1959 190D webasto thinking about restoring opinions?

[TurboECab]

Hello,
There are only a handful of Vintage Mercedes that i am content to leave as the factory delivered.
1959 190d webasto is one of them. I have had about 45+ Mercedes in the last 15 years from 1967-1999 this will be my first dive into a 50's.
I restored a 1959 220se Cab for a guy in San Deigo,CA a few years back and had the best time driving the car for two weeks while I made sure it was road worthy.
Anyway this is one has a few holes in the floor nothing major and in flat areas where possible I can make some panels. Everything is accounted for except the two pieces that sit next to the grill left/right side.
Has the sought after Webasto Sunroof and the Side body trim
in addition the factory radio is in place have no idea if it works.
Has the factory grey plastic-ish? floor mats all are mint after a good cleaning, upholstery is not too bad but a bid moldy from sitting outside with the top open for few years.
By coincidence I realized I have a full Burgundy with black piping seat set, that I must have acquired at some point redone in leather.
So basically I would have to strip the car do some bodywork, have the brightwork redone, rebuild the entire drivetrain or fit something else.
Of course it is black so repaint same color.

I have in mind the following mods
1. 3 inch white wall tires
2. 220d engine & 4 speed manual trans..
3. hartz cloth Webasto- have no idea what the original material is almost looks like a hard vinyl.

Opinions please Good or Bad-No rust to get it done just do it right..keep in mind
Body work & Mechanical I do myself, as well as all assembly Basically I will be paying for paint after I have perfected the body and brightwork..
Thanks

[t walgamuth]

That looks like a project for an ambitious person to me.

I hope you won't have to pay much for it.

[daw_two]

The tires are holding air --- I say you are at least 10% there!!!

[sokoloff]

Join our ponton group - go to www.mbzponton.org. Link to our group (IPOG) is on that page. We've got over 800 members with loads of knowledge.

[Squiggle Dog]

Is that the one that was on the Seattle Craigslist?

[TurboECab]

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

Is that the one that was on the Seattle Craigslist?

Not sure was unaware there was one on Craigs. This and a 59 Mercedes Convertible I picked up together for a song out in puyallup. Have not seen the 59 convertible as It was buried in the back of the barn, with 30 years worth of "STUFF" ie junk in front, So i have to dig it out this weekend. Will post some pics if there is any metal left to take a pic of....

[t walgamuth]

I once bought a 51 caddy convert out of a collapsed garage in georgia along with a 52 coupe and a 50 sedan.

The conv was too far gone for my limited resources and after a few years of dreaming and scheming I sold them all along and made some money on the deal.

Rusty cars have to be very very rare to be worth restoring...and valuable. Not an edsel or a gremlin.

[Squiggle Dog]

Originally Posted by TurboECab

Not sure was unaware there was one on Craigs. This and a 59 Mercedes Convertible I picked up together for a song out in puyallup. Have not seen the 59 convertible as It was buried in the back of the barn, with 30 years worth of "STUFF" ie junk in front, So i have to dig it out this weekend. Will post some pics if there is any metal left to take a pic of....

Yeah, there was a guy on the Seattle craigslist (can't remember what city exactly) that had a Webasto sunroof Ponton and maybe a few other cars for CHEAP. I think the Ponton didn't have a title.

[TurboECab]

Tomorrow I dig the convertible out, I'm not expecting much! considering the paltry sum I paid for the package, but I can tell you for being stored outside for longer than I have been alive the Ponton is very restorable...Last tag says 1966. Any 1959 Mercedes Convertible is a car I would restore unless the rust was beyond terminal. If it happens to be a Ponton cabriolet, all my projects stop and all funds go to restoring it as it is the one car I keep thinking about selling some of my other cars to buy.
Wish me luck

[t walgamuth]

Luck!

The cab sounds exciting!

[TurboECab]

After 10 hours of removing things from the barn, I pulled a 1959 190sl out then spent another 3 hours gathering all the pieces that were in differnt boxes. and today I go clean up the entire barn and put everything back in order and on shelves for the guy. Least I could do.
190sl Has one rust spot lower left corner behind the trim at front of fender and battery box is rusted complete from a 30 leaking battery left there for 30 years.
Clean them both up today see if anything is missing and decide what to do.

[t walgamuth]

That is very exciting! Is a cab worth more or less than an sl?

I am thinking the sl may have more parts availability and a higher production than the cab.

[strelnik]

I don't know why you want to replace the engine, when the OM621 OHC diesel is a pretty good mover with ok fuel economy, really built like a tank, needs few mods.

Let me know what you decide to do, because I have several 190D engines left over and parts from three 190Ds that i disassembled to get spares for my ponton diesel fleet.

[TurboECab]

I will let you know, the engine I have or came with the car is a diesel engine,but it appears the car was carb car, either way I don't have enough pieces to make I good engine but I have a bunch of good 220 engine around.
This will be on the backburner as I also got a 1959 sl in the package and I will redo that one first.

[daw_two]

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

That is very exciting! Is a cab worth more or less than an sl?

I am thinking the sl may have more parts availability and a higher production than the cab.

I would think a cab is worth more than an sl.