For our final Showdown of this short week, we’re taking a look at a couple of two-door coupes from out in the desert – one near Santa Fe, and one a stone’s throw from Mexico. They’re close to the same size, have the same engine displacement, and the same number of forward gears, but nothing else in common.
You weren’t too impressed by yesterday’s cars from Maine, and frankly, neither was I. I mean, I guess I’d take the truck, because I don’t know what I’d do with the Edge, but as trucks go, a Dodge with the 4.7 wouldn’t be my first choice. Or second, or ninth, frankly. But I had to commit to the single-syllable bit, and those are what I found. I’m sure you understand.
I was amused by the tales of rusty cars in Maine, though. It sounds a lot like Minnesota in that regard. I had cars in Minnesota that were so rotten they couldn’t be jacked up anymore, cars that I bought with weeds growing through the floor, even a car that I always had to keep between 1/4 and 1/2 tank of gas; any more would leak out, and any less was too little to reach the rusted-out pickup tube in the tank. The difference? Maine has vehicle inspections. In Minnesota, if there’s enough good metal left to bolt a license plate to, you can register it.
You’ll be happy to know there are no rust worries with today’s cars. “California car” has become synonymous with “no rust,” but the Golden State isn’t the only place to look for cars if you’re trying to avoid the tin worm. There’s a whole swath of the country, from west Texas all the way to the Central Valley in California, that doesn’t get much precipitation and therefore doesn’t salt the roads. Cars there get sun-baked, vinyl cracks and paint fades, but corrosion isn’t something anyone really thinks about. With that in mind, here are a pair of coupes, both with six-cylinder engines displacing 2.8 liters. Let’s see what you make of them.
1970 Mercedes-Benz 250C – $4,600
Engine/drivetrain: 2.8-liter OHC inline 6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Odometer reading: 87,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Now this, right here, is a damn fine automobile. The W114/115 chassis cars from Mercedes were built during a time when the company didn’t give a shit about status, or styling trends, or gadgets; the only thing that mattered was making the best car possible. That single-minded pursuit of excellence is what made this car a status symbol; once upon a time, quality was cool. And this is the coolest version Mercedes ever built: the W115 pillarless hardtop coupe. Style may not have been this car’s primary focus, but boy, does it have it.
I was a little confused by this ad at first, because it’s listed as a 250, which should mean a 2.5-liter engine. But the seller clearly states, among many other details, that it’s a 2.8. I looked it up, and sure enough, in 1970 Mercedes used the larger 2.8-liter engine in US-market cars with 250 badges to offset the power loss from newly-required emissions controls. It’s fed by twin Zenith carburetors, and drives the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic. The seller tells us that this is a three-owner car, but the same mechanic has taken care of it its whole life. It runs and drives fine, and the seller is confident it could be driven daily.
It looks good inside, and we all know that M-B Tex upholstery will outlive us all. The seller does say that the dash top is cracked, which is no surprise in the southwestern sun, and it currently has a cover on it. I do like that it’s old enough to have the cool steering wheel with a ring for the horn button, and a column-mounted shifter. It feels more special than the black plastic steering wheel and gated floor-mounted shifter that was so ubiquitous in 1970s and 80s Benzes.
It has a couple of blemishes outside, but nothing major. I do kind of wish it were a more exciting color, but this taupe-gray suits it well. And since it’s a 1970 model, it escapes the indignity of the 5 MPH bumpers that later W114s had to deal with. Oh, and before you ask: yes, it’s a proper hardtop. The rear quarter windows do roll down.
1981 Pontiac Phoenix SJ – $2,950
Engine/drivetrain: 2.8-liter OHV V6, four-speed manual, FWD
Location: El Paso, TX
Odometer reading: 116,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
This one isn’t such a fine car. It is, however, a very important car, at least in the history of General Motors. The front-wheel-drive X-body, introduced in 1980, was a sales success in all its forms, but due to its half-baked design and shoddy construction, it was a disaster as well. Recalls and lawsuits plagued the X-body throughout its run, but GM kept refining and improving the design. The basic architecture established by this car was the basis for GM’s FWD cars for the next three decades. Chevy’s version, the Citation, is the most famous version, but here we have the Pontiac flavor, known as the Phoenix.
This Phoenix has an uncommon drivetrain combination: it has the optional 2.8-liter V6, but with a manual transmission. It’s a four-speed, and if I remember right, fourth gear is an overdrive. In 1981, the V6 had a two-barrel carburetor and put out 110 horsepower, hardly a fire-breather, but pretty good for the time. The seller says it runs “excellent,” but it’s being sold by a dealer, so don’t expect any history with it.
Inside, it’s in surprisingly good shape. The upholstery is faded, in a specific pattern that makes me think it was parked regularly in the sun in the same place. But everything is intact, except for a couple of cracks in the dash top. The seller makes a big deal out of pointing out that it has air conditioning, which leads me to believe it works. Otherwise, why draw attention to it?
This two-door notchback coupe style wasn’t offered on the Chevy Citation; it was strictly a Buick/Olds/Pontiac bodystyle. It’s all original and rust-free, but the paint is hammered. That hot desert sun really does a number on cars. This looks like a good candidate for trying out a DIY paint job, if you were so inclined.
These two are a classic example of how two cars can be similar on paper, but completely different in reality. On one hand, you have a finely-crafted example of German engineering, and on the other, a classic exercise in GM badge engineering. One has a smooth inline six driving the rear wheels, and the other has a V6 with a stickshift, making the front wheels torque-steer. It sounds like an easy choice, except that the Mercedes probably doesn’t have air conditioning, and it costs considerably more. You’ve got a whole three-day weekend to decide if it’s worth it.
I have a four speed column mounted shifter and transmission plus a Bosch fuel injection system and I guess an engine and clutch to go with it in a W111 that I am pretty sure could be swapped into a W115. The W111, a 220SE, has been parked in my mother‘s garden for about 20 years and I need to get rid of it in the next couple months since she just died.
That Mercedes is tempting but I’m in getting rid of stuff mode.
If that Citation were free , and I didn’t have a car, and I needed a car, I’d think about it. The Mercedes I would consider in spite of it costing some money and having a car already that I don’t really need after the end of the year, plus a project TR3 and VW Thing to dispose of.
Wait, what? Short week? The hell you say! Who told you you could take Friday off, dammit? Britain demands tribute!!
Here we go again…
What, the British don’t celebrate the 4th of July? Why not? Oops sorry just realized you lost that one didn’t you?
Yes / No. While we in the USA like to believe that the “revolutionary” war was a war between the US and Britain it was part of a MUCH wider world war. While attempting to deal with it’s pesky American colonies England was also simultaneously fighting the Dutch, French, and Spanish with battles in North and South America, Europe, African, and Asia.
England lost the American colonies but picked up territory in other parts of the world – particularly India where if focused most of its efforts defeating both the french and the dutch to consolidate control of India. The debts from the war also lead directly the collapse of the French Monarch and the Dutch basically ceased to be a world power after.
A handsome Mercedes that looks in far too good of shape to be less than $5k, owned by an enthusiast who seems to be letting it go only because they are 88, or a peak “why did people stop buying GM” shit box with clear coat failure sold at a buy here pay here dealer? Hmmm.
Hope the Benz finds a good home. The Pontiac can go to the crusher.
The Merc is an absolute steal, aye. And yet, people have VOTED for that, that… Thing.
The Benz…talk about presence. Seeing one of these reminds me of everything that’s wrong with modern day Mercedes Benz. What a car. It gets my vote without a second of hesitation.
Even though it has the slushbox, my vote is for the Mercedes. I’ll look good driving that Mercedes. I WON’T look good driving that heap-of-shit GM X-body.
Now if the X-body in question was a 1985 Chevy Citation X-11 with the manual in good condition (including good paint), THAT one might be worth considering.
The ONLY X-body that was worth even considering. And even then, they weren’t THAT good.
Even if the Mercedes were worse with higher mileage, I’d still vote for it. That Pontiac doesn’t have enough anything (charm, power, style, low-miles, condition) to be desirable.
I got beat out buying a 250C that was only a couple years newer about 30 years ago. This one isn’t much more accounting for inflation. I’d be interested in buying it IRL. Can’t imagine why anyone would want that POS Pontiac at all, never mind against this MB. I think K cars were better then the X-bodies—they were utterly irredeemable garbage through and through and a manual does not transform abominable junk into something fun. I have about a million miles driving manuals, and only one car I’ve owned was an auto (needed a car and it was available), so obviously I’m a manual fan, but I had a Camry SE 5-speed and I think the manual might have even made it—somehow—worse. Never drove an X manual, but the regular cars were unacceptable.
Well in the Pontiac’s defense, it has Four-On-The-Floor.
FOUR ON THE FLOOR MAN!!!
WOW
lol
I voted for the Mercedes as well.
That Mercedes is lovely, I know nothing about them but that seems like a bargain.
I wouldn’t take that Pontiac for free. I can smell that picture of the engine bay, btw, motor oil burning off the exhaust manifolds and hot coolant. I used to work at a full serve gas station when I was a kid in the 90’s, and there were a surprising number of this generation GM running around, and they ALL had that burning oil smell.
This is a no-brainer.
I’ve owned a ’69 250 and an ’81 Oldsmobile Omega. That Benz is a bargain at twice the price (of the X-body).
W115 all day. My sister owned a beat up one about 15 years ago. It was a 72 MY with aftermarket white pearl paint and later W123/W126 OEM chromed wheels. We always talked about taking it back to its former glory, but the car was always owned under a tight budget and it was far too gone for a makeover. But until the very end you could still feel the vault-like solid doors, indestructible MB-Tex and workmanship.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug and I wanted to own a sorted one ever since so this one would do
This is one of the exceptional cases in which the auto is the best suited transmission for a coupé.
That Mercedes is a peach and my brother has a rare extended-cab ute version.
The Pontiac is well-preserved garbage.
Easy choice.
I’d have that Merc any day of the week over that soul sucking Pontiac.
Either revive the A/C or add VintageAir and you’re done.
Those body matched hubcaps have always been classy.
Also, it’s parked in front of a 60 Series Land Cruiser. So you know it comes from good people.
Sorry, even the 4 speed manual isn’t enough to get me to pick the Pontiac. Regardless of any comparison, the Merc looks like a good deal. That’s magnified when compared to the scruffy Phoenix.
This had to be a ruse to get that ever elusive 100%, but there will ALWAYS be trolls. Even with a manual and A/C the Phoenix is indefensible compared to the Merc. This remains the reason we can’t have nice things.
I’m not even sure an Iron Duke / 3spd and no A/C would be enough to get everyone on camp Benz
Except for the A/C, my dad had that exact car. Same year and color.
The lack of A/C was brutal on the yearly trip to Disney World from NY.
His was a rusted out disaster by the time he got rid of it in 1991.
I voted Mercedes.
It made it from NY to Florida every year for 10 years. Better than I’d have thunk.
It was a typical GM disaster by the end. The driver’s door was so rusted/dented that if you didn’t close it just right, it would jam and you’d have to get in the passenger side until it rattled around enough to work again.
My dad was good on maintenance, so I only remember being stuck at a shop somewhere in the Carolinas one time. There might have been other events that are blocked from my memory.
The Mercedes and it’s not even close. Not even CLOSE.
That 250C is a steal at $4600, and I’ll be surprised if it’s not sold by the end of the day. This choice is so obvious that you have to be trolling us 🙂
Powertrain on the Phoenix is certainly a weird one. Also, the Citation was indeed available as a two-door notchback.
My grandmother had a 1984 Chevy Citation II in dog turd brown with the 2.8 and an automatic. Even as a little kid I thought it was kind of a piece of crap. Props on this X Body for the manual, but I’m going to pass. The Merc almost seems too good to be true, but the ad reads pretty genuine. I’m half tempted to take a road trip down to Santa Fe and see if I can find Joseph the mechanic and get his thoughts on this one.
Look… I’m a GM boy. I exist as a human partially thanks to the GM corporation, as my great grandpappy was with the company nearly at its beginning, and spent his entire career there. But c’mon. One GM’s worse cars with the most difficult to work on engine? For a thousand dollars less than one of Mercedes finest cars, and one of the only MB’s I’d ever consider owning?
Let’s see…a car built to outlive us all, still doing it’s thing 55 years in (with a yawn), or a GM product that – even in its current form of molting – is miraculously still running after 44 years. Think you can guess where I went.
This is the biggest blowout I’ve seen. The Mercedes is the better car, especially given the rough-around-the-edges nature of the X-Car. On the other hand, there’s got to be vanishingly few manual V6 X-bodies left. And they’re actually pretty fun with the 2.8.
It’s cheaper, more of a novelty, and no annoying purist idiots or sniffy “enthusiasts” to deal with.
Status be damned, the Pontiac is it for me. So much parts bin raiding to be had – you can transform that thing into something DOOOOOOOPE.
I agree, I still went Mercedes cause that is a sweet car, but I have a soft spot for the X bodies, and the pontiac has a pretty nice interior when compared the the chevy!
That’s a GREAT Benz. The coupe W114 is very nice and they are built like a brick shithouse.
I’d probably have picked the Pontiac if it was up against almost any other car. But against a literal dream-spec Benz … sorry, can’t do it.
One of my metrics used for Shitbox Showdown decision making is “would I be pissed if this thing showed up in my driveway for free?”
This Phoenix has me answering “yes”. There’s plenty of malaise garbage I find myself drawn to for reasons I will never quite understand, but that car isn’t good, nor even bad in ways I find endearing. It just sucks ass.
If you are mid 40s to late 50s I completely get being drawn to malaise garbage. It is what we grew up with. Our parents had them, our friends parents had them, we learned to drive with them. Even knowing that they weren’t great they were a part of our life and with that can come a bit of nostalgia.
Heck, my parents have never owned an American car and I still find myself a little drawn to them.
I’m in my mid…late? 30’s, but I experienced a lot of 70’s-80’s crap since my parents and a lot of others around us drove some malaise garbage due to what I would call “economic factors”. I have some nostalgia for certain cars I guess where someone older might simply have nostalgia for anything that reminds them of that era.
I totally get that, but I’d be surprised that anyone wishing to remember the good ol’ days would chose to with this particular car. Unless of course, you have a lot of memories with one. Then by all means.
I hadn’t though of the “economic factors” part. I grew up in Southern Ontario where rust got rid most malaise era stuff by the mid 90s. There were a few kicking around my school parking lot but they were generally old cars that parents had moved on from and had almost no trade in value so they became the families extra car.
When I was a kid my parents bought a yellow and white Phoenix 2nd hand from my grandparents. The dash was brown and it was an automatic but otherwise that interior photo brings back some memories for me. I specifically remember sitting in the passenger seat and staring at that Phoenix logo directly in front of me since it was about eye-level with me back then. When it came time to ditch the Phoenix (I remember it being in the shop from time to time but was too young to know why) my mom had her heart set on an ’87 Chrysler New Yorker which I thought was boring and kept pointing at the ’87 Chrysler Conquest TSi sitting next to it. Long story short we drove home in the Conquest and the last time I saw the Phoenix it was sitting in the dealership lot in Beaumont, TX.
Yep, lots of memories in that car…anyways, I voted MB today.