Value of a 20k mile 67 230S?

[lee polowczuk]

i think you will have a good idea of what it is worth when you see it.

3k in rubber and all fluid changes... new tires... new shocks...

the paint will be a big tell tale sign...

could be worth anywhere from 2k-8k...

if it is a fintail..i personally think it is worth much less... dated design... not a classic

[waybomb]

Hi Lee

Thanks for the input on price. If the seller wants crazy money because he thinks old Benzes are priceless, then I'll walk. I was thinking that even if it only had 20k on the clock, for sure new tires, belts, hoses, fluids, maybe door gaskets and such, and as Arthur says, suspension work. I didn't think 3000, but if that's what it is, then that will be my starting point of discount.

I should have pics and an asking price in a few days. I'll consult with y'all before I do anything.

[Tomguy]

Keep something important in mind:

A 230S that's been driven AND CORRECTLY MAINTAINED the last 40 years will have had the subframe mounts, sway bar bushings, engine mounts, flex disc, belts, hoses, tires, control arm bushings (both upper and lower, inner and outer), rear control arm bushings, fuel lines and brake hoses replaced by now. The carbs would have been rebuilt.

You can almost be assured this car has none of that done. A 230S with 130k miles has a LOT of life left. A 230S with 230k miles might need engine work like rings, bearings etc but that would cost a lot less than all the items listed above.

Keep all of this in mind. Shiny paint aside, you might be better off with a 42 year-old car that's been driven and has high miles but still is rust free with a good interior.

[t walgamuth]

It could be worth a lot less than 2K if not in great condition.

Tom W

[300SDog]

My chief concern would condition of bores - rusted rings and pitted walls from condensation?? Pull the valve cover and you'll probly find rusted cam lobes. Reconnoitre gasoline/varnish fouled carbs too unless run dry going into storage.

Tom is right that low mileage hibernation revival is alot tougher than dealing with daily driver maintained. Re-awakening should be done with care - soaking the bores, refreshing electrical connections, flushing hydraulics etc.

Ultimate tie-breaker on old fintails is Sunroof option - worth $1200 bump to value itself. Another goodie is KuhlMeister AC and color means alot, like black on red interior is highly prized. Does it have 2-tone interior like red door cards with black fittings? True pleasure of fintail is driving em though, arguably the finest road car MB ever produced. Also an animal in snow, better than most 4x4's.

[Tony H]

Pedal pads are inexpensive and easy to change so I would not use that as a gauge of milage. In fact milage is almost irrelevant on a car that old unless it is in showroom condition. What is more important is how well it has been maintained. If it is original ALL rubber will need replacing-suspension, fuel system, driveline, door seals etc.

[nhdoc]

Originally Posted by lee polowczuk

if it is a fintail..i personally think it is worth much less... dated design... not a classic

Haha...I'll have to tell that to the German guy who flew all the way to NH to buy my beautiful '64 220Sb and paid $11K for it plus paid to ship it back to Europe...just because they are not in favor here in the US doesn't mean there aren't people looking for them and willing to pay good prices for them.

[todds]

Who says they are not in favor? I get more comments and looks with this car than I ever did with my 67 caddy or my alfas. For the money, the 230S is easily the best car I have ever owned. They handle great and the engine is bomb-proof. You keep the suspension greased and it'll last a long long time. Every ball joint car I've ever owned has developed knocks and clunks, struts are only worse. This car is silent and supple. Suspension-wise it reminds me of a friend's Packard 400. I've had people RUN across parking lots as I'm driving off just to get a better look and make a nice comment. Don't listen to the naysayers, give it a careful and researched examination and then have a ball. Despite what others are saying, these cars are made to outlast their owners, the only REAL concern is rust!

[waybomb]

I did not hear from him today. Maybe Monday. I think I'd have driving one of these.

[wbain5280]

Originally Posted by Arthur Dalton

4 wheel disc/ATE

That would be front disc and rear drum on the W111.010 chassis.

Please take some pics of the car including the engine compartment. Don't take any with shadows and use a flash for fill.

[Housecrew]

if you want to sell it, shoot me a pm and maybe send some pics via email.
i´m interested if it´s worth the 2000 bucks i have to pay for shipping to
my door here in germany. that means no rust, turning engine and good interior.
bad tires, rubber etc. is no problem for me...

[Fintail Jim]

I just sold a very nice 230S for a shamefully low price. It had 93,000 documented miles and needed nothing. I sold it to someone in the USA but he is a German expat. I think the desire for these cars is greater outside the US. I disagree with lee though. The cars are very much admired. People are FINally beginning to appreciate the fins.

The ride and handling of these cars is amazing. Also, they are very roomy and the trunks are simply huge. Fortunately, these swing axle cars do not have enough power to get any but the most negligent driver into serious trouble.

First, the W111 sedan does not have four-wheel disc brakes (front only). The rubber suspension parts are no more likely to be in poor condition than those of any other 40-year old automobile. Like previous posters have said, it is all a matter of proper maintenance.

By the way, Alex Dearborn in Topsfield, Mass. currently has a 1967 230S advertised in Hemmings Motor News for which he is asking $25,000. It must be a museum piece.

I do agree with lee that the $2k - 8k range (highly dependent on condition, of course) is about right. All said, pay more for one in better condition if you can. I would rather perform mechanical restoration than have to do body work too.

Lastly, forget the mileage. Unless the car is pristine, low mileage is pretty much meaningless. A high-mileage, properly maintained Benz will be a better buy than one with low mileage because it has been sitting unused for two decades.

[Blue 72 250]

Asking the price without seeing the car is like aging a horse over the phone. If you give us some detailed photos we may be able to come up with a range of prices.

[waybomb]

OK. My buddy hand delivered a print out of an email his brother sent him. Believe me, the guy is NOT computer literate.

I am going over there next Wed or Thu to get pix. It's about a 2 hour drive one way.

From the 4 pix presented to me, I'd say this car truly only has the 30,000 (not the 20,000 he aid the first time).

The car looks brand new. The metal around the windows, the bumpers, the top of the "fins", the metal around the little hood scoop thing by the windshield, the wiper arms, the chrome on the taillights, all look brand new.

The plastic on the taillights looks like new.

The car is a bright red, with a white interior, and the white seats have red headrests with 2 stripes running over each seat about 3/4" wide. looks very sporty.

The paint shines as it should. The car is on stands.

There's a picture of the trunk with the spare tire on the pax side. It seems to be held in with a hold-down bar, and on that bar seems to be an original tag of some sort hanging from it.

I scanned the paper, but can't post a .pdf here. If any of you want to see it, pm your email address to me and I'll send the sheet to you for your evaluation.

But certainly by next Friday I'll have gobs of pics. With it being on stands, I'll be able to get some underbody pics too.

This car is gorgeous. Like right off the showroom floor.

[todds]

If the car is "too good" sometimes that actually makes things harder. Usually owners want big bux for time-capsule type cars because they've had them for so long and think the car is too nice to even be driven. If you can get it for resonable money you might have an amazing find there, otherwise, be sure that what you want is a prisitine show car. It's hard to watch or cause these types of cars to degrade, it's the trailer queen syndrome. I'd be curious to know if it has air conditioning, take a lot of pictures of everything for us!