Darrell
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2006
- Messages
- 14,635
- Car
- Gixxer 6, Citroen Berlingo, 911 C4S, Dacia Duster and lots of bicycles.
I’d love one of them. It would be turned into a proper Cal-Looker in no time.
W115 Owner Advice Needed: Buying a 1976 240D
- Thread starter Screwdriver
- Start date
The semi trailing arms ( diagonal pendelachse ) was a huge improvement over the swing axles used in preceding models .
While the W115 certainly started out with taut suspension settings and crisp handling ; later models , like my run out 280E , had much softer settings - possibly in response to customer feedback , and possibly as a precursor to the W123 series which took soft , wallowy ride to a new level , even though they retained much the same component setup , but no doubt just different spring and damper settings . The W123 , I think , was developed for the American market , which was opening up for them at the time . Many people here commented on the soft , wallowy ride when the model first came out .
I know all these models pretty well since I grew up with them ; my dad let me drive his 220/8 around his yard from new , before I could legally drive on the road , I got to drive his maple yellow W123 200 when it was brand new , and my 280E was only 3 years old when I got it , and proceeded to put 200K onto it . I've had numerous examples of each of these , mostly very secondhand latterly , but I do recall how they drove when new .
The most comfy car I ever had , and everyone commented on it , was my Ponton : which in a way was odd because there was only fore and aft movement on the seats , and two backrest positions which were achieved by tilting the backrest forwards and putting shims in below the hinges ( the shims were on hinges themselves and could be flipped into place ) .
The 'magic carpet' ride , afforded by the tall, skinny tyres is also something that modern cars can only envy : even my W126s and W140 don't insulate you from the bumps and shocks of the road as well as the Pontons and Fintails did . I'd still love to have a go in an Adenauer or a W100 ( which I guess must be the ultimate ) .
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Sweet! four on the tree
Well I drove a top-notch 300sel 6.3, and had a 6.9, both of which had amazing rides in full fettle.
I have a 221 S-class and it has a great ride, but nowhere near as good as the old stuff!
What I grew up with : my dad's W110 was four speed column change , as was my W111 , the W115 I learned to drive on , and , of course , my W105 , the latter being LHD , all the others being RHD .
That 190 , with column change and umbrella handbrake , allowed my dad to spec the optional centre cushion and backrest , which effectively gave a front bench seat , and I used to travel there , between my mum & dad , initially , aged about 5 , with my feet on top of the tunnel , but later , as my legs grew longer , astride it .
I also had a Series IIIC Hillman Minx with a front bench seat and 'three on the tree' - origin of that phrase
Out of all these cars , the only one to have seat belts was the W115 , which was also the first one to have a centre console below the dash , so no longer an option of front bench seat .
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2017
- Messages
- 3,336
- Location
- Barrybados
- Car
- Toyota RAV4 3dr , SLK55amg, ML320 (2 ) A210 , E320 ( all gone )
In the early sixties I had a Minx with a column change then a Ford Corsair , both with front bench seats, great for a young guy, but side effect was I ended up having to get married at 19 years of age 
Almost the car I learned to drive in , and eventually owned : except my dad's was a petrol 220/8 and in white with dark red tex ; that car looks to me more like light Ivory ?
I actually quite liked the Minx to drive , it felt quite well screwed together . I acquired it in lieu of money a pal owed me and kept it two or three years in the late 80s , a stablemate to my Ponton , and SWMBO of those days drove the Minx .In the early sixties I had a Minx with a column change then a Ford Corsair , both with front bench seats, great for a young guy, but side effect was I ended up having to get married at 19 years of age
Alas , one day I was in a pub and this older guy asked me if that was my 'Gay Look' outside ! I did a double take and he informed me that model , with its two tone paint job : cream roof over pea green bodywork was known at the time as 'The Gay Look' . Of course the word had a different meaning back then , but I sold the car not long afterwards . The number , OKS 249 , last time I checked was on a Ford or something , so don't know what happened to the car .
OP
OP
Screwdriver
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 420
Removed more generic/ perished rubber parts off the vehicle and replaced with new dealer supplied Mercedes components. Note the perished fuel hose from the tank is a safety "must do" job.
Shocks are Bilstein HD with dealer supplied covers for the rear (shown pre/ post installation - Bilstein does not supply rear strut covers - only Mercedes does).
New Clutch Master and Slave cylinders were replaced along with new fluid -the car drives like a dream! The final phase of the rolling restoration focuses on the remaining rubber wear items underneath the car.
1) Rear Rubber Spring Top 1153252444 (19mm)
2) Front Rubber Spring Top 1233211384
3) Rubber valve cover breather hose
4) Drive Shaft Bearing
5) Drive Shaft Centre Bushing
6) Both Rubber Flex discs
7) Centre Bearing support
8) Axle Boot Kits (Both Outer and Inner)
9) Differential Seals X2
10) Differential Pinion Seal
11) Lower Arm Ball Joints
12) Replacement Upper Control Arms (entire arm sourced from MB USA)
If I've missed anything that should be replaced for reliable motoring, please chime in.
Shocks are Bilstein HD with dealer supplied covers for the rear (shown pre/ post installation - Bilstein does not supply rear strut covers - only Mercedes does).
New Clutch Master and Slave cylinders were replaced along with new fluid -the car drives like a dream! The final phase of the rolling restoration focuses on the remaining rubber wear items underneath the car.
1) Rear Rubber Spring Top 1153252444 (19mm)
2) Front Rubber Spring Top 1233211384
3) Rubber valve cover breather hose
4) Drive Shaft Bearing
5) Drive Shaft Centre Bushing
6) Both Rubber Flex discs
7) Centre Bearing support
8) Axle Boot Kits (Both Outer and Inner)
9) Differential Seals X2
10) Differential Pinion Seal
11) Lower Arm Ball Joints
12) Replacement Upper Control Arms (entire arm sourced from MB USA)
If I've missed anything that should be replaced for reliable motoring, please chime in.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2006
- Messages
- 2,608
- Car
- Mini Cooper S, BMW M140i
I have to say I’ve never driven a car with anything other than a floor change (except once in the states where I got foisted with a Dodge Caravan which had a column selector, but that was automatic so it doesn’t really count). What was the last car made with a column shift manual? I remember a colleague had a Renault 16 with one, but nothing newer than that.
Cheers,
Gaz
Cheers,
Gaz
The Mercedes ones were very well engineered and felt just as nice as any floor change ( many of which were indirect anyway ) . I know it continued on the W100 to the end , but not sure which MB model was the last to offer it .
OP
OP
Screwdriver
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 420
New MB track rods, drag link and idler arm kit installed. Every single fluid and filter changed.
Gearbox -> Type A Suffix A oil with liqui moly gear oil additive added
Rear differential -> Liqui Moly synthetic GL5 Hypoid oil
Power Steering -> Febi Bilstein power steering fluid and MB filter
Engine - 15W40 Liqui Moly Nova mineral oil with MB pre filter and oil filter.
Gearbox -> Type A Suffix A oil with liqui moly gear oil additive added
Rear differential -> Liqui Moly synthetic GL5 Hypoid oil
Power Steering -> Febi Bilstein power steering fluid and MB filter
Engine - 15W40 Liqui Moly Nova mineral oil with MB pre filter and oil filter.
Attachments
Spotted this little gem this morning
SOLD Classic Mercedes-Benz 1970 W114 250CE RHD Pillarless Automatic | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SOLD Classic Mercedes-Benz 1970 W114 250CE RHD Pillarless Automatic at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!
www.ebay.co.uk
Spotted this little gem this morning
SOLD Classic Mercedes-Benz 1970 W114 250CE RHD Pillarless Automatic | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SOLD Classic Mercedes-Benz 1970 W114 250CE RHD Pillarless Automatic at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!www.ebay.co.uk
I bought one of these in 1993 when I was 19. BEX164J was the # plate. Even though I left the UK in 2000. I kept it until about 2012, sitting outside my parents house in W London were it unfortunately started to rot. A neighbor also had one and asked if I could give it to him as he needed an engine and I agreed. Apparently, after 12 years, he jumped the battery, got the car running and drove it off.
grober
MB Master
Lovely example- but D-JETRONIC mind
Remember Charles MORGANS resto thread?
- but D-JETRONIC mind Remember Charles MORGANS resto thread?
Darrell
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2006
- Messages
- 14,635
- Car
- Gixxer 6, Citroen Berlingo, 911 C4S, Dacia Duster and lots of bicycles.
They could really be bought for beer money back in the early 90’s.
My brother and a Uni pal bought one off an old duffer near Teeside Poly in May 91 and drove it down to the south of France where they spent the summer pi55ing it up and dossing about in Antibes.
Yep, my take home pay back then was about 90 GBP and my rent was 60GBP so it wasn't expensive!
Back then , they’d be about 20 years old , so pretty much where W210s are now .
