Im enjoying my time here at the Org so much I thought id best do the right thing and get my post count up
Introduce my cars.
My first Mercedes was a working car, chauffeur or Town Car and it was a 1989 W126 300SEL
Great car and impressed the hell out of me and we did many many miles together ferrying business people politicians and celebrities around including winery tours etc.
The car wasnt very old when I got her and she was reliable as youd expect doing roughly 300 km per day sometimes 7 days a week year in year out.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/4daab3b2.jpg)
So many years go by without a Mercedes and im on the hunt again with fond memories of my W126 but every car I looked at was shabby and had huge mileage or was neglected and in need of serious work regardless of what the seller said.
So I settled for a W124 230TE, and on this car I cut my MB Teeth properly as it was a sub 2 grand car with huge miles and a lot of neglect.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/13ec4735.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/e513f092.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/b743569a.jpg)
The car looked far better in the pictures than in real life.......
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/d2f39c7f.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/d76303fe.jpg)
At some stage she has been hit hard on the right, mid frontal and then back along the side.
The left rear door too had been replaced and the boggery was not very good plus the patchwork paintjob was beginning to fail and there are 3 different shades on the thing.
However Credit where it is due this old girl hauled my family around faithfully for pretty much 2 years but she recently developed rear subframe issues that made me pull her off the road for a full workup and repair after which she may or may not be sold.
Which is a difficult call as I've just spent money on rear wheel bearings, she is about to get new tyres, I fitted 2 new Febi SLS pods and valve gear (New Hydro fluid of course and a flush) plus a whole new major service kit with only the belt tensioner and timing chain/guides whatever to do plus I will have a look at the cam while I have the sprockets off.
An Auto service will then follow and I have to fit all the front end gear as well, So she probably wont be sold lol.
Anyway, about 3 months after the 230 I started looking at S classes again and went to check a 450SEL By mistake, A K jet car with all the gear and by the time I rocked up to look the thing was sold out from under me but the bug bit and bit HARD.
SO after a bit more searching I came home with my first 116, a 1977 Topaz Brown 450SE.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/ba03a7b8.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/de37b7e8.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/57cd74a0.jpg)
More tomorrow
What... Tomorrow already?
Sales pics, Note the difference lol
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/0de1e6c1.jpg)
Nice interior methinks....
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/bdc3085c.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/03f31899.jpg)
Now the correct colours lol
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/28adc8b6.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/4255b4ea.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0675.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0693.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0692.jpg)
I didnt have to buy the car, but I did anyway and drove her home 300 km.
Sadly she is on LPG and wont run on fuel but her body condition means she needs some TLC with a welder and she is handy for parts borrowing.
So, Im on a forum reading away and a gent there has this 74 D jet 450SEL for sale or parts with 700 something thousand km.
I read back through his threads and the vehicle has been well maintained but recently suffered front end chassis issues which have since been welded up but the Gent has decided to upgrade anyway.
The car is basically for sale at scrap prices and I suspect the front end failure has worried a few members so the thing sits with the deadline drawing closer for the scrap metal death.
Problem is that i go through stages where I have zero spare cash and I let the seller know and we come to an arrangement.
I think we are both happy that this car hasnt gone to scrap and I arrange to pick the car up complete with a boot load of bits, and a back seat load.
Off home a few hundred km and this time i know I have found "The One".
Oh my god these D jets are a MONSTER, the difference in power is very noticeable and she eats the highway miles with ease.
Yes she has a few issues but is as honest as you could hope for and well documented.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/3bf9a16c.jpg)
Slowly slowly the Green SEL has been sorted out, refurbished AAV and retune to base settings has sorted the high idle issues back down to 800 rpm when warm.
Some small rust issues and some basic servicing of filters (Oil, fuel and air) and a timing chain check, She also has some door rust which is being attended to and a new windscreen will see her ready for the road again.
And for those of you who think D jetronic systems are a black art?
They are actually closer to modern EFI that the K jet mechanical systems and deliver far more torque and power in my opinion that their later brethren.
The added bonus is that both the roof and central locking work well although the paintwork has been damaged.
All in all a great car.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/SAM_0077.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/SAM_0080.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/SAM_0081.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/SAM_0083.jpg)
A few more
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/SAM_0086.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/SAM_0090.jpg)
The road to salvation!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/d432d475.jpg)
This was pretty much the last time I worked on her sorting out the idle and cleaning the engine bay.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/GEDC1719.jpg)
FILTH!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/GEDC1711.jpg)
Not so much filth
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/GEDC1710.jpg)
The high idle culprit FIXED!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/ac3c779b.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/ff161c8e.jpg)
I've just noticed that not all my photos are loaded into Photobucket but I have found my post AAV repair test run video which is too peppered with swear words to post here (And makes me sound like a wanker, well even more).
So back to this thread a little later.
For those who have read about these cars elsewhere ignore the timeline as it wont be 100% although the order of acquisition is right, and as I find bits and pieces as well as a tute on AAV's I will add them here if thats ok?
More later,
Tony
Great post Tony as they say a picture says a thousand words. You must have a few stories about your VHA days picking up celebs and pollies any come to mind.
Yes, great post! Thanks for sharing.
That's a good insight to your collection. :)
This sort of thing is always a good read, and thanks for sharing the pics.
Tim
Plenty but I cant publish some and others are best left to verbal tellings.
Politicians are the most astonishing though especially some federal pollies but staffers were the most trying.
The interesting part is that to do Commonwealth cars jobs you carried a comcar docket book, useless in a Benz because comcars can only be Australian built cars but as I had a few of those as well I carried a comcar book.
US and English celebs were always fun, mainly TV people and B grade Movie actors with the odd muso thrown in for good luck and all were surprisingly humble and genuinely nice people.
I like sharing and it does give a better insight into me as a person I guess, I can be quite ruthless when the situation calls for it but most of my purchases have been budget examples that showed promise.
Sometimes I was right.. and sometimes I wasn't lol
The other thing is I dont buy to make a profit and never have, To me cars are toys and I only ever spend money on them when I have the money to do so.
And if I feel im going to get done like a dinner on a particular car it gets shelved for the time being as you never know what's around the corner.
That said im not a one breed car bloke and the weird and wonderful cars I've owned over the past 30 years is a fair example of this.
My current daily is once again a Volvo and id love it to be a 450SEL but the sheer amount of miles I do weekly would destroy even a good example of what is now nearly a 40 year old model.
My thoughts on this age is that although they may show capability and enthusiasm at 40, going hard 7 days a week will quickly take its toll and id much rather destroy a 20 year old Volvo than a 38 yr old SEL.
SO!
Now we move on to my last 116 purchase, a 1974 280S.
I heard about this car from the owner as he showed an interest in my cars and was told he had "parked it" now 6 years ago when he bought a new Falcodore.
So a week later I went and had a look at this............
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/407b343f.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/9babe320.jpg)
now nearly 10 months later she will head to my shed probably late next week so I can give her a once over.
Relatively rust free she has been dry stored to the current day and garaged for as long as she was owned by the previous owner.
I have seen pictures dating back to a few weeks before she was shedded and it looks like she was well kept and polished.
Once home I will give her a cleanup and then start the slow process to the stage where I am game to try and start her and more pics as this happens.
My Evil plan is to eventually install a 5.0 or 5.6 126 engine and trans but to sort out the rest of the car with the now half million km M110 2,8 in place
The idea of the 5.6 conversion sounds great. But yes, I'd be interested to hear how you go getting the M110 up and running and any developments there. Do you know if it still has the Solex?
You can still get a rebuild kit for the Solex 4A1 too, by the way.
I reckon the 5.6 conversion wouldn't be too hard, although with the 280S, there's a lot of wiring required. Remember the 280S has a mechanical fuel pump on the engine block, among many other differences, so you would be starting from scratch there.
I removed an entire wiring harness from on of my 280SEs, because I planned to install the Euro K-Jet M110 in the 280S at some stage. I doubt I'll end up doing that though, but it's nice to know that I can.
Tim
Great stuff Tony. Thanks for sharing. I'm really looking forward to your progress threads as you clean up the 280S. I love stories of old cars turning up in an old barn somewhere and being brought back to life. It inspires me to get another toy car. Just want to finish getting the 450SE back to original first.
Finding somewhere to store a 5th car on a suburban block will be a challenge. Oh and the wife who says that two toy cars is enough so one has to go before another arrives. I'm not good at getting rid of them once I have them :)
Ken
.
Quote from: TJ 450 on 29 June 2012, 01:07 AM
The idea of the 5.6 conversion sounds great. But yes, I'd be interested to hear how you go getting the M110 up and running and any developments there. Do you know if it still has the Solex?
You can still get a rebuild kit for the Solex 4A1 too, by the way.
I reckon the 5.6 conversion wouldn't be too hard, although with the 280S, there's a lot of wiring required. Remember the 280S has a mechanical fuel pump on the engine block, among many other differences, so you would be starting from scratch there.
I removed an entire wiring harness from on of my 280SEs, because I planned to install the Euro K-Jet M110 in the 280S at some stage. I doubt I'll end up doing that though, but it's nice to know that I can.
Tim
Tim I suspect that it will be an easier job without much pre existing tech to work around and will just make my own loom, fairly simple when you have a loom board although most of the cable will be unsuitable.
Yep it still has the dreaded Solex and this is part of the reason why im going slow and steady when I get her home with the start up sequence as the seals will be quite dry by now and I want to avoid my first job being a carby rebuild.
I have a new facet pump that will probably bypass the mech pump initially and quite honestly id be looking at running an aftermarket injection system on the engine to simplify things, failing that a TPI system scavenged from a late 80's GM V8 as they are surprisingly smart for the age and allow variations in fuel pressure, ign timing and injector size as well as running a 750 CFM throttle body as standard.
I figure that the biggest hurdle will be adapting the intake system and a mate who is a whizz with a TIG will lend a hand here as id adapt the Mercedes intake manifold to suit.
:-)
Summit Racing has the Thrush Exhaust components I need to give her bite without too much bark and room permitting a nice snug set of Tri Y headers will allow flow without compromising backpressure.
In an ideal world Dellows in Sydney would have a manual gearbox solution for me as well but I suspect I will stick with Auto until it proves boring or unsuitable.
Probably easier to drop a big block Chev in but I believe that a 5 or 5.6 will bring more smiles per mile.
Quote from: Kjhall65 on 29 June 2012, 07:48 AM
Great stuff Tony. Thanks for sharing. I'm really looking forward to your progress threads as you clean up the 280S. I love stories of old cars turning up in an old barn somewhere and being brought back to life. It inspires me to get another toy car. Just want to finish getting the 450SE back to original first.
Finding somewhere to store a 5th car on a suburban block will be a challenge. Oh and the wife who says that two toy cars is enough so one has to go before another arrives. I'm not good at getting rid of them once I have them :)
Ken
Thanks Ken!
Im fortunate enough to have plenty of room and now all under cover albeit on a dirt floor covered in packing sand, The good news is I have the go ahead for a concrete slab and a Hoist wont be far behind.
Im also Da Prez of an "Open" car club which means not breed specific and a large workshop will no doubt come in handy helping out Members who don't have the luxury of space as well as having a contract mechanic on tap for jobs beyond my capabilities and giving Phil a better workspace will also keep him happy.
Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 29 June 2012, 08:21 AM
that 280s is in the same state of cleanliness as my 6.9.
one thing ill say about that white 280, even though its that dirty it still looks beautiful.
the body coloured hubcaps look in my opinion more suited to the car than the alloy bunts.
LOL yeah I didnt wipe too much of the grot off the car, just enough to initially have a peek before opening the car doors.
And agreed on the Hubcaps, The "S" is obviously a poverty pack with MB Tex/cloth inserts, no SLS or power windows but its simplicity is attractive and the wheel covers seem to accentuate this.
Im assuming that it is the same size as the SE and I know that it was well looked after so im hoping the years in storage have been kind to her.
Thought id post my inspiration pics, This car is from a guy in Siberia from memory who goes by Sergeich.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/6530b3a2.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/5107e341.jpg)
.
Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 29 June 2012, 06:37 PM
out of interest, i wonder how much a new "poverty pack" S class cost in the 70s ?
i bet a hell of a lot more than a top of the range aussie car, 8)
Glass's guide says $16'960 RRP for the 280S in 1974, $18'020 for the 280SE and $23'800 for the first of the 280SEL's in January 1975.
450SE in 1974 was $22'855 and the 450SEL sold for $24'255.00
Finally a 450SEL 6.9 in 1979 cost $77'100.00 RRP
In comparison a Ford LTD, 351 auto cost $9,285 and a Holden (GM-H) HJ Statesman DeVille with a 308 and the works cost $7,724 based on the HJ which wasn't actually released until late 1974.
Pov pack HJ Kingswood $5'208
Falcon XB $4'181
Chrysler Valiant VJ Ranger $4'364
Oh and I forgot the other Aussie Luxury LWB car of the 70's.........
The CJ Chrysler by Chrysler, 360 V8 electric everything (Fun cars, I had one :-) ) RRP $6'371
.
So much more than a house, I bought a place in 82 for $36k in suburban Melbourne so twice the price.
Then again Australia's protectionist policies wielded some pretty hefty tax and duty charges back then so id say on a world scale our Mercedes RRP's were amongst the highest in the world.
For those of you old enough to remember the Pre GST (VAT) Tax scale Luxury goods were taxed at 33% and there were a number of import tariffs and luxury goods tariff's which were taxed in weird order.
From memory, Base price @ x dollars plus duty plus tariff = Price, then add 33% Tax.
Nasty protectionist policies that punished the wealthy (Not really but that was the idea) and created local industry that was well protected against imports which I feel made them lazy and complacent based on Aussie car spec and equipment levels from the 70's to the early 90's being so far behind the rest of the world.
Globally we were VERY far behind even in the 60's which explains why Chrysler's did so well especially in country areas as they were basically American cars re jigged with features Ford and Holden didn't or couldn't supply locally.
Even Engine power (Important out bush) was far higher in Valiants which also came with things like heaters as standard long before the other 2 and it really wasnt until the very late 60's that GM-H and Ford caught up.
Pet subject of mine BTW lol
Checked on the 280 today and she is grubbier than i remember lol
(http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w518/jennageit/IMG_20120918_104836.jpg)
My 450SEL however is now on Club Registration and got a thorough wash this afternoon in prep for detailing.
Im trying to figure out how to mount the front license plate as the 2 slots are a bit of a mystery to me but the good news is that there are no water leaks and the car is in far better condition body wise so she flew through scrutineering with the only fail being the battery clamp i forgot to re mount lol
So tomorrow she is off to be filled with 80 lt of 95 octane Caltex (Texaco) fuel and a nice run to blow out any remaining cobwebs.
Hi mate
You need 2 rubber mounts that slide in the slots to suit the plate. I had to make backing plates out of some thin steel to mount my personalised plates. I didn't want to ruin them with extra holes. I don't know if you can pick up the mounts very easily.
David
Onya Dave!!!! I was just about to post exactly the same thing!!! LOL! So it's now a race to post!!! ;D
Ahhhhh Cheers David!
I reckon I could knock up something using some grommets maybe?
I had to drill holes in the rear plate 5 cm in from the ends to make it fit and didnt fancy doing the same to the front plate.
So a few grommets with a washer and nut at the back might do the trick nicely!
Cheers,
Tony
Not sure if you can get the mounts new Tony. Otherwise try a wrecker. It'd look weird if you screwed the plates straight into the bumper and a good way to start the dreaded tin worm...
Oh and that white one's gunna need some serious cleaning!!! But at least she's outta the rain...
I'm sure that will wash of, then it's a matter of dealing with the stains. 8)
Exciting stuff!
Tim
I have some rubber grommets here that I use to plug firewall holes in various sizes that have a slot in the middle running around the outside diameter, Normally id pop on on a hole and then stick the plastic plug in the center to expand it and hold it in place but I think a washer with a nut and screw and the plate loosely mounted might do the trick and then some pressure on the nut and a tighten and she should be apples.
Depends on the access to thr back of the bumper I guess but im sure I can figure something out as im loathe to use self drilling tek screws or stainless rivets.
Someone used Tek screws on my 280, not good.
Anyhow, if you find some decent sized mudguard washers to slot in there, then you could use grommets and the like to pack it out.
Tim
Are those rims below 15 inch? Were those standard on a W116?
Quote from: Tony66_au on 28 June 2012, 07:37 AM
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/ba03a7b8.jpg)
Yep those Rims are 15" and they are a non genuine wheel.
The 3 point star was added to them with a single bolt fitting to the center covers and im not sure if this was standard with these wheels or if they were added by the previous owner.
Quote from: Tony66_au on 18 September 2012, 06:01 PM
Yep those Rims are 15" and they are a non genuine wheel.
The 3 point star was added to them with a single bolt fitting to the center covers and im not sure if this was standard with these wheels or if they were added by the previous owner.
Any chance of getting the manufacturer of these? They look really decent, and, being 15s, would slash my rubber costs considerably going forward.
wow tony! thats a pretty cool collection you got there! So you prefer the looks of the 116 over the 126 I take it? Say did you ever drive one of those four eyed ford ltds in your limo work? All the auxillaries on those 450 engines look so much more accessible than on my 280se. Its pretty amazing what a good polish does to a filthy old benz!!
Those 15" rims appear to be Centras, and seem to be quite hard to find. The 16" versions are probably the hardest to find and in my opinion quite desirable (says I, who gave a set away! We live and learn.).
Tim
Tim they are not Centra's sadly and I thought I posted up the details somewhere but it must have been elsewhere Sooooooooo.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/aad9a8f3.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/f947cbd7.jpg)
And if you should feel so inclined............
Same wheels minus center caps on a 124!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/07bc9fe6.jpg)
Berserk offset though it actually made it handle far better by adding a good 6 inches to the rear track.......
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/IMG033.jpg)
Here's a set of genuine Centras on one of my cars:
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Blue%20Flame/CIMG6169.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Blue%20Flame/CIMG6170.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Blue%20Flame/CIMG6396.jpg)
Funny that I saw a green 450SEL parked at work today with exactly the same wheels!!! Very rare indeed and sadly I didn't have time to get a pic, but did leave my card....
And in the foreground of this pic I have a few spares that I was lucky to find:
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Red%20Bull/CIMG6906.jpg)
Quote from: gf on 18 September 2012, 09:58 PM
wow tony! thats a pretty cool collection you got there! So you prefer the looks of the 116 over the 126 I take it? Say did you ever drive one of those four eyed ford ltds in your limo work? All the auxillaries on those 450 engines look so much more accessible than on my 280se. Its pretty amazing what a good polish does to a filthy old benz!!
116 over 126? Sure.
Its about the Chrome but the styling helps too, the 126 is a more insulated drive where the 116 is more visceral in nature with feedback to the driver available should he or she choose to take note of it.
As for 4 eyed LTD's?
Last one like that I recall was the P6 (?) and no, im not that old although I had one in copper bronze with a 351 and it was a fun thing.
As for the 450's being easier to work on? Absoflogginlutely because its all on top!
Quote from: TJ 450 on 18 September 2012, 06:47 AM
Someone used Tek screws on my 280, not good.
Anyhow, if you find some decent sized mudguard washers to slot in there, then you could use grommets and the like to pack it out.
Tim
Problem sorted!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG276_zps61140d54.jpg)
A while ago I removed the factory roof rack from my Volvo wagon, an item fixed to the roof with expanding rubber plugs with a threaded collett at the end which expanded the plug when the nice stainless screw was tightened.
Also useful for mounting front number plates.........
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG276_zps61140d54.jpg)
And Voila!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG277_zps1b3000ef.jpg)
And finally a cleaner version of my new toy!
Scuse the windows and water marks on chrome and duco...........
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG268_zpsf712c4ab.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG269_zps53d6958b.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG267_zpsb008cfbb.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG271_zps37956171.jpg)
Quote from: oversize on 19 September 2012, 07:03 AM
Here's a set of genuine Centras on one of my cars:
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Blue%20Flame/CIMG6169.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Blue%20Flame/CIMG6170.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b448/Sixpointnine/Blue%20Flame/CIMG6396.jpg)
Funny that I saw a green 450SEL parked at work today with exactly the same wheels!!! Very rare indeed and sadly I didn't have time to get a pic, but did leave my card....
LMAO @ leaving your card.............
See the difference between the real Centra's and the wannabe's............
mine are 15" x 6.5" and yours are 16" x 8" and look horn on the car!
Mine are ok and may look better polished but I prefer yours which is why I left the Bundt's on the SEL plus they have new Toyo's on em so I have a set of tyres before I have to source rubber again and possibly find larger rims.
I'm pretty certain 15" Centras exist too, I could be wrong though.
The 16s were the ones I gave away;
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/24091-1/Centra+Wheels.jpg)
They need a polish and clear coat though. The plus side is they went to a 126 enthusiast.
Nice work with the number plate mounting Tony. 8)
Tim
Wow Tony! Im gonna give that bumper bar- licence plate idea a go! an old granny scolded me 6 months ago for my improvised dental floss attachment! "oh thats such a beutiful mercedes but thats just disgusting!" she said.- its held up pretty well though!
Id say that any rubber grommet would do but I called Bilia Volvo's spares dept and they said they had them in stock so id think other Volvo dealers may as well.
the other option is to find a 700 series wagon at a wreckers and remove the roof rack to scavenge the rubber mounts and stainless screws.
Actually I will take a few pics of the spares and post em up in the morning with the brand name etc
Everybody loves a bit of Brown........ Right?
Brown cars can be funny things, some shades just look crap depending on the shape of the car, style etc and even Mercedes Benz have made some shockers...
Milan Brown is a known colour and a metallic which looks ok when well kept, Topaz Brown is however one of those non metallic colours that can look bloody awful and usually in Photo's its just that and being close to Mission Brown the scourge of fence paint and bad trim colours people automatically think and often say YUCK!
Most of you are familiar with my Silver Green 450SEL which I finally finished and got on the road but this was infact the 2nd W116 I have owned with the first being This car.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG052_zps8cb23cd9.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG053_zps3a42c20f.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG054_zps7cd479db.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG055_zps51d05545.jpg)
Often seen in the background of my pictures, sad and neglected like the proverbial Red Haired stepchild the car is a 1977 450SE, Topaz Brown, MB Tex interior in I don't know what colour but it looks like nicotine stain brown.
The car has some issues but mechanically its very good being prepped for a Road worthy certificate and registered 6 months before I bought the car.
The previous owner had spent a bomb on front end and suspension, steering etc but his new wife hated the car so it sat and sat until I bought her.
I then trekked from the east of the state to the far west of the state and drove the car home on a permit some 300 something km, a nice enough trip after having a starter motor fitted.
The bad points...........
The car has been smashed and repaired at some stage in the distant past.
The work was good but over the years the new paint and the old paint changed, there is also a small amount of rust and I'm currently investigating the possability of more rust.
The interior is ok but the front seat bolsters (Side squabs.. SQUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB) have collapsed but apart from a few missing trim bits she is honest enough.
Now the worst bits, The car has LPG fitted....... and the K jet system has been neglected to the point where it wont work on fuel under 3000 RPM ish.
It was also a bastard to start on LPG which led to the death of the starter id say.
So my K jet education began and then stopped, chucked in the too hard basket when the green 450 came along and my D jet skills improved but now im pretty much done with work on the D jet 450 the time came to either fix or part out the Brown 450.
The criteria was it had to start first pop and idle ok and within a few moments be ok to drive away.
Well this morning I hit that goal so she stays and gets attention.
So more recce work and a thorough inspection begins..........
Some daylight pics from just after I got her a few years ago.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0682.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0683.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/6cd24e04.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0688.jpg)
And a few more
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0690.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0663.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0678.jpg)
Und Finally Ze plate!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0719.jpg)
If anyone can decode the hard bits for me id appreciate it!
Gosh is there any boot space left??? LOL! Turf the LPG and get the Kjet going! Or if that'll cost too much go aftermarket EFI..... Like what I'm planning!
For the time being the LPG stays until I get the K jet running properly and one of the K jet jobs will be to remove, clean and reinstall the fuel tank so obviously the LPG bottle will have to go.
The WUR is suspect but my Vac pump and dial kit seems to have disappeared from my garage so I cant check it but as per usual with LPG installations the fuel system gets seriously neglected and gummed up so I have to do a disassemble and clean n test of components im betting.
So a cheap source of working K jet bits is on the cards down the track.
Well yesterday was eventful!
The SE is now in my garage and was looking very chalky paint wise, Knowing the Daimler Benz are not shy with the paint I tested a few sections to cutting compound and found it really needed something harder I hit it in places with commercial cutters which were a tad too hard, Clay blocking was out as well as there was too much oxidised paint so I went the whole hog and decided to use an old trick I have used before.
The trick........
Caustic Parts wash/Degreaser concentrate........
A light mix of degreaser (Non petroleum) and water, an old car wash brush and a good hose.
Wash the car with the mix, in sections and in full shade keeping the car wet.
Yesterday was good for me because it pissed down with rain all day.
The mix does a few things really well, Degreases, Removes lime scale and water marks from brightwork making it shiny again, it also removes the cloudyness from anodised alloy work and helps break down and remove grunge from gutters and behind trim. it also removes all waxes adn polishes both silicone and wax based and removes oxidisation with brush agitation.
So the car is now in a state similar to washing with prepwash and a tak cloth.
Still a bit wet last night
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG281_zps879f42d5.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG282_zps12d11f85.jpg)
I also removed the rear trim from the buggered door and the handle so I can repair the paintwork AND I tested a small patch of paintwork with cutters and wax for shits and giggles with the help of a few Wild Turkey and Coke's.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG288_zps63cfd21f.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG287_zpsbeab35bd.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG286_zps5e265aeb.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG285_zpsd2549064.jpg)
Mercedes mud-flaps? That's hilarious!
WOW that seems to have come up a treat! I'd be interested to know if the anodized trim becomes cloudly again as she dries out...
That does look quite respectable indeed.
Once the repair is done, that will be great.
Tim
Quote from: oversize on 29 September 2012, 07:03 AM
WOW that seems to have come up a treat! I'd be interested to know if the anodized trim becomes cloudly again as she dries out...
Well Mr Smarty pants Goanna legs..............
the last set of pics is a day later and totally dry.
Still shiny mate!
.
Speaking of repairs...........
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG291_zpsa939efd4.jpg)
Hitting the surface rust with Dioxidine (Phosphoric acid) today and im also going to seal and hit it with a smidge of hi fill once the temp in the shop comes up past 15 celsius to seal the deal.
Dilute Phosphoric acid is the best I have seen in removing rust and gets right into any pitting in the ferrous surface, I then wipe with a wet rag (Wet with Metho/Ethanol) and again 5 mins later.
ALWAYS wear Nitrile gloves and FFS dont let it touch alloys as the reaction is spectacular depending on the strength.
Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 29 September 2012, 05:15 PM
So what your saying, Big T, is that you've found the CURE for milky anodized trim?!
I believe my Nobel prize is in the mail..........
Anyway I didn't cure it, detailers and coachworks (As opposed to panel beaters) have been stripping anodising for years using a light caustic solution.
The differences being they usually use a precise mix (Mines a splash in a bucket), their mix is warm to hot which works better and they take their stuff off the car first whereas im a slackarse with low care factor.
The last time I did this properly it involved an immersion heater, temp probe (65 Celsius), a plastic bristle hot wash brush and repeated soaking and scrubbings.
The issues are many though and it isnt a spray n wipe solution which is why its not common knowledge, It isnt a fix for cloudy anodising, it removes the cloudy anodising completely which then means you have to coat the alloy with something else AND you often have to give it a light buff as well before you re-coat the piece.
Or in short.... A job for an anal retentive OCD freak with waaaaaaay too much time on his hands and an eye for detail.
Me? I just wash the car with caustic degreaser lol
I do have to give the alloy trim a bit of a wipe down though because its a bit spotty still and may need another tubbo but it looks heaps better than it did after sitting in the paddock for 2 years.
Hi Tony
In response to your question.
Quote from: Tony66_au on 26 September 2012, 04:29 AM
Und Finally Ze plate!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/GEDC0719.jpg)
If anyone can decode the hard bits for me id appreciate it!
There can be a single number separated by a space before the 5C, I don't know the meaning of this sometimes present/not present number
5C 5 = sequence number, after every 999 999 vehicles produced on a specific assembly line, this number filps over to the next digit, and the production number re-sets to 000 001
C = a factory code for a production line in Sindelfingen
A-E is for Sindelfingen, production of saloon cars
F-H is for Bremen (no 116's produced here)
All letters are for German production facilities, whereas numbers designate production facilities in other countries in the case of the 116 Barcelona, Brazil and Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
71767827 = the year in 1970 your car was ordered ie 1977
176782 = production number, the 177 682 car produced at the factory 'C'
52 = TBC (to be confirmed)
116032116 = the chassis code for our car type i.e. W116
032 = indicates: 0= petrol fuel requirement (c.f. diesel = 1) 32 = 450SE
222 = Made in Germany, RHD version (c.f. made in Germany LHD version = 1, can also be a 5 or 6 for overseas produced LHD or RHD cars respectively)
2 = Automatic transmission (c.f. manual transmission = 0)
00257 = Construction serial number, the total count of 116 032's for that year i.e. yours must be an early example from 1977
5 = Continent code for where the car is destined
(2/3 = Germany, 4 = NATO, tourist, Diplomat, 5 = Europe (outside of Germany e.g. UK, Spain, The Netherlands...), 6 = Africa, 7 = America, 8 = Asia, 9 = Australia)
424H = Paint code
424 = Topaz Brown
H = manufacturer: H = Herberts or G = Glasurit
Just before the '-' there is a
blank for flat colours, but if your car had metallic paint, there will be a
"M" to signify that the paint code is metallic, as there were a few paint codes that could have been both metallic or flat.
'-' = No sunroof fitted, (c.f. 0 = sunroof)
531 = AUTOMATIC ANTENNA
586 = BEHR AIR CONDITIONER, AND ELECTRIC WINDOW LIFTERS (FRONT AND REAR DOORS)
599 = HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, BAND FILTER (there was more than one option for this code, but all have to do with glass colour and tinting)
625 = VERSION FOR AUSTRALIA
877 = READING LAMP IN THE REAR
220 = REAR DOOR CONTACTS
320 = ADDITIONAL PLATE AND REAR SEAT BENCH STOP FOR GREAT BRITAIN
466 = CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM
480 = SELF-LEVELLING SUSPENSION
511 = BECKER RADIO CASSETTE STEREO MW/USW (there were three option available for this code, all various Becker radios)
Interestingly your car's build plates shows the country destination code as 5 = Europe, outside of Germany, code 320 would confirm that this car was perhaps destined for the UK, but then code 625 confirms that your car was specified for the Australian market, for which you would have expected a country code of '9'.
A word about codes:
Always three numbers long = option code eg, headrests or rear window demister
3 numbers suffixed by an A indicates Ausstatting or Upholstery code, as seen on data cards eg 006A, the 0 = cloth, then next 0 = plaid, and 6 = black
3 numbers suffixed by an L indicates a country code, as seen on code lists or the first three digits of the Auftrags number or Order number
Hope this helps shed some light.
Gavin
That pretty much answers it all for me thanks Gavin, I have hunted down codes for these in the past but my info page seems to have disappeared AGAIN.
interesting to note the factory destination was not for Australia although the country code was. Another Daimler Benz anomaly i guess!
yesterdays work concluded with a few coats of hi fill to bring the surface back to level again, a light sand today and I might shoot some colour to get her back to Topaz Brown.
(http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w518/jennageit/IMG_20120930_181410.jpg)
I now have 5 sets of dual halogen lights on stands at at roughly $30 a set they are an invaluable item for anyone doing body work.
Halogen for preference as it more closely emulates daylight for colour match etc and they are very bright with the added bonus of gently heating the panels you work with so they are not stone cold.
Sharing time again!
I need to respray my car it seems and the repair on the rear door revealed a few half done jobs too.
The car has at some stage had a coat of brown pissed over it and as most cheap coverup jobs go it is showing its age although I suspected this was the case when i bought the car there is nothing quite like spraying the correct factory mix Topaz Brown to show that the original car colour doesnt match the current colour lol
I even went to the extent of borrowing a PPG colour slip and checking the paint I bought against it and although there is a slight variation the correct colour is miles off the existing paintwork. unless you check under the bonnet.
So I have finished the rust repair, Hi Filled the work and feathered the edges out followed with a quick hit of colour to seal the repairs from moisture.
The result?
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG075_zpsa555ec31.jpg)
and with better colour balance
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG076_zps84b96c3c.jpg)
And a quick shot of me in my spray mask
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG074_zps71a657b0.jpg)
Hahahaha! Saving that one for red nose day????
I forgot to add the caption.............
"Hello Princess!"
Actually My Daughter came home from the circus this morning and hadnt seen my haircut and on seeing it insisted I try the clown mask and red nose she had bought......
Not being able to see it myself I immediately took a pic with my phone which immediately uploaded it to Photobucket lol.
I saw it and couldnt resist.
.
Yup....Yup there is!
PennyWise springs to mind
A productive day today!
Had one of the cars delivered today, the towie was supposed to call me to meet him at the pickup site and he did not......
he also did not grab both cars.........
He also bitched about the access which I could have turned a semi trailer in.
So we drove 20 km and spent some time hauling the 280S out arse first and parking it where blind farkin pew could pick the car up with a tilt tray.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121007_162047_zpsa0a72898.jpg)
Some moorish
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121007_162056_zpsc4f6a402.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121007_162137_zps0b3bf6b2.jpg)
And den.........
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121007_162041_zpse2f5fb17.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121007_162123_zpse8ee56b0.jpg)
So now im unreliably told that the car will arrive tomorrow arvo...............
And then the frenzy begins!
A clean and once over,
disconnect fuel lines after the pump
Add 20 lt Pulp (98)
Remove air cleaner assy and spray carby cleaner liberally on outside and down throats
Drop in new battery and connect
turn key to Ign and scream "ITS ALIIIIIVE" followed by a maniacal cackle when the dash lights come on.
Tune radio to local Country AND Western station and relax to the Highwaymen.
Check fusebox for smoke leaks with ign ON
And if all seems in order (Oil, Wasser und Benzine) crank the bugger until oil pressure comes up.
if all is still ok see if I can fill the bowls on the Solex with fuel via Handy dandy pump pack and check for leaks
Crank some more checking to see if fuel pump has primed itself and inspect contents of platic bottle attached to end of severed fuel line for possible nasties and continue to crank until fuel line is clean eventually fitting inline fuel filter juuust in case.
Then if fuel is goot und plenty und solex doesnt leak check spark, plugs, leads and Dizzy bits, clean or repair as needed.
Then fire the old girl up for the first time in 5 years, coolant cap cracked enough so she doesnt build pressure and pop hoses and once running listen for sounds of impending doom.
If Doom free raise RPM to 2000 Rpm and hold until temp comes up to 60 plus and then allow to settle to idle constantly inspecting engine bay for nasties.
If still solid cycle auto from Park to Neutral, sit for a few moments and try drive, 2nd and L then back to N waiting another few moments before selecting R and finally P.
The reason for the caution with the auto is because the clutch packs will be dry and running the pump (Neutral I believe engages the pump) will wet the packs and allow them to swell a bit with fluid before putting them under any stress.
Shut down and check fluids again
Have cuppa
then start car again and gently drive around front paddock listening for nasties.
Once the car has been deemed a "Runner" she gets moved to the workshop and up on stands where I will drain the oil overnight and drop the trans fluids inc convertor drain, drop the pan and remove, clean and refit filter and new pan gasket adding 8 ish lt of nice clean DX III ATF.
I will also add some 20/50 diesel engine oil for the initial run in period (500 km) and a new filter.
I just pray to Dog that the Solex is ok because today I was shown service records telling me that it had a very expensive carby rebuild 8 months before it was parked up.
Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 29 June 2012, 09:21 PM
I see nothing has changed, an entry level S class is still A LOT more expensive than an Aussie equivalent 8)
the price of a 6.9 was insane, more than a house in those days yet so many of them were sold...
I'm sure the desperate 116 junkie could use it for both house and car if need be. 8)
The clown mask... hahahaha...
I see that one had what looked like Centra rims, no? And always funny how those pictures "tell a thousand words" until it comes to a car lol . I have looked at about 4 116s now and various 108s-112s, and the picture are always fantastic, until I see them up close :-\
Neat to see your cars and the intro. Good stuff!
Adam, No they are not Centra's.
and....................
TADAAAAAAAAA One washed 280S
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121008_191926_zps08f9563f.jpg)
I thought you'd have to wash it a thousand times to find out what colour it was! LOL! Nice work Tony and a great barn find! BTW if you wanna build up oil pressure before starting, blow out the plug wells with compressed air and then pull the plugs. It makes cranking easier on all the naughty bits.... that'll cost you $$$!!!! ;) ;D
Yeah I forgot to add that to the tute mate, honestly what kind of numpty cranks a donk with the plugs in? :-)
BTW I havent seen it cleaned in daylight as I passed the Tow truck about 20 km from my place as I was heading off to see a man about a dog.
I called Jenna and told her the car would be there in 15 and where the cash was to pay him, Got a heads up when the op was done and dusted and a request to clean for which i gave a go ahead (Hose and wash brush only, no detergent) and not only did Jen get stuck in but most of the kids helped out as well.
I reckon they might be getting into this whole Mercedes thing.........................
the white barn find is great! body looks pretty straight.its amazing how well old benzes shine up with a little work. looks a million bucks- from the photos! I just noticed the aerial position on these cars varies- anyone know why?
I dare you to drive to town at night with the mask and offer someone a lift!
Great work Tony!
Ahhhh yes, the aerial pozzy on this old girl has been shifted from the front rhs guard/fender to where it is now as evidenced by the emerging bog (Bondo) work filling the original hole..........
From 20 feet she looks very nice, closer up? Not so much lol
Accident repair evidence, miss matched colour (Whites a bugger to match) and peeling Chrome from the accident repair.
I still haven't done a full recce BTW BUT she is honest, im the 3rd owner and she was looked after so fingers crossed!
Just a few flaws
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG_20121009_111855_zpsbb301172.jpg)
That's looking pretty good.
So you reckon the rear end has taken a bit of a hit and the bumper straightened out?
Still, it's taken far less of a beating than my 280S, mine has side swiped a tree or something so needs both LH doors and the fender replaced as they are all mangulated LOL.
Tim
I quizzed the former owner today about a few anomalies as I had to return some personal possessions and tools I found and got the story about the bingle.
Bad enough to warrant a new rear guard/ 1/4, bootlid etc but the work seems ok and I put the paint mismatch to age issues.
Anyway, got her started..........
Air cleaner off and all prep done including fresh oil as the old stuff was..... Old lol
started using fresh fuel and a facet pump which nicely primed the carby with no evident leaks.
Fuel primed she started first hit and settled into a high idle on choke for 3 or 4 mins, vacuum is fine, temp to 40 unpressurised and she sounds sweet as a nut.
Shut down and left for 10 mins and a cuppa and restarted briefly to once again resume a slightly lower RPM fast idle with a few blips and then shut down again after running the trans in Neutral for a few mins to get the fluids circulating, the trans was serviced a month before the car was stored BTW but I will still be changing the fluids.
So far? So good.
As of 5pm today she is fully mobile, starts like a dream, idles high still but id bet the lack of aircleaner doesnt help and the auto seems firm and crisp.
Fitted a slightly worn set of 14" 2nd hand tyres to her as well and all seems well in the stopping and turning dept so now its down to the nitty gritty, bodywork, some paint and hoses as well as fluids.
I am A-frikken-mazed at this old girls eagerness to please!
While im waiting for funding to buy the tuneup bits for the 280 the car count has increased exponentially.........
3 more since the 280S....................
So now i have to find some suitable space and its looking more and more like the Brown 450 is to be parts.....
This one I have yet to collect..............
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/redwagon_zps265d09e0.jpg)
Let me explain,
I have one of these, a rather nice sedan with all the fruit that died on me a few years back.
My 18 year old son needs a car and has limited funding.....
So the red wagon get cannibalised to get the Sedan running well again.
I was going to say, it looks like that red Falcon may need a bit of work. 8)
Tim
Cool tony! Looks like youre keeping yourself very busy with cars!!!! You going to give it another name? Maybe you could call her julia gillard- her fellow pollies want to cannabilise her too :)
Yeah id get arrested for commenting on that particular subject GF lol
Its a parts donor im betting although im told its tidy the 4.0 lt 6 in it is a single point injection (TBI) and the Injection system on the Fairmont Ghia is Multipoint with tweaks to the EEC IV system although im removing these if "the boy" gets the car.
EB's are not worth $500 these days and yet they are still a great car to drive country miles in and the Luxo barge is in very very good nick for its age so she gets recycled and passed on.
Dont get me wrong though im not giving him the car, he will be paying me off @ $300 a month but the total cost will include 12 months rego, Extended 3rd party/fire/theft insurance and RACV membership (RACV is Triple A/Auto club etc) so I know he is covered.
He doesnt like the car but his choices are Walk, Ride his Treadly or Drive da green Falcon lol
I think the EA TB engines were a 3.9 and the 4.0 came later
test
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cSMheQZOmA/UIeomrcfLrI/AAAAAAAAANE/YIaPyWVetpQ/s144/IMG322.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cSMheQZOmA/UIeomrcfLrI/AAAAAAAAANE/YIaPyWVetpQ/s640/IMG322.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cSMheQZOmA/UIeomrcfLrI/AAAAAAAAANE/YIaPyWVetpQ/s800/IMG322.jpg)(https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aySURImuoG8inIKVqUnHt1NgJ354HnMVFwKbSx6--jY?feat=directlink)
Hi Mark tbi ea engines were 3.2 and3.9litres mpi was 3.9 . The 4.0 engine became standard in the eb . From ef the head was changed and it went to coil pack ignition the next major update was au which got a robed engine block and could run with coolant loss befor ba motor with twin cams and 4 valves. Geoff ps make sure tbi is not 3.2 very slow :)
Quote from: Tony66_au on 24 October 2012, 11:21 PM
test
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cSMheQZOmA/UIeomrcfLrI/AAAAAAAAANE/YIaPyWVetpQ/s144/IMG322.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cSMheQZOmA/UIeomrcfLrI/AAAAAAAAANE/YIaPyWVetpQ/s640/IMG322.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1cSMheQZOmA/UIeomrcfLrI/AAAAAAAAANE/YIaPyWVetpQ/s800/IMG322.jpg)(https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aySURImuoG8inIKVqUnHt1NgJ354HnMVFwKbSx6--jY?feat=directlink)
I like the last one! BTW thanks Geoff! I used to work for Ford, so I should know!
200 Cube 3.3 Geoff?
Had one in an EA I bought sight unseen years ago, was an S pack so I assumed a 3.9 Multi......
I assumed wrong lol
And yeah the pic play is due to a sudden interest in Picasa as a photo host, Photobucket has changed hands and may be on the way out of the new site is anything to go by lol
Ground control to Major Tom, Commencing countdown engines on... Check ignition and may you empty your farkin inbox.
Oh and I spent most of yesterday with the missus doing a major tidy and re-organisation of the Garage....
3 x 20 foot bays and id be lucky in the past to have a bay and a half to work in...
Now I have 2 1/2 bays and the start of some semblance of order.
4 work benches, 1 x Paint table, my tool chest, lockup cabinet and a few sets of shelves.
Now I need lighting!
Well the 280S is about to be dragged back into the Garage for a spruce up, I have found some more rust (Surprise!) and although its nothing major it will have to be repaired before the car can be club registered.
I have flushed the brake lines the old fashioned way and bled the system on all 4 corners, it also looks like the brakes were done not long before the car was parked up as the lines and hoses are in mint condition despite the age of the car.
I have also been driving the car around the farm a bit to exercise the suspension and see what shakes loose and had a good look underneath yesterday and she all seems pretty tight.
The farm tracks are quite solid and made of railway ballast/bluemetal rock with sanded sections but as they are farm tracks they exercise the suspension quite well at low speed and can test it to its limits of articulation so i figured that if anything was going to let go it would show up here.
I have to say that the rear end being sprung instead of hydraulic is quite noticeable but it also makes the car feel more capable off road and taking the rear overhang into account she does quite well.
It's unfortunate about the 450 getting dragged out of the garage following the 280S leaving its position. It was only ever able to know one signal or another, but had problems knowing both at the same time.
In other news, Ray Bradbury prepared his crematorium for a new Courtesy Notice on yellow but not blue and red paper. It is starting to see an uptich in Der Spiegel.
Well Adam im sure you will be pleased to know that 2 of the 3 bays in my Garage are occupied by W116's...
The 280S lays dormant awaiting parts and the Green SEL has pride of place in the middle of the floor.
Today I tackled a few issues including cleaning out the sunroof channels of rust flakes with my adapted vaccy suck crevice tool and another adaptor that sucks the drainage tubes clean.
It was suggested to me that I should blow the tubes clean but I have found that its usually safer to retreive stuff the way it went in and considering the near cyclonic 2 dollar crack whore suction my device was producing I went that way.
today also saw me spend a few hours cleaning glass and chrome and the windows are now spotless for the first time since I have owned this car, a voyage of discovery that led me to some grief as there is welding splatter on the right rear 1/4 glass but the job was made easy with my secret mix of Cloudy amonia, Water and Metho (Ethanol) which pretty much disolves grease, Nicotein and Armourall and then wipes dry leaving a streak free finish if you get the Ethanol/Metho quota correct.
You DO have to be careful around anodised aluminum trim as it strips the coating and im playing with cloudy ammonia and spare trim tomorrow in a vain attempt to find a slack way of de clouding trim.
I also brushed up the felt (Felt up?) bailey channel seals with a soft toothbrush attached to an old telescopic car aerial section and then hit the channel with WD40 Roller Door lube which makes fast glass fast again.
Went for a test run and noted a slight rumble from the front end so the bearings are on my hit list for tomorrow, I love the design of these things and suspect that removing the outer for inspection will tell me a story with the result being repack and re tension or replace.
I will also be replacing the MPS with a unit I have that is in good working order, I did a quick test on the unit in situ today the the existing one doesnt hold vacuum very well (I did the tongue test, suck on the end of some clean vac hose attached to the MPS and then seal the end of the hose with your tongue, if it doesnt hold for a count of 5 then the thing is leaking too much).
A quick blat to grab the kids from school without the air filter in place blew out any remaining cobwebs and by the end of tomorrow I should have put a few hundred km on the old girl before she goes back into the garage for some fine tuning, tweaks and a steering box swap.
As they are such a pain in the arse to get to I called my trusty mobile mechanic in to adjust the steering box (Hehe) and he dutifully tells me the box is out of adjustment and then quickly hands me the bill.
Fortunately I have 2 good spare boxes and because they weigh a ton Phil the trusty Mech gets to fit em, I suspect I will have to lure him here with the pretext of an oil change and Cam belt on the Volvo and then spring the box on him when he is under the car.
Ah! I almost forgot.
Does anyone have a diagram that shows what the lube points are on a sunroof?
Hi Tony WGB posted about this in the past apparently there is a lubricant available it is made of Unobtaniam Mb want over $200 for a tin or with a bit of horse trading i believe WGB got it for under $60 . Or you could just contact the agent for Webasto in Australia and find out what the recomend you use as they made the original sunroofs fitted. http://www.webasto.com.au/home/ena/html/homepage.html . Geoff :)
Unobtainium lol
Yeah im guessing its lithium grease or similar but im thinking after having another look just before im thinking a new set of weather seals and felt pads might not be a bad idea.
Sadly after the respray the underside of the sunroof at the front corners rusted due to condensation and id say that Alex the former owner didn't use the roof much so at some stage im going to have to do some tin work or find a replacement lid and im guessing its sunroof reco time about then.
I also went for a 40 km round trip to visit my darling wife who is in Hospital for a bit of day surgery that turned into late afternoon surgery and she didn't miss a beat and ran well.
I did have a worried moment listening to the intake until I realised id not put the air cleaner back on and then had some fun with induction roar although it was short lived as the old girl quickly hit 100 Kph even pulling hard up steep grades.
Getting closer to the half tank mark now too so time to top up the tank and get an economy figure.....
Stay tuned!
I use Vaseline to lube the sunroof tracks and it's far cheaper than unobtainium!!!! ;) And much cleaner than lithium (or any other) grease....
I have a few large pots of Vas handy, used to have to pack holden oil pumps with the stuff to get the bastards to prime after rebuilding the V8's.
Well im renaming the Green SEL "Val" because not unlike the Exxon Valdese it dumped a shit load of oil on the garage floor today when I started her this morning and looking at the spray patterns its a busted oil line......
Its a bugger because I have a nice Series 1 Jag here with magic smoke issues and it looks like im working on the far side of the garage walking around a sand covered oil slick and an inert lump of benz.
Fortunately I have a Volvo for backup.
The carnage...........
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG381_zpsb2bed9c0-1.jpg)
But wait.... Theres more!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG376_zps331b6e61.jpg)
And yes I know the oil is black, its Shell Rimula X which is a high detergent Diesel engine oil.
The oil is 6 months old and has maybe 600 km use and I use it in recent aquisitions to decarbon the engine.
Id say its working well no?
this time around she gets a gutfull of Nulon 15w40 for a tank or 2 and then im not sure what next, it depends on the engine condition after its lil oil spill
Wow that's some oil leak!!! I don't have sand, so to me that = lots of rags!
Ahhh well rule number 1 for me is always have a cubic meter of Packing sand handy and a few cheapy bags of kitty litter.
The oil has now well and truly soaked into the sand and bled through in patched which copped another shovel full.
Once I have fixed the oil line leak to the cooler and the car drives again I will back the car off the sand and hit the sand with a strong mix of caustic parts cleaner which will break the oil down and further mix it into the sand and then a day later I can shovel the whole lot up into my 6 x 4 trailer with a black plastic liner for its final trip to the contaminated soil disposal at the local tip or I can add it to my driveway and fill some holes.
All part and parcel of having run a few repair shops with trade assistants who forget shit like sump plugs when doing client car services, And yes this guy forgot more than once.
Sadly my garage floor isnt painted with epoxy so the stains will live on.
Just a few test piccies from my album
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41733-3/IMG328.jpg) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/garage/tony66au/IMG328.jpg/)
and
Double chock
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41737-3/IMG329.jpg) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/garage/tony66au/IMG329.jpg/)
Yes, I have wondered about those oil cooler hoses. Was there some sort of external damage, or did it seem to just rupture of its own accord?
That is a lot of oil indeed.
Tim
Umm well on close inspection with a megawatt halogen it seems the hose has been cut and rejoined using a piece of pipe and 2 hose clamps........................
Maybe ok had the end of the joiner been knurled or flared and if the wormdrive clamps had been doubled and of a better quality but the ose is a high pressure crimped jobby to begin with to cope with the 50 plus PSI (3 bar plus) pressure to the cooler.
The previous owner said he had effected a repair after a front end failure but I thought it was under the car and didnt pay much attention to it.
I can now say with confidence that im paying attention to it, Lots of attention.
My fault for not picking it up I guess and once again you live and learn.
The Culprit...
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41744-3/IMG388+-+Copy.jpg) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/garage/tony66au/IMG388+-+Copy.jpg/)
Or if you feel like squinting.........
(http://gallery.w116.org/dl/41747-3/IMG388.jpg) (http://gallery.w116.org/v/garage/tony66au/IMG388.jpg/)
I'm squinting but I can't see anything!! ???
Quote from: oversize on 10 December 2012, 03:29 AM
I'm squinting but I can't see anything!! ???
Can you see the pics Mark?
I realised that perhaps i had shorted you guys on pics of my toys.
The Evil Twins........
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/b38955c2.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/1d97d214.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/f5ee330a.jpg)
Yes the Silver Rangie is being parted out, mainly because of the extortionate rates charged for 2nd hand Range Rover parts and because the Silver girl is pretty clapped out.
The alloy 225 cubic inch V8 is well below 80 psi on most slugs and has given us 11 years faithful service despite being constantly flogged and abused, the 3 speed Chrysler Torqueflite Auto has hauled car trailers, stumps, Horse floats with a few ton of horse and dragged a 5 ton machinery plant float 600 km with little complaint.
Breakages have been minimal and usually due to extreme abuse and yet she has persevered with little more than a pat on the dash and a "Good girl" after a workout.
Mods? Not really.
Swapped the twin Zeniths for a Carter 2bbl early on, uprated the alternator to a Bosch 120amp unit to deal better with the factory twin battery setup and I replaced the front end and cabin loom with a new custom unit I made because the old loom had so many scotchloks and breaks from accessories that I just started again from scratch.
I also did the heads, added hardened valve seats because she had a blown gasket when I bought her.
For an Auto she spent most of her life being manual shifted because the auto is way too big for the lack of power the 3.5's suffer from and this actually did make her get up and boogie a bit more than usual and was great for mud drifting at speed which I did a fair whack of in years gone by and surprisingly for a V8 this old girl made power to nearly 6000 rpm and really only started working between 4000 and 6000.
So now she is a TowJoe, permanently in low range with bits missing everywhere and other vital bits substituted for the busted bits taken to make the black Rangie roadworthy (Steering box et al).
Weirdly neither of these old girls leak oil or suffer electrical problems and hav yet to live down to their reputation although they are both luddite models with hand crank glass etc juuust in case Lord Lucas, Prince of Darkness should feel the need to strike.
Ofcourse keeping some of this handy helps with reliability.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/623ad3cf.jpg)
Back to Mercs..........
My W124 230TE got popped away so I didnt take to it with things large and heavy because after spending a lot of time and money on her I found that id have to spend more time and money on her so it was off to the norty corner.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/e8afe0d9.jpg)
Does anyone have a copy of the EPC for the entire rear end of a 1987 W124 230TE.
So far I have replaced both rear wheel bearings (Huge suckers they are too), fitted new SLS pods, refurbished the leveling valve, replaced the flex discs and I have the front set of rear X member chassis mounts and will be replacing them and the rears when I drop the bum out.
My Problem is that there seem to be shim sleeves in the carrier for the rear wheel hub where the bearing presses in and somewhere along the line one has gone missing or slipped out.
I didnt do the side thats stuffed/missing the shim but I either need another shim or 2nd hand parts to make the right rear good again and sadly the missing shim has dragged the whole rear X member sideways and buggered the mounts.
New is fine hence my needing the EPC so I know what to order and im guessing that the rear axle assy is unique to the W124 wagons with SLS setup.
The renewed interest is due to slight nagging from Jenna and my annoyance has faded to the stage where im no longer likely to swear the air blue at the sight of the car.
Cheers,
Tony
While im posting I thought id show the massive bearings.
Some of you may have read my occasional rants on parts pricing disparity...
This is what a nearly $900 bearing looks like.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/a713c366.jpg)
Just as well it ended up costing around $130.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/16a66976.jpg)
Still thats a huge FAG, twin row and heavy as hell
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/77dbe54c.jpg)
Add a set of these
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/IMG019.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/IMG020.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/IMG018.jpg)
And the dollars start piling up, No piccies of the new mandrel bent steel hydraulic pipes and the rebuilt SLS valve and its not hard to drop $700 - $800 on the suspension, another $400 on Bearings, a bit more for the front bearings and more for assorted mounts and consumables so I am well into the $2000 range on this Wagon and it is a nice thing when its going.
So we persevere.
Something else I need is the coupling for the throttle cable.
When I got the car it was wired in place badly and the lack of adjustability affects the kickdown on the Auto which I have adjusted as best I can.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/W124/789b8ffb.jpg)
All in all the engine is now well degreased and far cleaner than it has been in a while, I have repaired and replaced numerous bits and pieces and all in all most of the niggly things are sorted.
The first thing I did was grab a tuneup kit compliments of Shane at Bits for Benz which had filters, plugs, leads, Dizzy bits etc and I just want to finish this girl and drive her again.
Dont get me wrong, I love my 740 Wagon but it is my Wifes car after all and im sick of swapping in and out baby seats and like to carry basic tools in my daily which I cant do in the volvo because it takes up shopping room etc lol.
So yet another Car on the Slab in the Lab/Garage.
Back to Non Benz toys for a sec and this is more for the Non Aussie members of The Org not so familiar with Aussie Chrysler/Dodge's.
I had a few ask me about the last car on my Signature line "White 1971 Chrysler Valiant ute".
Simply its a Mopar body based on the 60's Plymouths and Compact Dodges like the Dart, sheet metal is similar and the floorpan and underpinnings are the same.
They also shared transmissions and the 225 Slant 6 until 1971 when they got an all Aussie 245 cube straight 6 and a year or so later the 265 Cube six.
Marketed as the Hemi 6 it is a Semi Hemispherical chamber at best but it is still known as the Hemi 6.
And it looks like this....
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG%20Ute/Photo1135.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG%20Ute/Photo1138.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG%20Ute/SAM_0411.jpg)
And a few more
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG%20Ute/SAM_0417.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG%20Ute/SAM_0408.jpg)
The Sedans are more recognisable to US Members.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG/Picture022.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG/87927f8b.jpg)
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/VG/61ede5cf.jpg)
Both the Sedan and the Utility (SUV) are due to be hauled into the light again for their annual wash and clean up now the warmer weather is here and I should take some more flattering pics of the Sedan this year.
Sorry is I have strayed off topic a bit but I felt it was probably of interest to some of you and Chrysler and Daimler Benz do have some history considering the 300C platform is W140 S class and the CJD lineup has more than ever a strong Mercedes DNA in many areas.
Quote from: Tony66_au on 14 December 2012, 04:41 AM
Does anyone have a copy of the EPC for the entire rear end of a 1987 W124 230TE.
So far I have replaced both rear wheel bearings (Huge suckers they are too), fitted new SLS pods, refurbished the leveling valve, replaced the flex discs and I have the front set of rear X member chassis mounts and will be replacing them and the rears when I drop the bum out.
My Problem is that there seem to be shim sleeves in the carrier for the rear wheel hub where the bearing presses in and somewhere along the line one has gone missing or slipped out.
I didnt do the side thats stuffed/missing the shim but I either need another shim or 2nd hand parts to make the right rear good again and sadly the missing shim has dragged the whole rear X member sideways and buggered the mounts.
New is fine hence my needing the EPC so I know what to order and im guessing that the rear axle assy is unique to the W124 wagons with SLS setup.
The renewed interest is due to slight nagging from Jenna and my annoyance has faded to the stage where im no longer likely to swear the air blue at the sight of the car.
Cheers,
Tony
PM me the VIN and I'll post the exploded view of whatever you may need.
But no sooner that tomorrow late or Sunday...
Anything else in EPC of your interest?
WOW someone has some spare time! ;) I still can't see those earlier pix Tony!
Gallery permissions mate, I have to go look at that later but I thought I set it to registered members and admin.
Maybe not eh?
Photobucket pic for ya Mark.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG388_zpsb8adf7ba.jpg)
Massive spring clean today saw me moving cars all over the place.
Over Winter my front paddock has been slowly filling with crap and cars which got to the stage a while ago where I decided to have a cull and scrap a few.
Instead I moved them about and hid a few behind my barn including an old Daily driver Im hanging on to because its just too good to junk.
One of my boys has collected a few as well and got rid of 2 today keeping his 245 Volvo and the Ford Mondeo I bought him for when he gets his License.
Back to my old daily,
A Ford Fairmont Ghia (All the fruit minus the long wheel base)
4.0 inline 6 cylinder.
Amazingly after not running for 3 years after being parked with a blown head (Compression into coolant) I dropped a new battery into her, turned the key and cranked with the coil lead off for a moment or 2 and then coil attached she fired and idled at 700 RPM as if id driven her this morning.
Sat the auto in Neutal to get the pump going and after a moment or 2 selected all gears no probs and backed her out of the 3 inch deep ruts she had sunk into and drove her around for 5 mins before popping her off to one side for a bit more attention and a wash.
A frikkin mazing.....
A piccie
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c35/tony66_au/Merc/IMG403_zpsd8200bef.jpg)
Oops