The MB that got away, Is there one you wanted to buy, but didn't,couldn't - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jim B. · #1 06-18-2006, 07:14 AM

I will start. ( I have two tales)

1. I was looking for a good car as a student in 1972, starting Law School, living in DAVIS (near Sacramento) And a medical student at UCD had to sell his car, a lovely maroon/palomino int. 1965 220SE automatic, in the family since new, books showing car delivered new in 1965 in Santa Barbara to MB dealer, (Gregg Motors perhaps?) original (IQx 1965) issue Santa Barbara Calif. black plate car, freshly rebuilt engine, disc brakes, barber pole speedometer, beautiful wood on dash, asking price $1200. Yes that was the *asking * price (I only had $900 at the time, so I passed, and spent the money on a '67 Cougar, an OK car).

From what I understand, it was one of the last gas Heckflosse models, almost the top of the line of the Heckflosse cars that year.

And here's the kicker: My father said, after I bought the Cougar, why didn't you buy the Mercedes, I would have loaned you the extra $300, why didn't you ask me?

To this day, a good friend who was around at the time, still teases me about that "Mercedes you let get away"

2. Years later somewhere around 1980 or 81, I think, I tried again, this time looking to get a mint 240D or maybe a pretty decent 300D, I was going to try again, back then about $7,000 to $8,000 would get you into one, in the SF Bay area. I looked at several, in the SF Bay Area, finally found one, in Vacaville, owned by a serviceman at Travis AFB, a 240D with about 120k, I think a stick, was dove grey and MINT, (MINT is a strong word but the car was MINT) and I wanted it bad, but my bank wouldn't do the loan ; it
had slid out the bottom of the blue book already

AND so they wouldn't write a loan on it!!!!!!

Well stuff me sideways with a Mexican cactus!!! Grr. I had to go and buy
a slightly used Delta 88 Olds coupe, right away, 'cause I needed a company car for all the road trips (about 1000 miles a week, Napa, Santa Cruz, SF, Sonoma etc.)

That 1977 Oldsmobile, even with the best of care I gave it, never lived to see 1990. It was literally junked by the next owner in 1989 in fact.

But if I had bought the 1977 240 diesel, I probably still could have it today, there's no doubt of it.

Or the '65 220SE, same story. I could still be driving it.