Casey's 1978 Euro 6.9

[Casey]

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

I still have the original lights and bumpers though. Also the Swiss fog light wiring appears intact as I can turn on the fog lights with the headlights off, which doesn't work on my other 116's. If the rear fog light is there though it is burnt out...one of the tail lights isn't working either...

Are those blue horns in the engine bay the fanfare horns or something else?

The car also has a radar detector installed.

If there was a DOT-compliant modification to the fanfare horns done, do you know how to undo it?

I'd like the adjustable power antenna like US-spec cars had, but I am assuming that this requires a wiring harness with more wires - I've seen two different sizes of plugs for the Hirshmann power antennas, though I'm not sure those were both from W116's, and presumed it was because the smaller plug didn't support manual control.  I'll have to compare the antenna in the 6.9 to a 300SD one or something.  Of course even if I were to swap the wiring harness the question of where to locate the extra dash switch still remains.

I'd still really like to find a headlight level adjustment setup for a 116, most notably this trim piece along with appropriate headlight housings:

[Casey]

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.

I thought about the heat gun idea as I have one, but I've tended to be overzealous with the heat in the past so am reluctant to try the idea.  I think I will just wait a few weeks and then if they're still not out will probably pull the panel and press from the reverse side while carefully applying heat (not too close).  May be safer just to buy an old hair dryer from a thrift store or something, which won't run the risk of melting things. Not that big of a deal - I don't think replacement black panels should be that terribly hard to find.  The rear windshield was placed in the 6.9 against the rear seatback and then seats and stuff piled in the back seat against it - looked a bit worrisome but it made it intact!  I haven't unpacked the trunk or front seat yet.  The worst thing that I did during transport was when moving a huge mirror that barely fit into the back seat with the rear windows down to accommodate the upper corners.  Though it managed to just fit without denting the door panels, during loading I chipped off a piece from the red plastic B-pillar base trim on the passenger side.   Just goes to show that one can never have too much replacement plastic trim at the ready.

Speaking of windshields, do you know if the rear windshield with vertical defrosters can be found (even new) *without* the green glass?  Also was non-green glass an option on SEL's and thus the rear windows?  It may sound funny but I'd quite like to replace all the glass on a car (most likely my 450SEL) with the more transparent glass without the insulative properties.  As the weather is warming here I find myself rolling down the windows sometimes and really prefer the view untinted.

[Casey]

P.S.  Does anybody have a good quality picture of what a nice pristine unfaded black velour interior *should* look like in bright lighting?  I'm uncertain whether mine is faded at all...but if it is I'm thinking it may be a good idea to pull the skins and redye them.  I suppose I may be able to detect a difference between the front and rear seats if I pull the front sheepskin covers - the front seats and rear headrests have been covered at least for the last few years that it was parked outside in the sun but the rest of the rear seat was not.

[alabbasi]

Tinted glass was a luxury option on European cars back in the 80's and earlier. However , I would expect it to be standard on S Class.  Finding anything now that's not got the factory tint will be next to impossible, and if you do get it, I would expect it to be a low quality aftermarket glass from China.

Your velour was probably more of a charcoal gray then black. Roll the front seat all the way back and check the part where the top and bottom seat cushions meet as there should be no fade there.

[Casey]

Your velour was probably more of a charcoal gray then black. Roll the front seat all the way back and check the part where the top and bottom seat cushions meet as there should be no fade there.

*nods* It's definitely more of a grey now but I suspected that was as-designed.  Good suggestion about the front seat parts that don't get any wear or sun exposure...  I'll check it out later.

Tinted glass was a luxury option on European cars back in the 80's and earlier. However , I would expect it to be standard on S Class.  Finding anything now that's not got the factory tint will be next to impossible, and if you do get it, I would expect it to be a low quality aftermarket glass from China.

I know that some low-spec 280S's and such in some markets (probably not North America) got non-tinted glass.  Just not sure if there was a 280SEL or something in any markets that had the non-tinted option.  Would prefer to find used  non-tinted glass in good shape rather than aftermarket stuff.

[jbrasile]

Casey,

Tinted glass was optional on all 116's in Europe as far as I know, it is my understanding that even 6.9's could be had with clear glass, at least I have seen pictures of early cars configured like that. The EPC shows that up to the 450SEL clear was std and tinted was optional (code 592), 6.9's show as having tinted glass only but as I mentioned, early pictures show otherwise.

As for the velour, "black" was actually charcoal gray, they will fade a little with age but even when new they were not very dark.

Tks,

Joe

[Squiggle Dog]

Sometimes it can be really difficult to tell the difference between green tinted and non-tinted glass (at least for me) unless it's in just the right lighting. I did recently discover, though, that, at least in the 1960s, the glass that is tinted reads "SEKURIT-F", while the clear glass reads simply "SEKURIT", without the "F". This may or may not apply to the W116.

I sold my roommate a set of green tinted glass for his 1965 W111 220S. After discovering that the green glass has the F-code, I looked at all of the glass to make sure I sold him the real deal, and it turns out the right front door glass is not tinted, meaning it must have broken and been replaced at some point. Doh! So, I owe him a door glass. I was looking through my wrecking yard photographs and was able to see that the fintail in the wrecking yard had green glass. I went to the yard and found the car had already been removed and crushed. So, now I've got to pay $50 for one on eBay.

In other news, yesterday I scored a perfect condition W116 rear windshield with no delamination. It had a fresh, brand-new seal on it. After removing the trim, I saw that the seal had the Mercedes star on it. I was able to remove the windshield and seal as a unit without damaging the seal, so yay!

Also, that non-tinted (I think) rear windshield I sold you is tempered glass, so it will never delaminate.

[Casey]

In other news, yesterday I scored a perfect condition W116 rear windshield with no delamination. It had a fresh, brand-new seal on it. After removing the trim, I saw that the seal had the Mercedes star on it. I was able to remove the windshield and seal as a unit without damaging the seal, so yay!

Score!  I need a few of those myself. :/

Also, that non-tinted (I think) rear windshield I sold you is tempered glass, so it will never delaminate.

Yes, but it's something I'd use on a car I don't care as much about and I'm not sure when/if I'll even put it to use realistically but the price was right - for my personal drivers I really prefer the vertical rear defroster windshields, and properly maintaining the gaskets...

[oversize]

Those blue trumpets are aftermarket units Casey.  The original fanfare (highway) ones were supported by a bar near the front of the engine sump.

[Squiggle Dog]

Hmmm... I have seen several W116s in the wrecking yards over the past few years with the exclamation point switch on the dashboard. I never did think to see if the horns were there.

[MB_Mike]

Glad it arrived safe and sound. You mentioned wanting a switch bezel with headlamp adjustment..it would be redundant in the 6.9 since the car levels itself 

[Casey]

Glad it arrived safe and sound. You mentioned wanting a switch bezel with headlamp adjustment..it would be redundant in the 6.9 since the car levels itself 

Really? Even front-to-back, not just left to right?

I'd still like one for the 450SEL, in any case...

[s class]

The self levelling IS front-rear, NOT left-right. 

The front and rear suspensions independently try to maintain their setpoint height.  If the car leans to the side, it is usually due to a collapsed strut top mount or suspension bushes.  The hydraulics can't compensate for that. 

[John Hubertz]

I don't think the adjustable headlight system was to adjust for load, but for road conditions.  It gave you the ability to really throw your high beams way out there in open country.  I could be wrong - they never described the feature in the USA brochures I have.

[AndreasF]

The adjustable headlight system is a must in every new car in Germany (and maybe other European countries too) since the early 80's of the last century. The reason for such a system was indeed to adjust for load, nothing else.