What do you think of this 230S? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

loepke72 · #1 08-04-2010, 01:33 PM

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/1880251708.html

I saw the car yesterday. The engine and transmission are unknown as to condition at this time, but given the overall condition of the car I think they'll at least be easily repaired if need be. Tires look like 30 year-old Michelins, so they'll have to go immediately. Body is straight, no rust I could see. Interior is above average, MB Tex seats in good condition, wood needs refinishing but otherwise OK. All glass is there and intact. Still has original Becker radio, also has Kuhlmeister A/C unit under dash. I was thinking maybe $1000 if the engine just needs minor work to get running like a tune up and rebuilt carbs, and the rest of the car the usual old MB stuff like rubber parts.

Oh, there is no title for the car either, so that will cost a few extra hundred.

I think this guy will end up sitting on this car for quite a while.

cth350 · #2 08-04-2010, 01:47 PM

sounds like a plan. -CTH

Squiggle Dog · #3 08-04-2010, 03:49 PM

It looks like a 1968 model (or possibly a late 1967). Only 80 were built that year. I think that's the best year, with the collapsible steering wheel, larger door openers, later mirrors, etc.

Tony H · #4 08-04-2010, 05:15 PM

The body is the most important thing-everything else can be repaired. You would spend far more fixing a rusty body than rebuilding the car mechanically+ it's more satisfying work. IMO a few Bens shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Rahulio1989300E · #5 08-04-2010, 07:05 PM

Aww man, I have been eyeing this one for a bit. Wish I had a trailer and truck to haul project cars like these to my house.

mercmad6.3 · #6 08-04-2010, 07:16 PM

looks like rust in the bottom of the front fender and the doors in that picture. if it's rusty there,the rockers will have rust for sure,not too mention the boxes in the rear. A finny like that ,with no paper work isn't worth $1500 . More like 2-300 .
Factor in a fuel tank clean,new rubber everywhere and his asking price is sounding expensive.

daw_two · #7 08-04-2010, 08:38 PM

rust kills the deal for me.....yet again.

I recently went to see a "perfect 300SDL", white in color. The seller said the only issue with the car was the tire shop had used an air wrench on the passenger front tire. He had a blow out and can get the tire off --- broke a lugbolt.

The white paint was a terrible re-spray getting a lot of white paint on the passenger side front headlight door.

The passenger rear door had rust along the top edge, trailing edge, and bottom of the door --- I didn't even lean down to look up to see how much. I considered ...okay, a door can be replaced....then I spotted the rust along the bottom rocker panel. I couldn't get away from the car quick enough.

loepke72 · #8 08-04-2010, 09:49 PM

About rust, I didn't see any on the outside of the car. I did not go over it with a fine tooth comb since the car was outside by itself and the seller was not present. Also, the tires are flat and it looked like the grass had been trimmed around the car (grass clippings all over the trunk area), so it would have been hard to look under the car. Hard to tell with those crappy CL pictures what exactly is there. The paint looked to be a faded light blue in person.

I'm really not sure what the market is for these particular cars, but I suspect at this time it's a buyer's market. Heck, my running and driving 560 I'd be lucky to get $1500 if I offered it for sale.

The car is about 40 miles from home, and my weekends are taken with other things for at least the next two weeks. I could take another look sometime next week and see the engine, look for rust under the car and all that.

Looks like there is no agreement on the actual value of the car in question; some seem to think the asking price is OK while others think it's a $300 car. Barring rust or a bad engine, it looks to be something that can be made into a presentable car.

alabbasi · #9 08-04-2010, 10:21 PM

Without a title in Texas, this is going to be a pain in the butt to get registered and legal. If you end up with a bonded title, you're pretty much stuck with it for at least two years.

Asking price is way too high in my opinion for the simple reason that you can find good running cars with clear titles for a couple of thousand more and that immediately makes the juice not worth the squeeze.

Erich, this car reminds me of the Jensen interceptor that's over at Honest John's. While that Jensen needed a butt load of work, it had potential.
But for what he was asking, there was no way for me to be able to justify buying it and I suspect that it will sit there forever.

Like the Jensen, if you could buy this car for 1/3 of what he was asking, then it may make a nice hobby car that you could probably sink some money in parts and a butt load of your own labor and be rewarded with a running (but certainly not driving) car.

At his asking price, you're better off spending a little more and finding a cosmetically better running car with a title. The money that you will spend just getting this car running and titled will probably exceed getting a much nicer running car with a title and you'll still need to do a but load of paint, interior, suspension and under hood work before you get it to the same level.

To make the point, take a look at this beautiful example in Tulsa: http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/1860735265.html

strelnik · #10 08-04-2010, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alabbasi

Without a title in Texas, this is going to be a pain in the butt to get registered and legal. If you end up with a bonded title, you're pretty much stuck with it for at least two years.

Asking price is way too high in my opinion for the simple reason that you can find good running cars with clear titles for a couple of thousand more and that immediately makes the juice not worth the squeeze.

Erich, this car reminds me of the Jensen interceptor that's over at Honest John's. While that Jensen needed a butt load of work, it had potential.
But for what he was asking, there was no way for me to be able to justify buying it and I suspect that it will sit there forever.

Like the Jensen, if you could buy this car for 1/3 of what he was asking, then it may make a nice hobby car that you could probably sink some money in parts and a butt load of your own labor and be rewarded with a running (but certainly not driving) car.

At his asking price, you're better off spending a little more and finding a cosmetically better running car with a title. The money that you will spend just getting this car running and titled will probably exceed getting a much nicer running car with a title and you'll still need to do a but load of paint, interior, suspension and under hood work before you get it to the same level.

To make the point, take a look at this beautiful example in Tulsa: http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/1860735265.html

Erich, if you can't get the one in Denton for three one hundred dollar bills, go find pout what little things are needed on the one in OK City and buy it for 3250.

Then drive it back to show the guy who wouldn't deal with you.

loepke72 · #11 08-04-2010, 11:02 PM

Thanks everyone, I'm going to walk away from this one. Obviously this seller thinks he has gold on his hands.

wbain5280 · #12 08-05-2010, 03:01 AM

Last year I saw a 220S locally with a for sale sign. I looked at it and the seller wanted $12,500.00 for it. Way too much for a non-perfect car.

daw_two · #13 08-05-2010, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alabbasi

Without a title in Texas, this is going to be a pain in the butt to get registered and legal. If you end up with a bonded title, you're pretty much stuck with it for at least two years.

To make the point, take a look at this beautiful example in Tulsa: http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/1860735265.html

WOW, Al -- the car in Tulsa looks like Ben's younger brother !!! We all know old cars look better in pics, but if that car checks out, it would definitely be a buy. Maybe, I should go look at it......Then I could have a diesel and a gasser in the same color.

jackson101 · #14 08-20-2010, 10:13 AM

I just bought a '67 230S. Rust on rockers and fenders, everything else was present and pristine,...800 bucks. Not a dent anywhere and motor ran great. Does have a bad master cylinder though. Can I get seals to rebuild it?