Want to Buy - W110/W111/W108

[LWB250]

Guys/Gals,

Long time PP lurker, relatively new poster. Some of you know me from other forums, too.

I am actively searching for the following:

Driver quality car with solid cosmetics but needs some freshening or mechanical work. No "projects", no rust, and I don't do paint/bodywork, so that's the area I would want it to be best in. I can deal with any interior, mechanical, electrical, suspension, drive train, etc. stuff, so those would be the areas I would look to have needs. A tired but intact finish is OK, too, as we all know how well the original finishes on these cars can be recovered.

In a W110/W111:

Year isn't important, although later is always better.
Diesel or gas, doesn't matter
Auto or stick, same thing - don't care either way
Exterior and interior colors aren't important, either
AC is a plus (I live in Florida) but lack of is not a deal breaker

In a W108:

All of the above (yes, I know there weren't any diesel W108s)
Six cylinder only - I don't want a V8 model

Car can be located pretty much anywhere in the CONUS - I'll travel/transport for the right car and deal.

I've owned these cars in the past but it has been a while, so they're not foreign to me for the most part. I just want one again for a "forever" car and I want to find one before the market drives them completely out of reach.

I've got a budget in the $5k-$8k range right now, although that could increase as time goes on.

If you know of something that might fit my requirements or of other online forums where I might find like-minded folks I would be most appreciative if you PMed me with the information, or emailed me directly at dan@penoff.com.

Thanks in advance or any and all assistance!

Dan

[cth350]

Dan!, I knew I recognized that sig and couldn't place it.

I was trolling craig's list today ahead of a trip to San Fran in August.

There are some reasonable 108's in San Diego in the 3-8k range.

-CTH
PS. Or this a bit closer to home... https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/d/1972-mercedes-300sel-45/6590694427.html

[cth350]

This one's lovely. But it will need to be woken up...

https://pueblo.craigslist.org/cto/d/1966-mercedes-benz/6583835674.html

-CTH

[LWB250]

Thanks, Charlie. I've seen both of those. The one in TX is a bit sketchy.

I'm doing a nationwide CL search, so I'll see a lot of these. With that in mind, a couple people have PM'ed me and had concerns about location. I wanted to emphasize that I'll go anywhere in the Lower 48 for the right car, and transport it back home - that's not an issue.

Again, thanks! And keep those sightings coming!

Dan

[LWB250]

Looks like my budget is going to move up into the $10k range shortly. Hopefully that should open up the range of potential cars for me.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hi Dan,

I sent a W108 from Craigslist San Diego to your email. No affiliation to me. Just looked last Le a good car for the price.

[LWB250]

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

Hi Dan,

I sent a W108 from Craigslist San Diego to your email. No affiliation to me. Just looked last Le a good car for the price.

Thanks a bunch, I really appreciate it! I was wondering who sent that...

Sadly, until I got home and could look closely at the pictures in the listing I didn't see where the paint has been baked off the tops of the rear fenders. It's really tough to see as it just blends right in, but upon close inspection the paint or the clear coat is totally roasted in those areas.

Still, I'll take any leads anyone wants to pass along regardless. You never know when you'll find "the one"!

And again, thank you very much, Jeffrey.

Dan

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hi Dan,

I just sent you a W108. It looks like the $10,000 cars need $10,000 worth of work. A rising tide lifts all boats. The overall increase in price for exotic models is affecting the humble four door cars.

Best regards,

Jeffrey

[LWB250]

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

Hi Dan,

I just sent you a W108. It looks like the $10,000 cars need $10,000 worth of work. A rising tide lifts all boats. The overall increase in price for exotic models is affecting the humble four door cars.

Best regards,

Jeffrey

Thanks, Jeffrey, I saw that one.

I have a national search set up on Craigslist, so I'm catching nearly all of these as they're posted. A great little search engine that's a subscription model called "MakeModelSearch.com" that does the dirty work for you. I've used it before with really good results.

Dan

[CTD]

It took me over a year to find a decent, well-priced, rust-free W110/111 when I was on the lookout. It seems that very few are left, and for every nice one there are a dozen rusty, dented ones with torn headliners and sunburned rear seats. 108s are easier to find (and are pretty much a Heckflosse wearing different clothes), but they don't have quite as much quirky character.

I think the best weapon you have in this fight to get the good Benz is time and patience. The buyer who is in a position to walk always gets the best car in the end.

[LWB250]

Originally Posted by CTD

It took me over a year to find a decent, well-priced, rust-free W110/111 when I was on the lookout. It seems that very few are left, and for every nice one there are a dozen rusty, dented ones with torn headliners and sunburned rear seats. 108s are easier to find (and are pretty much a Heckflosse wearing different clothes), but they don't have quite as much quirky character.

I think the best weapon you have in this fight to get the good Benz is time and patience. The buyer who is in a position to walk always gets the best car in the end.

I very much agree with this. The worst part is dealing with the emotional roller coaster of finding something that looks good the learning it’s sold or trying to deal with a seller who is remote.

I just found what I think is a beautiful 63 200 in my immediate area, but the seller is Hispanic and won’t respond to anyone making inquiries in English. I’m struggling to find a Spanish speaking person to act as a go-between just to get some basic information to find out if what I’m seeing is actually what they have for sale.

Dan

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hi Dan,

I have searches setup on Craigslist for the USA when someone lists a Mercedes Benz older than 1972. Sometimes a car slips through my search for whatever reason. I sent you a car this morning that looks great that I didn’t get an alert for. Did your search beast show you that car?

[LWB250]

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

Hi Dan,

I have searches setup on Craigslist for the USA when someone lists a Mercedes Benz older than 1972. Sometimes a car slips through my search for whatever reason. I sent you a car this morning that looks great that I didn’t get an alert for. Did your search beast show you that car?

Yes. As I stated in an earlier post in this thread, I'm running a national Craigslist search on a regular basis, so I'm probably seeing all the some things you are...

Thanks,

Dan

[CTD]

Here's a W108 that looks pretty solid with a good interior:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Mercedes-Benz-200-Series/183263981853?hash=item2aab62711d:g:6voAAOSwKwpbGYlD&vxp=mtr