should i buy the original rims & hubcaps for my 240D? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

WestVirginian · #1 09-24-2007, 06:54 PM

Hi all--

I posted about a week ago about a 1981 240D I'd bought off eBay. I was overwhelmed by all the great guidance forum members provided. This place is great. I'm going to pick up the car this Saturday, and drive it 3 hours back to West Virginia. I'll be sure to post pics (hopefully none of the pics will involve a tow truck ;o)

I have another question for you guys. The 240D I bought comes with alloy wheels on it. The guy I bought the car from just emailed me and said that he has the original rims, along with the original hubcaps, and he wondered if I'd be interested in buying them. He didn't say a price. He sent pics, and the rims and hubcaps look great. I think I like their look. But do you have any opinions about going with the original rims/hubcaps, or sticking with the mercedes alloy wheels that are on there? I'm just wondering if I'm going to regret not buying these, since it's kind of a now-or-never situation.

And are there any real advantages to having two sets of wheels? How many of you have separate sets of winter and summer wheels/tires?

Also, if I were to buy the 4 rims and 4 hubcaps, what would a fair price be for them?

And finally, if I decided to buy the original rims/hubcaps, what could i expect to get for my alloy wheels?

(sorry for the links but I can't figure out how to insert pics)
pic of car as it is: http://picasaweb.google.com/surf.wv/Benz/photo#5113896572824894962

pic of original wheels: http://picasaweb.google.com/surf.wv/Benz/photo#5113896564234960338

pic of original hubcaps: http://picasaweb.google.com/surf.wv/Benz/photo#5113896568529927650

Thanks. Ian

t walgamuth · #2 09-24-2007, 07:28 PM

If you can get them for a reasonable price it is good insurance, you could damage one of your other wheels or want to mount snow tires.

The value of wheels and wheel covers is all totally condition sensitive. The steel wheels are worth fifteen to twenty each if straight, and if they happen to be the aluminum wheels that take wheel covers they are worth a bit more. The wheel covers arent worth much if bent and curbed but if very nice as much as twenty apiece.

The bundt cake wheels are worth from about fifteen each for scruffy but straight ones up to maybe seventy five each for perfect ones with new great paint.

Tom W

MBeige · #3 09-24-2007, 07:45 PM

Why not just get the original rims + hubcaps and use them as different shoes the car can wear, or like Tom said one for winter driving (usually the one with worse condition is used as this) and one set as the primary set you always use.

Congrats on your new Benz, you might enjoy dressing it up should you take the hubcap route.

running-snail · #4 09-24-2007, 09:07 PM

We have both. Purchased the steel wheels from another member here. One set (alloy) is summer; steel for winter.

I like the looks of the hubcaps better than alloy - but that's personal preference.

I had to tape and paint the hub caps, I've collected them from several sources - pick n pull to ebay.

The wheels that you show pics of look great - mine have some rust - even before Michigan road salt.

Second set of wheels allow you to keep running while re-finishing your alloys!

I'd offer $50 for the lot and not look back.

Stevo · #5 09-24-2007, 09:18 PM

I much prefer the "painted too match" wheel covers, They should go with the car. Take a magnet to check and see if your lucky and they are aluminum.

jkoebel · #6 09-24-2007, 09:26 PM

I've got original wheels and wheel covers, although the wheel cover paint is a cream and my car's paint is a kind of metallic light green ("Sea Foam") so I don't know what that's all about.

I really like the look of the wheel covers and original wheels, by far.

pizzachef · #7 09-24-2007, 09:26 PM

Oh, man, definitely go with the steel wheels and hubcaps. If personal preference, of course, but I really like the classic look of the hub caps. You don't see anything similar on other cars very often.

I have snow tires on my aluminum wheels, they're not in that great of shape. But I bought steel wheels from a junk yard for about 20 bucks apiece and hubcaps for 10 or 15 apiece. And of course they were the wrong color so I had them stripped and am getting them painted soon along with the car. Since you've got access to the original wheels and caps in good condition, definitely get them. If you end up not liking them, there will always be someone else who wants to buy them.

Good luck, and good-looking car!
-Geoff

t walgamuth · #8 09-24-2007, 10:59 PM

Yeah, I just looked at the pics.

lovely car.

The wheels are the now pretty rare aluminum ones, in very excellent condition it appears. They are easily bent though so get them checked before they mount the tires on them.

IMHO the 240 steers, rides and handles best with the skinny little 175r14 tires it came from the factory on. They are hard to find now though and the 195/70r14 is the factory optional size (used on the 300s).

Good luck

Tom W

MaydayMike · #9 09-24-2007, 11:01 PM

Sorry to hijack this thread... JAKOBEL, did you just buy that car from a dealer in Florida? I was looking at that ad. The guy never answered the questions I emailed to him, so I kind of forgot about it. Was that green the original color for that car? I liked it, because it was almost the same color as my 64 Chevy.

JimmyL · #10 09-25-2007, 12:24 AM

I have hubbies on both my 240's, and I even put steel wheels and hubbies on my '85 wagon. I like them so much more than just the Bundts.
Just my personal preference, but I feel strongly about it!

gatorblue92 · #11 09-25-2007, 07:12 AM

i would get them and have both sets... im looking for a set of bundts to use as a spare set for mine

Jim B. · #12 09-25-2007, 08:05 AM

^^^^See for yourself, and compare GatorBlue's car above (same color as yours) and see how it looks so beautiful with the steelies and painted hubcaps. I think the 240D changed from painted hubcaps to steel wheels in about 1980 or 1981. (Not sure when)

Hopefully he won't charge you too much, since he just sold you the car, and also, he'd have a customer who is ready to buy (you) in the hubcaps with the correct color for the car. Those wheels and hubcaps might not be that easy to sell, as not all Mercedes W123 cars are in the color that would match the hubcaps. He would probably therefore be a motivated seller, and you could be the perfect buyer. Sounds like a good fit to me.....

As was said, it is also good insurance in case one of the bundt wheels got e damaged.

And finally, it would be just like having another set of shoes for the car. I never heard of a woman who didn't have a whole collection of them.

Congrats. They are not very fast, but the 240D is every inch a Mercedes Benz, and built when they were still made to REALLY last, one that is well cared for will really run just about forever.

jkoebel · #13 09-25-2007, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaydayMike

Sorry to hijack this thread... JAKOBEL, did you just buy that car from a dealer in Florida? I was looking at that ad. The guy never answered the questions I emailed to him, so I kind of forgot about it. Was that green the original color for that car? I liked it, because it was almost the same color as my 64 Chevy.

Haha, yeah, I bought it from "A Unique Experience" in Winter Park, about 3 weeks ago. Maybe 4 now. It was on AutoTrader for a while...

Green is def. the original color for that car, it's the same inside the deepest depths of the engine bay as out. It was kind of an impulse buy, I had been going to get a 300D from a different dealer but went to see that one and liked it so much I bought it on the spot.

Ken300D · #14 09-25-2007, 10:22 AM

It is certainly worth something to have an extra set of wheels. You'd have to decide how much they are worth to you.

My advice if the car is in nice shape without rust, is to park the car whenever there is snow and/or salt on the roads. The design traps the salt and the metal melts away pretty quickly in such conditions.

Run it only in three seasons and it will be a classic for a long time.

Ken300D

JimFreeh · #15 09-25-2007, 11:26 AM

The lug bolts are a different length for the steel/AL wheels with painted covers.

Bundt cakes use a longer bolt, and if your car still has the original spare, I hope you already have at least five of the original bolts.....

Jim