Im thinking about this... any thoughts?

[Cervan]

http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/pts/420524602.html Im thinking about buying this, any thoughts on it? i saw it was a manual, wich excited me and i live about three minutes away.

[alabbasi]

I would be all over that

[JimFreeh]

It's worth more than that for it's coupe specific parts.

Jim

[t walgamuth]

They are lovely cars. Very collectable too. To do it right would be very expensive. That one may be nice enough to get running and drive, if the rust isnt too bad. They will rust a lot and that will be expensive to repair correctly.

Given the collectability of it it would be a good car to keep for life and just keep fixing.

Good luck.

Tom W

[rs899]

oh yeah! What happened? I see the ad is dated 9/17 so it's either gone or has some obvious issues...or there are just so many great California cars that nobody bothered...

[Adenauer]

Have a close look behind the door panels. The shell of the doors are one very large (and thick) casting, believe it or not - with the sheet metal skin crimped to it. I had a 1970 coupe and did find that cracks had developed in the casting in the area of the hinge attach points. Someone else will have the correct answer but I believe the castings were magnesium.

Great find!

[cth350]

The fog light on the rear bumper is a nice, euro touch.
The fact that somebody put a carb'd motor in it is defintely a minus.
But if the body isn't rusty down below and the interior can be saved, this car is a good purchase.

-CTH

[Cervan]

I called the number, its in running condition and its a 220se. (he thinks) im going to take a look at it today. it is a manual and the tranny is good. story goes, his son is selling the car, he bought the car in germany and had it shipped over to the usa where he gave it to his father, well his father was going to restore it but hes pushing 80 now so his wife just told him to sell it. The car has 100 Kilometers. and the story about the car is, he literally parked the car in this good condition in a barn in 1975 and never touched it since. the interior is beautifull, and since it has barely any miles on it im sure the metal suspension parts are great. (it has minor ammounts of rust nothing through on the body, just bubbles here and there.)

[cth350]

It's either a very good deal, or they're full of it. A car sitting since 1975 can have the entire underside rusted out. Likewise, the interior can be dry or moldy or both depending on the humidity level. Lastly, gas from 1975 won't burn.

But, if the interior is cleanable and the underside is still intact and the fuel system has already been cleaned, this is a heck of a bargin.

-CTH

[truckinik]

How rusted/rotted, could it possibly be, if it's from down there..? I haven't spent quite enough time down in California, to know a lot about it. Based on everything I've seen to date however, I can't imagine it being in too bad shape.

[Wodnek]

Dont let any of us scare you off. buy it. If restoration is not possible, then parts will make it pay off.

[truckinik]

I know one thing for sure. If I weren't 3000+ Miles away, I'd snatch that thing up quicker than you could say Mercedes. Parts car, resto car, whatever, I'd just decide after it's in my driveway what to do with it. You can't go wrong no matter what you ever decide to do with the car..

[Chas H]

If it's a 220SE, someone swapped in a carburetted engine. That might be a good parts car. If you want a nice older coupe, you'll be money and time ahead to buy one already made nice.

[Cervan]

Originally Posted by Chas H

If it's a 220SE, someone swapped in a carburetted engine. That might be a good parts car. If you want a nice older coupe, you'll be money and time ahead to buy one already made nice.

I dont think so. its the euro model and in the wiki, it says that the euro models came with a 2.2 lt inline six.

[Chas H]

That's correct. ---But, the SE appelation means fuel injection and that there engine is carburetted.