As mainstream America knows, Mercedes-Benz ownership is a privilege reserved for the well-off (plus yours truly), and it’s impossible to pick up a complete, titled one for under four figures, right? RIGHT!?!

This 1966 W108 S-Class blows that conventional wisdom out of the water like so many Allied Merchant Navy ships other common misconceptions. Yes, there’s more than a bit of body rot, The twin-carb six’s head gasket is leaking water, and it’s not entirely clear what model this even is (The badge on the trunk says “230,” though the smallest engine these cars were ever fitted with was a 2.5L six.). But for 349 bucks, does any of that really bother you? Of course it doesn’t!
Whether you fancy the heinously expensive noble task of restoring it, building an upper-crust(y) LeMons weapon (If it was up to me, I’d paint it silver, paint the mirror and the area around the right taillight DayGlo yellow, stick a wing on the trunk, number it 63 and christen it the “Slobber Mercedes CNein.” I don’t think anything similar has been done before…), creating a highly precise chicken coop, or something completely different, this is your canvas, da Vinci.
Where can you find this diamond in the rough? Schaner Automotive, a repair shop founded by my late great uncle Pete 58 years ago and now run by his son, Kevin. But that’s not all! Call within the next 10 minutes and Mitch will poledance for you while wearing his lobster hat! Behind that fence lies a treasure trove of drool-inducing derelicts that I plan to explore, document and share with my fellow Hooniversarians in the coming weeks and months. Kevin says some of them could be going to new homes if the price is right. Consider yourselves, your significant others and your financial planners warned…