280CE Restoration -W114

[Iceviolet]

Hello, I am going to be attempting to restore a 1973 280CE. This will be my first full-on restoration project.

The main goal of the project is to end up with a solid and reliable everyday classic, finished to a high standard. I am not chasing perfection or trying to restore the car to win any concourse events. I simply want a good looking, well maintained, usable classic that can be driven!

My background is mechanical engineering and I am sound with the mechanical aspects of restoration and have experience of engine swaps etc. However I have never attempted bodywork or chassis restorations before on any scale. A few small patch repair jobs here and there but nothing major. So my main ambitions for the project are to develop my skills and become competent at repairing/making /welding sheet metal body panels and preparing the body work for paint and finishing. Time will tell!

I have made a start, but progress has been slow and most likely will be going forward as I have a 6 month old now in the equation and the missus has only just started to allow me back to my man cave for a few hours!
I plan to keep it as original as possible but I do want to change the colour of the car.
Also I cant decide whether or not to keep the D-Jet or go for a more modern system like Megasquirt. I need to look more into the pros and cons for this.
A few progress shots so far:

 

[Charles Morgan]

My 114 project thread covers an awful lot of stuff, in a very rambling fashion, so hopefully it will help.

Good luck!

 

[Iceviolet]

My 114 project thread covers an awful lot of stuff, in a very rambling fashion, so hopefully it will help.

Good luck!

Thanks, I think I will need it too!
I have read most of your thread and it has already helped me out with some things. The most recent pictures of your restoration are very inspiring!

 

[Charles Morgan]

Would it be rude to ask for your first name Iceviolet, it helps I think to get conversations flow better.

You have a huge job there, and while I think it admirable you intend to do as much as possible, there is an immense amount of bodywork to do. I would suggest you choose your fights carefully as my worry is the scale of your task might overwhelm. If the engine is running well, leave a MS conversion to another day. I thought about conversion to auto, and a V8 conversion, and in the end concluded I could be thinking about them til doomsday as the task just became too big. When I've finished mine, I might at a later date revisit some bits, but I might also just lump it!

On bodywork, doing paint prep is very skilled. If you want the car looking good after painting, give it to the pros to do. I bought a car once with an amateur paint job, and as the mechanical condition progressed, so the paintwork became ever more vexing. Welding and patching is very skilled but when hidden it doesn't have to be to very high aesthetic standards.

 

[Bellow]

There's no arguing with CM's posts but for one thing - welding. I learned (taught myself) MIG welding patching the floor and sills of my W123. Practice makes perfect - simple as that. You will save a packet of money if you can do it yourself - just do not - under any circumstance attempt to weld to rusty metal! For the 'patches' - crib from how a dressmaker works. That'll be templates cut from card then transferred to steel. If you are not in the humour for ordering an 8' x 4' sheet of steel - cut up old fridges, freezers, cookers, etc. There are loads of welding tutorial videos on You-Tube to help you with the settings (wire speed, current, gas rate) and the existence of Hobbyweld means gas can be obtained without the grief of old.
Good luck - and don't forget, the knowledge of the forum members is just an ask away.

 

[grober]

"Document" everything! With todays digital camera imagery its no longer a chore and no limit on the number of images- only thing I would recommend would be organise your photos into suitably titled subdirectories so they are readily retrievable. heater plenum, nearside inner wing, front subframemounts etc. The reason is that these restorations take a long time such that the orientation and purpose of that small bracket might be blindingly obvious for next few weeks but in 18 months time might be a different story!
Preserve all the chrome trim with a passion as its often this that's impossible to source now.
Otherwise having lots of room to leave the car and its associated bits "as and when" you get fed up of it is pretty essential.
Pace yourself because its when you are tired and rush things you will make mistakes.
There will be moments when you may well feel overwhelmed by the task you have undertaken and then its going to be down to sheer determination and maintaining that vision of how the car will turn out finally.
I wish you luck.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Good for you and great seeing another restoration project on here. Have you a budget?

 

[Iceviolet]

Charles, My name is Sam. You are right about picking my battles carefully. If I do need help then I am not too stubborn to ask for it. The rot is extensive and some might think the car is past saving, but I think it is definitely worth saving!
I want to get it to a stage that a body shop can take over and final prep the car and paint it. With respect to the megasquirt, you make sense also, this can be re-visited if required. The main concern with the D-Jet is the cost of spares and maintaining it.

I have started a photo diary to help with the rebuild. Good tip on dedicated folders!
The pace of the project will be definitely steady, I do not want to lose interest and get fed up, as that is what kills most projects! I also want to do a good job and not cut corners! If a jobs worth doing………..

Budget! Being a Yorkshireman, the budget is required to be as small as possible!! However with the majority of work being done by myself, refurbishing parts instead of simply replacing them I am expecting to spend in the region of £10k - £15k by the time I am finished! Is this realistic? Charles may be able to shed some light on this in the near future.

Thanks for the responses, I will try and update on any progress as it happens!
Sam

 

[sherco450]

l started my 1969 w114 250ce about 5 years ago with similar rust.. they really do suffer from the dreaded stuff. l haven't touch the project in 3 year now thou the rust cut out and the bituminous coating to the inner door skins and floor pans have held up..the bottom seals need to be re worked as rust bubbles have re appeared.. They are a rare car her in Oz and hopefully my gun metal grey coupe will be finished one day.. Best of luck

 

[brucemillar]

I am liking the colour. Do you plan on staying original with that? Welcome and good luck. This is a great forum for the help you will need. My almost restored 4Matic. Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Charles Morgan]

Budget - I think if you don't need lots of interior and external trim and do most of the work yourself, you ought to be able to do it under the upper part of your budget. I needed a new interior in totality and I don't trust myself to do much mechanically, so while I really really don't want to know what mine has cost, I think by the time it's done, it will be more than your upper budget...gulps..

Re welding, Bellow, as always is right, but my point was directed at any welding that would be visible as opposed to hidden. I've watched as Peter has fabricated numerous bits and welded them into the engine bay, then ground off the weld, seam sealed it then flatted, with filler and primer then on the car and the engine bay is absolutely pristine with no sign of any repair at all. That takes a lot of experience to do, so that was really the point I was addressing.

With the D Jet, burn that bridge when you come to it - if it's running ok, do what you need to do with the engine out to adapt it for later MS, (principally CPS) but it could add a lot of time and money to the build. Anyway, just adding my perspective, it's not infallible!

An observation, I cannot begin to thank numerous people here who have helped, online and offline, with technical and other assistance. There have been so many, but Bellow, Grober and Druk in particular have gone above and beyond. This has meant so much in being able to feel there is help out there and in some bad patches, and there have been a few, that has helped keep me focussed. As with all credits though, all faults in the build are entirely my own! (except those of professionals, with insurance...).

 

[Iceviolet]

Sherco, thanks, I am hoping mine will not take me 5 years, im thinking 2 at the most!

Bruce, I am leaning towards a colour change. The silver green is not the worst colour but I dont think it compliments the w114 as much as other colours. I do prefer the silvers and grey tones. It does suit your w124 though, very nice.

Charles, I suppose it is best not to get too tied up over the budget until the car is finished. If the car is going to be a keeper to enjoy and you are happy with the finish and all the work that has gone into the restoration then the I think it is entirely worth it!
Yes the forum here is a great source of knowledge and is a real friendly place where people are willing to go out of their way to help as you mentioned. A credit to the forum.

 

[Iceviolet]

Had a few hours in the garage today, Removed the dash board, started removing all the electricals from the inner wing and removed the fuseboard. Oh and serviced my brothers car for him!
Talking of electrics, Does anybody have or know where to find the correct wiring diagram for the car? I am labeling everything as I go but who's to say it is correct and has not been messed with already??
Spaghetti junction!


One of the heater control linkages is broken!


Also I could not resist cleaning up the instrument cluster and having a go at making something to make the blanked of gear selection display a little easier on the eye! Cut out from the Mercedes Gazette perfect size lettering! Although I think it would look better with a black background and silver lettering?? What do you think?

 

[grober]

http://mb.bolinko.org/wis/w114/ETM/73_280.pdf

Your picture would be the connection to the main fuse box??? item 45 on the diagram

 

[Iceviolet]

Thanks Grober. My car is the 280CE - 114.072. Is that diagram the same as it says just 280C 114.060 and 073??

 

[grober]

Thanks Grober. My car is the 280CE - 114.072. Is that diagram the same as it says just 280C 114.060 and 073??

Nope--you are correct. The engine and fuel electrics will be different. However much of the body electrics- lights instruments etc will probably be the same.

Missing gaps may possibly be filled in by reference to this later 1977 MODEL??

http://mb.bolinko.org/wis/w123/CD01/ETM/78_280.pdf

There is some more info in the engine sections. http://mb.bolinko.org/wis/w123/CD01/Engine/110/07_3-500.pdf

 

[grober]

AND THIS

Mercedes W114 280 E CE 280E 280CE Coupe Electrical Wiring Diagram Owners Manual | eBay

 

[Iceviolet]

That's excellent! thanks for that, it will come in handy if I run into any problems when installing it all. I would imagine the majority will be the same apart from the engine electronics, well that would be logical.

Mercedes W114 280 E CE 280E 280CE Coupe Electrical Wiring Diagram Owners Manual | eBay
That could be the best bet, as long as it is not U.S edition or something like that.

 

[Bellow]

Re welding, .........
...... but my point was directed at any welding that would be visible as opposed to hidden. I've watched as Peter has fabricated numerous bits and welded them into the engine bay, then ground off the weld, seam sealed it then flatted, with filler and primer then on the car and the engine bay is absolutely pristine with no sign of any repair at all. That takes a lot of experience to do, so that was really the point I was addressing.

Absolutely the above.
My post was sloppy. I meant underbody hidden from view - which I would tackle without hesitation. Visible bodywork is a different ballgame altogether.
That said, the welding practice that repairing the underside of an old MB instils may make body repair a possibility (I did a little on my W123) but not before getting at least half handy on the floor and sills. Better to budget for external assistance for the visible stuff - but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.

 

[a111r]

Those floor pan photos are frightening, in my experience of a full restoration taking c. 6 years.

In the early stages of the project, I would focus entirely on revealing and assessing the full extent of the structural repairs that are likely to be needed for a sound shell, the basis for what you want to achieve.

Need to buy that MIG welder and an auto darkening mask! All the best with it anyhow.