Original Survivor 1967 Mercedes 230S Fintail Sedan

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Make: Mercedes-Benz
Model: 200-Series
SubModel: 230S W111.010
Type: Sedan
Trim: 230S
Year: 1967
Mileage: 118,432
VIN: 11101012100193
Color: Gray
Engine size: 2.3L M180 Inline Six Cyl Gasoline
Number of cylinders: 6
Fuel: Gasoline
Transmission: Automatic
Drive type: RWD
Interior color: Red
Vehicle Title: Clear
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Description

All the doors close with that resounding bank vault-like thrummm, this one has *never* been in any accidents minor or otherwise! The locks work with the original keys for the doors and trunk/valet key for the glovebox. All the windows roll up and down and the vent windows (very handy on the highway) pivot open as they should. Wraparound windsheild and rear wraparound window are in perfect uncracked shape with no pitting or fogging. This is the rare car where the heater valves actually close and open as they are supposed to producing an instant variance of heated air through the vents. This indicates the coolant was changed regularly and thus the valves remain easily moving and free of deposits which typically freeze them up on every other old mercedes I've seen. The blower motor works as does the variable resistance heater switch and defrost vents. All turn signals, high beams and headlights work and the turn signal cancels as it should. I figured I should list all of this stuff as the car IS 50 years old now and having owned a number of older cars I feel it is rare that all these vital things are functioning as intended. The dash is made of real wood and the seats are padded properly with real horsehair stuffing and springs, made the right way! All of this stuff is original and unmolested. The upholstery is in excellent original shape. Hood release works fine and under the hood is a joy to behold, the original engine with perfectly functioning dual zenith carburetors and original air cleaner assembly. Authentic mercedes benz classic center replacement exhaust with original resonator/muffler, this car sounds perfect! No exhaust leaks at all. Even the incredibly rare exhaust flaps and springs are present and freely moving as mercedes designed on the mainifolds. I dare you to try to find another one of these with working exhaust flaps and original Zenith carbs that work as well as this one. This car runs like a fuel injected car, simply turn the key and it *instantly* starts right up and cranks very strong and fast. Even the vacuum secondaries smoothly and quickly open and add power when floored. I have never owned another carbureted car that operates as well as this one. Many of these were converted to Weber carbs which is a real shame because these originals work so well! The weber versions simply don't have the power of the originals. It also has a brand new *proper* BIG full size battery for the tray, not a smaller undersized one wedged in there as you often see. I think that's why it cranks so nicely. The points are recently renewed as are the brakes and three-piston calipers, there is no pulling side to side. The head on this car was rebuilt as was the water pump using original parts by a antique Mercedes restoration expert here in MA who just happens to be the MB Classic Club president. You can call him to vouch for the car at Vanderveer motors. The car has original paint in good shape, it shines quite nicely and turns heads everywhere you go. I literally get cheers every time I drive this car, it's like being a movie star. That said, the paint is not perfect, after all it IS 50 years old. There are chips here and there and flaws but it is still certainly a car to be proud of in excellent original condition. I'm sure these defects could be addressed to make this a 100 point show car if that's really what you want to do. Personally I think the car is perfect as it is and I enjoy cars with an original patina that actually show honest care. The carpet is all original Mercedes wool but the driver's floor mat could use work, some of the center of it is fraying, the rest are excellent. The rear parcel shelf is orignal as well and has a little fading and curling on the very ends. The original trunk mat is in excellent shape as well. The gas tank and gas guage function perfectly as does the temperature and oil guages. The oil pressure is perfect. One of the really cool features is the thermometer-style speedometer which changes colors as it rotates, if you've never seen one it's really neat. It has original wheels and whitewalls in the correct size and all original hubcaps and beauty rings. The hood ornament is intact and spring loaded. The original transmission was replaced by Merecedes themselves with a replacement from the Benz Classic Center in California when I got the car, it shifts perfectly and the shifter is a stick shift-style on the floor type that works great. I actually like how easy it is to put it into various gears compared to newer cars, it's a very elegant little thing. Somehow this car is the exact right size, it's tallish and very easy to drive around, somewhere around the size of a honda accord except taller and obviously a nicer shape. It feels very open and spacious inside compared to newer cars of the same dimensions. This car is NOT a show car but instead an original driving 1967 Mercedes in excellent shape. It may be the LAST mercedes regularly driven in this kind of shape for that matter. I believe all the others were sold ages ago and either converted into show cars or allowed to rust away by this time. This car is an original bought in Salem Massachusetts car, it still has the blue license plates on it which will go with the car. Hopefully someone in MA will buy it and be able to use them as year-of-manufacture plates the way I did. It AMAZINGLY does not have the new england rust on it, there are of course little spots here and there but the car is solid as a rock in all the right places, the rockers, the rear fenders, the door sills. Everything is SOLID and has good paint. I think if you come to see the car and take a look underneath you'll see what I'm talking about, it's very clean! The one major flaw in the car is that the power steering just started leaking, that said it still steers very nicely and is certainly driveable. I wouldn't hesitate to drive the car any distance, in fact it's a very relaxed cruiser on the highway. The on-center feel is really nice with amazingly no play. I've had a few other cars from the 60's, cadillacs, alfa romeos, etc but NONE of them have had the same on-center preciseness. When you do decide to get the steering leak fixed I highly recommend you keep the same components and simply have the gaskets renewed instead of replacing them!!! Again, you will never find another one with such a good feel. This is not something terribly pressing and as I said the car is driveable but with difficulty when parking and driving very slow speeds. I'm only selling this car due to recently losing my indoor storage, it really ought to be garaged and it kills me to sell it. I've owned it for the past 8 years and before me there were two other owners, a couple on a farm in pennsylvania and the original owner in Salem.

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