59 219 low budget driver

[garetlaw]

It's running smooth and I can finally get up that hill on the way to work!

- soaked carb / made gaskets / put in the correct size main jets (I think they were for a motorcycle carb...)
- put in new plugs
- added 12 ohm Bosch coil (from a Volvo)

A friend is working on a machined down BMW dist with eletronic ignition module. He has assured me it will work. Has anyone heard of this and is there any advantage in doing this over getting a Pertronix kit?

Richard

59 219
58 220s
66 VW 21W (rusty) Bus

[garetlaw]

pic...

[garetlaw]

inside

[300SDog]

Damnit Law, its gotta be weird for you to even step inside more modern vehicles if you are dwelling entirely in the Pontoon 219 as dailly driver.

What are performance specs on the 219..... gettin 20+mpg out of solex? ...... highway speeds at/near 80mph? .....also wondering if Pontoon shell is lighter in weight than later Haekflosse models.

Bravo the custom component adaptations on the incomparable old MB longblock. Motorcylcle jets, huh?

Otherwise, one advantage of BMW ignition strikes me as availability of junkyard replacement parts if necessary.

[Benzcrusher]

Is it a "lowrider"?

[garetlaw]

Ya, I'm getting way better mileage with the clean carb and stronger spark - haven't checked it exactly though. It runs strong, I've nudged it past 70mph on the way to work but my biggest surprise was how well it ran going up 'the cut' (a huge swath of highway cutting through the mountainous North Shore).

The 219's weigh in at 2,800 lbs - I'm not sure what the later ones are.

The greatest thing is that my girlfriend loves it (she takes it to work in the pm). When we first got the car I was out of town for 2 weeks - I planned to teach her how to use it when I got home. Wouldn't you know after 3 days she just jumped in it, figured out the column shift and was driving it around. When I got back she was giving me pointers!

I'm going to try and document the distributor install and other things and put them on my website. My buddy that’s giving me a hand has a 67 200 - he's redone the engine and done a few interesting mods that I'd like to document as well (he has the hood star rigged so the horn goes off when it's lifted).

the previous owned lowered it so the rear wheels lean in at the top - down the line I'll raise it up so we can take it camping.

Anyone know if those VW woodslat roof racks (from a bus or bug)would fit a ponton?

[300SDog]

LOL, it sounds like girlfriend stole your car while you were out of town. You might as well just hand it over to her.

On the VW roof basket, its gotta have the highest arc of all - so it should accomodate the bath-tub Benz and width should be able to be cut and rewelded if it doesnt quite fit. I got very good results making an old Corvette rack fit the trunk lid of my 123 sedan.

[ptoro01]

Thats a sweet car, is it just the picture or is it painted flat black. Ive got a 450sel painted in flat black primer until it gets painted and ive got compliments on the paint job. Also, how did you get the first picture to look like a negative.

Peter

[300SDog]

And you've got to admire how the steering wheel has been "centered" by rotatating the emblem instead of properly adjusting tie-rods, resetting the steering wheel or turning the Pitman arm.

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Reminds me of my first Mercedes, a '61 Ponton 180b, except yours has MORE POWER!. On the other hand, with more power back then, I'd have gotten in MORE TROUBLE!

Happy Motoring, Mark

[garetlaw]

DieselDog: I'm going to take some measurements from the roof and compare with the VW racks - I may have more luck with the wider bus rack. I think you're right - a bit of welding or bending should make it fit. I saw your vette rack in the other post - that’s a great idea too. I may do some Photoshop editing to see how it would look on the 219.

ptoro01: The paint is a shabby flat black - the P.O painted darker black flames on the hood. They are very subtle and you can only really see them up close. I also made some vintage travel decals for the rear window. I scanned the negative without a neg tray and inverted it in PS - this gives it the negative edges.

Mark: Yes, the Power to Trouble ratio - always a delicate balance! Having no seatbelts can keep ya honest too.

Does anyone else get a certain satisfaction from going to the MB dealership in their old Benz? Here in Vancouver to get to the dealership parking you have to drive by and park in front of all the sales desks in the showroom. People always come over and check it out - I figure this is good for business when potential MB owners see someone getting parts and service for a 45 year old car. Now, if they'd only give me a break on a 24 dollar fanbelt...

[garetlaw]

pic

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Compared to my first Benz, my current Fintail 220S 'Miss Daisy' is a hot-rod. She also handles better than my old 180b used to. While your 219 ride height looks pretty radical, it may help in cornering. You'll have to consider how much 'un-lowering' your suspension will affect the handling.
I put lap belts in my Ponton - better than nothing. I HAVE installed lap AND shoulder belts in my Fintail - a major project but a big improvement!

Happy Motoring, Mark

[ptoro01]

Thanks for the info, your pictures are great and I didnt know that you could do that with negatives. The car is lowered and looks great and probably handles well. If it were me, i wouldnt touch the suspension but then again im pro lowering of almost anything thats not offroad meant.

You should follow on with the flames on the hood through to the exhaust and melt people behind you. The paint looks amazing and fits the style of the car very well.