So i wanna pick up an old benz and im between a few, hopefully you guys could share your knowledge on these with me and help me decide which is right.

1) 1975 W114 280c. One owner, seems to be in perfect condition. Owner says its flawless. They want $4,900. The only thing throwing me off from this is the solex carb that ive read is extremely problematic.

2) 1972 W114/W115 220d. Female driven, New original color respray (looks really good) One small crack on dash, No A/C (compressor broke). I've heard people say these cars arent worth anything but i dont understand why. I like the fact that it doesnt have power windows etc. They want $4,500.

3) 1972 W108 - the ad doesnt say which model it is but there is a pic with the hood open and its a V8 so im assuming its the 280 with the 4.5. the ad isnt very descriptive but the car looks really good and the owner said it runs good and a/c and everything works. They are asking $5,000

Which one of these do you guys think i should go with. For some reason i like the simplicity o the 220d but i love the look and the V8 of the w108. I dont know. Is there anything specific id have to look out on for each of these models?

thanks in advance

1) 280c I like 'em...alot. Some say stay away because of issues with the cams. I'm of a mind to not be concerned. I'm sure cams must be available, if even at a price and with them on top of the engine, I'd figure not too horrible to deal with, but what do I know? I've never done 'em, just done other ohc engines and didn't find it to be too terrible. I don't believe the solex carb is all that big of a deal, but that's just me. I've played with many a carb and found some of them to be a little bit more difficult than others, many models which many people said were "nightmares" turned out not to be so at all. Its all about patience, determination, and skill.

2) 220d Basically the same platform as the 280c, just a smaller diesel engine and two more doors. Personally I like coupes better and from all that I've ever seen of the market coupes are usually worth more than sedans, lower production and so forth. Main thing is, if you've never driven one, or a 240d; you need to before getting any more serious. They are sloooow! Seriously slow, but great fuel mileage.

3) now the w108 car? I really like those too, alot! You didn't mention if it is a sedan or a coupe, bet it is a sedan. Just because you see a v8 under the hood, I'm not too sure if it is a 4.5, could be a 3.5. Either way I love 'em, classics good looks. Arguable some of the last high build quality cars ever from Mercedes. Lots of close attention to detail hands on assembly from what I've been told, for these models. If it is a coupe, probably the most likely to appreciate more than the others. I've also heard they can be rather expensive to restore and maybe maintain.

So I'd probably be inclined to look into the w108 car first. Be very very careful examining it thoroughly for any rust issues. Word is, these cars can be very prone to rust issues. Do more research on 'em here on this site and others to learn all that you can first about them. Also do as much research on previous ownership on the particular car. Ask for any records. All simple obvious stuff so guess it really isn't all that helpful after all!

All in all, my experience has been that at the end of the day, when buying any old car, you rolls the dice, pays your money and takes your chances!

So good luck with what ever you decide and now it's time to let everyone rip in to me for this post! LoL!

I would vote for the 220D, only because that is what I have. $4500 sounds high, unless it has documented low mileage. I have been keeping up on craigslist and it is rare that a 220D goes that high in price. Most are being sold for $3000 in good condition. It is hard to know the true mileage in a 220D, because the odometer only has 5 digits. At their age, they are probably over 200K miles, even with very moderate usage. Look at the drivers seat. If original and supportive with no tears, I might believe a mileage below 200K. But if it is highly worn, has tears, or sagging, assume over 200K.

On this vehicle, look for rust at the floorpans (pull up carpets) and in the trunk (below plastic liner). Look at the front and rear window seals. If they are old and cracked, you can assume they let in water.

It is a slow car and highway onramps can be scarey. My top speed with the auto is ~70mph on flats. On hills, I struggle to keep 50 mph. My car is very "aged" and still gets 27 mpg. Many in good condition get 30-35 mpg. So that is a selling point. I find my car perfectly adequate around town, and on long drives where I don't need to get anywhere fast. But for long highway commutes, it is probably not a great choice.

Good luck.

I have a sedan 108 and a coupe 108 (w111 actually)
Good cars. The sedan is pretty much my daily driver, despite the infamous Dual Zenith Carburetors. Very well built car. Very easy to get parts and work on them. I have the straight 6 2.5 and it's the easiest car to work on.
The Coupe is somehow my garage queen for now. I have one more piece left to fix and will probably sell it.

I want a diesel very bad. But the only diesel i would get is a 300 turbo diesel. The one you're thinking of is very slow. You will have to learn to drive slow. If you use freeways, you'll have to pretty much stay in the right lane and no passing

Whatever you buy, stay under 5000 for a good daily driver.

Wow thanks for all the input! For some reason im leaning most towards the 220d and the W108.

The 220d because the owner said it has a lot of maintenance done, valva adjustent, brakes, and more. And he said it has NO rust, and that all of the seals on the car are in perfect shape. I also like the simplicity of not having a sunroof, no power windows, etc.

here's a pic of the 220d:



The w108 i like too and supposedly has no or almost no rust, but i just have to scedule to take a look at it. owner said it runs and drives and everything works including A/C

The 108 is a great car to drive. There are several areas to be aware of, though.

If the rear end needs service it will not be cheap. These are very durable, but they are almost impossible to rebuild unless you have a lot of special tools. There are also a number of grease fittings on the rear end that are easy to overlook.

One big problem is the Fuel Injection system. There might be a way to replace the entire system, but if anything breaks then none of it is cheap. The distributor has what are called 'trigger points' (a sort of magnetic pickup coil) that cost several hundred dollars to replace. Fuel pumps are also eye-poping in price.

The A/C system on this is also tough to work on. I had a 6.3 which had the A/C fan mounted in the passengers footwell so it was easy to get to, but the heater fan is installed in such a way that you will swear the car was built around it. If the fan is squeaking then they can be replaced, but it might take you two days to do so.

But nothing rides and drives like a 108 unless it is a 109. You will enjoy every moment you are behind the wheel. But then, that can be said about almost any well kept Mercedes.

W114 and W115 cars (same platform) are fantastic little run around. They have the old Mercedes Benz feel to them, but manage at the same to be very sporty in the way that they drive.

The biggest issue with them is rust. They rust like crazy.

W108 cars are not as fun to drive, but they are more stately and desirable. They're also considerably more expenisve to own. If you want cheap ownership, then the 220D is a good bet but it's seriously slow. The W114 280C should be fairly quick but probably quite thirsty too. The 280SE 4.5 is going to be faster still, but expect 10mpg around town.

Good luck.

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With best regards

Al

The 220D in the photo is very nice. A few comments:
1) Those are the "euro" headlights and are less common than the US versions. Some like them more because of the novelty.
2) The hubcaps (or perhaps they are rims) don't seem original to me. I have never seen a 220D with those. Someone else here likely knows better than me, but I think they came later and probably weren't original.
3) It is hard to see in the photo, but it looks like it may have the old large steering wheel, which suggests that it doesn't have power steering. I personally like that, but if you have to parallel park a lot, power steering is a nice feature.

Cool car.

Yes the owner did state the car had euro headlights and he also said that the wheels were "updated" (I personally would try to find a set of the old wheel caps to go with it, not a fan of bundts)

I also like that it might not have power steering. Think im leaning more towards this one. However, i am still going to go see the w108 in person before i make up my mind. I think the 280c w114 is out of it.

thanks

Thanks for the info. What exactly do you mean by the rear end needing service, as in what? I have read about a lot of problems with the mechanical fuel injection system it has.

The V8's other than the 6.3 all had EFI, not mechanical injection, in 108 and 109 cars. Being biased, I would suggest the 108 above the others. To me a 220D is a car I'd only consider if I either were suicidal, or if I never had a desire to drive on an expressway, interstate, or other higher-speed road.

I think the prices are a bit high but the market on these vintage MBs is rebounding and the value is appreciating. That having been said, if any of them have rust starting and you're serious about buying, make 1000% sure that you take enough off the price to get a professional shop to treat and paint as needed to stop it in its tracks. Once the rust starts, unless it's controlled, it will spread from a tiny bubble or two to massive holes in no time, especially in the rain, and multiplied in the salt or salty sea air.

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Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k

My feelings about the 220D definitely differ from Tomguy's. I do not consider myself to be suicidal, but I drive my 220D (without headrests, as the 1968 version didn't have them) through Los Angeles to visit my family. It is a 250 mile trip each way. I can maintain 65-70 mph on any flat-ish section of road, and if I need to overtake, I do hit 75 rarely. Yes, I live mostly in the two slow lanes and I cannot keep up with the yahoos driving 85-90, but it is entirely adequate for reasonable interstate driving. I used to have a nissan pickup which needed to be refueled once on the trip due to lower mpg and smaller fuel tank. My 220D can make the whole trip on one tank, so it actually takes the same amount of time even though I an driving slower. Of course, this assumes my bladder can handle it as well. ha ha. On the steeper hills (and there are a few due to the coastal mountains around here), I can only maintain 50-55 mph. So I just get in the slow lane with the trucks and take my time. So yes, it is different from driving a modern car, but is not really a death trap. I figure the car has made it 45 years without an accident, so it cannot be that unsafe. My car has the automatic as well, so it is probably as slow as they come. Just providing an alternative perspective.

As far as the 108 rear end.....

If anything, such as a bearing or gears, goes out in the rear end third member then it gets expensive since this requires a lot of special tools to repair. This is uncommon, but if you drive it far enough you will someday need service.

The Fuel Injection on the 3.5 and 4.5 is electrical. Look up Bosch D-Jetronic for details. It is really very easy to work on and to repair once you understand it, and while it is possible to spend tons of money on test equipment to work on it all you really need is a voltmeter. It is just that the parts are getting harder and harder to find and they cost quite a bit when you do. When looking for these parts Ebay is your friend as in some cases it is the only economical place to find these components.

The 109's, which were the 6.3's, had the mechanical injection. I used to have one of those and while it is an amazing system it is so expensive to maintain that some people have swapped it out for an updated electronic kit.

And.....

If you get the 108 then the first thing to do is to replace all the vacuum lines in the fuel injection system. These develop small cracks around the hoses where they connect to anything and this drives the system nuts trying to deal with the excess air coming into the system.

The hose is cheap and easy to replace. It just takes some time, but it is time well spent.

That is a very good looking w115, I love the pre 1974 cars. The slim bumpers and wind wings are something I wish my car had.

Others have commented about freeway cruising speeds being a challenge. Either I have a very fast 240D or these worries are unwarranted. Granted I don't win any drag races but my car will easily accelerate up to it's top speed of 86MPH. Although I cruise at 70-75. That said I have never driven a 220D.

Good luck with either choice.

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1972 280SE 4.5