camber compensator on W111
 

We just picked up a 1966 230S and are fixing it up as a magazine project car. Somebody has replaced the hydraulic camber compensator in the rear suspension with a coil spring. This seems to be a common modification. Is this a good thing, or is it done because it is just cheaper than replacing the real part?

If you want to check the car out, it is at Classic Motorsports under project cars.

It's my understanding that the compensator was an option on your car. So probably there were only so many from the factory delivered that way.

At any rate, it is rare to see a w111 or w108 with these nowadays. They are expensive and I've read that there is not an appreciable difference in ride as compared to the spring.

I checked your site. Nice car, well worth restoring. The front crossmembers are known to rust out on this chassis. Those Zenith carbs are nice when in good working order but can be a pain when old and worn/warped.

The point of the compensator was to pump up the rear suspension due to heavy loads. Being expensive, they were often replaced with the spring.

Are you going to bring the car back to stock or add a few mods such as rear discs?
The 230S is a good car being the last of the finnys with a good power range .
It's actually the 300SE that is really desirable finny with it's air suspension and M189 injected engine. :)
You will find it's a good idea to replace ALL of the gear shift bushes to fix shifting problems .

At $1,600 you probably paid top dollar for that car. The air is not the normal dealer installed Kuhlmeister, Frigiking or Behr but some other aftermarket unit. The four on the floor is not rare but rather common (I've had several). However, the headrest in the trunk is a rare and desirable option. You could probably get a few hundred bucks if you have two of them. In any case, it's great to see a fin car getting some ink in your magazine. The second gear issue is probably best solved with a donor transmission, easily found. Keep us posted.

I have only ever seen one floor change four speed in Australia. The trans is the same as all of the mercedes used from 1950 ,including the gullwing which has a oil pump on the rear. It's small but tough.
Nearly all of our finnys were automatics .

It's good to see you bringing this car back to life.

I just sold my last NOS hydraulic compensator a few months ago. I think I still have a Kuhlmeister AC unit. I might have a master cylinder or a grill badge for your car.

Thanks for your help. I know this car can quickly become a money pit and I need to be careful. We advise readers to buy the best car that they can afford. That said, I can't help dragging forlorn cars liked his home an rescuing them. I learn so much personally, and it gives us a lot of fun stories to share with readers. We have a couple more updates on the Classic Motorsports site, as we have it running and driving quite well with an investment of about 20 hours, $500 worth of parts and a set of tires. I have to tell you, we all really like this car so far.
Now I need to find some seat kits and a fuel gauge sending unit.

Take the sending unit out and try to move it. The float may be full of gas or the pivot may be rusted solid. Take out the rubber trunk mat and it's under the white colored plastic cover in the middle.