Unfortunately the time has come to sell our 1965 Mercedes 190 fintail project. (
Its a very rare base model, meaning it has no indicators/side lights under the headlights.)
She was found abandoned in a scrap yard near our house, and after sourcing the owner a we managed to save it from rotting away.
We have stripped it down to restore it, and discovered that although it has been out in the elements for several years, the bodywork is in incredible condition, with the only rust needing treatment being on the corners of the sills. (where the sill meets the arch, on all 4 corners)
These will need patching up, a job that will be simple to anyone who has experience with welding, and basic fabrication. I was quoted £50 per corner to get the work done by a reputable bodyshop.
It looks as though the front OS wing could have been replaced at some point, as the join with the front panel/slam panel isn't perfectly aligned, it is barely noticeable until you really look for it. Again this is a simple fix, and will only need some slight re-jigging to rectify.
The underside is 99% solid, still having most of the factory under seal intact.
A look down the panels show no signs of damage or dents what so ever, with no noticeable 'car park dings' visible.
Inside the boot is also good news, with the only rust being a small patch around the OS drain hole, which after cuttting away the rust has left a 6” hole needing to be patched.
The engine is a 1.9, and turned over and ran smoothly when we intised it into life with a fresh battery and some fresh fuel. The only thing stopping us from driving it being a stuck clutch slave, and some doubt over the condition of the brakes! We have now fitted a new clutch slave, and it engaged gears and drove well.
All the chrome work around the windows is in top condition, and we intended to re-use it after a quick polish up. The same cant be said about the bumpers, as they have some corrosion on the underside. (a replacement pair in very usuable condition is included with the spare car!
The interior is almost spotless, with only a couple of small nicks letting it down. We have started to clean it up, and with some elbow grease its looking like new. It is all complete, with nothing missing that we can tell. The only let-down inside being a small rip in the plastic lining on the sills.
The car is currently sitting on the axle stands, and is 90% stripped ready to be sent to the bodyshop. The only things left to remove being the gearbox/prop/diff, door glass, the subframes and some of the engine bay ancillaries/brake pipes.
It is still a rolling chassis, so loading it onto a recovery truck will not be an issue.
Included in the sale is a complete donor car, an incredibly rare diesel model. This was sourced for parts, and although the bodywork is completely shot, the parts needed for the other car are in really good condition. These include a pair of decent bumpers (worth £700 on there own..), a complete interior in a slightly deeper shade of cream along with various other pieces of chrome and trim.
The diesel engine was reconditioned a year or so before we took ownership, and we have been told it runs perfectly (although we haven't tested it, and cannot prove this). Talk on the classic Mercedes forums say the engine alone could be worth the best part of £1000.
Once the donor is finished with, the salvageable panels (rear and front wings) can be sold, and these seem to fetch around £300 each. Add to that and easy £500 for the complete interior and the donor car should fund a decent chunk of the restoration.
Along with the donor car is a selection of other spares, including a speedo cluster, spare grille, several hub caps, and a couple of bumper sections (the front is a 2 part construction)
Between the two cars there is more than enough parts to make a complete car.
These cars fetch well over 10k when restored, so this is a real bargain. We intended to use it for weddings and car shows when it was complete, so it could be a real investment.
It really needs to be seen to be appreciated, but I do a comprehensive folder of images that can be sent over to anyone who is interested.
The cars are located near folkestone in Kent, about 5 minutes from junc11 on the M20.
Neither of the cars obviously have MOT or TAX, although V5's (for the red one) and some history are present.
|
