1971 Mercedes-Benz W115 220 Gas
Summary:
Beautiful, solid, reliable and comfortable - what more could you ask for?
Faults:
When I bought this car, it had been in storage (by and large) for close to 30 years, taken out only to clean and run up and down the street. Most of the 71,000 miles put on it were put on by the first owner who sold it to the man I bought it from in 1976. When I bought the car, it was running but not exceptionally well. To bring it up to snuff:
Muffler and down pipe needed to be replaced. (Mercedes)
Engine mounts needed replacing.
Blower motor was shot - replaced.
Needed to replace the ignition coil.
Carburetor needed to be rebuilt.
Exhaust Manifold replaced, and manifold needed to be planed (warped).
Alternator was dodgy - replaced.
General Comments:
For the fact that this car had been stored, I'm amazed at its condition - most cars don't appreciate exceedingly long periods of rest - this one was astounding - the above "fixes" cost me a fair bit, but for the price, I have a pristine car, with virtually no rust, and (unbelievably) an interior quite literally "as new".
The gas engine means that this has some horsepower, and although it's not "quick", it has all the power one needs, and drives exceedingly smoothly.
The seats are unbelievable - I can drive 400 km and step out of the car without stretching - they're like armchairs.
Having fixed the dodgy bits in the engine, the car runs very solidly - this is my daily driver.
It's early days for me yet (I've only had it for a year), but I've never enjoyed a car more.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd May, 2009
24th Sep 2014, 02:23
I have a 1971 220 diesel and one for parts. It works great. Love the ride.
20th May 2009, 07:53
Hi, I am Bulgarian. We have our MD 220D (115) since 1972. Later I inherited it from my father. He bought it in Stuttgart directly from the factory. It's really great car. It is still in a relevantly good condition, original paint -"herbstbeige", original upholstery. The car is 37 years old and it was almost always kept in a garage, however it was once "flooded" because of heavy rains in 2006 in that area. For my great astonishment I succeeded to start the engine at once - only black water came out from the exhaust pipe. I drove a number of different brands of cars, but my MD 220D is my beloved car. It is only 150 000 km.
However the car has some cosmetic problems - the decorative bars around the body are damaged, somebody tried to steel them. The figures 220D at the bonnet are stolen. The headlights are to be changed, they are darkened.