If you’re ever out cruising the neighborhood and think you spot a forgotten-about Mercedes under a sheet in a rundown garage, refer back to this quick guide about what to do with it.
Step 1: Contact the owner and purchase the vehicle, insisting you “don’t know much about these old cars” during negotiations.
Step 2: Clear out the rodent droppings, cut out the old interior with a razor blade and pull out the asbestos tiling the old owner installed so his feet wouldn’t get toasty while he drove barefoot.
Step 3: Paint it dolphin grey, rebuild the carburetor, install a new interior, hook up Cibié 9″ Super Oscar headlights, give the original engine some loving and start ‘er up.
That’s the abridged version of what Michael Potiker did when he saw a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL collecting dust under its custom-fitted sheet and decided to do something about it. While Potiker had to do a lot of work on the car — he had help from Hjeltness Restorations — he was able to keep the original 105 HP, 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine and transmission intact.
After about a decade out of commission, the 190SL is now back on the road and running smooth. “The thing runs after having sat for that long, until it spectacularly kills itself at some point,” Potiker says. “It’s just a great little car. It’s so fun to drive. You’re everyone’s best friend driving it around.”
Did we mention we’re in the market for a new best friend?
Main image via Petrolicious
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
