1959 Mercedes Benz 180 With Rare Webasto Sliding Roof

My loss is your gain:  Someone successfully bid and won this car on ebay two weeks ago. but then declined to pay. communicate. or otherwise acknowledge their actions.   (Ebay is dealing with them now. )  The good news is that it is available again for your purchase.

Please note the last five pictures were taken a week ago which confirm the car is in as good as shape or better than it was when the professional pictures were taken when I originally bought the car two and a half years ago.   I also received a few emails from a former owner of the car who explained that he replaced the original diesel engine in 2002 (to put in another car he owned) from a 1967 200 which is good news because the 200 engines were superior to the 190SL engines in that they had five main crankase bearings vs. three (according to another emailer).   And I found out that the original Blaupunk (still can't spell it) radio works just fine; I had never waited long enough for the radio to warm up (about 30-40 seconds) before tuning it.   Classical music with the top slid back draws a crowd.

Other questions that came in on the last day of the original listing:  The heater cores are intact. but not very adjustable meaning the heat stays on.   I eliminated that problem for 3/4's of the year by disconnecting the heat.   For the guy from Qatar: I will work with the shipper of the winning bidder's choice to help that shipper pick up the car locally in Dallas.   But the winning bidder is entirely responsible for making all arrangements and paying for the shipping of the car directly with the shipper of their choice.

You are bidding on a classic MB180 with the rare factory installed Webasto sliding roof.   Everything is original on the car with the exception that in 2002 the former owner mentioned above replaced the diesel engine with the 1. 9 Liter twin carb engine then used in the early to mid sixties 200 models (giving it slightly more power/performance than the stock 1. 8 Liter engines).   I have replaced/refurbished the brakes. battery. shocks. tires. etc.   The 4 speed transmission was rebuilt in 2011 and is smooth as silk.   The engine is rock solid and burns no oil.   There was no need to rebuild it. so some oil does leak resulting in a dirty bottom of the engine with only the occasional drip on the floor.   I regularly drive the car to work for fun which is a 22 mile round trip.

I bought this car two and a half years ago from California. and it has since been in Dallas. Texas. (also a dry climate) for the last three years.   It has no rust of any significance.

Please note the first 16 pictures were professionally done by the person who sold me the car as you will note the latter 5 pictures taken by me a week ago are of lesser quality resolution.   Careful viewing on your part will reveal any flaws such as the canvas roof slightly upturned on the right side. a very minor ding in the right rear near the gas filler. non-perfect paint. etc.   If you intend to keep the car as I did. you may want to repaint it and re-upholster the interior.

Known issues:  The speedometer worked prior to rebuilding the transmission but has not worked since; I suspect but cannot confirm it is a cable issue.   The alternator bracket (not the belt itself) needs to be tightened to eliminate an obnoxious rattle at low rpm. regrettably at stop lights when others are admiring your car. There is no choke or fast idle which means the car needs 10 minutes or more to warm up in the cold before it runs well.   The blinker relay failed in December; all the lights work. they just don't blink.   The Solex carbs do require occasional tuning. a matter of adjusting the idle/idle mixture depending on the time of the year (temperature).   You may want to get a professional mechanic to help you tune the carbs and tweak the timing to make the engine run even smoother at low rpms.   The clock does not work.   The ventilation fans were not hooked up when I bought the car; I will include them in the trunk with the spare tire and jack.

This is a perfect example of a Mercedes Benz collector car made even more valuable by its Webasto roof that is ideal for full restoration or as a everyday driver.   I hope you will choose to restore it to show stopping condition.

Want to buy this car?