madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonmadmog
@madmog
Club Retro Rides Member 46
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Nov 18, 2014 22:49:11 GMT
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Having lost my Morris Minor that I had owned for 27 years to thieving S$%$%&£&$ from outside my house and needing something a bit larger and practical now i have a lovely baby daughter, I got this:     Unseen from Greece. It didn't sell in a Coys auction so I put in an offer, I'm rash like that sometimes. I got exactly what I hoped in that it's rust free. It just about drives as the engine has been messed with by adding a Unimog 404 single carb cylinder head; perhaps with low compression. It's wildly out of tune but with RR logic, it's going to be more economical to stick in a better engine than pouring money into the old one. I will keep the engine to one side in case I want to revert to standard in future. I've changed over the front lamps to RHD spec and got a Mph speedo to get registered and MOT'd and got my V5 this week. Apart from that it's just been little things, mending the rear lights and bootlock, removing a shopping bag's worth of redundant wiring (household wire!) fixing the brake warning light and water temp gauge. I was looking for quite a while to find an early model - this is a '68 with the '60s styling that I was after. Quarterlights, spindly steering wheel, chrome mirrors and accentuation. I was indifferent to whether a 4 cylinder or 6, petrol or diesel as long as the body was good as I haven't time for a long resto. As a bonus it's column shift manual 4 speed. According to the Mercedes Datacard, it left the factory with blue MBtex with a bench seat at the front. Mercs having funny handbrakes, there is nothing between the front seats which is a bit of a novelty to me. It also originally had whitewall tyres and suspension upgraded for rough parts of the world. I don't know if that's what's on it now, it drives like a large sofa on a fairground ride, comfy but a bit frightening at the same time. Plans: modernish diesel engine, de-ambering of all the lamps and restoring the interior. Sunny Greece was kind to the metal but harsh on the interior. No matter, easily put right. Just asa longshot but I don't suppose there are any Greek RR people that know anything of this Merc's history since I have none whatsoever beyone what I can see from the Datacard? |
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Nov 18, 2014 22:58:46 GMT
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That's a great looking car.
The interior looks like a great place to be, too. Didn't know these had a column shifter.
Health to enjoy it.
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madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonmadmog
@madmog
Club Retro Rides Member 46
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Nov 18, 2014 23:36:16 GMT
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That's a great looking car. The interior looks like a great place to be, too. Didn't know these had a column shifter. Health to enjoy it. Thanks Battles. Choices were column shift auto or 4 speed manual. Floor shift auto, floor shift 4 or 5 speed manual. I think the column shift was phased out or just became unpopular as old-fashioned thing. Certainly the spindly wheel (colours ivory or black) was changed to a modern safety wheel and quarterlights were not on the later cars. |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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quite an upgrade from a morris minor!
column shift is quite rare on these. ive only ever seen a couple with it. it was an optional extra you had to pay for, which i cant see a whole load of people ever doing.
was the car always black? a blue interior in a black car would have been very unusual, ive only ever seen blue interiors in silver cars.
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120y
Part of things
Posts: 423 
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Nov 19, 2014 10:03:31 GMT
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Saab did white with blue interior, but as you say black with blue is very unusual
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1996 Renault Clio MK1 1.4 RT Auto
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Nov 19, 2014 10:13:32 GMT
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Lucky you! Nice car. And rust free....every other issue will be trivial compared to welding up a rotter. Lovely.
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Mark
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,097
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Nov 19, 2014 11:00:33 GMT
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Beautiful looking car, well done!
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Nov 19, 2014 11:15:29 GMT
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Saab did white with blue interior, but as you say black with blue is very unusual I meant specifically stack light Mercs, silver/blue interior seemed to be a 'standard' merc colourway. But now you mention it I think I might have seen a white one too. Not that is really matters, as its now red which looks fully awesome. Red would be my interior colour of choice, but its rare. Adds a LOT of value to the price of the vehicle too. |
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madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonmadmog
@madmog
Club Retro Rides Member 46
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Nov 19, 2014 13:47:25 GMT
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I do like the red, it's what stood out to me in the ads. I could be wrong about the interior colour, it's my reading of the datacard. original paint was definitely black though. It's not obvious from the pics but the leather seems a little flat. Others I have seen in tex look much more tuck n roll like & plush. The front seats, while without headrests have, as far as I can tell, the headrest mechanisms built in. Ie you can press a hidden springy switch in the back of the seat. So I'm guessing the seats are recovered. Not having headrests & gearstick makes the car seem really spacious inside. I'd guess that column-shift would be picked where a front bench seat was wanted or needed Eg in a hearse or ambulance. I've never seen a front bench seat up close and wonder if they had any adjustment. I have seen a pad insert that goes in the centre console so, with the armrest up and acting as backrest there is a sort of seat made. Let me see if I can find pics: "]Console to go with bench seatBenches |
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Last Edit: Nov 19, 2014 13:49:34 GMT by madmog
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Nov 19, 2014 14:32:30 GMT
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gotta have an ivory wheel
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Nov 19, 2014 16:05:39 GMT
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Very cool, it looks in really good shape. I believe column shift cars were offered for the first couple of years, 1968-69. I thought all column shifts had bench seats, maybe its been up graded at some point in its life?
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madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonmadmog
@madmog
Club Retro Rides Member 46
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Nov 19, 2014 17:09:10 GMT
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Very cool, it looks in really good shape. I believe column shift cars were offered for the first couple of years, 1968-69. I thought all column shifts had bench seats, maybe its been up graded at some point in its life? It was originally a front bench seat. On the datacard there's an option for bench seat and an option for column shift so I suspect you could choose either option independently. I would have thought that individual seats would be more expensive than a front bench. You could also get these things: www.ebay.de/itm/Mercedes-Benz-W114-W115-Mittelsitzkissen-Sitzbank-fur-Mittelkonsole-rot-Oldtimer-/301388521059?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item462c27de63that sit on the console between the front seats. so with the armrest up and acting as a backrest you could fit someone in the middle |
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Nov 19, 2014 17:36:05 GMT
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Very cool, it looks in really good shape. I believe column shift cars were offered for the first couple of years, 1968-69. I thought all column shifts had bench seats, maybe its been up graded at some point in its life? It was originally a front bench seat. On the datacard there's an option for bench seat and an option for column shift so I suspect you could choose either option independently. I would have thought that individual seats would be more expensive than a front bench. That's a cool accessory. I never knew that 2 seats at the front were an option...I'm still learning about W114/5 even though I had mine for 2 years now  |
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Nov 19, 2014 18:30:39 GMT
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Beautiful car. Same year as my P5B but looks much more modern inside..
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonMercdan68
@forddan68
Club Retro Rides Member 68
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Nov 19, 2014 18:33:58 GMT
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Beautiful
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Fraud owners club member
2003 W211 Mercedes E class
1989 Sierra sapphire
1998 ex bt fiesta van
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madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonmadmog
@madmog
Club Retro Rides Member 46
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Nov 19, 2014 18:54:11 GMT
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There's a good and active forum, www.strichacht-forum.de/in Germany, even if you don't speak German if you use Google Chrome, it has a translating option top right which gives you a passable understanding of what's going on. They're very helpful on there, not so much into modifying but very knowledgeable. There's also a useful knowledge base of how-tos there too. Well worth signing up if you have a W114 or W115. Geoff have you a front bench seat in yours? If so, Is it adjustable at all? Have you a thread on here I could look at? |
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Nov 20, 2014 20:59:55 GMT
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Last Edit: Nov 20, 2014 21:00:57 GMT by geoff115
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madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
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1968 Mercedes W114 saloonmadmog
@madmog
Club Retro Rides Member 46
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Nov 20, 2014 22:36:19 GMT
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Wow thanks Geoff, I had a quick look and am off back to look in more detail now & bookmark. |
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Nov 21, 2014 20:25:57 GMT
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That's a honey! I had a black one, but it was a stinking nail......
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