It’s still a bit painful to think about the nearly $25,000 I lost on our 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250C. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20, and with some distance from that financial misstep, I’ve gained a valuable new perspective on owning an Antique Mercedes.
Looking back, my first mistake was choosing the wrong approach from the start. The person who bought the car from me mentioned he’d researched 250C prices on Bring a Trailer (BaT). He noted that “good” examples – not pristine, low-mileage show cars, but solid, running vehicles – were fetching prices in the mid-$20,000s. This figure became his self-imposed spending limit.
My entry point was an $18,000 purchase. A friend even drove it all the way from Los Angeles to Portland without issue. The car boasted good paint and a well-maintained interior and had already been upgraded with R134 air conditioning. Having examined several others, this 250C was a standout compared to the less desirable, cheaper options available.
This is where my antique Mercedes fantasies took over. I envisioned the ultimate W114. Euro headlights were a must. I opted for a dry-ice cleaning to make the engine bay look factory fresh, and even installed a transistorized ignition system, and more. The real splurges, the $5,000 cherries on top, were the performance-enhancing Weber carburetor setup and swapping in a high-speed rear end from a 300D model.
I had created my dream W114, a beautifully modified antique Mercedes. But what was the real point? Realistically, this was never going to be a long-term, cherished classic in my collection, and it would likely only see a few thousand miles of road use each year.
If I could rewind and do it all again with my antique Mercedes, I’d certainly approach things differently. Perhaps a tranquilizer, or at least a closer look at the top market values for W114s, would have been wise before diving in.
In a do-over scenario, I would have simply had the original Solex carburetors professionally rebuilt by a specialist. I’d have upgraded the front shock absorbers to the smoother-riding units from a 560SL, and I would have stopped right there. Yes, it might have been a little less refined at freeway speeds, but honestly, who would really care? Yes, the power output would have been modest, but again, in real-world driving, would it have truly mattered? And yes, it would have retained the U.S.-spec headlights… but so what?
With an extra $20,000 still in my bank account, I would have still possessed a stylish and enjoyable antique Mercedes, perfect for relaxed drives to the coast and back. This experience has taught me a valuable, if expensive, lesson, one that I won’t soon forget: Learn to recognize when to resist the urge to excessively “improve” your classic car, and instead, appreciate and enjoy it for what it is. Sometimes, originality and simple maintenance are the best approach when it comes to owning an antique Mercedes.
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