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Casey's 1979 450SEL

Started by Casey, 14 July 2012, 02:26 AM

Casey

Quote from: Beastie on 13 August 2012, 12:14 AM
You are mistaken, it is very nice. It's one of the last wheels they made that had real style and wasn't just a soft rubber ring for clumsy people to safely bang their heads into. ::)
Oops, I meant to type "as", not "very".  I'd prefer one over a W116 wheel in a W108 - I just don't think the W108 wheel is nice enough to justify putting into a W116.  If I knew a certain way to put a Type 300 wheel into a W116, I would make it happen, though. :D

QuoteYes, the ring operates the horn but it does not operate the indicators. It's not purely a decoration.
Ahh, good to know...  But it's the blinker control I really like about the earlier ones.

QuoteThis is true, but if it were round it would obscure the view of the instruments through the wheel.
That quote about clumsy people safely banging their heads into the wheel?  Insert here.  I am quite confident in my abilities to gather required information from the gauges even with a round horn ring.  Didn't the earlier vehicles also have instruments obscured by the ring?

Depending on my height and seat position, other parts of the wheel might interfere with my ability to see the cluster too.  Maybe I should eliminate the steering wheel entirely and install a computer to control the steering box and gas/brake based on input from a joystick mounted in the center console.  Hmm, but what to use the fire button for?  Or instead of analog I could use an old 8-directional one from an Atari and be able to choose between neutral (center position) and the following options:  FLOOR IT, HARD LEFT, HARD RIGHT, SKID TIRES.

Quote
The horn ring is some sort of chromed metal, probably steel.
I'd buy that it may have originally been polished and shiny, but I've never seen one that looked chrome.  Out of a half dozen or so I've come across at junkyards, it's always a dull grey color.  Same in pictures online.  Whereas the type 300 rings always seem to be gleaming chrome even though older, so I think it's a better-quality product.

I've had dreams about this wheel for over a year now:


That, plus a Type 300 horn ring, somehow fitted to a W116, would be absolute perfection. :)

Beastie

#46
Ehh, I like to keep the cars as original as possible, and from what I've seen the swapped out steering wheels always look out of place and... wrong, somehow. But whatever floats your boat, it's your car. :)


Quote from: Raptelan on 13 August 2012, 12:41 AMOut of a half dozen or so I've come across at junkyards, it's always a dull grey color.
Almost as though the chrome has all flaked off. ;)


Just for reference and to see what they're supposed to look like:





Highly reflective, mirror-finish, chrome.  :)

I'm not sure about whether or not the horn was in the way on older models because I have very limited experience with models other than the 108 and 116.
1979 280SEL

"She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro."

Casey

Quote from: Beastie on 13 August 2012, 01:31 AM
Almost as though the chrome has all flaked off. ;)

Oh weird that is shiny. What causes the chrome to flake off? All the exterior chrome just holds up forever...

Beastie

#48
I'm not sure why that chrome might not stand up as well as the chrome on the outside. Perhaps it's a slightly different metal.

The steering wheels on both of the W108's I've owned have had good chrome and all of the ones I've seen over the years have had chrome on the horn too, if a little rusty or worn. I've never actually seen one with no signs of chrome on there at all. I've done a google image search for 'W108 steering wheel' and all of the wheels that come up seem to have really nice chrome on them also.
1979 280SEL

"She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro."

Squiggle Dog

We're probably getting a bit off topic, but the W108 steering wheels were offered in both chrome and matte chrome finishes (most were made with matte chrome because there was less glare from the sun--it seems as though the matte chrome is actually a dull clearcoat that was painted over the chrome). My 1968 W110 200D had a W108-style steering wheel with the matte chrome finish.

My roommate has a 1965 W111 220S with the round horn ring. It does get in the way of the instrument panel, but the ring is so thin that it doesn't obscure enough of it to be a problem.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Casey

#50
Quote from: Casey
I'd liked how the Adenaur is laid out with power windows - it still has the same style of switches, but they're mounted on the transmission tunnel farther towards the front up underneath the dash, up behind where the ashtray is on a W116.

This one doesn't have power windows, but you can get an idea from the picture what I mean:

This picture indicates that they are in a similar position in a W108 too - up in front of the shifter.  The W108 puts the hazard switch up centered behind the steering wheel on the wood trim, which I personally feel is a bit more sensible location for this rarely-used switch although staring at it constantly while driving might get old...  If this were a column shift, the window switches would be the only thing left on the transmission tunnel:


Casey

Quote from: gavin116 on 14 July 2012, 02:44 AM
I only have two square keys with my car, and I have an unused metal tang only part of a key, but I think it is a 'driver's' key and not a 'service key'.  I presume the round key is a service key, and lacks a few of the details of the driver's key, thus locking you out of the boot/trunk and the glovebox.  What is the wavy pice of aluminium?

Actually the round key also opens everything, so I'm not sure what's up or if valet keys were even available with this key style.

Casey

Quote from: Casey on 13 August 2012, 12:41 AM
I've had dreams about this wheel for over a year now

Here's a couple pictures of a Nardi in a W116:



Tony66_au

Each to their own I guess lol

jbrasile

Hmmmm..... not in a 116.... Nardis look great in a Pagoda and some other British and Italian cars but in a more contemporary MB such as a 116 or 107 there is too much contrast with the molded plastic parts, just my opinion anyway.

Tks,

Joe

John Hubertz

#55
Here's the ultimate set of 116 accessories, IMHO.  I pulled them off PeachPart's website, but didn't bother to see if they are still for sale:




UPDATE:  2008.  Sorry fellows.  Ahhh the irony.
John Hubertz
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
(Hunter S. Thompson) 

1977 450SEL (Max Headroom)
[img width=68 height=73][url="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg"]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/fullhappyfish/max.jpg[/url][/img]

oversize

Drool!!!!   :)  Can you find out John?  I'd be interested....
1979 6.9 #5541 (Red Bull)
1978 6.9 #4248 (Skye)
1979 6.9 #3686 (Moby Dick)
1978 6.9 #1776 (Dora)
1977 450SEL #7010 white -P
1975 450SEL #8414 gold -P