News:

The ORG - No shonky business!

Main Menu

My Cars Or.. An extended Intro

Started by Tony66_au, 28 June 2012, 07:19 AM

Tony66_au

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.

Tony66_au

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.

Tony66_au

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............




Tony66_au

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.

Tony66_au

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

TJ 450

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
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

Kjhall65

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

Big_Richard

#22
.

Tony66_au

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.

Tony66_au

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.

Tony66_au

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.

Tony66_au

Thought id post my inspiration pics, This car is from a guy in Siberia from memory who goes by Sergeich.




Big_Richard

#27
.

Tony66_au

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.


Tony66_au

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