1971 Mercedes-Benz W115 220 review from North America

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.

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.