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My first W116 here at last

Started by gavin116, 10 April 2011, 01:54 PM

gavin116

Hi S-Class,
Thanks for the comment.  It really does look good, I can see where my money has gone.  The car did have 'good bones' to start with, rust in the inner wheel arches all round, LHS boot tub, and around the front slam panel.  Surface rust in the engine compartment and leading edge of the bonnet.  All the panels are original and not only rust free, but accident free too!  I did change the driver's door, as there was a kink in the window frame (I'm a bit OCD...) which would have always showed.  I changed the bonnet to the 300SD aluminium type to help improve weight, sadly the boot lid was not in spec for this car.  There was only one repair to a jacking point previous, so the sills are original too (checked with a borescope and confirmed rust free)!  I'm very happy so far with the results.


Lucas, yep, it's very difficult sticking to my planned restoration.  I think your way was the easier path to follow.  Total rebuild, no compromise, so you  probably had a good idea of your spend from the beginning.  For me, as I am doing a light restoration, I have had to make several compromises, but where needed I have bought new parts, for example, rear mid bumper section, or A-pilar aluminium garnishes.  In both cases, I would have like to replace all these trims in their entirety.  I have taken the restorer's advice, and where that have for instance said, you need new parts here, I have relented: like door rubbing strips, the new black and chrome should 'pop-out-' against the new Classic White. 


Even so it's just so difficult sticking to the budget, and one has to draw the line somewhere.  Like you, I do it because I love the car!  Don't obsess too much about the budget, our cars are like kids: somehow you afford them, but if you tried to 'save-up' till you could afford them, then humanity would have died out long ago.


Enjoy 116ing
;D
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

floyd111


Hotbasco

Did you have to modify the dash any to accept the Becker newer GRAND PRIX unit? My GP radio has slides on the side to slide into the SL dash...

Our W116 has an aftermarket BLAUPUNKT from Germany. I own a GRAND PRIX head unit from a late 80's SL. Was the sound quality and operation worth the effort to replace your older radio?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

For review of our car:
http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/library/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver
or
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/embed/slideshow/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver"></iframe>

gavin116

#213
Hi Hotbasco


The Becker Grand Prix 2000 model 1319 was a direct fit.  This radio looked very beautiful with my black and white interior, despite it being a little modern for the vehicle.  It dates from the early 80's.  Sound quality was reasonable. 


In reality, we should be using the radio that the Germans refer to as the washing machine knob radio (the knobs match the air-conditioner and fan switchgear reasonably closely)  That will be a Becker 300/400/500.  The sound quality is poorer still despite the inclusion of an amplifier on the top level 'Mexico'.  The earlier W116's were fitted with pinstripe Beckers, but I feel they belong in W108/9 and W113's where the switchgear matches the radio knobs exactly.


I have quite sneakily under-the-radar swapped out the Grand Prix 2000 1319 for a Becker Audio 10 (again a direct fit).  It doesn't look out of place despite being from the late 90's.  It is quite discrete, still has the quintessential cassette tape slot which lends an authentic feel.  The sound quality is very good - running Konigs at the rear and Philips at the front.  This radio runs cooler than the 1319.  I'll lake a photo next time I see the car.


The wiring is all in-situ, the aerial and trigger wire are in the radio recess, as is a brown earth wire, and a red/green power supply radio.  You will need to run some additional wiring if you want the lights to come on for example when you turn on the headlamps etc.  You will need to run your own speaker cabling though.  I recently re-did all mine, complete with protective sheathing, heatshrink, and the correct terminals.


Hope this all helps.


Keep 116'ing
;)


Gavin
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

gavin116

#214
How long is a piece of string...


Went down to see how the Benz was getting on.  Things are progressing nicely now, the glasswork is back in with all new seals, no windscreen popping (fingers crossed).  A lot of trim has been re-installed both inside and out.  The interior is almost entirely back in, including the B-pillars that were re-trimmed as the covering pulled away from the escutcheons.

The mag wheels have gone off to be refurbished (the ones in my picture are the garage stock wheels in the same vein as mine), but no one was prepared to tack the spacers on to the wheels.  So I guess they will have to sit in-between as designed, and not be integral as I wanted them.  I wonder if I need to put any anti-seize paste on the fitting surfaces?

Going to go with GoodYear tyres (efficient grip performance 225/50 R16 92W), a nice middle of the road option, I thought as I don't use the car daily, and I am weary of the tyres developing flat spots from storage (although the Hankooks on the original Bundts are perfect - a credit to the storage facility).

I really need to source some nice A-pillar aluminium trims, mine are damaged, and new ones are NLA.  PM me if you have a good scratch and milky free pair to sell.

All hollow cavities and the insides of the doors have been sprayed with M-B clear preservation wax.  We decided not to do the headlamp bowls, engine bay or the wheel arches, as the actual colour of the wax is beige (see some excess on the ramp in the 'side-on' photo).  Bumpers are also being cleaned on the inside, re-sprayed M-B beige-grey, and they'll also get the M-B preservation wax treatment.

All new side rubbing strips installed.  Fuel tank is being taken out to enable removal of the last old tow hitch bolt.  My new non-central locking lock-set has thrown up a problem:  The boot lock is of a different design, so I will need to see if we can change the physical tangs inside the lock itself.  The barrel cannot simply be swapped, as the rear is totally different.

Lots still to go, and then Mrs W still needs her service too.  Overall however, I'm a very happy chappy, pleased with the restoration so far.

I'm still awaiting the pain of the final instalment: how long is a piece of string...
:o

Keep 116'ing,
Gavin

Edit 28 Nov
P.S. you can click on the actual pictures for higher resolution images.  You can click on the little safety pins below the photos and a slightly higher res picture should pop up in a separate window.
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

floyd111

my my, that's pretty! Fantastic contrast between the glass, rubbers chrome and white paint.
Make sure you get that trim you talk of. It would be such a shame to have ugly spots in this ocean of beauty.
BTW..it is possible to have aluminum chromed. It's a different process from anodizing. I have had it done to Ohlins shocks for my Honda Aero. It's just not as hard as hard-anodizing. (Just in case you can't find your trim.)
You may also let me have the trim part numbers you need. I am dealing with 3 NOS suppliers at the moment, and I may have a few pieces too many on order. At this point, I just buy all the NOS trim I can get my hands on, in no way worried to get stuck with it later on.

gavin116

#216
Hi Floyd

I'm in love with Mrs W too!  The problem is now that everything is looking almost new again, there are a few items that let the car down.  I was speaking with my project manager about replacement parts and quote, un-quote " there's a person in Malaysia that's buying up all the 116 stock"  I'm sure meaning you and Taiwan.  ;)

Stuart (my project manager) did show me some re-chroming that they had done for a R107 hard-top.  The problem is the process is different to anodising, and the chroming process is actually nickel plating if I understand the process correctly.  This leaves the 'chromed' pieces a blueish grey colour as opposed to our original whitish silver finish.  For it to fit in, the rest of the roof and C-pillar trim would need to be redone too.

I have some part numbers: 116 698 05 89 and 116 698 06 89.  If you do have any to spare, I'd be delighted to reach an understanding with you. (Or anyone else on the forum.)

I really cannot wait to get the car back.  Too bad its inaugural trip will be on the back of a covered flat bed to storage...  But hey, come summer, and we'll be off to the Continent, hopefully higher up the Mosel valley on another wine run, failing which, a trip to France.

I might chat with our local M-B dealership to see if they want to host my car for a few weeks in their showroom in the earlier part of the year, a side-by-side S-Class promotional thing.  We'll see.
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

floyd111

yeah, that would be me, I guess, haha. I got nothing else to do and nobody else to @#* with.
Still, any surplus stuff will find its way back to the org at bottom pricing. I am not starting a warehouse.

I am expecting most of the pallets with NOS stuff to arrive here within the next 8 weeks, depending on country of origin and transport MO. Right now I have lost track good'n proper about what I bought, with several new deals pending.
If you give it a bit of time, I will have inventoried the lot, and by then I will know.
I will already post other NOS lists very soon, be it that there will be few mouldings on there for now, but I would imagine you still need a lot of other stuff as well.
In the meantime I will see where I can get you better answers on those 2 part numbers. 

floyd111

I see both of them still available from MB, 91 euros each ex VAT.
I bought a few NOS, but only 15% cheaper.

gavin116

#219
In the starting blocks

I went down to do a further inspection today.  We're getting there, almost all done now.  The engine bay is all back together, the new W126 fan looks like it lived in there all its life.  The new aluminium bonnet (hood) is so different to the old sheet metal one, I'll have to tell the guys in storage not to push on the panel itself, but rather on the grille shell to close it.  I will fashion some proper cold air intake ducting over the summer.

The front windows are a pain in the (I).  New plastic sliders have been ordered, but the felt covered window channel rubbers have cracked.  I'm guessing they're probably NLA.  This is causing the windows to twist as they close.  Also see the picture of the inside door cavity, complete with new sound deadening pad and wax (this was the only door I replaced).

Quote from: Hotbasco on 03 November 2015, 12:07 PMDid you have to modify the dash any to accept the Becker newer GRAND PRIX unit? My GP radio has slides on the side to slide into the SL dash...

Our W116 has an aftermarket BLAUPUNKT from Germany. I own a GRAND PRIX head unit from a late 80's SL. Was the sound quality and operation worth the effort to replace your older radio?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

For review of our car:
http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/library/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver
or
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s902.photobucket.com/user/mariottimichael/embed/slideshow/450SEL%20Euro%20Driver"></iframe>


I took a picture of the new stereo to show Hotbasco the current set up.  You can also see my refinished rear parcel shelf, the wood backing was replaced leaving a nice smooth even surface.

The new rims and tyres are on the car, I like the look, but not for the purists I suppose.  Also take a look at the spare rim I had done just in case.

Still need to do something with the locks, they're being sent off to Belgium.  The steering wheel is going in next week as well as one or two other bits 'n pieces.

Harv, I've included a picture of the new screen and seal (the 'lip' has been tucked under).  These guys have removed my windscreen twice, once to pull the sunroof, and now for the resto.  I have a small chip near the drivers side, and lucky no cracks, although I did loose both windscreen trims (left and right side/top pieces) after the sunroof, hopefully not this time though. ;D

Till next year, unless I spot another W116 in Auckland...

Gavin
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

daantjie

Nice 600 in the background there!
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

gavin116

#221
Concentrate on the foreground ::) 

Quote from: daantjie on 18 December 2015, 10:45 AM
Nice 600 in the background there!


Edit: Here's two three more pictures that couldn't attach in the last post because of maximum size issues. (And another 600...)
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

ptashek

The channels were available about 3-4 months ago. Things might have changed.
There's a company in the US, if memory serves, that makes custom ones and takes small quantity orders.
I'll post a link if I can find it.

Is there a reason why they haven't sprayed the door all-over? That light overspray, instead of a proper coat, looks like future rust trouble.

She's looking great. Especially all that chrome trim.

BTW: What are you using for cavity spraying? I've gone for the stuff made by Mike Sanders. It beat all the competition (bar one) hands down in a long-term 5-year test made by Autobild in Germany.

1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

gavin116

Hi Lucasz

Great news about the window channels.  Hope they're still in stock.  It's quite amazing how all the rubber deteriorates.

In answer to the door, the new M-B supplied door comes with an e-coat already applied.  The outside skin, window frame and periphery are all treated to primer, undercoat etc.  That door is sprayed near enough like the original form the factory, including the other doors.  I should imagine not doing a full paint of the inner skin save heaps of paint in the long run (= more money saved for M-B).  I don't think it poses any future rust problems.  If you look at the sunroof refurb post, you'll note too how M-B did similar in the foot wells and the inner roof surface.

I have went with the generic M-B supplied cavity wax, available in clear (beige actually) or tinted (toffee coloured) finish.  Its been applied to all cavities, under the car, and behind all bumpers.

Perhaps this summer we'll need to get our act together and get the ol' girls to meet one another once they're all done.

Keep 116'ing
;)
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

ptashek

Quote from: gavin116 on 18 December 2015, 12:18 PM
In answer to the door, the new M-B supplied door comes with an e-coat already applied.

The question was prompted by what I was told by some of the KTL (e-coat) vendors when researching this for my project. Apparently the coating has a tendency to oxidise quite rapidly (6+ months) if exposed. They have mostly talked about UV light, which is pretty obvious, but also mentioned humidity as a factor. The way to say if it's oxidising is to watch for milky discolouring that is easy to scrub off with your finger.

QuotePerhaps this summer we'll need to get our act together and get the ol' girls to meet one another once they're all done.

If mine's ready by then, and time permitting, sure thing. I think there's a big enough group here to call for a proper Org meeting.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE