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  #1  
Old 08-17-2020, 07:12 PM
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Location: Rochester, NY
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Can I borrow some wisdom about a '71 250c?

I have been working on cars for decades, among the current fleet are two DeSotos, a vintage Bug, an even older Morris Minor, and a Studebaker. What are the pitfalls of early 70s Mercedes ownership and what should I be especially thorough with when looking at a car to buy?

Many thanks,
Justin

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  #2  
Old 08-17-2020, 08:04 PM
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Location: Tucson, AZ
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Rust, windscreens and seals, rust, fouled up carburetors, rust, head gasket and last but not least, rust.
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Old 08-18-2020, 08:53 AM
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Thank you Mike D.
What about rust? Should I worry about rust?
It gets sloppy, but I Krown coat the cars before each winter. This car started in Texas but has been in Ohio for a few years now.
I did find a question similar to mine posted after some additional searching. I think my homework is almost done before I actually go see the car.
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  #4  
Old 08-18-2020, 09:24 AM
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rust and unibody construction do not go well together if it is in structural areas , jack point ect think twice. Trunk area , shock attachments and floor boards are other areas of concern, and as mike mentioned seals and delaminating windscreens.

The positives are they are logical to work on , lots of parts around ( unless it is a DJet -then some of those components are getting harder to find )
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Old 08-18-2020, 09:53 AM
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I hope you find a good one. They are a joy to drive if they are well sorted out.

Head gaskets are only a problem if the car has been overheated severely. The M130 is a fairly robust, although not particularly inspiring, power plant capable of many years/miles of motoring.

Carburetion is its weak point. Once it is straightened out the car runs smoothly.
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  #6  
Old 08-18-2020, 10:16 AM
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Buying a car that runs well is a good starting point. Cars that have sat for years are an additional headache renewing every part of the fuel system. Maintenance records are gold. Lots of bits need renewing as they just wear out including many rubber items. (brake lines, drive shaft couplers, suspension joints) MEchanical parts are plentiful but interior parts are scarce.

Cracked under body undercoat is a pathway for rust to get behind. I generally peel off anything loose to keep water from sitting.
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Old 08-18-2020, 09:03 PM
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Rust is the floor pans. All of them under the feet of the passengers.

Now, having been in Texas is a plus. But rust on these cars starts on the bottom of the floor pans and the tops.

The floors start to rust due to the then practice of dealers of undercoating everything. This rubber type stuff hardens, cracks, and traps water. Where it sits and just turns the metal to rust. So that is rust from the bottom.

Rust from the top starts when the driver and passenger get in and their feet are wet or covered with snow. This just sits there and seeps into cracks in the mastic that was sprayed into the floors at the factory as a means of soundproofing. So that is rust from the top.

I have found this in all four seating positions in one car or another. The only way I have found to deal with it is to cut it out and install a non-rusted floor pan part. This is really very easy if you have a good, clean part.

I have seen cars with a patch of fiberglass layered into the floors. This gives you a solid floor but it is a temp fix and the rust that is not cut out will continue to eat at the car.

Look also for rust in the well of the spare tire. This part can be replaced and I think new metal is still available but the last new patch I saw for this was almost $650. And that would be with you cutting out the old and installing the new metal.

These also rust around the windshield rubber. There is no cure except to replace the weatherstripping around the window. This is not difficult but it takes forever.
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  #8  
Old 10-28-2020, 04:57 PM
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I’m on my third vintage Mercedes 70s.
One word - rust
Everything else you can fix and parts are available.
I’ve rebuild the engine on the w114 myself in my garage.

Did I say rust?

Don’t be fooled by little rust comments.
It either has rust or doesn’t.
I found the one that doesn’t not even a spec with original factory paint.
Do not be fooled by little rust.
Oh yeah, I said that.

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