(Update: February 23, 2018 – Car is no longer available for sale) This 1963 Mercedes Benz 220 SE Convertible is a very special car, a car I have had the pleasure of putting several hundred miles on recently while taking photos and putting its history together for the current owner. Please read the entire description below and look through the more than 350 photos in the linked Flickr album below (I know, lots of photos, but there is a photo of every service and restoration receipt).
1963 Mercedes Benz 220 SE Convertible
VIN: 111023-10-042754
White (050)
Red Leather
Black soft top
Manual transmission
Euro spec car originally delivered to Zurich Switzerland
117,440 original miles
3 documented owners
Original engine, #’s match build card
Restored between 2007 and 2009, ‘before’ photos show a well-cared for, rust free car.
Books, manuals, paperwork galore.
Read Full Description below… >>>
350+ photos, including photos of every service record, available here.
Excellent condition throughout, this W111 convertible drives as good as it looks. Everything in the engine bay restored, replaced or refinished. High quality re-paint in correct white. New red leather interior, new soft top, all wood refinished, all chrome refinished. Completely sorted. Two round trips from owner’s Indiana home to the West coast and one to the east coast since restoration was completed is a testament to the completely sorted nature of this car.
Owner 1: October 3, 1963 – June 20, 1985. Mr. W. Engel of Zurich, Switzerland
Owner 2: June 20, 1985 – June 20, 2007. G. Tisten, Elkhart, IN – USA (nephew of original owner) purchased from Mr. Engel’s estate in Switzerland.
Owner 3: June 20, 2007 – present (current owner) near Indianapolis, IN – USA
Restored engine bay, the firewall pad was good enough original.
Upon the death of Mr. Engel in the mid 1980s the car was purchased from his estate, via Mrs. Engel, by their nephew in the United States, a Mr. G. Tisten of Elkhart, IN. The Bill of Sale between Mrs. Engel and Mr. Tisten is dated June 20, 1985, the odometer reading is recorded on that Bill of Sale as “90,450 KM” (approx. 56,200 miles).
A full vehicle inspection report before export from Europe is included with the many shipping documents (bill of lading, customs clearance in the U.S., etc.) showing that the car was in good running and driving condition upon European export in.
Huge amounts of documentation from the original build card and service booklet to import paperwork and ‘before restoration’ photos.
Mr. Tisten’s Indiana title application is dated June 1987 as well as the first service records for the car. Quality Import Service of Elkhart, IN, a well-known vintage Mercedes shop, serviced the car several times during Mr. Tisten’s ownership. Mr. Tisten drove the 220 SE sparingly through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s. It saw very little use from about 1992 until the current owner’s purchase of the car in the Spring of 2007.
The car was not running when purchased by the current owner. It was towed to Quality Import Service and brought back to running condition after a $6,500 service bill (fuel pump, gas tank, battery, spark plugs, belts, etc.). Odometer read approximately 95,100 KMs at this time.
Over the next several years, from 2007 – 2009 the current owner spent tens of thousands of dollars with vintage Mercedes-Benz specialists around the country to restore the car to near new condition with a focus on making it a very usable, drivable car. And he has used it. It has been from Indiana to California and back twice since 2011 and in the Spring of 2017 he drove the car, round trip, to visit his daughter in Charolotte, NC.
Quality Import Service – Elkhart, IN – between 2007 and present (many more items done as per detailed service records w/ car – photos of all service records in the photo album):
Front and rear brake pads, calipers and wheel cylinders (multiple sets of pads during current ownership)
Clutch master and slave cylinders
Gear shift bushings
New fuel pump and gas tank
Installed 14” wheels (replacing original 13” wheels)
Axle boots
Brake booster rebuilt
Transmission seals
Wheel bearings
Installation of Pertronix electronic ignition
In addition to the items above… regular maintenance has been performed and much more as detailed by many service records with the car.
All interior wood refinished by Drew Tibcken’s Heritage Woodworks – 2008
Tachometer and clock recalibrated / rebuilt by Palo Alto Speedometer – 2008
Radiator restoration, thermostat, ignition, etc. etc. ($2,300+) – Steve Marx – Costa Mesa, CA – 2008
New stainless steel exhaust system – Time Valve Manufacturing – Plainfield, CT – 2008
Engine rebuild, installed MPH gauge w/ miles odometer (124,111 KMs, set to 77,123 miles), new tires, head work, exhaust seats, valve guides, head gasket, etc., etc. ($7,900+) – Steve Marx – Costa Mesa, CA – 2009
Between June and July 2009 over $5,000 worth of parts were ordered from MB of Knoxville, TN and then the engine bay was restored by Das Auto Shoppe – Maryville, TN. Engine was removed, all materials under-hood were replaced or refinished, interior of engine bay was painted.
Grille, headlamp bezels, and other exterior chrome trim re-plated – Knox Custom Chrome – Knoxville, TN
High quality repaint and new interior installed – San Diego, CA (original red leather seat covers and kick panels still with the car and included with the sale).
New windshield – 2010
Stereo installation (2008) – the current owner is a long time audiophile and wanted a sound system he could enjoy while driving the car on long highway trips without taking away from the original presentation of the car. A custom sound system was tastefully and unobtrusively installed. Consisting of a modern McIntosh head unit in dash, Alpine components behind a custom trunk panel and various speakers. The system was installed at a cost of over $7,000. The car’s original front foot-well panels come with the car as well as the original rear parcel shelf, uncut, for the next owner to return things to stock if they so choose.