W115 - To buy or not to buy, comments welcome! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

W115_guy · #1 04-22-2007, 06:27 AM

Hey all,
first post to this forum and I'll have heaps of questions.
I've come across a RHD W115 200 and I'm keen on getting it.
But, being new to vintage mercs, I'd like to hear from the you all first.
Its a 1971 model, bodywork seems sound, with good paintwork all round. Doors close with a reassuring thump. The engine was the part that was a little iffy. On the day that I viewed it, it would not start, and the mechanic was fooling around with the carb for a good 45min before I had to leave.
From what I gather, the stock carb that came with this model could be considered fussy in how its set up.
What should I be looking out for when I head over to take this out for a test drive this coming weekend? According to the areas that I'm concerned / curious about:
Bodywork
Rusty bodywork an issue with this model? And if so, which areas? Am based in Singapore, so salt on the roads is unheard of. So is winter actually..

Mechanical
Engines or mechanical weakpoints? Am naturally concerned over the big ticket items, such as the transmission (manual) and engine. How does one tell the soundness of the engine and transmission from a test drive?
Is the stock carb something that will cause me endless grief?
Hows tight should the handling be? I dont expect to race this gal, but does this model tend to roll a lot in corners?

Interior / Trim
The interior looked pretty neat, but are trim items like door panels available and affordable?
Can I put in rear seatbelts?
The sun visors were floppy, are replacements available?
Its missing headrests, again, are these fairly easy to locate?

The current owner does not drive this much, from what he told me, its been sitting under a dust cover in a sheltered carpark for a while now. Swore that it ran fine the last time he started it, so I'm inclined to forgive this not starting issue as a case of bad gas and perhaps a fouled carb.

I plan to use this old gal as a daily driver, so I do need a reliable car. The reputations of Mercs is pretty impeccable in that aspect, but then again, every make has its share of less than stellar models. From what I've been reseaching, the W115 seems not to be a bad model, but I'd like to hear about experiences from users.
What sort of a mileage should I be expecting?

As mentioned, am new to vintage mercs so any advice or pointers would be welcomed.

Thanks a ton in advance.

alvin - Singapore

pj67coll · #2 04-22-2007, 12:58 PM

It doesn't matter if you have winter or salt on the roads. Singapore is on the coast, with resultant high humidity. You do have a rainy season don't you? Check very carefully for rust. Especially for rust on the underside of the body, the jacking points, the chassis box section that the steering box mounts to. Are you sure this is a 200 not a 220? I was not aware that there was a 200 gas 115. It should not roll much in corners. As for the carb. There is a thread on this board about a 220 that a member has been working on. I think it's the same carb. You can get a lot of info from that thread.

- Peter.

W115_guy · #3 04-22-2007, 09:14 PM

Hi Peter,
thanks for the tips, will keep them in mind when I take it for a test drive this weekend.
Yup, this is a 200. Well, I'll check the title, but the boot lip said 200.

Thanks!

Alvin

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj67coll

It doesn't matter if you have winter or salt on the roads. Singapore is on the coast, with resultant high humidity. You do have a rainy season don't you? Check very carefully for rust. Especially for rust on the underside of the body, the jacking points, the chassis box section that the steering box mounts to. Are you sure this is a 200 not a 220? I was not aware that there was a 200 gas 115. It should not roll much in corners. As for the carb. There is a thread on this board about a 220 that a member has been working on. I think it's the same carb. You can get a lot of info from that thread.

- Peter.

Wodnek · #4 04-22-2007, 10:17 PM

You will find it to be one of the best handling cars you have driven. for mileage expect low to mid 20s in miles per gallon.

meltedpanda · #5 04-23-2007, 11:13 AM

1971 220

Here you go 36 pages of posts, I can pretty much assure you I have encountered most of the issues you may want to look for. I have also touched just about every nut and bolt on this car.
They are great cars, if you are an average DIYer they are easy to work on and very much fun to drive.
Check for the rust in the floorboards and jack points.
Does it have a sidedraft carb on it?

dseretakis · #6 04-23-2007, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pj67coll

Are you sure this is a 200 not a 220? I was not aware that there was a 200 gas 115.

- Peter.

Actually the 200 was the most popular w115 in Europe.
Dimitri