Considering a '72 220 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BenzCarolina · #1 04-24-2011, 04:45 PM

Hey everyone,

I'd like to introduce myself to the forum; my name is H.D. and I'm from Eastern North Carolina. I have always loved Mercedes', my dad was a big enthusiast before he passed on and I have fond memories of them. My mom has owned quite a few, and I've maintained them since I was a teenager. I came across a gentleman selling a '72 220 today, it has the gas I-4 and the Automatic tranny. It's showing 109k miles, which he claims is accurate. I'm looking something to use as a beater/around town car and this little Mercedes looks like it would fit the bill. What I was wondering is, what are the common issues to look for on this model? I have no experience with the W115 models, however I'm fairly competent with the W124 & W126 cars. Also, if anyone could tell me what to expect as far as fuel economy, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks & Happy Easter!

H.D.

newtodiesel · #2 04-24-2011, 08:10 PM

Welcome! You will find hours of worth while reading here!

Others will chime in soon and give you the answers you are looking for.

I don't know much about that model, but w/ only 100,000 that seems like a good one to me. As long as it is for real and can be verified, the more records the better!

I do know a lot of the models will get rust under the battery tray and in the fender wells inside the trunk, check the windshield front and back for dry rot seals. Good luck!

JimFreeh · #3 04-24-2011, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenzCarolina

What I was wondering is, what are the common issues to look for on this model? I have no experience with the W115 models, however I'm fairly competent with the W124 & W126 cars. Also, if anyone could tell me what to expect as far as fuel economy, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks & Happy Easter!

H.D.

Hello H.D.,

If you're expecting to get good mileage with this particular car, keep looking. There were a couple of these in our extended family, and I don't recall them breaking 20mpg in regular use. The 220D, it's diesel stablemate would get upper 20s, and could break 30 on a trip if a manual transmission was installed.

The 220 was the gasser price leader, usually not well equipped (sunroof, A/C, fog lights, vacuum door locks, rear defrost).

The quality of these cars is borne out by the fact that you can have multiple trips around the odometer, and a well maintained W115 or W114 can still look fresh. I had a 69 220D with over 400K on the clock before it succumbed to rust. Car still looked great when I junked it.

Watch for rust, these cars rust like the dickens. Over the headlight, bottom rear of front fender, lower rear quarters from wheel house to bumper, rocker panels, trunk floor, floorpan.....

Most all dashboards are cracked, and if the headliner is bad, well you have remove the windshield and back glass to replace. Which isn't a bad idea anyway, since the rubber seals are likely shot.

For gas powered cars, the carbs are frequently problematic.

These cars a hoot to drive, fantastic handling and a really tight turning circle.

In 73 the six changed from M130 to twin cam M110, 74 got ugly bumpers and several engine changes (4 cyl and diesel).

I've owned at least one W115/W114 for the last 25 or so years, and 18 years of W124 ownership.

I love both chassis, but for different reasons.
I really love the vintage point of view from the driver's seat, and the clap hands wipers.

Did you know that you can actuate the wipers with your left foot?
Great fun when it's drizzling, and you bump then once in a while, while mentioning the rain sensing wipers MB had years before anyone else...

With your familiarity with W124s I'm sure you've run across examples of plastic parts that use moulded in snap fasteners, and questioned if MB was still building cars to last forever... With a W115, you don't have this problem. Even the simplest of parts exudes quality. (Rust trap body...maybe not so much...the W124 is light years better.)

The market is dead on these cars right now, the only flickering of interest is the diesel and the 250 coupes. Super nice documented cars occasionally show up for less money than it would take to bring a neglected car back. If you value economy over all other attributes, pick a diesel. But beware of VW microbuses challenging you to an acceleration contest. A W114 250 in decent shape will get almost the same mileage as a W115 220, and will generally be better equipped. You also get wood dash trim. And keep up with traffic.

Jim

JimFreeh · #4 04-24-2011, 09:12 PM

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/2343117763.html

Jim

Skippy · #5 04-24-2011, 09:13 PM

Knowing what I know now, I would pass on any W115 that wasn't a diesel with a manual transmission. I would consider another W114 only with a manual. They are good platform, nice to look at inside and out, handle well (better than a W123 IMO), and also have excellent brakes (also better than a W123 IMO), but the gas ones all get lousy mileage by modern standards, and I'm totally soured on Mercedes automatic transmissions of the era.

Caveat: I've never met an automatic transmission I liked. Allison 4500 is kind of close, but I'd still rather have a 13-speed in those applications.

barnumlives · #6 04-25-2011, 11:29 AM

ditto what others say about condition.

in addition to areas prone to rust check the oil cooler for leaks ($1100 dealer, $450 west germany) and plan on replacing the oil cooler and trans cooler lines.

you are virtually guaranteed to find the wrong (green) coolant in the car so plan on citrus flush, lots of rinses and the mb or zerex g05 coolant.

if you decide to take the plunge, good luck!!

meltedpanda · #7 04-25-2011, 11:55 AM

my heart aches, I loved my 71 220, and wish I still had it ( all vintage MB guys use this line often lol) but it was a great daily driver , I took mine apart and know them well , see my saga here. easy to work on and a greater starter car if you want to get into MB's

1971 220

If I can help let me know

BenzCarolina · #8 04-25-2011, 05:14 PM

Hey guys, thanks for all your input!

The particular 220 I'm looking at is in pretty clean shape, except for some surface rust on the trunk lid and roof. None underneath from what I saw when I looked at it yesterday. The interior's in good shape, the only thing I saw that I didn't care for was that the factory Becker has been swapped out for a circa 1980's Audiovox radio. Otherwise, everything's bone stock. The owner wasn't home, so I wasn't able to hear her run, but I'm planning on heading up that way to check on that later this week. Is there any particulars that should alarm me when I drive it? Also, the consensus seems to be that the fuel economy on this model isn't great. Does anyone know a figure that would be about right for it? I looked online but nobody has info that far back (lol).

Thanks, H.D.

Skippy · #9 04-25-2011, 05:45 PM

I have the six cylinder version of that car and it gets around 16 mpg. I've heard the fours get a little more, but not much.

meltedpanda · #10 04-25-2011, 08:55 PM

17-19 , less than 20

daidnik · #11 04-27-2011, 01:43 AM

I've had a W111 S class sedan and a W108 S class sedan and I can say that I like the W115 the best as an all around balanced car. The suspension on the /8 series cars was much improved over the earlier swing-axles. The weight distribution is just about perfect Frnt to Rear resulting in a very tiny amount of understeer. This results in the most stable handling possible under all conditions. At the limits of traction, the car will gently slide sideways on all four wheels. Once two more cylinders are added to the front of the motor as in a W114, the front becomes a bit more heavy.

It is true that the Stromberg 175 series side-draft carb does not deliver the power that 2.2 liters of displacement can deliver by today's standards, but it is a simple carb to work on and is not hard to get good fuel economy from it. It should deliver close to 25mpg in long distance freeway driving. Starts and stops in town hurt you because you've got the same heavy chassis like all the older Mercedes so these never deliver the in town mileage of a lightweight Japanese car.

As a mechanic I met once said regarding the W115; 'That's one of the simplest Mercedes ever made'. This in a sense betrays why I like this one the best. It has all of the functional quality in the design as was used in the best of the Mercedes cars of the /8 era; it just has fewer of the amenities.

It drives around town with the same comfort and handling as it does over the most ragged pot-holed roads and drives quite nimbly and comfortably over ragged windy mountain roads. It is this all-around balanced simplicity and quality that I like most in this car. It is an amazingly rugged car.

Keep in mid that old cars aren't for everyone. You should be able to do general maintenance and that sort of thing or it can cost you a lot even for the basics. I would estimate that all the suspension rubbers & spring pads need to be replaced and likely the shocks and almost certainly the subframe mounts, some tie rod ends, etc. But, it IS a pretty easy car to work on and parts costs are not too bad in general. These 4-cyl gas cars are also not fraught with the cooling problems that the 6-cyls do have in general.

So that's my take FWIW.

Superslot · #12 04-06-2013, 01:47 PM

Hi ,I am from South Africa and restoring a 1972 220d.
Removing the cylinder head is blocked by the timing chain guide (tentioner side) and I can't find a pin to remove ,Can anyone tell me how to remove the guide?

Mark DiSilvestro · #13 04-11-2013, 10:47 PM

In the late '80s, I owned a '72 220 gasser for about a year. Downsides were the automatic-tranny, and lack of power with the AC on (compounded by the reduced compression on most 1972 models in order to run unleaded gas)
Mine also had manual steering, making it a chore to park. Plus it tended to wander on the highway - probably due to a worn-out steering-box.
Just before I sold it, I fixed the steering by swapping in power-steering from a parts-car.

With carefull timing & carb adjustment I could manage about 23 mpg highway if I didn't push it too hard. City mpg was in the 13-15 range. Replaced it with a '72 W114 250 sedan, In addition to the power and smoothness of the six, the 250 only got maybe 1 mpg wprse overall, so the four-cylinder 220 wasn't saving me much.
Compared to the SOHC sixes, the four cylinders in these bodies are also harder to work on - especially if equipped with AC, due to the remote air-cleaner plumbing and the more massive AC bracket that surrounds the waterpump.
Besides looking for common rust and oil-pressure issues, some other things I'd check on any W114/115 is possible gas-tank cracks around the top where the fuel-sender is located. Also the frame-rail can fatigue-crack at the area where the power-steering box mounts. Also see if the heater-blower is working - a major job to replace if it isn't, and a new one is well over $400 now!

Happy Motoring, Mark

ATATEXAN · #14 04-12-2013, 02:11 PM

When I was 16 years old - in 1968 - my dad had a W108 250SE (4-spd manual) and my mother a W114 230/8. The car's handling advantage over the 250SE was immediately apparent: no brake dive and no swing axle twitchiness. Good solid cars but seems to me a 220 automatic would be deadly slow. The fluid coupling unit in the 230/8 got her car nicknamed "Lurch" on account of its rough shifting - quick but not at all smooth.

The successor W123 is a better car in many ways, perhaps the last decent Benz along with the W126's.

Mark DiSilvestro · #15 04-12-2013, 04:13 PM

Unlike many of my fellow teenagers, when I got my driver's license in the early '70s, fuel economy was more important to me than horsepower.
My 220 wasn't too bad, except climbing hills with the AC going. Certainly better than a four-cylinder automatic diesel. If it had been a stick, I might have kept it. I wouldn't neccessarily reject an automatic 220. Of the many old Mercedes automatics I've experienced, gas or diesel, fours or sixes, the perfomance can vary widely.
Around the time I had my 220, an aquaintance bought a '75 W115 230 - 4 cylinder automatic.
Even with the heavy, monster-bumpers, his car seemed much peppier than my 220. I suspect part of the reason was - by then Mercedes had changed the automatic to a torque-converter.
But the 250 that replaced my 220 was definity more satisfying to drive.

Happy Motoring, Mark