I Found A Cool Fintail Wagon - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Squiggle Dog · #1 03-06-2011, 11:04 PM

The Mercedes-Benz heckflosse has been my favorite car since I was about 10 years old and I like station wagons for their practicality and utilitarianism. I have been wanting a fintail station wagon for a long time and today I was driving my 200D and spotted one in an alley.

I talked to the owner and he wants to get rid of it. I am trying really hard to come up with the money but I missed about a week of work from having the flu and then there was a short pay period after that. I'm hoping that my 200D that I have on eBay sells so that I can get the cash. Too bad I don't have a rich relative... well, I do, but I would feel like a jerk asking for money!

The car has rust issues and was last driven 20 years ago, so it would be a long-term project for sure. But to me, it would be worth the struggle. I have been telling myself that once I sold the 200D I would focus on my 300SD and not bother with anything else, unless I found a heckflosse wagon for sale. Well, I did!

So now I'm in a mad rush for cash and I hope it doesn't get scrapped, vandalized, or something. I had a 1967 230S that I did a 5 cylinder turbo diesel engine swap to, but the car was extremely rusty so I parted it out. I still have the turbo diesel engine and the knowledge of how to make it work... hmmm... it could be a 300TD Turbodiesel!

What do you guys think of the car?

Squiggle Dog · #2 03-06-2011, 11:06 PM

Aquaticedge · #3 03-06-2011, 11:07 PM

that would keep you very busy. interesting wagon though.

Joseph_Conrad · #4 03-07-2011, 04:37 AM

You're definitely the man for the job. But, it could ruin you. But but, it's a great wagon! Gosh, if I was the owner of that neglected wagon and I saw you pulling up in your obviously well cared for sedan I would just give you the wagon... too bad I'm not the wagon owner...

GGR · #5 03-07-2011, 07:30 AM

I wish I would find a wagon like this one. If rust is very bad, what about grafting the roof and rear part on your sedan? May be less work than replacing all the bottom.

POS · #6 03-07-2011, 08:26 AM

One of those Binz wagons came up fro sale in Dallas a couple of years ago, and I got beat to the purchase by about an hour. Love those old, rare wagons.

PaulC · #7 03-07-2011, 10:42 AM

Did the fintail wagons use SEL rear doors? I'm trying to get a sense as to what sheetmetal is wagon-specific, as I assume that wagon-specific components are more difficult to find than sedan components.

compu_85 · #8 03-07-2011, 12:36 PM

That's a really nice conversion. Looks like it could have been factory.

-J

Carpenterman · #9 03-07-2011, 01:35 PM

You'd have some serious fun with that one, Squiggie! At least it would be worth something if restored (compared to our sedans). How's the undercarriage?

It looks like it had fuel/carburetion problems based on the missing air cleaner and a broken, partially removed fuel pump. It has the old style door handles which would probably make it an early '66 model.

Stretch · #10 03-07-2011, 01:41 PM

Looks like a great long term project

meltedpanda · #11 03-07-2011, 04:54 PM

holy crap , I love that, surely he is not asking too much, a huge project, but what fun if you dont need it straight away.
I have never seen one...too cool

Squiggle Dog · #12 03-07-2011, 06:40 PM

The car is totally rusted out and he wants $1,500. In talking with others, it seems his price is too high and maybe I should offer him $500. But, there is the possibility of either replacing all of the rusted panels, or cutting off the wagon sheet metal and attaching it to a non-rusty body.

This would be a "save-it-for-later" project, but in the meantime I would clean it up, neutralize the rust, and try to preserve it. This is my dream car and I may never get another chance to own one. How many of these do you see for sale? And I would have everything I needed to build my own wagon when I had the money.

meltedpanda · #13 03-07-2011, 06:45 PM

wow , in the one picture the floorboards look to be resting on the road surface. Even a dream car has a limit , $1500 is nuts.
Offer him 500 see what he does, he could not get that much for scrap

Mr.Kenny · #14 03-07-2011, 07:50 PM

Just find a nice Rambler wagon and transfer badges & grill..... Voila!

Honestly, if you can't scrape up the bones to buy it...how are you going to afford to restore it?

Squiggle Dog · #15 03-07-2011, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Kenny

Just find a nice Rambler wagon and transfer badges & grill..... Voila!

Honestly, if you can't scrape up the bones to buy it...how are you going to afford to restore it?

One day I will have more money than I do now and most of it will be labor to replace the rusty metal. I can paint it myself once I have all of the new panels welded in and then I can install the turbo diesel engine and get it drivable a little at a time. I don't care if it's "correct" or a show car. I'm going to drive the heck out of it.