Well, there’s a lot going on here. Besides the very non-Mercedes-Benz color selection, this 1966 230 S has some rather notable facets. The seller admits this one’s a project but claims that it ” will take little to complete“. Want to see more? This most unusual Benz is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and is available, here on craigslist for $12,500.
The 230 S, based on M-B’s W111 platform, was a short-lived model produced between mid-’65 and the beginning of ’68. It was offered in a single body style, a four-door “saloon” or sedan. Research indicates that about 40K or so were produced in Stuttgart, Germany. The aforementioned paint job, which looks more fitting for a boat than a car, much less a Mercedes sedan, shows well and the seller does state, “Excellent condition, no rust! Little to finish the project“. But wait, this 230 S ain’t no sedan no mo’, it’s gotten the Sawzall treatment and it’s now goin’ topless. As to how well the surgery was performed and the status of the patient’s post-operation recovery, nothing is disclosed – the images just aren’t that telling. There is mention of having all of the necessary parts to complete the transition.
We’re told that the 135 gross HP, 2.3-liter in-line four six-cylinder engine “runs” but that’s about it for motivation details. The odometer displays 88K miles so that may or may not be a true measure of this engine’s experience. The other notable aspect of this 230 S is its four-speed automatic transmission – most of the W111 series that I encounter are manually shifted.
It is claimed that the upholstery is “done” and from what we can spy, thanks to no roof, it looks OK but it’s very dusty which means this car has been sitting for some time in top-down mode. And that begs the question, is there a top? How does it work? How well does it seal? Is it a manual or a power-actuated arrangement? Questions, questions, and more questions – this listing is too light on detail considering the radical nature of the alteration that it has encountered.
I’m definitely intrigued by this most unlikely of roof removal projects. The thing is, and I know from the experience of owning several convertibles, that a roofectomy is only part of the deal – and the most obvious one of course. There’s a lot of additional reinforcing and stiffening that needs to be strategically planned and facilitated. Without that important step, you’ll end up with one buckin’, bronkin’, cowl shakin’ mess of a ride. Has any of that activity occurred in this case? Don’t know, an inquiry and a visual inspection are both necessary. Regardless, you have to appreciate a sense of imagination and the can-do attitude that was necessary to pull off this creation, right?
It looks like a 60’s pedal car to me. Hard pass on the $12.5K.
Someone surely messed this car up and now 12.5 K really?
Maybe it’s an inline 6? But I agree, the odds are against this car; it’s just too dicey; probably not a good gamble, unless you’re flush with cash.
Saw six and wrote four – not the first time. Thx, fixed now.
JO
“…top was cut to be a convertible” that can only mean one thing, making a top for it was never attempted. The blue isn’t awful so cover up the white with it and haul the prom queen in a parade every year. Reinforce the rocker panels before you do or she could have a complex the rest of her life.
First time you hit a decent speed bump it becomes a “Banana-Benz”
I’ll pass on this one too. It would take
a major coach builder to do it right.
And this was done with too much alcohol and not enough sense. All I can say is what a waste.
If it doesn’t convert, it isn’t a convertible.
Driving this thing would be like driving a Jell-o mold. A decent pothole would have the doors flying open. There’s a reason that Lincoln’s 4-door convertibles weighed 300-400lb more than the sedans.
I was tempted by one of these for $1500, it looked like the roof had been jumped on by kids. I guess this is one way to fix that, but I was thinking bondo and a vinyl roof instead.
It might look good as a gasser, you could reinforce the chassis that way ;)
My son and his buddy, high school aged, wanted to chop the top off our Dodge Caravan that had been karate chopped by a falling tree. Windshield was fine, below the belt line was fine, drivetrain was fine. They wanted to take the sawsall (and a torch) and remove everything above the beltline except the windshield, and weld the doors inside and out to the rest of the body, but had no idea whatsoever about a top – and this was New England where it rains half the time, except when it snows half the time. So maybe if you weld the doors shut on this Mercedes it would be rigid enough.
Waited to long seller should have posted it a month or so ago they would probably gotten their asking price. But now the crazy market is starting to cool down a lot. Hang on to your britches the next few months or more is going to be a wild ride in the used and classic car market.
Looks like a Mercedes and a Nash Metropolitan got together during spring break!
I couldn’t agree with you more Troy.
This stimulus party’s over and now the only thing left to do is pick up the
pieces and move on. A lot of you folks out there are gonna see the value of your classic cars take a major hit. Just how much depends on how long it takes for the market to
correct itself. Prices in some segments of the hobby have begun to
drop and haven’t stopped dropping yet. So unless something comes along that I can’t pass up, I’ll sit it out
until the dust settles and I can get a
clear picture of life AFTER the market
collapses.
Weld the doors together and make a lowrider
This is a unit-body car that depends on the roof as part of a whole box to support the entire vehicle. Cutting the roof off probably removes at least 50% of the body integrity, and the ad says nothing about additional engineering and subsequent support efforts.
I can imagine the lawsuit that can arise when this car is driven around with a car load of people, and as it is driven over a speed bump or a pothole, the doors pop open before the body collapses, leaving multiple people injured. If this car was modified by a body shop, they can be sued for creating an unsafe vehicle, especially if there was no attempt to add strengthened body & frame supports underneath.
Those door posts between the front and rear doors need support at the upper end that is no longer there. At a minimum, this car requires a stabilizing cross bar connecting the tops of the 2 door center posts, tying them together. From what I can see in the photos, there is NO additional body supports for the door posts.
I hope the shop that created this monster, as well as the customer who commissioned the changes, both have deep pockets and plenty of liability insurance.
Together, they took a nice RUST FREE Mercedes Benz 230, with the original M-B Kuhlmeister A/C system as well, and destroyed it. This is a parts car only, because it will probably cost another $10k to make it safe, and another $5k to create a folding top.
What worries me is that because many states exempt older cars from safety inspections, this car could be unloaded on an unsuspecting buyer who applies for title and tags, puts even more money into it to make a driver out of it, never knowing about the looming safety issues, and starts using it on the roads.
As a court-recognized expert in transportation matters, I am familiar with at least 2 legal cases in the 1980s where limo rental companies removed the roof off 4-door cars to make them look good, renting the vehicle out for weddings and special events. Both cases came about due to the doors opening while people were riding in the car.