Mercedes W114 250 Coupe - help!

[C43AMG]

Will do,thanks.

 

[Doodle]

Price wise they certainly weren't uncompetitive and the level of workmanship is top notch.

For some reason I thought they'd closed down, glad to hear they're still around as I may have some more work for them - potential acquisitions (BMW E65 or W221) both have some nasty wood finishes on offer and I'd rather just change it on an otherwise perfect car than compromise.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Perishing again outside but I cleaned up all the contacts on the fuse box and attached the battery. There was some evidence of current in one fuse but nothing happened on turning the ignition key (I wasn't expecting it to start, merely show some dash lights). A lot more cleaning of the contacts required all over the car. The fuse box lid has all the fuse info on a piece of paper that resembles papyrus dug up from pharaonic excavations but I've been able to transcribe it.

Painted the inner os wheel arch, sill and boot floor with POR15 to put down a two coat layer in the places that are currently easy to find before the wings get re-fitted and painted. Goes everywhere it is so liquid but good coverage (a quart tin at £40 is painful). When the remaining seats come out I'll do the floor of the cabin as well.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Busy few days. Friday I drove up to Harlow (talk about Slough without the good bits) to pick up a case of Monolex LE2059 Penetrating oil - very kindly organised by Bellow as it is a trade product, which is a shame, as it is absolutely incredible stuff, and the bigger shame is that retail outlets persist in selling WD40 which is rubbish. Watching it getting sucked into the rust (even spraying it above you) is fascinating.

Saturday my brother in law came over to help me move Tony's compressor that he very kindly offered me. It is immense, 4ft by 3ft, and weighs a metaphorical ton. We got it to the garage door from underneath the model railway but neither of our cars had a large enough rear tailgate to get it in. So when Laurence re-appears we'll borrow his flatbed. Tony has given me about 12 air tools and attachments for it though (including his sandblaster - wheels next!), so when it does finally arrive I can crack on with a number of things including calliper refurbishment that Tony has said he'll help me with (it's bench based so he can do it without bending over - he also has a set of Snap-on Allen keys too which would help it immensely).

Yesterday and today (a really gorgeous sunny day) I set about clearing the interior totally so I could check for rust. Seats out gave me the opportunity to check the vacuum actuators for the seat locks. With a vacuum feed from the manifold, with the engine on and doors shut the vacuum pulls the rubber in on both sides and that tightens a metal bar that then locks the seats shut. Pleasingly both actuators are holding a vacuum well.

I managed to remove all the remaining internal trim and give most of it a thorough soaking with the Servisol antistatic foam cleanser for Vinyl Ted recommended - the dirt is decades old and the grain of the vinyl is retaining a lot of it, but with a lot of applications and some serious scrubbing it is coming up beautifully.

The interior after all bar the dash out - a fingertip search revealed only a couple of minor crusty areas, so with the known exception of the rear wheel arch / under seat floor join, there is no corrosion. Phew. A paint of this with Rustbuster Fe123, then a couple of coats of POR15 and some sound insulation (probably dynamat) and it will be ready for the new carpet set (the only bit of carpet I'll leave is that which surrounds the transmission tunnel and is glued into the lower dash - removing it bears a high risk of damaging the vinyl of the lower dash and the carpet is fine).

Then I removed all the o/s chrome trim and rubbers to check underneath as well as ready the car for a respray. It is obvious why the rear wheelarch seat base join rusts - the water channel from the rear pillar is obviously a water trap that then seeps down through the rear window edge to the point where it accumulates and rusts below. It's superficial here but an area for proper proofing before painting again.

 

[brucemillar]

Great work Charles. Please do keep the thread going.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Charles Morgan]

I shall. I'm having a whale of a time doing this!

 

[Charles Morgan]

Today was try and sort out replacement bumpers day. These are much less corroded but the bumper hanger nuts are still absolutely rusted up. After three days of soaking with the Monolex I gave them a go - two showed no signs of movement, two released but were too tight still for me to risk turning more so another soaking and leave for a few more days. This is what one looks like after wire brushing the rust off so I could get the socket on and after three days of soaking.

 

[Doodle]

Only when you use proper penetrating fluid do you realise just how crap WD40 is.

Dexron2/acetone mix apparently makes for a reasonable substitute too.

 

[Charles Morgan]

It is pathetic that WD40 is sold as a penetrating oil. It isn't. I did mention to Bellow that I'd used it and he politely took me outside and metaphorically hit me over the head with a barrel of the proper stuff until I promised to do the job properly.

If I have the time I might see if I can save the little bolts that are really corroded, or at least just one for the sense of achievement.

 

[John Jones Jr]

I'd give a go after putting a blowtorch to it a few times.

 

[Charles Morgan]

A couple more days is fine. I wouldn't trust me with a blow torch anyway!

On the subject of waiting, I checked with KHM in Germany and German Auto Tops in the US about carpet sets and whether they make them for RHD cars. Both had those silly contact forms. KHM replied within the hour yes, GAT have yet to reply after a week and a follow up. Given I was going to buy a carpet set and leather seat covers, you might expect some sort of reply!

 

[WDB124066]

Purchase the material you would like then get them made locally Charles....??

Hans Reinke Handelsgesellschaft

 

[Charles Morgan]

Bespoke remains an option, but I doubt it will be inexpensive, and unless very experienced trimmers, probably not as good as something from KHM.

I do find it odd that someone would have contact details, be asked about goods to the value of £1500 and not reply.

 

[WDB124066]

You are outside the known world Charles!

Don't forget about Dclass.

Have you tried Gahh in California...

 

[Charles Morgan]

Gahh are more expensive than KHM, before shipping and import duties.

D class are on the list for a quote.

 

[John Jones Jr]

D class are on the list for a quote.

Top work but I think there's better value to had elsewhere.

 

[Charles Morgan]

One out, all out. Turning the bumper over for the more resistant ones meant that my input torque had the assistance of gravity and the torque was directly on target. 4 days of liberal soaking with LE2059, a decent socket and ratchet handle and better technique and no short cuts.

Now for the really horrible small ones underneath.

 

[Bellow]

It's been a while since I added my tuppence worth. So here comes a quid's worth....

I have decided about the likely condition of the restoration. The car is too far gone to do a makeover, so will need full respray and new interior. This means that parts that would otherwise be fine cosmetically on an original condition car will look tatty set against all the new work so good stuff is required. Far too much of my stuff is mildly corroded and needs replating etc. So, I am aiming to get as much of a wow factor as possible*.

.

Excellent! A direction of travel established. I had thought you could go resto-lite and preserve the patina but as stated it requires more. Wow factor it is then!

It's finding a colour that adds both depth and shape to what is quite a linear, flat car.

There will be colour that will do the above. Given the direction the project is now taking I'd say you have a free choice and that that choice should be yours and yours alone to make given it will impact so much on the final result.

However......

but I'm not certain the world needs another MB in silver

....on that point I heartily concur.

One out, all out. Turning the bumper over for the more resistant ones meant that my input torque had the assistance of gravity and the torque was directly on target. 4 days of liberal soaking with LE2059, a decent socket and ratchet handle and better technique and no short cuts.

Now for the really horrible small ones underneath.

I'm delighted to see that aspect is working perfectly. Best of all must be that while the bolts are soaking, you are free to get other work done - rather than wrestling with blowtorches and drills.

I shall. I'm having a whale of a time doing this!

Music to my ears. We are all enjoying it!

Talking of which....

I loved it when he switched on the Becker and out poured the Electric Light Orchestra! That takes me back.

.....I'll have the music in other video if it's all the same to everybody else...

[YOUTUBE HD]b43mODL1I2s[/YOUTUBE HD]

 

[Charles Morgan]

But what is this I trip over on my return from Oxford? and more to the point, how do I get the garage door open?!

 

[John Jones Jr]

Looks like a rear subframe & diff to me.