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The "Goldilocks" restoration thread

Started by ptashek, 28 March 2014, 07:56 AM

UTn_boy

You got very lucky that the drivetrain didn't eat up more than it did in the pie chart.  Nonetheless, thank you for posting this.  Maybe now the non-believers will believe me when I tell them why it's so expensive.  :)
1966 250se coupe`,black/dark green leather
1970 600 midnight blue/parchment leather
1971 300sel 6.3,papyrus white/dark red leather
1975 450se, pine green metallic/green leather
1973 300sel 4.5,silver blue metallic/blue leather
1979 450sel 516 red/bamboo

Zaxxon

Glad to hear it! These cards were made for Autobahn speeds at extended periods of time. They love it. Living over here now, I really miss being able to go faster than 65mph the most.

When I had my first Mercedes, a 1981 C123 230E, I would sometimes get chased by a Golf GTI or a Escort XR3...the funny thing would always be that they'd be ahead in short time, but once the "old lady" accelerated all her mass to top speed, she'd stay there no matter how long, passing the GTI or whatever eventually, and doing so for hours with the temperature needle not even moving a tad. And all that sitting very relaxed in the car and not with white knuckles like the guy in the XR3 at 210 or so kmh :P
---
Mercedes: '99 CL500, '86 500SEC, '96 SL500, '06 R500, '02 ML320, '78 450SEL
Porsche: '80 928S 5-Speed, '86.5 928S RogerBox '86.5 928S 5-Speed, '83 944
Others: '84 Callaway Alfa Romeo GTV6, '83 Tiara, '87 FZ

ptashek

Well, man and machine made it home safe and sound, with a total of 2085km, averaging 14.5 l/100km.
Only two incidents to report:

- Trunk side floors got flooded quite a bit after driving 200km in constant, monsoon-like rain; I'll need to double check and re-sit the trunk seal if needed. It didn't leak when hosed down.
- Got into serious trouble starting the car at the ferry port in France. The engine wouldn't hold revs, refused to start and wasn't firing on all cylinders. The fuel I got a few dozen miles earlier must have been super dodgy! Once whatever it may have been cleared the system, with much trouble, life was good again and I rolled on and off the ferry without issues.

All that's left is a good wash to get all the insects off, and a fresh layer of wax.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

midnitesunmerc

Quote from: ptashek on 27 June 2016, 02:12 PM
Well, man and machine made it home safe and sound, with a total of 2085km, averaging 14.5 l/100km.
Only two incidents to report:

- Trunk side floors got flooded quite a bit after driving 200km in constant, monsoon-like rain; I'll need to double check and re-sit the trunk seal if needed. It didn't leak when hosed down.
- Got into serious trouble starting the car at the ferry port in France. The engine wouldn't hold revs, refused to start and wasn't firing on all cylinders. The fuel I got a few dozen miles earlier must have been super dodgy! Once whatever it may have been cleared the system, with much trouble, life was good again and I rolled on and off the ferry without issues.

All that's left is a good wash to get all the insects off, and a fresh layer of wax.

Nice to hear you made it okay - I know how nerve-wracking it can be going for long drives in old and generally unfamiliar vehicles, I drove my 280SE 5000km home from California when I bought it and the towns are few and far between the further north you go in Canada!!

I also have a leak into my passenger side trunk floor when it rains and it drives me nuts as I can't figure out where it is getting in - the seal looks like it's in fine shape so it's nothing obvious - been thinking of shutting myself in the trunk with a trouble light and having a friend hose it down from the outside!
1977 280SE Colorado Gold
1979 280SE Euro model (parts only)

ptashek

Quote from: midnitesunmerc on 27 June 2016, 02:29 PM
Nice to hear you made it okay - I know how nerve-wracking it can be going for long drives in old and generally unfamiliar vehicles, I drove my 280SE 5000km home from California when I bought it and the towns are few and far between the further north you go in Canada!!

Wow, 5000km and through that region! I'm all envious. My favourite route in California is along the coast down the Pacifica towards LA.
But I've never been further North than Muir Woods near Mt Tamailpas.

QuoteI also have a leak into my passenger side trunk floor when it rains and it drives me nuts as I can't figure out where it is getting in - the seal looks like it's in fine shape so it's nothing obvious - been thinking of shutting myself in the trunk with a trouble light and having a friend hose it down from the outside!

I think it's another design issue, just like the infamous never-draining corners under the bonnet.
Given enough water, the seal gets overwhelmed and leaks around the edges. Sometimes there's rust holes around the top corners - that was the case on my car before.
The new seal is sitting good and was glued in with the recommended MB glue, yet, it still leaked in a few spots in that heavy downpour (the glue doesn't provide much barrier itself).
If you just hose it down, nothing gets past.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

daantjie

Tail light seal is a common culprit for water ingress. Not easy job be warned  ;D
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

ptashek

Just wanted to add two more images which nicely show off the finished underside. These were taken on the day I was picking the car up, after already ~700km on the road during testing.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

ptashek

Quote from: daantjie on 27 June 2016, 03:40 PM
Tail light seal is a common culprit for water ingress. Not easy job be warned  ;D

Not an easy job indeed, but doable with patience. I've hosed mine down heavily, and spotted a few drops around the bottom edge.
They just needed to be tightened a little more than the workshop did, and should be good now.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

karmann_20v

If my car looked that immaculate underneath, I'd never drive it  :o

UTn_boy

I think you may be missing the point here Karmann.  Part of the fun is pretending like you just bought a new W116.  You actually get to be the new owner and put the first miles on it. You have to remember that wheel wells and wheels can be cleaned, and the whole underside can also be cleaned if it gets dusty or dirty. I, personally, rather enjoy cleaning the undersides of my cars after I've enjoyed them for a bit. 
1966 250se coupe`,black/dark green leather
1970 600 midnight blue/parchment leather
1971 300sel 6.3,papyrus white/dark red leather
1975 450se, pine green metallic/green leather
1973 300sel 4.5,silver blue metallic/blue leather
1979 450sel 516 red/bamboo

karmann_20v

Quote from: UTn_boy on 30 June 2016, 02:14 AM
I think you may be missing the point here Karmann.  Part of the fun is pretending like you just bought a new W116.  You actually get to be the new owner and put the first miles on it. You have to remember that wheel wells and wheels can be cleaned, and the whole underside can also be cleaned if it gets dusty or dirty. I, personally, rather enjoy cleaning the undersides of my cars after I've enjoyed them for a bit.

I don't think I missed the point and i know that everything can be cleaned and that everybody builds and uses their cars the way it makes them happy.

I'd just want to preserve that in a museum, it's so clean those pictures belong in a brochure ;D

floyd111

I mentioned the same thing before.. It's too immaculate to drive.
But.  Imagine living the tale of the guy that got to drive a brand new "still-in-the-box W116 in 2016, with the balls to open up the wrapper and put on the first miles? ;D

I am trying to have my cake and eat it by having one "in the museum" and another to unwrap and drive. I still need to prove I can get there at all, but even if I succeed, I am not sure anyone else should attempt the same. I do OK here, but for me, this is about as costly as I can get away with, let alone the difficulty of doing a job like this twice!

ptashek

Quote from: floyd111 on 30 June 2016, 08:57 PM
I mentioned the same thing before.. It's too immaculate to drive.
But.  Imagine living the tale of the guy that got to drive a brand new "still-in-the-box W116 in 2016, with the balls to open up the wrapper and put on the first miles? ;D

I've put on 3000km in total already. Managed to close the seatbelt buckle in the drivers door. Managed to open the rear passenger door into a wall, resulting in a small ding at the very inside edge. I'm just lucky like that when I care to much. Shock! Horror! Or more like "life". No mater what you do, how much you care and pay attention - if you use something, it'll get dirty, it'll get battle scars and it'll need maintenance as years pass.

So, I've relaxed and am just focused on enjoying the car as much as I can, and caring for it as best I can in that context. Now, if anyone else did that to my car, there'd be violence :D Not four days yet, as I've yelled like a maniac at the French border control guard who thought it OK to have a drug squad dog jump on my freshly restored chrome.

Meanwhile, I'm awaiting a replacement armrest cover from World Upholstery, as the one they made me close to a year ago has come apart on stitching in one place. They didn't dispute any of the evidence sent to them, and are replacing it at no cost, as one would expect.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

Malaysian

A funny story. Sorry to hear about the "murphy mishaps". Best of luck keeping the scar count low.

1977 280SE (M)
1977 280SE (M)
1978 280S (M)
1982 280SE (A) W126

2007 Porsche Cayman S
2010 BMW 320d SE
2012 Toyota Alphard 3.5GL MPV

ptashek

The very last piece of the puzzle has just clicked into place this morning - agreed value insurance. Presented with the evidence (several dozen detailed pictures from the resto, all invoices, warranty etc.), the valuers made not a single follow-up query, and approved the policy. Far below the restoration cost, a the cost of labour is not taken into account, yet considerably higher than the going European market rate for a "Note 1" (i.e. concourse) 450SE in unrestored condition at comparable mileage. Works for me, but I hope I'll never need it :)
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE