Have a look at the Retropower 350SE restoration:
https://retropower.net/2018/02/05/mercedes-w116-350se-restoration/ (https://retropower.net/2018/02/05/mercedes-w116-350se-restoration/)
its amazing what money can do. I would love to be able to do that but I would drive it not encase it. That resto makes it virtually a new car and good for another 40+ years over here at least.
Good to see someone else mad enough to undertake this kind of project, and going the right way about it. It'd be nice to see it on the road again too.
great effort, and for the 350se!
having just done my engine bay, one frustration is not being able to come up with a substitute for that firewall deadening material. in this case they didnt put anything back on - not sure how much noise difference it really makes. I left mine on as didnt want to take it off and have nothing back on.
the one simple thing overlooked, why the black expansion tank? just fit the newer 126 one for 50 bucks thats white clear, much better looking.
I rememeber seeing this one a few months ago when they just had the shell painted, nice to see how it looks like now. Nathan, I know that the early R107 came with a brass tank and the later ones with plastic ones, did the w116 already come with a plastic tank?
The black expansion tank is original. Being that the car was made in 1973, a painted brass expansion tank is correct. I installed one in my 1980.
I also tunderstand the brass tank stopped in 1975-76, and for some reason, I always find them in the old 350's, never in 280's. Did the 450's and 6.9's have them back when?
never seen a black tank, nor a brass one. really? ive wrecked a dozen 116s and come across dozens of others, and never seen either tank?
please post a pic of the brass tank if you have one.
as the 6.9s were from 75 on, the 'white' plastic only were fitted, again never seen any other variant
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AigENvsiCKqn7s493P7Xf9HLxe9mdjHL9l1FKsoQeS8o8lswkGk5U3JreSsMr7jYTqrMhUTPp0AOrhOTZ7fsXJxL0oSxrYhxYptO6u-I7FtcvACusk0K-aJMrn_SlvpGL4noRTMNH3XgX9SP79cmaXSVvWYxMDFdiRA3nTSIPFI9XSR2zzgERAY1znacAT0W-REkVrz4n26QphM5XppEWNXtAuW4c3vsyNMJxfQAqlJD745XqQX-CdUulMomUNyU3uRms3F8Q2VzzXqzo1gsFaQ0Dk51k5MmIim8ivydbEJTYfTmmmVeMUmIGd4j87xxDXloif90iAT4RVHr1ustnn68kcJetTCk6AFm6DRK4Lopw-PM33HFr4BRKtzsPxGhgqzzcMZN2F23zpKA_-NzmyFA6liR5xmkaIQuwMUvFGLtxMj9SpuhBo6FPwD-dBZ6YF2RpIhB01DLC2n-6R1yEgIePxFPKwnvds0d7vYG8pDF1vc2z6Bxjs38NUBRazF7h6ZynCFSDP5PI2xvQi_uuo-K-_dNDmVwf6agk-o_0PSTVVxPt6nhKPuQa8URwzq_aK7jPxW6XpvPcUYXYfAEvCNI-YoUvGwxR2LBiTGiMJGHbiqd9BmmCxMbbWrC_DY=w800-h600-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UyUcdvIRKdsyCTFPOuXbKdPogC50dMCwLvSmFXpy_sh3ataiQ1ybtsSutTU_OlONGhh257ifpP0DsYpnLqm6e5pdD7e9u0YR0ZWeZN_2NXCm4Y_8bMfaCLShsXuJvp6Xn8tEe78Phcdc8mSx2FhB10L7U4xE96ju59rr__s-cbiCZcwnCKDk4BKrB3k9LnnW0hjO9WOQENRGKxB0llLVxuQWq7cCdd1umG3Gw6264abB-ISGRsMPaxzItzxsOFnHfFo6swlBwI6VlHxWanxWW2iXZPK0WL1GmIiq7bACHZ70LkCeztXVTfmoK7xsdLJ3TGm-RYuNyygXsmPafeIPQJyHG611c9mYD_MZe9vnGtKKKJSvorDips9iR2p85j23WjoiAnHX7vI7SBCXSbMBqFiky-gVkYU2x5QKK6dGBAz3lJg2z4bEA8JiI0MNqEysofaM0rHV1PTfC6W_yS-xar4s5ep_cvr5EEhHPC8jJ3m04Fww2wrp48tmkVPexIzlQuaLAEzVRsPCX75CQYseaaqAwh8QAY4-KMo5pz-bE63tac12d4b1f7I7LX5NHccibIw5MxpCSYBrRCf2s7ce559IjIPHVl6qw8l-tEH9x87cD_fo80p8IT-Po7GcrAQXoxofx1zCnBcp494UUnb6o0KynWf8o6oG0v9fxBGfFkJC0MzY4C61il1g=w800-h453-no)
I liked them so much, I bought 3 of them, haha. Sometimes there's none to be found for long times, or at top dollar only. With a bit of patience you should be able to find them under 35 euros. I did.
Germans told me it's a pre-1976 350SE/SEL-only event. The are always black, but they can be polished to what you see in the pic. They were replaced because of rare leak-issues, so it will be wise to have them sent out for a little extra soldering to avoid that from happening, before installation. I will.
Certainly not on the early 450. Mine had an original and very badly discoloured plastic tank. Looked every where for a replacement but ended up using the 126 one which looks very nice and white but is a pain connecting it.
With the 350's being so abundant in Germany, that is the place to look. Use these keywords one by one or on combinations of 2-3 in your weekly search, and they should pop up soon enough, either in eBay or Willhaben or Quoka. For best results, type google.de first, and set google to German language interface. W116, Behr, Kühlwasserbehälter, Ausgleichsbehälter , messing, 1165000149.
Will look I always forget about ebay.de even though when I have looked I have usually found what I wanted. If I do find a good one does any one want a 126 expansion tank?