Casey's 1978 Euro 6.9

[Casey]

This is the way I think. I'd rather have a car with the exact color and options that I want with flaws, than a perfect condition car that doesn't have the color or options I want. If the options you want are extremely rare, it really narrows it down. But, if you are able to get exactly the car you want and have it be in great condition at a good price, then that would be amazing.

I have very specifically wanted a 6.9 chassis (because 4-wheel hydropneumatic suspension) and electric reclining rear seat option (because custom metal for the option under the seat) for quite a while.

I would have taken a 450SEL with reclining rear seat option had I been able to find one, but that would have meant cutting out the metal I wanted and welding it into some other chassis.  Likewise I expect there would be some difficulty trying to adapt a normal spring suspension chassis to accommodate hydropneumatic, plus the matter of hunting up all the suspension parts to retrofit it.    So I figured I at least needed to get some 6.9 at some point, and figured that if I was to get a fuel-hungry 6.9 I'd like a euro-spec model to enjoy the extra power.  Plus I'd really like to pull that behemoth of an engine and tinker away at it...

I'm really very happy with the way things have worked out - I found an affordable deal on a euro-spec 6.9 that appears to not have significant rust, it has the reclining rear seat option, and I've got a free-for-the-cost-of-transport US-spec 6.9 coming at some point soon which already has the drivetrain pulled and blown top end so I can put that on a workbench and tinker away to my heart's content without disturbing the euro engine, and have a load of good parts.

[oversize]

Obviously there's several schools of thought on old cars.  If you combine the ideas that (1) you should buy the best you can afford, with (2) a car that has all the options you really want, you may be waiting all your life and never find it.

Personally I think it's like going to a store and seeing something unique that you love.  Um and ah to the point that you initially walk away and it's almost guaranteed it won't be there on your return.  Some say it's fate and that you were never meant to have it, but I find that's only a good way to console yourself after the disappointment.  It's happened to me enough to know that if I love it, I have to buy it there and then.

Good old Mercs are becoming very hard to find so my motto is; (1) if it's the model you want, (2) you can provide undercover protection for it without having to sleep in a tent, (3) you'll still be able to pay for essential bills, (4) it won't destroy your relationship, (5) it's not badly rusted in the critical areas, then do what it says on Ebay and BUY IT NOW!   

[76116]

Good old Mercs are becoming very hard to find so my motto is; (1) if it's the model you want, (2) you can provide undercover protection for it without having to sleep in a tent, (3) you'll still be able to pay for essential bills, (4) it won't destroy your relationship, (5) it's not badly rusted in the critical areas, then do what it says on Ebay and BUY IT NOW!   
[/quote]


Printed this and put it above my workbench now..words to live by.

[oversize]

Thanks very much!   

A few years back I read a quote from a Sean Fardell (?) in an Aussie magazine called Street Machine.  He said, "I'm not a perfectionist, everyone else is just rough"!!  I printed that one out and it was stuck on the wall in my office until we moved.  Time to put it back up me thinks....   

[entresz]

Looks like a great car. Interesting how the original owner chose not to have any badges on the back- never knew that this was an option. Goodness, if I had the $$$$ to get a 450SEL 6.9, I'd want other people to know it!

[s class]

Looks like a great car. Interesting how the original owner chose not to have any badges on the back- never knew that this was an option. Goodness, if I had the $$$$ to get a 450SEL 6.9, I'd want other people to know it!

Debadging was quite common then, and it still is today in Germany.  My red 6.9 was also ordered without badges.

[jbrasile]

From what I heard the "badge delete" option was and still is in vogue in Europe for two opposite reasons:

1) Those with a luxury car that opted for the smallest engine available in order to save on road tax and fuel don't want anyone to know they "couldn't or wouldn't" pay for the larger engines...

2) Those with means don't not want to flaunt their status or attract attention from law enforcement.

That's what I've been told anyway....

Tks,

Joe

[Casey]

I fairly commonly see newer Mercedes driving around without badges here in the eastern USA.  I plan on changing the trunk lid to an aluminum one along with the hood though, and would like both the 450SEL and 6.9 badges in euro style.  I don't feel not having a badge is going to prevent law enforcement encounters...

Either that or I'll just go with no badges to keep the car looking original.  Either way I think I'll have to have the existing "300SD" and "Turbodiesel" holes filled, and new ones put in to fit the "450SEL" and "6.9" logos.  I guess the left one may be the same, but I haven't checked.  I have a NOS "450SEL" badge at the ready; now just need to get a new "6.9" one.

[Casey]

Car arrived in tow on Friday night without any incident.  Transporter complained that it was a lot of weight on the tongue being loaded front-forward and was heavier than any other cars he's used to towing (the heaviest of which being a 300TD), but didn't have any real issues with the load. Served up a nice dinner for him and his family members that were along for the ride, and let them get some rest for the night.  In the morning we proceeded to unload it at my garage, which proved a bit of an ordeal.  The front had been blocked up with wood blocks since it was loaded in California, and while that had proven sufficient enough to get it loaded, I believe the fluid had shifted more to the space in the front, because the rear end was sitting very low - according to the transporter lower than it had been when they loaded it.  When we slowly worked on backing it off the trailer, it became obvious that the center of the exhaust was going to scrape bottom, but we averted that by placing some spare timber under the front wheels so that it lifted the car up a bit higher as it came off the trailer.  Then as it came to the bottom of the wooden 2x8 ramps, it became obvious that the back of the car was going to scrape bottom, so we took the same approach of just putting some spare timber in the path of the rear wheels, which lifted up the back end enough not to touch the ground.  In addition to help the angle be as minimal as possible, we'd unhitched the trailer and used my floor jack to lift the front of the trailer up as high as possible - as the car came off the back end, it lifted up a foot or so higher even than that.  It was slow, careful work, but the car is now successfully sitting unscathed in my garage.  The paint is pretty dire - I didn't realize this color originally had a clearcoat, although nearly all of it is now gone.  The rust around the top of the sunroof is the only real corrosion concern I've seen, and it's not too bad; but I have yet to really go over the car with a fine-toothed comb.

It's definitely been sitting a long time.  The interior is in surprisingly good shape.  Unfortunately the rear door panels got some indentations from the back seat being stuffed with spare parts I bought from Squiggle Dog en route, but they might come back out on their own.  I have very good replacement black panels, but unfortunately from a short wheelbase model.  First thing after it was unloaded, I emptied out the back seat and connected a jump starter to the battery terminals so as to test out the rear seat.  It really doesn't move that much - just a few inches, but it's really nice and the rear headrests which happen to have sheepskin covers make it very nice to recline in.  The velour condition is great, though probably a bit faded from sun exposure compared to what it was originally.  Might be worth redying the skins.  The sunroof didn't want to open but after a little persuasion with my fists on the rear of the top, it proceeded to open all the way without issue.  Unfortunately it didn't want to close - there's no motor sound when I press the switch so suspect perhaps the switch itself is bad.  I suppose I will try the manual override and/or swapping the switch later.

The aftermarket sound system sounded quite nice.  I'm not really a fan of the modifications to the door panels and have yet to see if the door frames themselves have been molested underneath, but it sounds very nice.  The power antenna actually works properly, though it appears to be the type that is only extended or not without a manual control on the dash - in place of the manual control is a fanfare horn switch!  I'm not sure how to work it though - I tried pressing the regular horn button with the switch in either position and it sounded the same (quite loud).  Does anybody know how these work?

Also how do you operate the headlight washers/wipers?  I tried hitting the usual washer button but it didn't turn on the headlight wipers.  There's no washer fluid in the system though, or maybe the motors are dead.

While testing stuff, smoke started coming out of the broken ballast resistor - it is cracked and the coil inside which was glowing red was exposed.  Well now I know where it is, anyways.  Are these 6.9-specific and/or expensive to replace new?  The wiring harness damage is pretty obvious, as there's exposed wire with the insulation chewed away.  So will need to replace that too - no surprise there.

I need to get some wheel dollies and perhaps a winch to shuffle cars around my garage more effectively, but hopefully soon can get things arranged a little better, the 450SE rusty chassis hauled out to a scrapyard, and this put up on jack stands for further work.  I can drain the gas tank easily enough, but how does one purge old gas out of the fuel lines going from the tank to the engine?

[alabbasi]

The ballast resistors are the same as any CIS car, there should be a foot operated pump for the headlight washer system.  It's the mechanical type with a diaphragm next to the parking brake.

Good luck with the project

[Casey]

The ballast resistors are the same as any CIS car, there should be a foot operated pump for the headlight washer system.  It's the mechanical type with a diaphragm next to the parking brake.

Just like the regular windshield washer switch on early W116's and W115's?

[alabbasi]

Yep

[jbrasile]

Casey,

The fanfare horns or highway horns have a " fiamm"  style tone while the regular horns are the classic MB, you flip the switch and either one should sound when you press the horn pad on the steering wheel, that's all there is to it. The fanfares are mounted further back near the front subframe, they are shapped like a "horn".

Euro cars do not have the antenna height switch.

To operate the headlight washer/wipers, turn on the headlights with the key in the on position and push the regular windshield washer lever, h/l wipers will cycle and water will come out of the bumper nozzles. Please note you have an additional electric pump that supplies water to the h/l washer system.

Tks

Joe

[Squiggle Dog]

Congratulations! I'm sure transporting it was a challenge, but am glad it arrived fine. You might be able to get the dents out of the door panels with a heat gun; but not letting it get hot enough to cause the surface to become glossy. I had some indentations in my rear door panels from when I hauled stuff once, but in about a month they worked themselves out.

I hope the parts are satisfactory, and look forward to seeing the 6.9 progress.

[wbrian63]

Euro cars had the fanfare horns removed and the switch disabled. Thanks DOT...

Later model 6.9's have a washer activated by pressing the end of the control stalk, if I recall. The wipers/washers will cycle only with the headlamps on, as Joe has indicated.