News:

www.W116.org - All about the Car!

Main Menu

Interior Removal / Refitting

Started by Peter Anderson, 11 July 2005, 03:47 AM

Peter Anderson

Hi Guys,

I would welcome any tips or tricks anyone has for removing and replacing the seats (front and back) and the 4 door cards of my '79 280SE. Will I need any special tools, is there a best order for doing this etc...

My current interior is the charcol velour, but the driver's seat is collapsed and split along the outer backrest bolster. I've managed to source a good condition black leather interior to replace it with, which I think will look very smart. (luckily the plastic trim will match the new seats and door cards so I don't have to worry about that!)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Peter

Peter Anderson

Thanks Styria for the info, much appreciated. With speedy and informative replies like that, w116.org is  a jewel-like presence on the net :wink: !

It certainly sounds do-able for a mechanical amateur like me - if a little fiddly and cumbersome. What a fun weekend I have in store! The problem I may have is with the seat height adjuster, the handle on the side of my seat doesn't seem to do anything much at all, least of all raising or lowering the seat! Should I free this up if poss before commencing, or can I do it with it seized in, what I think is, the lowest position?

I'm sure I'll soon have a good story of a bad back and scraped knuckles (though hopefully not trim).

Peter Anderson

Wow, what a weekend. I picked up the black leather interior this weekend to fit to my 280SE, and found that it was attached to a rather nice metallic green ?78 450SE! The car in it?s description had sounded like a bit of an unloved and uncared for basketcase, but this turned out to be far from the truth. I don?t think it?s been maintained properly for the last couple of years but it actually has very few issues, and drove superbly (to the point where I prefer how it goes to my existing 280SE!). I had intended to swap the interiors and sell on the 450, but now I don?t know?

The 450?s issues are, rusted front wing tops on both sides (inside the bonnet shut, just where they bolt on to the inner wings), a slight blowing from the left-hand exhaust manifold, the drivers window is faulty (the gears don?t mesh, and look like they haven?t for a long time as they are worn away!) the indicators don?t stay clicked on, the quality of the paintwork (it?s had a front end spray I think) isn?t great and surprise surprise the aircon doesn?t work! However the car isn?t too rusty and most of the brightwork is OK, it holds temperature, even in the mini heat wave we?re having, and the engine and gearbox are both very smooth.

To complicate things further, while showing a mechanically minded friend over my 280SE he noticed that it was slightly blowing oil from the head gasket :(  that answers the question of why it runs so hot and uses a lot of oil! Argh! So what to do?

The new revised plan is get the 280SE sorted (depending on the prices I?m quoted to sort the head gasket) so I have a W116 to drive while I get the front wings fixed, and a re-spray on the 450SE. And then when the 450 is looking pretty and serviced, I?ll sell on the 280SE.

I couldn?t keep both? could I? Is this the way madness lies? :lol:

Peter Anderson

Thanks for the encouragement Styria. I certainly know how to strip and re-fit all the door furniture and electric window mechanism after my weekend's work!  

I think you're right about the 450. I do like the 280, but driving the 450 just felt right. It was though the car was designed with the V8 in mind. It feels a little bit heavier at the front, but the effortless pick-up and the seamless gearchanges are great payback.

I don't do big miles (about 8,000 per year) so the fuel consumption won't bite too badly (not enough to end up in a 3 wheeler anyway!!!)  :lol:

BTW got a worst case quote from my local Mercedes specialist garage for the problem with the head, and you're right again, it's not a walk in the park. It's more like a thorough wallet workout, gulp! I'm taking it down there this evening so more details of what exactly is busted soon.