Very Handsome 300SEL 6.3

Description for Mercedes-Benz 300-Series 1969

Ownership History: Purchased in 1984 by head UC and West Virginia basketball coach Gale Catlett from a used car dealer in Cincinnati. OH. Mr. Catlett serviced the car at Precision Motorcars throughout his ownership. The vehicle had a very comprehensive service and mechanical sorting from 1986-1988. At that point. Mr. Catlett transported the car to his residence in West Virginia. Mileage at that time was 114k miles. Current mileage is approximately 120k miles. Mr. Catlett used the car sparingly over the past 26 years due to the lack of a qualified service provider in Morgantown. West Virginia. Fundamental Information: Chassis. engine. and transmission number are matching. Engine and Engine Bay: Past and current service history show competent and thorough care. All proper engine bay components are present. including the fuel injection pump and oil cooler. The engine bay is tidy and does not deviate from factory appearance. Transmission and Differential: The four speed MB transmission is in excellent functioning order. Shifts are firm and properly timed. The fluid and filter have just recently been changed. There are no unusual clunks. slippage. or delayed engagement of reverse or forward gears. When the vehicle was brought to Precision Motorcars in 1986 it was discovered that the car was fitted with and incorrect differential (from a 4. 5). A correct (used) 6. 3 differential was sourced. Prior to installation the used unit was thoroughly overhauled and serviced. Interior: Leather and carpets are original to the vehicle. The seats are supportive. slide. and tilt like they should. Seat belts are fully functional and are not frayed or torn but the webbing does have some fade. The rear seats are in very good condition with some age but no splits or tears. The front seats have some splits along normal lines of creasing but are not tattered. There is some fade to the tops of the arm rests and bolster of the driver’s seat. There is some light discoloration to the door cards but they are otherwise in very good condition. The top of the dash wood was refinished some years ago but is in excellent condition. The wood surrounding the windows was also refinished at that time and is also in excellent condition. The wood on the face of the dash and below the caps on the doors has not been refinished but is in good condition. The lacquer has shrunk and spider webbed a bit but is not peeling or flaking. The headliner is taught and free from stains or tears. The seats have benefitted from being fitted with custom sheepskin covers (for the front and rear) for approximately the past 30 years. The sheepskins themselves are in very good condition. The carpets are clean and in very good condition. There is some fade evident in the area below the under dash A/C unit and at the parcel shelf. Interior lighting functions as it should. All dash lights illuminate when the headlamps are on. The radio is the original Becker Europa. recently refurbished and discreetly fitted with an auxiliary plug for iPod use. All gauges function as they should. including the rev counter. The clock is the only item currently not functioning. The windows all work smoothly and quickly. The vacuum door locks work quickly and do not bleed off pressure even when having sat for some time. The heater levers have recently been replaced with factory units and illuminate when the headlamps are in use. The blower motor functions on all speeds and the A/C system works as well. The original books and manuals are all present. Body: The body of the vehicle is in remarkably good condition. There does not appear to be any rust in the floors. rockers. trunk pans. fenders. or doors. There is some slight blistering at the right side ‘C’ pillar due to some minor paint damage that was left unrepaired. The car was painted DB 904 blue in approximately 1991. This was a color change from the original DB 350 that was more of a medium blue. The color change was exceptionally thorough. The quality of the paint work was good but is showing some age. There are some micro-blisters in the left front fender and a bit of orange peel in a few other spots. However. the overall appearance of the paint is very good. It is applied evenly and has a very deep luster. One other item of note is that the front side markers were installed backwards. They are fully functional but the slant of the lens is in the wrong direction. The trunk is very tidy and the original trunk mat is present and not damaged. The spare tire. lug wrench. and jack are present. Driving Impressions: I’ve driven the car many times over the past several months. The engine starts easily. idles well. and has smooth. very strong acceleration. The brakes have good pedal pressure and there is no pull when coming to a stop. All aspects of driving are surprisingly modern. Good power. strong brakes. smooth shifting. functional and adequate climate control and an overall tightness that make this a very enjoyable 6. 3 to drive (which I highly encourage the new owner to do regularly). My only recommendation would be a modern set of tires (the car is currently fitted with Michelin XWXs that have plenty of tread and no dry-rot but are ancient). An additional note about the air suspension system as it is an expensive system to sort when not functioning properly. This air suspension system is in excellent shape. The car does not drop down at all. even when after sitting for over a month. Recent Updates: The car benefits from substantial servicing and sorting. Recent work includes a ‘C’ + service. shift bushings. a full stainless exhaust system. spark plugs. fuel filter. hoses. and damper. left front window regulator replaced. flexible air suspension hoses replaced. rebuild of front and rear calipers and replacement of all brake hoses. front pads and rotors and rear pads replaced. heater levers replaced. transmission fluid and filter change. water pump replaced along with heater/water hoses. and the timing chain tensioner was replaced. My overall opinion is that with strong mechanicals. excellent (and known) service and ownership history. this car represents an excellent opportunity to get a highly sorted driver quality 6. 3 that one can drive and enjoy while it appreciates.