Looking At Buying 1968 200D W110 - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

thebenzbar · #16 11-26-2009, 11:41 PM

I recall you been searching for awhile... so that's a nice finback find! Interior looks correct too.
Sounds money well spent. Congrats!

t walgamuth · #17 11-27-2009, 07:27 AM

It looks like a great find. The interior looks wonderful. That AC is a rare find too.

Congratulations!

Keep the chassis greased!

wahip · #18 11-27-2009, 11:28 PM

Nice car Squiggle Dog! Looks like it's in pretty nice shape overall, especially for the price. As someone who has driven 40 & 50 yr-old cars (and motorcycles) as daily drivers for years, I know how rewarding the experiance can be. While others might think you're crazy to take such a risk, few know the joys of relying on your mechanical wits and letting go of all the electronics, airbags and navigation silliness. Keep that suspension lubed, fluids fresh, tank filled with B100 and have a blast!

Colorado220 · #19 11-28-2009, 12:48 AM

So cool, great find

JEBalles · #20 11-28-2009, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Very cool, and a great deal for $1200.00

I would hurry up and get on that rust before it gets more serious.

X2 you best hop on that rust. Did you check to make sure you don't have gaping holes in the floor?

dieselchatter · #21 11-28-2009, 06:14 PM

I forgot all about how cool that spiral Spedo is! Watching that thing turn from zero to sixty should take about 30 seconds.

Have Fun!

Squiggle Dog · #22 11-29-2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JEBalles

X2 you best hop on that rust. Did you check to make sure you don't have gaping holes in the floor?

There are some small holes in the floor and trunk. I can't do much about the rust until late spring when it is warmer. The left rocker panel will probably need to be replaced entirely.

Right now I am working on making it a reliable driver to get me through the winter. I'm going to either clean the fuel tank or have it cleaned (was full of black particles and plants when I drained the tank), and I am going to clean the hard lines with brake cleaner, either clean or replace the tank screen, clean the tank sending unit (which is not working), replace the two fuel filters, and replace all rubber fuel hose.

I also have to exchange the oil filter kit I got for another one as I got the wrong part number. The rubber elbow on the valve cover needs replacing as well as it is leaking majorly. Then I will fill the crankcase with some Mobil 1 synthetic 5W40 turbo diesel truck oil that I got on the cheap side. I will also siphon or drain the oil out of the injection pump and top off with new oil. The oil bath air cleaner element will also be cleaned (in gasoline) and topped off with oil.

This should get me by until I can afford/find time to replace all coolant hoses, replace thermostat, water pump housing gaskets, flush the cooling system, and fill with Zerex G-05 coolant.

After this I think I will replace all brake and clutch hoses, flush system, and replace with fresh brake fluid.

I don't know what to do about the rusty spots. I have tried naval jelly/rust remover on my last car, but it didn't seem to work at all. I could use a rust converter, but I would rather get those spots down to bare metal and prime/paint.

t walgamuth · #23 11-29-2009, 07:51 AM

Better run some biocide thruough the fuel system to kill off the bacteria. That is what the black dots are.

Mark DiSilvestro · #24 11-29-2009, 10:48 AM

In 2001, I inherited a '60 Fintail 220S. The improved swing-axle design introduced on the Fintails is less tricky than that used on the earlier Ponton versions. And the dual-circuit front disc-brakes on your 200D should be a big improvement over the 4-wheel drums on my car.
I drove my Fintail for five years. Not so much as a daily driver, but frequently enough - weather permitting - until age and rust finally caught up with her.
Regardless of any rust you already have, try to avoid driving yours in the snow & salt.

Make sure the suspension grease-fittings are taking grease. Both front upper-outer pivot grease-points on mine were completely clogged with dirt/rust, so I had to unscrew the fittings to clean them & their holes with pick and brake-cleaner. Then the grease flowed and fortunately my bushings hadn't seized yet.

The current correct tire size for those 13" Fintail wheels is a 185/80R13, and finding quality tires in that size is nearly impossible now.
My Fintail came with very-old Pirellis that, while dry-rotted, handled very well. The BF Goodriches I wound-up replacing them with, were lousy!

14" rims from a '66 to '68 W108 250/280S/SE have the nubs to hold your Fintail center-caps, but to maintain speedometer accuracy, fender-clearance (and acceptable steering-effort if you don't have power-steering) you may need to go no larger than a 185/70R14.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Squiggle Dog · #25 11-29-2009, 12:55 PM

Luckily, the roads aren't salted here and usually it doesn't snow in the winter. I think my 1967 230S has new 185/80R13 tires on it, so I will probably put those on for now because the tires on the car, while being nice Michelin X Radials with more than 90% tread left, are dry rotted. I wanted to go with 14" W108 wheels because they are bigger in diameter and so the first gear won't be so low and it will have lower RPMs on the freeway.

Mark DiSilvestro · #26 11-29-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

Luckily, the roads aren't salted here and usually it doesn't snow in the winter. I think my 1967 230S has new 185/80R13 tires on it, so I will probably put those on for now because the tires on the car, while being nice Michelin X Radials with more than 90% tread left, are dry rotted. I wanted to go with 14" W108 wheels because they are bigger in diameter and so the first gear won't be so low and it will have lower RPMs on the freeway.

I you do switch to W108 rims, a 185/70R14 should have about the same OD as a 185/80R13, so don't expect much reduction in highway revs.
You may have to go to a 185/75R14 for that. If you do, check for any clearance issues. And be prepared for some speedometer error - perhaps about 5% slow.

Something else to watch out for - given a specific tire size, not all makes and models of tire marked with that number may actually be the exact same size.
My recently purchased '82 240D came with a set of old 205/70R14 Firestones on Bundt-rims. They seemed very tall. It made the car look a bit like it was a 4WD SUV.
So I compared one of them with a spare 205/70R14 Michelin I had mounted on the same type of Bundt rim, and the Firestone diameter was nearly 2" taller, while the Firestone tread was about an inch narrower!

Happy Motoring, Mark

Palangi · #27 11-29-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselchatter

I forgot all about how cool that spiral Spedo is! Watching that thing turn from zero to sixty should take about 30 seconds.

Have Fun!

I always liked that old barber pole speedometer.

You can't really tell how fast you are going, but it sure looks cool.

JHZR2 · #28 11-30-2009, 04:50 PM

so jealous - always wanted one of those as a DD.

FIX THAT RUST!

Necrosavant · #29 11-30-2009, 05:09 PM

looks better than my w110

Squiggle Dog · #30 12-03-2009, 06:00 PM

Yesterday I replaced the oil filter and filled the engine with Mobil 1 synthetic 5W40 oil. This should make wintertime starting easier.

Right now the fuel tank is away being cleaned and derusted. I was thinking, "Are the pads on top of the fuel tank going to stay on, and if not, what do I use to replace them?".