Going to look at a 68 220D on full AccuAir suspension tomorrow. Mileage is unknown as it's only got a 5 digit odometer, and it has the OM615 (2.2L) diesel w/ 4 speed stick. Aside from rust (I can see a little in the corners of the doors from the pics) and the usual kind of stuff, is there anything in particular to these cars to look at when buying?

I know I'm gonna get flak, but the W114/115 forum is all but dead, so I figured I'd ask here if anyone has any tips on looking at these older Benz's, especially diesels.

I know 60 hp doesn't really compare to 500, but I'm just looking for a cool daily beater

Thanks!

 

I would stick to a 190E or a 500sl

The idea of that old of a diesel in the United States sorry of worries me. So I've got no input there.

 

Maybe try the generic Mercedes tech talk section.... says 64 viewing....

I love the old ones myself.... would be cool to put a more modern drive train it.... even like a 190e 2.6 mechanical 's ....

 

Well I went to go check it out. It's definitely a 50 year old car and someone started to replace rusted floor panels.. but some have not been and are missing, like under the passenger seat ha. Plus the bottom of the block was CAKED in oil. PLUS the car came out of the North East. Id never buy a New England car!

Original, single stage paint looked good on most of the body tho. The rust was all in the floor panels, rockers, where you'd expect.

And that OM615... Its almost unsafe how slow it is!

Ah well, not really looking to buy a project.

Thanks for the info, fellas!

 

What makes you say that, about older diesels?

I am low-key hunting for 500E and have been for a while...

 

Great cars real tough to find a good one for realistic money.... occasionally i see 4.2 V8 W124 around hear in florida... but alas i have no more garage space

 

I had a 300 SD not that long ago.
I literally broke the accelerator pedal.
Replacement was like $12 OEM.

The commute here in NYC is like this :
If you're not fast enough EVERYBODY cuts In Front of you.
I gave it a lot of thought and realized that there's a minimum ability to accelerate and if you don't have it .... it's just terrible.
I define this minimum capability as "as quick as a 4 cylinder Honda Accord". If you can't do that, you're in the way.
Now my car was a turbo diesel. So I started by tuning up and adding boost, using the "compensation capsule". Then put in a high flow filter and intake. Then got to be as fast as a 4 cyl accord.
Now those engines were bullet proof.
But there are plenty of other things that need work.
Wheel bearings go.
The transmission is really primitive but very complicated.
As you know the diesels don't offer a port for vacuum actuation of the transmission or anything vacuum operated.
So then there is a vacuum pump.
But for the transmission to seem to work right, the vacuum has to be modulated by engine load like in a gasoline car.
So a mechanical device is supposed to do this.
Very weird shifts.
But there's a plastic dial on the transmission which can be adjusted from under the car.
The transmission will never feel right but continue to operate.
I changed so many sets of Bosch glow plugs until I listened and changed to Beru and they lasted.
You have to adjust the valve lash once a year.
The first time was difficult, then easy.
Fuel filters have to be replaced every 3-4 months at least one of the two.

The gas mileage was far from great. I got almost 20 MPg but not quite.
The diesel always seemed to be as expensive as 93, except after I sold the car.

AC was never quite cold because this was designed for R12. I ended up putting in can after can until it was almost ok.

I had to always plan ahead to know which gas stations carry diesel. You can drive for miles and not find one. You have to find those where truckers go to.

Most people that never drove a diesel don't realize that if there's a guy in an empty gas station frowning at you as you're filling with gas, and they're sitting next to a diesel, this is because the pump for gasoline that you're using is th only one in the station that dispenses diesel.
Indeed there stations that carry diesel have only 1-2 pumps that dispense both gas and diesel.

When it was really cold starting the car was epic, I loved it. Really really loud rattle, clouds of black smoke burnt plastic smell then the loudest diesel rrrrratttle.
Then people staring at electric cable plugged to receptacle under the grill.

And the last thing: in Europe, there were diesel injection pump flow calibration shops everywhere.
There comes the day in the life of an old school diesel where the diesel distribution/injection pump needs to be re calibrated on the flow stand.
I only found an online place in US that seemed to cater to this.
I always felt that my mediocre diesel mileage was due to the pump needing calibration.

But yes the w126 is possibly the best looking Mercedes ever. It will become a classic.