Back in a W116 again...'78 450SEL arrived!

[Zaxxon]

I had time today to bring the car home, with a short layover at the shop to get it up on the lift and try to figure out some of the noises I am hearing - more about that in the thread in the tech section.

I am slowly piecing things together about that car, but still have some blanks about it's history that just don't make too much sense. One thing I know by now is that the car has sat. And that for a VERY long time. The last oil change sticker I found on the car (and I hope there have been changes since - the oil certainly looks like there has) was from November 1988...at 52k...well, it's 2016 and the car has 61k on the clock. I know 3 years ago the car encountered a deer and received a new headlight, grille and the hood was *somewhat* straightened out. Since then, the car drove another 100 miles.

It's definitely one of the most solid, unrestored W116s I've ever seen. Must have been stored inside always and not driven in New England winters. Car seems to have come out of Virginia originally. Aside from some very small, minor spots of surface rust caused by seemingly a few scratches or dings, all the usual suspects turned out negative for rot, which made Me quite happy. Dash has one very short, minor crack on the edge of the gauge panel, but that's it. Needs all fluids changed, a full tune up, and some things taken care of:

- possible noise from TC
- rear seat has collapsed
- turn signals operate on warp speed
- Aux fan always running
- rear passenger side door not opening from outside
- dashboard illumination not working
- new (used) hood
- windows slow and "draggy"
- replace windshield seal
- just LOTS of general maintenance

The cosmetic stuff will come later, but it's going to come.

Here are a few pics of the new addition. I had a 280SE 4-speed in Germany that I inherited from my grandfather, but since then this is the first W116, and I totally enjoyed the short ride in it today...

[daantjie]

Nice one!
Wow that rear seat is the worst one I've seen yet. The pad has completely disintegrated. Quite common.
The quick cycling of the indicator is the hazard switch relay that is toast. Sits in the steering column area below dash mounted vertically.  Dash light probably the dimmer. Turn the stalk back and forth multiple times to loosen the rust on the rheostat. I just bridged mine now I have max brightness. Never quite understood the need for dim dash lights

[Zaxxon]

Hi daantjie,

thanks for the hints and tips! Good places to start! The rear seat is really a strange one, because it definitely has totally collapsed, back as well as the seat. But the front seats on the other hand are in pretty decent shape!

[daantjie]

Yup very common failure . The padding is "horse hair". Spun type plastic/rubber  that just crumbles over time. Not sure if you can still get those pads new. I recall a post recently where member Stan (floyd111) had a bead on a stash.

[floyd111]

I simply ordered from MB, in Romenia

[Zaxxon]

Hmmm...I wonder if MB Germany still has them in stock, since I go home 2-3 times a year anyway...

[Peter]

Nice clean car, original Becker Radio  but what on earth have they been doing in the back seat  keep us posted on the restoration, cheers

[Zaxxon]

but what on earth have they been doing in the back seat 

Whatever they had been doing in that backseat must have came to a stop, because that things is pretty damn uncomfortable now! Hahaha!
I'll be planning on posting updates to this thread, but it'll be a bit until actual work can start, but in the meat time things like fixing little gremlins here and there and general cleaning that it needs bad will be going on

[ZCarFan]

What's the paint color code?

[Zaxxon]

You know, I never looked - I also silly enough didn't take a pic of the tags on the car before putting it away Sunday, but I'll check the next time I head over. Funny enough, the paint looked faded as hell, like a car that sat out in Arizona sun for years, but then I took a rag and cleaned up around the gas fill, and low and behold, the paint came back with a really nice shine. Took a little wax, and that shine got amazing looking. So, for now I'll touch up the few surface rust areas and buff the car, but at the end of the restoration, it will get a respray in Cayenne Orange. It's a sentimental thing. My grandfather's W116 was that color.

[UTn_boy]

The "horse hair" pads, or excelsior pads, for the rear seat are  still available.  Bottom is part number 116-924-01-14, and the backrest is part number 116-920-03-16.  Both can be ordered and bought through any dealership.  Fair warning though, if you try to put the old leather on over new horse hair pads, the leather will not survive.....I tried. It didn't end well. 

[rumb]

Bottom is part number 116-924-01-14, $384.80
and the backrest is part number 116-920-03-16 is only $53.28

are you sure that is the correct part number for the back cushion?

If so I'm ordering a back one right away.

[Zaxxon]

Those prices aren't terrible I have to say! Curious about the back also!

My leather seems quite supple still, but then again, who know. I might actually give the leather a full Leatherique or similar rejuvenation before doing anything else to it, which might prevent havoc

[UTn_boy]

Yes, it's the correct one.  The price came down drastically for some reason. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.  

[rumb]

Rear back seat back pad is now NLA.  I tried to order 2 of them at that low price and they said they cant get it.