Mercedes W114 250 Coupe - help!

[WDB124066]

Error.

 

[grober]

Re -- ignition and the 5 speed box ---- retaining the 5 speed box will give you better mpg and performance and importantly "from factory" ORIGINALITY which some folks feel is quite important. Ignition wise MEGA SQUIRT plus timing wheel plus coil packs is undoubtedly the technically superior solution- that said when folks open the bonnet of a car of that age they expect to see a distributor and spark plug leads --- its that from factory ORIGINALITY thing again--- but ironically they won't mind a 123 distributor or a petronix modified one--- because despite being crammed full of electronics---- it still looks right.
You will get away with MEGA SQUIRTING the injection system because injectors fuel rails and a black box visually doesn't look too out of place and less liable to rankle the purists.
I am happy with whichever path you chose Charles- its your car but just a reminder there will be a section of Mercedes enthusiasts who would be voicing their displeasure

 

[Charles Morgan]

Tony came over yesterday with his son Simon, who has been visiting for a fortnight from Oz. He asked me if I planned to show the car, which was an interesting question. In my usual, disgustingly snobbish, fashion I described the average concours events. Men of a certain age in MBClub short sleeve shirts armed with clipboards with endless little lists all in pursuit of the absurd belief that the only valid car is one that looks as though MB just made it.

The answer to the originality question is simple, the car is being restored and in the process has lost much of its originality, which lies as an orange brown stain* in a hedge in Devon. The colour is being changed, the original MBTex is being replaced by leather, and the Djet injection system removed and replaced by some nasty little chips. I care about certain aspects of originality, but I don't fetishise it. If the car was a delightful example of patinated un-touched originality I would move heaven and earth to keep it that way. But in the scheme of things, the last opinion on this earth I would ever take note of is that of a red faced fat bloke in a corporate short sleeved shirt with a clipboard. And if I ever make up a large board on a tripod with a description of the car, shoot me now.





* has anyone ever entered a rusty MB (say a 210) at a concours? That is original, it was as the factory built it but with the passage of time and natural development.

 

[Charles Morgan]

How are the numbers stacking up for you Charles, does it still look like the budget you had in mind will finish the job - or is it time to do the maths again...

My normal approach to going out to a three star Michelin meal is to think of a very large number and then when the bill arrives if it's less than that, I've had a great meal and saved some money too. That is my approach to budgeting for this.

 

[grober]

Tony came over yesterday with his son Simon, who has been visiting for a fortnight from Oz. He asked me if I planned to show the car, which was an interesting question. In my usual, disgustingly snobbish, fashion I described the average concours events. Men of a certain age in MBClub short sleeve shirts armed with clipboards with endless little lists all in pursuit of the absurd belief that the only valid car is one that looks as though MB just made it.

The answer to the originality question is simple, the car is being restored and in the process has lost much of its originality, which lies as an orange brown stain* in a hedge in Devon. The colour is being changed, the original MBTex is being replaced by leather, and the Djet injection system removed and replaced by some nasty little chips. I care about certain aspects of originality, but I don't fetishise it. If the car was a delightful example of patinated un-touched originality I would move heaven and earth to keep it that way. But in the scheme of things, the last opinion on this earth I would ever take note of is that of a red faced fat bloke in a corporate short sleeved shirt with a clipboard. And if I ever make up a large board on a tripod with a description of the car, shoot me now.
* has anyone ever entered a rusty MB (say a 210) at a concours? That is original, it was as the factory built it but with the passage of time and natural development.

Well we are certainly left in no doubt where you stand on that aspect of vintage Benz ownership Charles! You are deffo off the red faced fat bloke's Christmas card list now.


p.s.
what do you think of the selection of wheels at www.trigger-wheels.com

 

[Charles Morgan]

Comprehensive!

and reasonable.

 

[Charles Morgan]

The combination of lots of oil, grease and dirt on the sump pan is proving a royal PITA to remove. Degreaser doesn't touch the dirt caked on and even a power washer jet just bounces off.

Time to send for something stronger!

 

[Doodle]

Tony came over yesterday with his son Simon, who has been visiting for a fortnight from Oz. He asked me if I planned to show the car, which was an interesting question. In my usual, disgustingly snobbish, fashion I described the average concours events. Men of a certain age in MBClub short sleeve shirts armed with clipboards with endless little lists all in pursuit of the absurd belief that the only valid car is one that looks as though MB just made it.

Except that MB never made them that good, because they didn't spend 10 years tittivating the valve cover fasteners.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I have just done a cleaning task that I bet Rashman hasn't even thought of in his weirdest dreams - I have scrubbed the sump of the car till it shines. Monday I get to do the pistons!

 

[Bellow]

Assuming new rings will be fitted, get hold of the old ones as they are perfect for cleaning/scraping the grooves. A solvent (that doesn't immediately flash-off) to soften the residue there applied as early as possible will ease the cleaning.
Better not to clean the piston crowns back to bare metal. A thin layer of carbon left serves as a useful layer of heat insulation.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Lovely afternoon in the glorious sunshine scraping bits of crud off car bits. Tony2 offered me some lorry cleaner he uses to remove crud, while Tony & Jill came over with Simon to photograph the SM, and bearing some Humbrol Maskol. This Tony uses on his railway models to mask areas prior to painting, we had discussed the issue of painting the wheel trims the day before and he'd managed to find it.

I took Simon out for a run in the SM as like his father he loves old Citroens. He really enjoyed the car, and chatting commented that his father was the most animated he'd seen him for some time when talking about the coupe (in person and via Skype to Oz) and my restoration efforts. Apparently he loves being involved with help and thoughts, he having missed his old trade in his retirement.

I was tickled at the thought.

 

[Bellow]

If you hadn't taken on that car CM, it would have been lost to Tony forever. Can you imagine what he will be like when he sees it finished?!!
No cake for you today though?.... All cleaning and no cake...

 

[Charles Morgan]

No cake. Simon has Type 1 diabetes so cake production is on hold until his return to Australia in 34 hours time. Not that I'm counting or anything!

 

[Charles Morgan]

However, more than made up for by Simon popping round just now with three freshly out of the oven cheese scones. :bannana:

 

[Charles Morgan]

Cleaned up the block today, not the most enjoyable task. The paint on two sides of the block is black and the rear (which is completely hidden) red.

Pistons best left untouched, John who dismantled it was away but other John (not Abz John) said the consensus was everything was fine, piston rings in good nick and when John returns seek his views on new shell bearings.

I popped into drop off my Fiat 127 spare parts at Bicester Classics, who have just sold it. Nick, who has been in the sales business for years, thought getting a sexy colour was always a good idea, and also thought replacing D Jet (plus ignition) was a good idea. His advice on car club purists was interesting...

If I can face getting filthy again, I'll attack the gearbox tomorrow.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Looking for black Hammerite in my garage and nothing. Of course, I have three tins of blue, bought to do my garage doors when they were clean and new, and now can't be bothered. Possibly not.

Found some dark green which I used for re-painting the spheres on my XM. Possibly not.

 

[Charles Morgan]

A very useful session on the rolling road with my SM. Apart from the obvious fact they loved the car (as did the builders at the farm shop just now and the lovely chap in Halfords who recognised the car instantly), they thought the map was just perfect - almost flat torque curve from low revs and excellent AFRs.

Mapping - the guy does Omex (familiar from my 2002 tii) and doesn't do Megasquirt (a bore). If the car engine is known and there is a stock map around it should be doable in 3-4 hours (ignition and fuel map). If not, he recently had a Ford V6 from the US which took 3 days of to and fro with Omex to get it all sorted - much data sharing to get there. Omex is proprietary and they only do two ECUs, one for 4s and one for up to 12s. At £1k for the latter, with functionality I don't need (not running turbos etc) this seems a bit much.

So more research on MS required by muggins.

 

[Bellow]

The prices escalate rapidly when a particular function is required - other than four cylinder in your case, full sequential in mine.
Emerald is probably worth a look, and an enquiry into what the BMW crew use on their NA sixes?

 

[Charles Morgan]

Apart from part cleaning and ordering, nothing much to report. Car will go into Dan and Matt for bodywork and spraying Monday 6th July.

 

[Charles Morgan]

The least enjoyable job to date was cleaning the sump oil pan today. Thick oil enriched mud on the outside, dense sludge on the inside. Now almost there, but degreaser needs to be reapplied again and again until hopefully there isn't a hint of sheen on the water. A replacement costs the grand total of £13, but this is the original, with honourable scrapes and bumps beneath, and it will go back on after a small degree of banging, in its newly hammered and hammerited glory.