Welcome the Newest Member of our Mercedes Family

On May 1, 2011 we took delivery of a very unique and special Mercedes Benz. I had the privilege and honor of being able to purchase this car from the second owner (who had owned it since 1990). The first owner was a wife of a superior court judge in Alaska who only drove it in the summers around her home town. She managed to put just over 32,000 miles on the car in the first 31 years of its life. The second owner only added a little over 41,000 miles as she drove it in and around Seattle for the next 21 years.

Even though this is not considered a rare collector car, its condition makes it super special and much more rare than a completely restored example. I have owned a few hundred Mercedes over the years, but this one ranks as one of my favorites. It really puts a smile on my face. It is rust-out free, super straight, has beautiful original interior, very tight suspension, smooth shifting transmission, and surprisingly good power for a 180D. In some ways it feels almost like driving a new old car. How reliable is it? Just ask Bill and Linda who drove it up to Bellingham for me on Sunday morning. It held a solid 60 mph on the freeway for almost 2 hours from Seattle to Bellingham without a hick-up and the oil pressure was still almost pegged at 45 pounds pressure when they pulled in.

And so begins the process of a light restoration over the next few months. Most of the restoration will require elbow grease and sweat. You can see the paint is faded and has some nicks and scratches. Not sure if I will be able to, but I am at least going to try to buff out and save the original paint.  My plan is to both film and video the restoration process in the coming weeks. I guarantee you will be not believe your eyes when we are finished with this baby.

Thank you, Bill and Linda, for giving me the opportunity to own this rare 180D!

Kent Bergsma

Here are a few more pictures of the interior and engine compartment: