1967 Mercedes-Benz 250S
Low Miles Original - A Driver's Car
Please wait for all pictures to load! It's
worth it!
65,537 miles as of this afternoon's pictures
- 3 Documented Owners Over 39 Years
Over 20,000 miles and extensive mechanical restoration over the last 5 Years!
Is this THE ULTIMATE DRIVER CLASSIC W108? WE THINK SO!
This car was owned for 5 years before my short
tenure with it by a good friend and Engineer for Becker (the MB radio folks)
in New Jersey. Not only does the car have some really fabulous classic restored
Becker sound, but tons of practical and necessary (but so often overlooked)
repairs due to age.
Original 4-Speed Daimler-Benz "230SL"
Automatic Transmission - 4.10:1 original rear end ratio
Original M108 (that's right) 2.5 litre 6 cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine with
twin 2bbl Zenith/Solex 36/40 INAT carbs
MODERN Pertronix Ignitor (no more points/condensor!) - Bosch Super
Red Coil - NGK Iridium Plugs
MODERN Sanden SD-508 AC compressor on a York conversion bracket with
extra accumulator - runs R12!
MODERN 38 DEGREES fahrenheit AT THE VENTS OF THE Original Thermoking
AC unit!
About 5 years ago I was having fun selling very
high quality Cibie headlamps. My friend bought a couple of sets from me.
This is one of those sets - the classic Cibie Z beam H4 and the Oscar-inspired
H1. Standard 55/60 bulbs but plenty of light.
I'll be the first eBay seller this week to tell
you these pictures overstate the condition of the 20+ year old paint. The
sides are beautiful but the tops are getting thin.
My friend has requested his license plate back,
so you don't get it for your wall, but I have something about as good to
go with the car - read on below.
It's a little tough to make out from here, but
the rear shelf has some very unique Becker 5.25" 3-way separates with
little dome tweeters...
I've commented to some folks that to drive this
car is to go back in time to about 1978, when 65,000 mile slightly used
250Ss plied the used car lots. Not perfect but far from 95% of the terrible
fright pigs found today.
Speaking of fright pig, while most unrestored
108s have gobs of Bondo or far worse than this, this is about what most
of these cars looked like after 10 years. It's been like this as long as
either of us have known the car and has not gotten worse. This is the worst
spot on the whole car. That's the disclaimer.
Contrasted with the near perfect underbody.
That's mud splatter you see or original red paint above very old undercoating.
Note new $800 Timevalve stainless steel exhaust.
I thought I'd throw this picture in for a second
look at the underbody, since it's by far the best shot you'll get of a 108's
underneath and relieves you of any worries about typically missing floorpans.
This is right after my pal redid the rear subframe mounts, spring bushings,
trailing arm bushings, shocks in the rear (fronts were done too along with
front subframe mounts, engine shock and swaybar bushes) and replaced the
hydrocompensator. This car, unlike most of the old 108s around, doesn't
have a spring making it jack up in the rear. It sits level no matter what's
in the trunk or how many folks you're taking out for dinner. Most people
don't choose to replace the Hydrocompensator since it costs about $1200
new. Yeah.
You can also see why the exhaust was replaced
soon after. That exhaust system falls under the categories "typical
of what you find on an average eBay 108" and "fright pig".
OK, we're moving right along. Note beautifully
3-year old refinished dash wood, Coco-mats on the floor (period original
accessory - these are repros from the original 40 year old patterns) and
just the comfortable ambience of a W108. Since this is one of the first
two years of 108, it still shares parts with the W111, such as the earlier
style steering wheel, plusher orthopedic seats et.c.
I kidded you not! This is documented original
mileage. No, that hasn't rolled over.
Let me know how much of this to FAX you if you
need further proof (actually, the service book is also well filled out)
There's all of this, too. These books are original
excepting the manuals for the later Hirschmann rebuilt antenna in the front
fender (metal case 6000U) and the Becker Mexico in the dash. Note the Thermoking
booklet in here as well.
Heater levers were replaced with the Gummi-type
at the time the dash was out being redone. Unlike later 108s with V8 engines,
the dash wood in the earlier cars did not have a high sheen on it.
The newer style Becker Mexico has an auxiliary
input jack built in with automatic switching to your iPod, CD player, other
MP3 device, cell phone speaker, et.c. This was the first of Becker's classic
department "hacks" inspired by my friend, along with a comprehensive
restoration of the radio and tape deck.
Front speakers are directly above in the perfect original dash in the original
4x10 position - there are 2 3.5" omnidirectional drivers which work
pretty well given the lousy location we were limited to.
The aforementioned Thermo-King AC works too
well. You have to shut it off or put on a parka in summer.
Beautiful functional comfortable early MB-Tex.
Note 1st year "Davis Aircraft" seatbelts since 1966 was the year
the seatbelt law came into effect. MB went to the Klippan belts in 1968
which hung around into the 1970s. These are the same as found on the DC-3,
DC-4 et.c.
It's a 108 backseat! Really! People can sit
in comfort and style and do whatever they do as you enjoy driving your 250S.
Even more exciting - a clean trunk with a good
spare tire, tools under the white towel on the rear bulkhead, and some spare
parts I'll throw in (oil filters and the like). The mat isn't destroyed,
there aren't the usual 2.5 boxes of junk parts in it from the parts car
we took apart when we cannibalized this car or whatever because that never
happened here.
Ah, the venerable M108. Head was redone in 2001
at 42,000 miles - valve guides, hardened seats, 3 way job, plane et.c. Carbs
have been gone through repeatedly and while not perfect they work as well
as most did in the 1970s (see below for a more permanent solution). Battery
is a recent Die-Hard Gold. Radiator was rodded about 5 years ago, thermostat
opens and that's it - no overheating or anything like that. Brake fluid,
ATF, MB coolant are all recent along with religious Mobil 1 oil changes.
Here's something almost impossible to replicate
- a Sanden 508 rotary compressor with all new hoses and a custom fitted
accumulator. This is the secret to the unbelievable low head pressure R12
ice cube generator under the dash. I sold the compressor and brackets to
my friend and he and his A/C guy did the rest!
Often neglected airbox rubber boot and carb
o-rings replaced as well. All coolant hoses up to speed. Drive anywhere.
PARTIAL SERVICE LOG (since Summer, 2001)
42,100 - cylinder head service - guides, seals
et.c. Rear brake overhaul - rotors, calipers, pads, lines (including metal!)
Battery replaced - radiator rodded - cooling system flushed - hoses et.c.
Lube, oil, filter.
46,084 - Dec 2001 - Mobil 1 15W50, lube chassis,
chokes adjusted, replaced carb. return valve
49,210 - May 2002 - Mobil 1 15W50, lube chassis
50,100 - May 2002 - flush brakes, rotate tires,
new rear shocks, trailing arm bushings, spring bushings, hydro-compensator,
rear subframe mounts, front subframe mounts, swaybar bushings, front shocks,
engine shock, fuel filter
53,632 - Feb 2003 - Mobil 1 10W30, lube chassis,
new front rotors, pads, packed wheel bearings, adjusted, adjust idle
56,443 - March 2003 - adjust valves, flush power
steering, new P/S hose, Mobil 1 10W30, lube chassis
59,255 - Dec. 2003 - Mobil 1 0W40, lube chassis
62,781 - Nov 04 - Mobil 1, lube chassis
63,700 - July 2005 - Rebuild carburettors, stainless
exhaust system, new Bosch starter, rewire electric fan, rear exh. manifold
R&R
64,911 - October, 2005 - Mobil 1 0W40, lube chassis
65,500 - April 2006 - rear fuel hoses at tank,
left front wheel bearing, toe & thrust alignment, NGK Iridium Plugs
WHY AM I SELLING THIS CAR?
I saved the car from my buddy selling it on
a partial trade for some other fright pig W111 sedan. Sure, it was a finny,
but it was a fright pig. I offered him cash and a possible good home with
me. He needed the first and wanted the second for this car given his attachment
to it. Sadly, with too many cars, just like in the job market, the latest
arrivals have to go. I have some building work to finish down here with
my new shop now that summer has nearly arrived, and this is the first of
three eclectic cars I will sell. We talked about it last night and he gave
me the OK, understanding that I'm in a similar situation to his.
Now - on to practical matters. There are a few
options with this car which will be included with the Buy it Now ONLY. Mundane
stuff, such as nice spares, filters et.c. Wacky, rare, valuable stuff, such
as a 5-band Becker original equalizer and amplifier which works in tandem
with the Mexico radio/cassette. Valuable new improvement stuff, such as
the no-longer-made Redline Weber twin DGEV kit to permanently extract the
Zeniths and give you throttle snap and increased driveability to a level
far beyond what the newest and tightest originals would provide. To maintain
the original appearance, it uses the factory original air cleaner, so you
can still hobnob with the MB-Originality Police at the next StarFest.
PAYMENT AND SHIPPING OPTIONS
Payment accepted via cashier's cheque or cash
WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE. NO EXCEPTIONS unless cleared with me
PRIOR to placing your bid.
Shipping or pickup must take place WITHIN FOURTEEN
DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE. NO EXCEPTIONS, again, unless cleared with me PRIOR
to placing your bid.
Unlike most of these "I don't know"
or "I'll ask my mechanic" sellers of these sort of cars on eBay,
you can drive this one home. It went from NJ to VA in 6 hours on I-95 two
months ago - just like a modern car. Caveat, it is a 39 year old car and
with that comes uncertainty inherent in any old unrestored car. If you break
down along the way, there's always AAA. Perhaps that's incentive to work
with a commercial shipper - in the end, it's always cheaper over long distances
to use one - unless you need a vacation on the road. I can and will pick
you up at the train station or airport as you need me to on the date of
your pickup, or work with your shipper.
I'll throw in one more bonus
- I'll deliver the car, free of charge, on my car hauler, within 250 miles
of Richmond, VA ONLY TO THE "Buy it Now" purchaser, should you
be within that limit. This goes for delivery to ports of Norfolk and Baltimore
if you are an International Buyer.
International Buyers must follow the above payment
requirements regardless of shipping constraints, and must have their own
shipping arrangements made so I can make a delivery to the port as needed
if you are a Buy it Now purchaser.
If you
have any questions about the above, please don't hesitate to contact
me directly via e-mail. You may also call me on +1-804-357-4926, 9AM-6PM
Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -5)