[airfoil]

I'm glad I found this thread, great start to my day! I'm also glad I didn't have to wait to read until the point the car was actually started and driven. Love the attention to detail and meticulous work, plus your recording it here with pictures and videos.

My questions:

How is it that a Washington DC car has RHD?
How many miles/km has the car clocked so far?
Assuming the car has not been used for a couple of decades, can you still drive it on those old tyres?

Cheers!

[AlphaKilo]

Pavan sir I have always been flabbergasted by the beauty and engineering of the old Mercs. The very reason for my love of automobiles were such mercs. Fantastic work. Are you planning to change the RH headlight reflector/glass? seems smoked out. Or is it the angle of the image? Waiting for the detailed interior pics. Thanks for sharing the pics and details of this beauty with us.

[ayushagarwal26]

"The Best Merc in the country"

I believe she already is! That's the most beautifully kept and loved machine I've possibly ever seen Lying in a garage for 2 decades, and comes out like that? Truly amazing. I'm wondering what she looks like in person and how she drives. If only I was in Bangalore...

[manishk123]

Superb thread - have been following it from day one. The videos bring back such nice memories. I used to have a wonderful 190 D - same shape as this one. Too bad my dad sold it off even before I had reached driving age. Every time I see one of these on the road I check the number plate to see if its the same one. Hopefully someday I'll find it. The reg was MRF 2914 - fellow bhpians pls keep a lookout.

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

Are you planning to change the RH headlight reflector/glass? seems smoked out. Or is it the angle of the image? .

Don't think it's smoked out. Thats a sealed beam with pobably a Half Moon Chrome Headlight cover.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

Don't think it's smoked out. Thats a sealed beam with pobably a Half Moon Chrome Headlight cover.

Sir please see this image and the place I have marked. I could be wrong too!(I should get my eyes checked )

[OHCVtec]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

Sir please see this image and the place I have marked. I could be wrong too!(I should get my eyes checked )

Looks like the glass was fitted with the reflective coating upside down . Beautiful car.

[rakchow]

This is one really beautiful merc. It is timeless and majestic, compared to the angular and harsh cars that we see today. The pictures say european delivery and the car had washington plates......Hmmm, some mystery there!!

[harshaguduru]

wonderful work, thank you for choosing to share it with all of us.

post restore/refurbish would this car be used on a regular basis. i dont mean as a commute but once a week just to let it stretch its( not able to decide he or she) legs out?
or will be on decoration duty?

[motorguy]

Very nice threat - thanks for sharing the restoration experience with everyone.

Since I was a child, I always had a fascination for this model 200. Have seen it on the road in various countries that my dad was stationed in. The fascination for me was twofold - one, for the rear fins (whenever I saw one, I would stroke the fins with my fingers and get a high from it). The other thing I was fascinated was the dash - I just loved the vertical speedometer console and the other controls - solid and so German.

Best wishes that the restoration comes out well .
P.S. Hope you replace the cracked windshield as well, since a new one would improve the look so much.

[Ravipoll]

Originally Posted by airfoil

I'm glad I found this thread, great start to my day! I'm also glad I didn't have to wait to read until the point the car was actually started and driven. Love the attention to detail and meticulous work, plus your recording it here with pictures and videos.

My questions:

How is it that a Washington DC car has RHD?
How many miles/km has the car clocked so far?
Assuming the car has not been used for a couple of decades, can you still drive it on those old tyres?

Cheers!

In 1967 the US authorities allowed import of RHDs. This car was imported from MB Stutgart by my father (a diplomat with Indian Embassy) with the intention of re-exporting to India on completion of his term there. It was not used much there as we also had a VW LHD & later a Dodge Dart LHD Automatic. So, it was re-exported to India (Madras Port) in 1969.
You will notice some customisation for the US : lights, bumper gaurds, the side mirror is on the letf side and placed halfway down the mudgaurd etc

[coloneljasi]

Thanks for posting this car on t-bhp. It looks like a beauty, all the more amazing that it's an original unrestored example. Do tell us the story of how the Merc went from Germany to the States, finally ending up on our shores.

The photographs bring back memories from my childhood when I had the priviledge of riding in my grandfather's official 200 series diesel. And it was an immaculately kept, sadly I lost touch of the car after my grandfather passed away.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Thanks to one and all for the replies

Well, some more work related to Electricals carried out today, Mostly the connectors, grounding points, Original ignition key, few bulbs etc., etc.

As few of our T-BHP members had noticed, the Right Headlight has fused off and resulting in a BLACKísh look, we are now on the look out for a new one to replace it.

The fuel tank float too has stopped working, so my Rameshbhai Meterwala sourced another Mercedes Unit to pull out stuff from that to replace the original.

Also got in Nirmal from Ultimate Detailerz to come over and have a look at the car for getting it Refreshed.

More to follow soon

Untill then, i will leave Ravi to answer you guys.

[Ravipoll]

It truly is a great experience ....bringing this car back on the road. Takes me back to the time when it was first brought home (in Washington DC, USA) in 1967,when I was 10, and my mother insisted that we do an 'Aarthi Pooja' before officially driving the car. The neighbors thought we were trying to set the car afire !
I have earned a lot of money off this car - my father paid me each time I washed and polished it, and it holds a lot of memories and stories which I hope to share along with pictures.
Whatever I know mechanically about cars I learned 'hands on' on this car. I watched so called 'experts' argue for hours & make completely wrong diagnosis of some small problem like a loose ignition coil wire. I have been witness to some great tricks and simple solutions to what seemed a difficult job. And, because those were testing times to own an imported car, I have seen my father struggle to get import lisences for parts and the subsequent agony of Customs clearing etc. All this, perhaps, sounds alien to the younger members.
Do you know this car used 'white petrol' for some time ? No, not the adulterated stuff used by autorickshaws but it was 'premium' stuff dispensed only in select HP outlets.... it was the term used for HighOctane petrol. Without 'white petrol' these high compression engines would develop 'pinking' at higher altidudes (eg. Ooty)

[magikrider]

what a beauty! it must be such a proud moment to see her shining and running even today. truly envious. can imagine what mercedes cars were back then. a beauty even after decades. piece of art i must say!