Last night I checked out a 1973 164e someone had advertised here in the LA area (Reseda). Had the M410, which is what I've been wanting. The seller is an older guy, and he painted a terrific picture of the car on the phone. Couldn't stop talking about how great the B30 engine is, how rare the M410 is, and how much he'd spent on the clutch.

The car turned out to be disappointing, and will require more work than I can put into it, but the M410 seems so popular on the board that I figured I'd alert the rest of you that this thing is out there.

He hasn't driven it in 6 months. It's literally encased in cobwebs and grime. The only nice things I can say about it are: it started right up, the engine ran alright, the body is straight, rust free, the seats are outstanding, it doesn't require a smog test, and it's registered until next spring.

The odometer has stopped; the car has (well) over 250,000 miles on it. And it shows. The original maroon paint is all washed out. Under the hood was a mess. Filthy, full of cobwebs, probably years since any major work done. Air filter/housing was missing; it was in the trunk, with boxes and boxes of assorted junk. Fan shroud busted. Brake lights don't work (not a fuse problem...I checked). Out on the road, it pulled heavily to the right all the time - I had to drive with the steering wheel cocked sharply to the left. The gears shifted smoothly, but OD would not engage. Dash light came on, but no engagement.

He's asking $1200 for it, which is a joke. The sad thing is, he seems genuinely convinced in his mind that it is worth that...and he's just lost his job and seems to need the money. He mentioned in passing that someone else had come to see it, but made a real low-ball offer. I didn't know how to break it to him that he'd be lucky to get $600-$800 for it in this condition.

Anyway, if anyone is looking for a rolling restoration 164 with M410...there's one in Reseda you might want to check out. His number is 818-996-8207.

Meanwhile, my own search continues....