I Found A Cool Fintail Wagon

[300D85]

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

I have located an entire sunroof top, so I may be purchasing that, and it will literally open up my options, meaning I will no longer need a W111 sedan with a sunroof; I just need to find one that's cheap and not a rustbucket--preferably a late 1967 or 1968 230S with a column-shift manual transmission and a collapsible steering column.

not clear on "preferably a late 1967 or 1968 230S" or why?

also why the column shift?

wiki shows 230s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W111

In May 1965, the 220Sb and 220SEb were replaced by the new 230S. It was visually identical to the 220S
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A total of 41,107 230S models were built through January 1968, when the last of 4-door fintails left the production line.

[Squiggle Dog]

Originally Posted by 300D85

not clear on "preferably a late 1967 or 1968 230S" or why?

also why the column shift?

wiki shows 230s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W111

I want to built it as a late 1967 or 1968 model year vehicle with all of the updates like collapsible steering column and deformable wheel, square interior door pulls, pentagonal mirrors, the black plastic switch labels, etc.

I am going to use the title from the W111 donor sedan so I don't end up with a W111 wagon that's titled as a W110 (as the wagon is a W110). So, I also want the title to reflect a 1967 or 1968 model year. But, if the car was perfect in every other way, I'd consider a 1966 or maybe a 1965 (first year of the 230S).

I don't want a 220S (I've been flooded with emails and calls about people with a W111 220S or a W110 230 for sale) because they would be 1965 or earlier and most of them have four wheel drum brakes with a remote brake booster, a strange firewall setup, different hood release part locations, differences in wire connector styles, different suspension, lack of cutouts in the inner rockers for seat height adjustment, and on and on.

I want a column shift because it's a lot more convenient for me to drive, I think a four speed column shift is really cool, and it would open up space on the floor so the shifter is not there in the way and I can have a large cushion between the two front bucket seats so it can be used as a bench seat if needed.

Also, the 230S is "visually identical" to the 220S, but it is very different in subtle ways.

[300D85]

fwiw
Don Benz Quality Used Mercedes Benz Parts - Pre 1990's - Woodville Ontario Canada

[Squiggle Dog]

I found a pair of new old stock taillight lenses for my wagon! They are so beautiful. I will be saving these for after I restore it, unless one of the lenses on it gets smashed.


I think they look lovely as decor on the headboard of my bed. I should probably move them, though, so they don't fall and ruin my year. Yes, my house has a huge dust problem. :/

[vwnate1]

Wow ! what a great find .

That bed must be in the spare room, it doesn't look like anyone sleeps there anyway .

I love that AM radio, I had one like it in 1969 or so .

[Squiggle Dog]

Originally Posted by vwnate1

Wow ! what a great find .

That bed must be in the spare room, it doesn't look like anyone sleeps there anyway .

I love that AM radio, I had one like it in 1969 or so .

I know, right? No, it's the bed in my room. I just have so much clutter and basically have to move boxes of stuff around all day. When I get out of bed, I lift up boxes off the floor and then set them up there so I can access the drawers under the bed which have my clothes. Or, when I need to get at my phonograph or drafting table, then the boxes of stuff on them get put on the bed as well. Then at night it goes back on the floor or set on top of somewhere else.

I think I got the radio for $1 at a yard sale back in the 1990s when you could actually find good stuff. The people who owned it said they had it on during December 1941 when the Pearl Harbor attack was announced. I think it might be an early postwar radio, though. It still works. I also got my large RCA phonograph console at a yard sale. I asked the lady how much she wanted for it, and she said, "It doesn't work anymore. Would $3 be too much?" So, I got it home and there was an auxiliary input switch on the back which was switched so that the phonograph wasn't playing in the speakers. I switched it and it's been working fine ever since. Now yard sales are just overpriced plastic toys and baby clothes.

[vwnate1]

Yes and no, I don't really hunt yard sales like I did a few decades ago but I still find the occasional thing for a couple dollars .

I'm old and grew up broke ("poor" is a state of mind I refuse to enter) so I've collected a bewildering array of tools, things, thousands of technical books and so on that my Son will prolly just toss out when I die .

I never quite managed to land a Zenith Trans Oceanic radio though .

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

I found a pair of new old stock taillight lenses for my wagon! They are so beautiful. I will be saving these for after I restore it, unless one of the lenses on it gets smashed.


I think they look lovely as decor on the headboard of my bed. I should probably move them, though, so they don't fall and ruin my year. Yes, my house has a huge dust problem. :/

That looks like the radio we had when I was a kid! i listened to the Indy 500 every year and on Sunday we listened to Gunsmoke, Have gun will travel, and a good number of other radio shows. The case was cracked a bit affecting the antenna so one of us had to hold onto the antenna at all times to get good reception! We finally got a TV about 1960.

[P.C.]

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

I found a pair of new old stock taillight lenses for my wagon! They are so beautiful. I will be saving these for after I restore it, unless one of the lenses on it gets smashed.


I think they look lovely as decor on the headboard of my bed. I should probably move them, though, so they don't fall and ruin my year. Yes, my house has a huge dust problem. :/

You better put the top up on the landaulet to keep the dust out...

[300D85]

what's the story on finding them?

[Squiggle Dog]

Originally Posted by 300D85

what's the story on finding them?

A place in Germany found them in a Hella factory buyout or something.

[300D85]

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog
I just have to become an expert metal fabricator. I'll have to remake the metal molding that holds in the rear side windows and patch up the rear door and hatch skins, too, and then I'll want to make a folding third row seat

Originally Posted by 300D85

looking forward to it!

how's researching welding stuff going? i'm interested in starting out & going there myself & stumbled on this thread

1987 300D (Bodhi) rolling restoration

[Squiggle Dog]

Originally Posted by 300D85

how's researching welding stuff going? i'm interested in starting out & going there myself & stumbled on this thread

1987 300D (Bodhi) rolling restoration

I haven't been doing research on welding yet. I've been focusing my efforts on finding a non-rusty sedan. That 1987 300D in the thread sure became an epic rust repair project.