and see what needs to be fixed, doing a little at a time as money and time permits.
 
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