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My Custom 1980 300SD Project

Started by Squiggle Dog, 04 August 2010, 08:15 PM

Squiggle Dog

Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 07 August 2010, 03:38 AM
one of these days im going to purchase a dime store 300SD and have it shipped to australia, rebuild the drive train and transplant everything into a RHD 280S chassis.
Then I'll have Australias only 300SD and in RHD!   8)

What you guys take for granted over there are just not even available here, sure, we can buy 450's for $500 but who cares, i want a 300SD  8)

The 1979 300SD I had only sold for $911USD on eBay, which translates to about $700 after eBay and PayPal fees. You should be able to find one. That would be an awesome car, a right hand drive 300SD. The 300SDs have plenty of power, long engine life, great fuel mileage, and the ability to run on biodiesel.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Big_Richard

Licensing left hand drive vehicles
Australian residents

If you are a resident of Australia and you import a left hand drive vehicle manufactured up to 15 years ago, you may need to convert the vehicle to right hand drive before it can be licensed.

However if your left hand drive vehicle is less than 4.5 tonne, and was manufactured more than 15 years ago, it may be possible to license it without the need for a right hand drive conversion. It must however be intended for personal use only.

HMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm, It looks like i wouldnt even need to do the transplant!

I know what my next toy is going to be  8)

Squiggle Dog

Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 07 August 2010, 06:26 PM
Licensing left hand drive vehicles
Australian residents

If you are a resident of Australia and you import a left hand drive vehicle manufactured up to 15 years ago, you may need to convert the vehicle to right hand drive before it can be licensed.

However if your left hand drive vehicle is less than 4.5 tonne, and was manufactured more than 15 years ago, it may be possible to license it without the need for a right hand drive conversion. It must however be intended for personal use only.

HMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm, It looks like i wouldnt even need to do the transplant!

I know what my next toy is going to be  8)

Go for it! As we all know, the W116 is the most comfortable and pleasant to drive car ever built. ;) Having one that runs forever, gets great fuel mileage, and still has ample power makes it even better.

By the way, I now have the 717 bolted up to the 617, or the 5 speed transmission bolted to the 5 cylinder engine. It fits perfectly! I just need a 300D flywheel.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Big_Richard

Please take pictures and post them on the forum ;)


We like to see pictures every step of the way.

Maybe, when im ready you can assist me in the purchase of a 300SD for shipment to Australia, but i'm not ready yet ;)

s class

Dude, I see in your haul there you got a Becker Vekerskurier VK5 control knob (the black rotary knob on the piece of zebrano).  Did that come out of a W123 or a W116?  I am trying to reinstall said equipment in my red 6.9, as it originally had this stuff.  I've got all the equipment from a W123 CE in Germany, but the woodwork differs slightly between W116 and W123. 


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

Squiggle Dog

The control knob housing is from a 1978 450SE W116.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Squiggle Dog

During the weekend I bought a set of Euro lights locally. They are in good condition other than a butchered and spliced wiring harness which I will fix later on.

I won that grille and hood ornament for $1 on eBay! I installed headrests in the $12 Pull-A-Part rear seat. The carpeting beneath the rear window is from an early W116 when they used the darker color carpet and I think it looks nicer than a sun-bleached light tan colored one the car would have had.

I drove the car around the block and it was SO nice driving (other than having to wait 5 minutes before the car would move and then another 5 minutes until the transmission would shift into third gear).

I really like these 6.9 bumpers. Next on my list is to replace the rubber flex discs and convert the power windows to manual. I can't wait until I can afford to license and drive it!


Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

MB_Mike

Squigg, I really admire your ability to do these cars on such a tight budget. It shows so much more fortitude than some buying their way into high cost restos or big dollar new cars. Congrats on the finds and big congrats on the 5-speed! I can't even pull 5 steel wheels off a 116 at the jy without looking like an idiot and you walk out with a manual trans and all the extra bits!!

Keep up the awesome work and keep posting!
1987 Home market 560 SEL

Squiggle Dog

It's nice to hear feedback from others. I'm plugging away a little at a time.

The part that scares me the most is the paint job. I plan on stripping the car and doing as much prep work as I can when the time comes, but even then it will probably cost over $2,000 to have it sprayed well enough to not look like a cheap repaint. I'm not sure how I am going to come up with that kind of money.

When the time comes I am going to have it painted (or spray it myself in a booth) in single stage paint so I don't have peeling clearcoat to worry about. It will be painted back to the original color of Walnut Brown with added Colorado Beige from the middle of the doors down and matching beige pinstriping on the brown paint. The interior will be two tone tan with brown accents to match. I wonder if World Upholstery would make a new set of skins in two-tone...
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Martin 280s

Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 06 August 2010, 10:13 PM
Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 06 August 2010, 10:03 PM
a 5 speed w116 would be absolutely awesome, i don't know what your waiting for, id do it no questions asked!  :o

True, and I think I got a good deal on the transmission. ;) The automatic in there now takes over 5 minutes of running before it will move the car and it shifts late until it warms up. There's another excuse to do the swap. ;D I bet it would be the only 5 speed 300SD in the world.

Check the ratios in the gearbox. From what I understand the 5-speed offers no real benefit over the 4-speed and the 5th gear is the same. BTW, won't you have to change the diff too?

Squiggle Dog

Quote from: Martin 280s on 02 September 2010, 05:59 AM
Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 06 August 2010, 10:13 PM
Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 06 August 2010, 10:03 PM
a 5 speed w116 would be absolutely awesome, i don't know what your waiting for, id do it no questions asked!  :o

True, and I think I got a good deal on the transmission. ;) The automatic in there now takes over 5 minutes of running before it will move the car and it shifts late until it warms up. There's another excuse to do the swap. ;D I bet it would be the only 5 speed 300SD in the world.

Check the ratios in the gearbox. From what I understand the 5-speed offers no real benefit over the 4-speed and the 5th gear is the same. BTW, won't you have to change the diff too?

1st=3.82 2nd=2.20 3rd=1.40 4th=1.00 5th=0.81 R=3.71 5th is an overdrive gear. I don't know if I will need to change the rear axle or not.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Squiggle Dog

I got a set of used flex discs and one of them was good enough to replace the really bad one at the differential. The one at the transmission looks okay for now, but I'll want to get new ones when I can afford it.

I installed one of the manual window regulators in the driver door. The glass was having a very hard time moving in the tracks, which puzzled me. This must be why the electric regulator shattered. I ended up discovering that the aluminum post that the window slides on was not only bowed, but bent sideways! After replacing the post the window moved freely. I also installed one of the door glass pieces that I have with the Blaupunkt coded decal (I will be installing a Blaupunkt Bahamas CD player, so it will coordinate). I installed a center console wood that was not made with window switches since I won't need them anymore.

You can see that the front seats are trashed. The springs are flattened and the skins are torn. It is not at all comfortable. Speaking of seats, I will be installing front and rear heated seat parts. I installed the B-pillars that have the pods with the switches on them. The switches have a low and high heat setting.

The switches for the front seats are meant to be mounted in the console wood, so this means I will need to very carefully cut some holes in it. Looking at the back of the console wood I can see one square hole in the plastic backing through which I can see where the hole would be punched out for the seat heater switch to go. I do not see one on the other side, but maybe there is a "punch-out" in the wood behind the plastic backing. Looking at the console piece the seat heater switches came from, it appears the holes were made by drilling a hole at each corner then "connecting the dots" by cutting between them and making a square. I will be very, very nervous to make the holes for the seat heater switches!

I know that the W126 and later sedans use relay modules for the seat heaters and I am trying to figure out if the W116 uses them or if the switches do everything. I think I have all of the parts I need for the conversion. The heat pads I've got are actually from a W126 and instead of being square are separate strips that are supposed to be fit in the pleated part of the seat, between the padding strips and the leather/vinyl skin itself.

Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Squiggle Dog

I got the back seat at Pull-A-Part for $12 to replace the blue W123 seat that was in it. I added the headrests. It looks like someone had it reupholstered in generic (but matching) vinyl while leaving the leather armrest section untouched. It's very interesting.

I added a third brake light but it's not been wired or even screwed in yet.

I took apart the front seat and replaced the lower pan, springs, and pads that I got for a few dollars at Pull-A-Part. They looked like they were brand new! I had a spare bottom seat skin that was in better shape than what the car came with.

I installed the W126 seat heaters in the seat. They didn't fit like they are meant to because the heat pads have seven strips and my seat has 6 pleats, but I got them to lay flat and they cover about the same area. When I have the money to get new seat skins I'll probably buy new heat pads.

I replaced the section of foam in the seat back where it was worn and then cut the edges of the torn vinyl skin a bit neater. I stuck another piece of vinyl behind it and will probably use a soldering iron to melt the edges together to join the patched piece to the skin itself. I also replaced the panel that holds the netting.

I put the seat back in the car and sat in it to find that my head was touching the roof! I adjusted the seat so it was lower and it's about right. The seat is now very comfortable and very firm. I now know what a brand new W116 seat feels like. I will do the same thing to the passenger seat. I plan on this getting me by until I can have new seat skins made for all seats.

Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Necrosis

It always seems like w116 interiors more often then not stay nice and decent...

Big_Richard

That is one unique looking back seat!

I cant help but feel there would be zero friction offered, and the first corner you took with passengers in the rear with no seatbelts on, theyd be sliding all over the place  8)