Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

Mr_Shiftright

They need to improve the fuel economy, but of course with a 2.65 rear end performance really suffered. So the later models, with this rear end ratio added to the car's weight and emissions-strangled engine, gave the car the reputation for being a bit of a dog to drive, compared to the much friskier and livelier previous SLs.

stickguy

Craig, maybe it would be a good unit to try and get on bring a trailer? Might do good there. Right up their alley too.

fintail

Drive it! Take it out on sunny Sundays and enjoy it. It is a nice car, but it won't be worth 10x the current value in 10 years. You bought it and are paying to keep it around, enjoy your investment.

Many old MBs have funny gear ratios. My W126 300SE was at maybe 3500 rpm at 70 mph - working hard for a barge. The fintail really revs along at higher speeds too - these engines are made for it, however.

isellhondas said:

I haven/t tried very hard. I have to learn how to post photos frim my iPhone to Craigslist first. I tried once and got a couple for flakes and dreamers. I don't need that. I need a SERIOUS buyer who knows what the car is for one thing! These were close to 35,000 in 1979 dollars and are quite rare. Sorry I bought it now but it seemed like the thing to do at the time! I should go drive it around the neighborhood. It's been a month!

fintail

A couple of rare finds posted in a fintail group, languishing in a MB boneyard somewhere in CA (although I think someone snapped them up). First, this odd fintail wagon - maybe not an IMA Universal as it just looks different somehow (and a W111 Universal is quite rare indeed) but maybe it's just the patina, appears to be sitting on larger 15" wheels:



This one does appear to be an IMA Universal, a period conversion with a fanatical cult behind it. The black and white fintails at left appear to be the rare top spec W112 300SE:

Mr_Shiftright

The top one looks quite restorable; the second one, for parts.

berri

I don't think I've seen that version MB wagon before

fintail

These are both aftermarket conversions - MB didn't have a factory built wagon until the W123. I notice the second one is RHD. Both cars would be much more valuable than a normal fintail, if in mint condition.

Mr_Shiftright

Depends where you sell a RHD though. You'd take a 30% hit in the USA. The only exception to that general rule is if the car never came LHD (e.g.--MG TC).

fintail

I am sure someone in the UK would drool over that RHD Universal, even in that condition.

Mr_Shiftright

Ever see this one?

http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/mercedes-benz/282388-1963-mercedes-benz-190d-binz-coachbuilt-fintail-station-wagon-kombiwagen.html

fintail

Yep, the Binz conversions might be the most frequently seen old MB wagons. They exist in normal and high roof, cargo and passenger, and I have seen ambulances too.

A couple years ago, a Ponton Binz passenger wagon conversion showed up at the yearly MBCA gathering, and people loved it:

berri

The colors - OMG. Otherwise looks like a hearse or ambulance.

explorerx4

The first one kind of looks of like it has a replacement front clip on it.

explorerx4

How did the windshield frame/A pillar survive on this thing?
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/ford/mustang/2209419.html

omarman

human shock absorbers?

explorerx4

@omarman,
You probably right.
Fyi, I am still freaked out by that psychedelic cat thing you posted over the holidays.

omarman

In high school my parents would search my room when I was late getting home. They claimed to be looking for some message or clue as to where I might be so late at night. Sure. It was just another excuse for conducting a contraband search. So I put up a neat black light poster on the back of my bedroom door which looked amazing even in ordinary light. My dad in particular hated the sight of it let alone actually taking a look behind it! Similar tactic used in Shawshank Redemption

explorerx4

HA HA! Brilliant!

stickguy

now this, looks like a fun project!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIz5SuUO6Kc

texases

I don’t think my set of Craftsmans would handle that...

xwesx

I might have a few tools that would... but not many! I watched that video (in part) a while back. Fun, and, like with my old C20 that sat for better than 23 years, it makes a person wonder how a rig in that decent of condition finds itself unused for so long.

stickguy

Nostalgia. Owner retired, but didn’t want to part with his baby. Probably got to where he couldn’t drive it anyway, but still hung onto it. Then he died, and it took his with a few years to do it.

xwesx

stickguy said:

Nostalgia. Owner retired, but didn’t want to part with his baby. Probably got to where he couldn’t drive it anyway, but still hung onto it. Then he died, and it took his wife a few years to do it.

Ya, typical story, too. My grandmother finally decided to sell their 2004 Expedition, even though she has rarely used it in the last four years. Finally, on about the sixth anniversary of my grandfather's passing, she sold it earlier this month. And, I honestly think the only reason she did is because my brother offered to buy it. I suspect that he will hang on to it until she passes, then sell it soon after.

She's sort of touchy with that stuff... even after she sells or gives something to one of us, if we get rid of it... watch out!

explorerx4

A lot of effort went into this ad.
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/ford/taurus/2135078.html

ab348

Man, that's a lot of words for a 25 year old beigemobile.

I like how during his Telnack name-dropping he skipped over how the original 2nd-gen Taurus styling was a disaster of near-epic proportions.

tjc78

That could be the most undesirable Taurus. All the problems of a loaded LX with the 3.8 but only a rental spec stripper. 

I wouldn’t give him 2k for it.  I had a 93 fully loaded LX 3.8.  Car was definitely not reliable.  I didn’t mind driving it though, very comfortable and quiet.  

fintail

My mom had a 93 Taurus 3.8 for around 10 years. She didn't have any real issues with it until that ~10 year mark, then the head gasket let go, and she walked away from it.

berri

My dad owned a similarly spec 92 Sable for many years. No head gasket, but motor mounts. basically, a reliable car for the day though.

berri

Personally, I thought the 2000 Taurus update did a decent job cleaning up the 2nd gen. The 2nd gen wagon -well, what could you do??? Too bad, because the original Taurus wagon was a decent style to me.

xwesx

I think that's the nicest looking second gen Taurus I've ever seen.... including when they were current automobiles! That fact doesn't make it any more desirable, but kudos on the "time capsule."

tjc78

https://boise.craigslist.org/cto/d/meridian-very-rare-ford-durango/6799054763.html

Here is an interesting one 

explorerx4

Never heard of those. Interesting how the tailgate stretches across the whole back of the bed.

stickguy

never heard of that. But I kinda like it. Good use of a Fairmont at least!

tjc78

I could see swapping a late run FI 5.0 Mustang engine and just lighting up the rear tires for days.   Could be a fun little sleeper.   

explorerx4

Pretty cool if you like big iron, but pricey asking.
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/01/26/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1969-ford-galaxie-xl/#comments-block

stickguy

that is an oddball.

Mr_Shiftright

Kind of a monster to drive around in any kind of traffic or tight spaces, but might be fun on a long tour at highway speeds. It does seem about $10K over what it should be.

ab348

I could be convinced to like one of those, but not that one (who orders a black car in Arizona?) and not for that money. The wheels and steering wheel do it no favors either.

omarman

'68 Hurst/Olds looks nice but wonder why it showed up on CL?

stickguy

nice looking car, but CL is not the place I think of to look for $95,000 cars!

Mr_Shiftright

To say nothing of slap-dash "whatever" photos. I was confused by the working, too: Has it not been on the road since the "rebuild" of the engine, or of the entire car? And, wouldn't you want the engine rebuild de-bugged?

fintail

Had the project car out on this day which was supposed to be sunny, but stayed dreary The car started right up and ran fine, noticeable new blowby, but an old quirk reared its head: turn signals. They only worked maybe 10% of the time today. It did this in the past, and I "solved" the problem by first replacing the blinker unit (which did nothing), then jiggling the stalk, which I thought fixed it. I will play with it again next time I drive it, or just pretend it is a BMW

Gratuitous pic of the day: Here is where the car slumbers, a cement wall on one side, 66 Toronado on the other, and a squarebody pickup further down. Older covered cars on the other side of the garage:

stickguy

Fin, where you rent the spot, do the tenants (owners?) get 2 spots, or do that many people actually not own a car or have any need for a spot at all?

Mr_Shiftright

What's that next to you---a Toronado?

stickguy

a 66!

Mr_Shiftright

One of the few American cars of the 60s that I really like--old Toros.

fintail

The latter. Many in that neighborhood seem to bus it, and the building charges for garage spots, but has a number of outside spots - many seem content to park outside. Maybe a quarter of the garage appears to be rented to non-tenants.

stickguy said:

Fin, where you rent the spot, do the tenants (owners?) get 2 spots, or do that many people actually not own a car or have any need for a spot at all?

ab348

Back in the '90s I lived in a large apartment building close to downtown which had about 400 apartments. It had a 2-level parking garage though I don't know how many spots it contained, probably at least 400. The lower level was at best half-filled. They did a lot of rental of parking spaces. In fact I first discovered this when I took a job across the street from the place years before I moved there and rented a spot for work. There were a number of vehicles on the lower level that were either covered for long-term storage or never seemed to move.

fintail

At least half of the old cars stored where the fintail sleeps seem to never move. Some of them, like a 64 Pontiac convertible, I believe haven't moved in years.

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

To say nothing of slap-dash "whatever" photos. I was confused by the working, too: Has it not been on the road since the "rebuild" of the engine, or of the entire car? And, wouldn't you want the engine rebuild de-bugged?

Apparently not; it worked for the seller of Q's Coronet, right?