One of the cool things about old cars is the history that comes with them. Even if you don’t know it, you can try to imagine the person who bought your car new, and the stories they had from it. What was the occasion they bought it for? Who was the original owner? Where did they live, and where did they go with the car? These are interesting questions to ponder, particularly in the case of non-sports cars, where you have time to think beyond how quickly you can fling it around the next corner. To get you thinking, we have a pair of Mercedes 250 sedans with 4-speed manual transmissions. The first is this W108 Mercedes 250S, for $1995 in Omaha, NE.
The first thing you’ll notice on this car, beyond the elegant and restrained Mercedes styling, is the gaping hole at the top of the fender. While this rust shouldn’t be structural, it does merit a thorough inspection to make sure the rest of the car is sound. It’s also a great reminder for pedestrians not to jump out in front of you! The rest of the bodywork has a nice aged-looking gloss, and all the trim appears to be present and in good shape.
The seller mentions a new fuel pump and recent tires. The wheels are unfortunately painted red in some kind of tribute to old hot rods, but this can easily be rectified over an afternoon or two. As with many Mercedes of this period, the earliest cars also have the least fussy designs, with minimal trim and badging. For a snow belt car, this really looks pretty decent – is that dirt or rust behind the rear wheel?
Under the hood, things look a lot better than you’d have any right to expect of a car this old in Nebraska. You’ll want to make sure that battery bracket (holding the windshield washer fluid bag) is secure, as right now it seems like you’re one speed bump away from a spark-fest. The rubber strap holding the battery does not inspire confidence either. The seller does not mention any other recent maintenance, so on a car of this price level you’ll want to plan on doing hoses, fluids, etc. With the amount of space under that hood, you shouldn’t have any problems accessing anything.
The interior looks good too, with the only visible damage on the top of the rear bench. Here’s where you can see the manual shifter – there’s a refreshing elegance in the simplicity of this piece (and the rest of the interior) that manufacturers seem to have forgotten in the struggle to add buttons, screens, vents, and other clutter. Classic Mercedes for cheap are still out there, just be cautious and do a good pre-purchase inspection.
Tags: 250, Feature, german, mercedes, sedan, under $2000, w108
Rusty But Trusty 
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