OP
OP
Charles Morgan
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2010
- Messages
- 8,206
- Car
- Mercedes 250CE W114, Alfa Romeo GT Coupe 3.2 V6
My cold got worse and with very chill damp air and way too much dust in the garage and VOC fumes out of the question, I took a few days out.
John B (Trapperjohn) very kindly brought his W124 down with lots of gardening tools to remove a rampant Skimmia and other shrubs and to provide moral support, and with a better day and a much improved cold, I cracked on with the car. He also brought down some nice 15 inch steel wheels from a W124 so I could start the process of getting the old wheels off for blasting and repainting. When I joined this forum John was the first to say hello, and he is a superb human being.
I also had a really helpful call from Nick Mercedes on where to find bits, many of the specialists over here and on the continent not having web presences. He offered to see if there was any of the interior stuff I need in the States as red interiors were more common there and the weather more conducive to the survival of basically vinyl covered cardboard!
The differential is now safely stowed behind the garage in my work area where I am going to build a blasting pit - Nick Froome suggested walnut shells as a much gentler (and much safer atmosphere than sand) idea, so these have been ordered.
Took the rear o/s window out of the car which was quite a bit easier than the front, familiarity with the task helping. The panel into which it retracts is clearly a weak point as the water that gets in from the window seal trickles down and corrodes the outer skin and the window mechanism. Nothing terminal but nevertheless it will need repair and attention - it is just around the corner from the rust I showed a wee while ago, so this is one of the key areas to look for if considering a W114 coupe - check in the window space and under the rear seats by the rear wheel arch.
Given the number of fixings that have come out in reasonable condition but being NLA everywhere, I am tempted to try getting an ultrasonic cleaner and home plating kit for zinc nickel. Getting all the various window seals will not be fun - the outer brush type one is metal backed and heavily disintegrated, and that too is NLA.
Meanwhile I was fruitless in trying to remove my first brake calliper - the allen bolts are nicely rusted in, when cleaned the allen key (a Snap On one from Tony that fits into a ratchet) just couldn't seat cleanly, so regular soakings with the LE2059 and this might call for the blowtorch, but only when I have had the advice of Tony.
Today, with luck and an address James!, I hope to view the donor engine in the donor car. I have decided to transplant a V8 for few reasons, I want to, the existing engine in the car has too many ishoos - the camshaft and valves are rusted (so useless), it is missing too many things so will cost a lot to sort, and I fancy the challenge, those famous last words before the intrepid adventurer ends up on a large monument to folly.
John B (Trapperjohn) very kindly brought his W124 down with lots of gardening tools to remove a rampant Skimmia and other shrubs and to provide moral support, and with a better day and a much improved cold, I cracked on with the car. He also brought down some nice 15 inch steel wheels from a W124 so I could start the process of getting the old wheels off for blasting and repainting. When I joined this forum John was the first to say hello, and he is a superb human being.
I also had a really helpful call from Nick Mercedes on where to find bits, many of the specialists over here and on the continent not having web presences. He offered to see if there was any of the interior stuff I need in the States as red interiors were more common there and the weather more conducive to the survival of basically vinyl covered cardboard!
The differential is now safely stowed behind the garage in my work area where I am going to build a blasting pit - Nick Froome suggested walnut shells as a much gentler (and much safer atmosphere than sand) idea, so these have been ordered.
Took the rear o/s window out of the car which was quite a bit easier than the front, familiarity with the task helping. The panel into which it retracts is clearly a weak point as the water that gets in from the window seal trickles down and corrodes the outer skin and the window mechanism. Nothing terminal but nevertheless it will need repair and attention - it is just around the corner from the rust I showed a wee while ago, so this is one of the key areas to look for if considering a W114 coupe - check in the window space and under the rear seats by the rear wheel arch.
Given the number of fixings that have come out in reasonable condition but being NLA everywhere, I am tempted to try getting an ultrasonic cleaner and home plating kit for zinc nickel. Getting all the various window seals will not be fun - the outer brush type one is metal backed and heavily disintegrated, and that too is NLA.
Meanwhile I was fruitless in trying to remove my first brake calliper - the allen bolts are nicely rusted in, when cleaned the allen key (a Snap On one from Tony that fits into a ratchet) just couldn't seat cleanly, so regular soakings with the LE2059 and this might call for the blowtorch, but only when I have had the advice of Tony.
Today, with luck and an address James!, I hope to view the donor engine in the donor car. I have decided to transplant a V8 for few reasons, I want to, the existing engine in the car has too many ishoos - the camshaft and valves are rusted (so useless), it is missing too many things so will cost a lot to sort, and I fancy the challenge, those famous last words before the intrepid adventurer ends up on a large monument to folly.
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It is my personal take that darker metallic colours lend more "gravitas and style " 
to the look of these older cars than pale and dare I say it "insipid " non metallics 
- and helps integrate them more into the modern car population. That's just me of course. 
