Everyday ride without complication…a story of a Mercedes-Benz W114

Brand: Mercedes-Benz

Model: W114 (280 C)

Engine: 6-cylinders, inline configuration

Power: 160 HP

Fuel: Petrol

Production year: 1972

The Mercedes-Benz W114 is one of the brand’s most iconic mid-range classics, produced between 1968 and 1976. Part of the famous “/8 (Stroke-8)” series, it became legendary for its solid engineering, remarkable reliability, and timeless design.

With elegant, clean lines, distinctive headlights, and the unmistakable Mercedes grille, the W114 embodies the conservative yet premium character of its era. It was offered with a wide range of engines, including four- and six-cylinder petrol as well as diesel variants, making it a comfortable cruiser and a durable long-distance performer at the same time.

To this day, the W114 remains a symbol of classic Mercedes values: quality, comfort, and engineering precision — without compromise.

The owner plans to use this Mercedes W114 as a daily ride in the Romanian hills and mountains, where the car will face long roads, winding climbs and unpredictable terrain. He needs a reliable classic that never lets him down, a car built for distance, endurance, and trust.

Before restoration, the W114 lived a hard life, even serving as a donor car for spare parts — until someone finally decided it deserved a second chance. The signs of past decisions, repairs and unfinished attempts were all part of the story written on its panels.

At Widi Automotive, we began by stripping it back to its foundation. The entire suspension was removed, followed by the engine and transmission, so that the chassis could receive proper care. The frame underwent critical repairs in all key areas — removing rusted, perforated sections, clearing out old patches full of holes, and correcting questionable past repairs to restore structural confidence to the car.

Meanwhile, the front and rear suspension components were fully restored. Each part was cleaned, sandblasted, painted, and reassembled using brand-new bushings for modern stability and durability. Fresh hardware and renewed surfaces ensured a suspension system ready to be mounted back on the chassis — tighter, stronger and quieter than it had been in years.

The engine received a full revision as well. Beyond surface refinements like cleaning and painting, the heart of the car was tuned with care: valve clearance was set, the dual carburetor system adjusted, and both ignition timing and fueling calibrated to ensure the smooth, responsive power delivery this era of Mercedes was known for.