Parts source? Belt tensioner, etc.

[aircap]

Hey, everybody:

Been driving my Benz all over the past few weeks...just got it tagged with a vintage 1968 Kansas plate (black with reflective yellow print) yesterday. Sharp!

Anyway, on a serious note: I've noticed that there seems to be a dearth of parts available for these cars (compared, at least, to my previous '60s cars, like Fords, Mopars, etc.). Where the heck do you guys find parts...and are there any outlets where one is more likely to find good deals?

I ask because there are innumerable little parts on my car that need replacing. Case in point: The past few days I've noticed a weird clackety-squeak under the hood, and at first I was horrified, imagining all kinds of top-end carnage. But upon much close scrutiny, I've come to believe that the noise is emanating from the belt tensioner. Just now I did some homework using this forum's advanced search feature, and I discovered that noisy tensioners are not all that uncommon. Seems like it would be an easy task to replace it...if I can find one!

So I guess in short (too late!), I'm asking where you folks buy your parts. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

[Mike D]

I use Phil over at Fastlane (see "buy parts" link on the top of the page) for most of my stuff. Sometimes I get the piddly stuff at Autozoo or CSK (Checkers-Schucks-Kragin).

[300SDog]

Or if not at Wichita then take a road trip to the nearest big city boneyards with laundry list of fiddly bits you need. Junkyard pick'n pulls are great for grabbing buckets of parts. And you never know what you will find there, like maybe a complete set of cherry 114 coupe wooden dash pieces that will fit right into your 220 sedan. Other goodies you discover might include a complete set of original 114/115 Hella driving lights complete with wiring harness.

(edit: Its a myth that you will never find parts for the car. Consider the fact that bulk of items are interchangable among similar body style Benz's built over an 8 year span.