I have a 1968 Mercedes 220 4 door sedan, gray with red vinyl interior for sale. The car has lived in the neighborhood here in Princeton, NJ since it arrived here in 1968, first by one neighbor who sold to another who has asked me to sell it for him. I was going to buy it for my son but at 24 and as much as he loves the car, he has no idea how to shift a manual, let alone a 4 speed on the column so we have decided to sell it. I am a car collector, primarily Porsche, Jags and Lotus and am a qualified mechanic and restorer, paid for my engineering degree with a wrench and have been actively restoring European cars for over 35 years

The 1968 Mercedes 230 (Base Model W110) "Fintail" (Heckflosse). 2.3 Liter straight 6, dual zenith carburetors, manual 4 speed on the column, gray with red interior in running condition as a daily driver or for drivable project car. Engine, runs smooth, transmission shift well with no issues. The tires have great tread but are dry rotted so it's only been around the block a couple times since I got it running again but I belive with new tire, you could drive it home today. The exterior (Gray) has some minor rust spots on the bottom of the rear quarter panels, some of the chrome (and it has a lot of chrome) is lightly pitted and the interior is complete (RED) with no tears, white headliner is clean and complete, dash is solid and complete. The paint, (gee after 43 years!) is lightly oxidized (dull) but should easily buff out to a good shine. The rear bumper has a quarter sized rust hole, is serviceable and still shines but should eventually be replaced. The car comes with the original owners manuals including service book, parts catalog and operators manual along with the 2 sets of original (4 each) keys.
I'm selling this car for my elderly neighbor so I'm limited on info, additional photos are available, please ask. I believe that the car has 143,000 which works out to about 3300 miles per year. Owned originally by a local Princeton University Professor then sold to my neighbor about 25 years ago and was used sparingly from new. The owner's manual indicates (through service stamps) that the car was picked up at the West Germany factory and driven for the first 3000 miles through Europe, then ship to New Jersey from Lorient, France where services continued at the local Benz dealer. The services records then end in late 1975 with about 43,000. My neighbor, a school teacher also used the car sparingly and maintained it at a pretty good local European car repair shop. It has not been on the road for at least 10 years (last inspection expired in January 2001) as the maintenance records show a full tune up and service in 2000 with about 25 less miles than it has now. I went through the drive train with a proper engine start up with light oil (lots of Marvel Mystery Oil), hand cranking, draining of fluids (gas, oil) etc. and then reset everything and started the engine (started on the second crank). Car runs pretty well, some very light residual smoke from the mystery oil but I'll change the oil again this weekend. The engine, clutch and brakes work well, throttle is responsive with no hesitation and shifting is flawless. It's a great example of the late fintails which are getting rarer and rarer every year and priced fairly for it's condition at $4500 with all offers considered.

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Nice looking old car and welcome aboard.

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Jim

saw her on craigslist.....looks nice. i'd be willing to take a look for out of area interested buyers

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Philippians 4:13

"You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks....to collect a bill."
-Col. W.E. Kurtz

Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Larry - ever hear of a restorer out in LA named JG Francis? Google Mercedes Motoring.

Mercedes Motoring

Exchanged emails with him about my wagon (he was looking for a W124 for his girlfriend). Very cool, dedicated, talented young man. He's got a longstanding request to find a fintail, with a finder's kickback, which he says is his favoroite. I am amazed at his skills. Worth an email maybe, but I don't think he likes east coast examples because of the winters and salt...

Hi Guys, Thanks for all of the positive feed back, I really wish I could keep it, at least as a driver but I don't have room and am in the middle of a Lotus Europa frame off and bare metal on a 914-6, (I hate doing things half way.) That kills off almost all of my storage, and 4 kids plus a banker pretty much eats up my money. I'd like to see both my neighbor get a reasonable price and the Finny get a good home, but it is going to have to go. I'm going to put a new set of tires on it over the weekend if the rains not too bad, it still sitting in the owners garage (1 car with 50 years of debris surrounding it) staying dry. I also found out that 13 inch tires aren't all that common any more!!!

The body isn't bad at all, it's been garaged since new and I've been living across the street from it for 20 years, rarely saw it driven in the summer and never in the winter. Our neighborhood is two blocks from the campus and both owners walked to work and town, it really just sat in the garage. The rust on the lower quarters is more related to road grit being sprayed from the drive tires over the years-very localized on the very bottom and less than a couple inches long on the rightside drive wheel and just surface rust on the left. I've seen much worse rust on Southern California cars and the original paint is much better than most Southwest desert cars this old! The floor pans, sills, rockers, trunk floor and jacking points are fine, no problems, after all, how much racing would a 70 year old Princeton Professor do?

I post a sold notice if it sells.

I talked with the owner by phone today and we decided to lower the price to $3500. I'm thinking if it doesn't sell, I'll keep it for a driver but the storage issue is still a problem and it's really a greta restoration canidate-any taker??

I am guessing no a/c?

thanks
Fred Emmerich

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MB-less

Was he still looking for a wagon??
I have a 91 300TE 4MATIC black w/palomino interior.

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Past Euros: 91 MBZ 300TE 4MATIC, 91 Jaguar XJS V12 Coupe, 94 Alfa Romeo 164 LS, 80 BMW 320i, 85 BMW 528e, 86 BMW 325e, 88 BMW 325e, 88 BMW 325i Cab, 89 BMW 325ix, 95 BMW 525i, 78 Fiat Spyder 124, 98 Land Rover D1 LSE, 93 MBZ 190E 2.6, 96 MBZ C280 Sport, 93 MBZ 400E, 90 MBZ 300ce, 71 MGB-GT, 91 VW Corrado G60

Email him at his site and ask. Tell him you have a "non-green" wagon and that Scott sent you...

Nice car, love the red interior. Does it have a sunroof? Shame it doesn't have a bench seat to accompany that column shifter.

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Past: 1976 240D, 1983 240D, 1985 300D, 1986 300D
Current: 1973 450SE (parting), 1974 450SE, 1977 450SEL, 1977 6.9, 1978 6.9, 1979 450SEL, 1979 300SD, 1980 300SD, 1980 300D, 1982 300CD, 1983 200D

Is this still for sale?

Whats the MPG on this like?

If it's still for sale when my tax return comes I'd be seriously interested. I love the look of the old fintails.

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1978 Mercedes 240D
1981 Mercedes 240D
1982 Mercedes 240D

My brother had one back in the day. I believe you can expect around high teens or low twenties highway if its a stick. Less if automatic. If it is in good condition it will drive "younger" than its age. Good ride, good handling, steering and reasonable economy.

Oh, and reasonably quick for its era.

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Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 82 240d, 83 300TD with five speed, 03 Dodge 3/4 ton with cummins six speed; I have had about 33 benzes. I am building a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup street rod at the moment in which I plan to install a 617 and a five speed manual.....or a 64 stude v8.

i'm pretty sure he sold it. he contacted me a couple days after my first post and told me it had just been sold. ironically, there is an eerily similar car about two miles from my other house. i think it is the same car, and there is no registration on it. i keep meaning to put a note on it when i go by

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Philippians 4:13

"You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks....to collect a bill."
-Col. W.E. Kurtz

Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Mercedes Motoring - Coming Soon

Francis found his fintail....I absolutely love this grey one posted here...I have always wanted a 230 fintail

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Current stable......
79' 240d 175k
72' Chevy c10 104k (original owners)
03' Eddie Bauer Expedition 149k
99 Isuzu Rodeo LS V-6 182k


previous MB units........
87' 300d 169k (needed much work but would burn the wind when it would run)

85' 300tdt 261k (my avatar was RBM's parts delivery car EVERYTHING was new!)

85' 300d 68k (one owner cream puff sold on Ebay for $12800 only had $5000 in it)

84' 300dt 198k (sold to diesel don on Ebay)