i need any help i can get with this vehicle

[abriannasdad]

I picked up a vehicle the other day and know nothing about it other than what I have researched so for from the serial number. it is 111.014-10-048552. I am really trying to figure out what year it is and I have looked everywhere possible on the car, I cannot get a data card because I do not have the $150 or title in my name yet and I have found different numbers as far as production. I am thinking it is a 64 or 65 from what I have seen but I am at a loss of finding out for sure and any help from someone much more knowledgeable about these cars would be appreciated.

[Squiggle Dog]

I'm guessing from the VIN number that it's a 220SE fintail sedan. Here is a forum dedicated to them: https://fintail.org/forum/index.php

[97 SL320]

Early Mercedes really don't have a " Year " , improvements were added to the cars as they became available making the serial number critical when getting parts.

Supposedly some unsold cars from say late 65 were titled as 66 in some states further compounding the issue.

You should be able to get a general idea of year from the last block of numbers when comparing to other known cars.

[Idle]

Since Mercedes had a company policy of making changes when they were able to find something that worked better than before they would just make changes as the years went by. Hence there was no 'year'. There was the model.

This was no big deal in most of the world but it was in the US. And that's where things get weird.

Dealers found that selling 'last year's car' was a problem. They could not move them without a discount which the factory would not give. So, with a bit of pencil whipping, a last year's car magically turned into a current year's car.

I bought a 111 once that was presented as a 1962. But all the paperwork inside it, like repair orders, listed it as a 1964. The title said 1962. In the end I didn't really care since the only ones who would care would be a bank and that would only be if they were loaning money on it.

You can sometimes tell by the last numbers of the VIN but even that's no real help since sometimes Mercedes started over.

When buying parts the big deal is the VIN. When buying parts with a part number on them the big deal is the part number since over the past 50 years or so a previous owner might have found something that worked that was not original equipment.

So the year might be interesting to know but it is not vital to buying parts.

[ScooterABC]

Knowing the exact year of the car tends to not be too important. If you are within one year either way you should be fine. What other issues do you have with the car?

[Squiggle Dog]

Just keep in mind that even though the year on the paperwork may not match the manufacture date, the manufacture date does matter a lot on some parts.

For example, cars from 1959-1960 had torsion bars instead of springs for hood and trunk hinges. Around 1963 they changed from the remote-mounted brake booster to a firewall-mounted one, added disc brakes, changed the design of the firewall, the placement of the hood release hardware, and added threaded holes in the B-pillars and behind the rear seat for adding seat belts with shoulder straps. The steering and suspension also changed.

In 1965 they changed the steering wheel horn ring from a circle to a half moon shape to make reading the instrument panel easier. They also welded the right side dash vent tube spring holder to the dashboard instead of attaching it to the glove box

In 1966 they changed the design of the inner rocker panels to accommodate seat height adjustment, changed the style of the electrical connectors from large bakelite ones to small plastic ones (so parts like instrument panels and wiper motors won't interchange between pre-1966 and post 1966 vehicles), and got rid of the under-hood electrical outlet located next to the fuse box. They also changed the routing of the fuel lines from inside the driveshaft tunnel to underneath the left side of the vehicle. The steering wheel now had ridges cut into it. Wood around the windshield was replaced with bakelite and the wood around the window frames disappeared.

In late 1967 they added brake fluid level sensors, a collapsible steering column and deformable steering wheel, a recessed and angled ignition switch and rubber-headed keys, larger knobs, larger rectangular interior door openers, foam padding on the sides of the front seats, and pentagonal mirrors which would push inward instead of breaking off upon impact.

There are actually lots of differences in parts between the years, even though at first glance the cars all look the same. There were 66,086 220SEb's made, yours being number 48,552, so I suppose it was probably built around 1964... just guessing, though. Pictures would be helpful as it would help narrow down the year it was made by what parts it has on it.