Image via Kyle Wilhelm/Facebook Marketplace
Panel vans can be excellent blank canvases for all kinds of interesting projects, so that alone makes this 1988 Mercedes-Benz 207D interesting. The predecessor for the Sprinter, you can grab this thing for way less and you get some old school cool vibes with it, if that’s your thing.
Take a tour of Ruf’s North American headquarters.
After all, a Getrag 5-speed manual transmission is bolted up to the turbodiesel engine, promising some entertainment as you’re driving along. We know for some a stick shift is repellent, but the person who would appreciate this van would also love that feature.
The current owner claims the van has been reliable for the eight years he’s owned it. Knowing the reputation of these things, that’s believable. But you’re always taking a risk buying a used vehicle, so keep that in mind.
Still, it’s advertised as having a clean title and it looks to be in pretty good shape. The only thing that’s obviously wrong with it from the photos is some excessive wear in the passenger seat’s leather upholstery, which is odd considering usually the driver’s seat is the first to go.
Thanks to the 16-inch wheels, the seller says this 207D panel van has a little more ground clearance than it did out of the factory, which is nice considering getting hung up on things is a good way to kill any adventure.
That brings us to the next point: what all you could do with a van like this. Some would convert it into a house on wheels for epic road trips. Others might use it to carry bicycles and gear. With some ingenuity and fabrication this could become an overlander. Really, the possibilities are endless.
We just hope this classic finds a loving home and is enjoyed.
See this van’s listing for yourself here.
Images via Kyle Wilhelm/Facebook Marketplace
