W115 Owner Advice Needed: Buying a 1976 240D

[Darrell]

Yep, my take home pay back then was about 90 GBP and my rent was 60GBP so it wasn't expensive!

Would that be £90 a week take home and £60 a week rent? If so then it’s not good at all!

Thinking back, we were doing Leadwork in London on a price in about 1991 and doing £100-120 a day and done by 3pm.

 

[alabbasi]

Would that be £90 a week take home and £60 a week rent? If so then it’s not good at all!

Thinking back, we were doing Leadwork in London on a price in about 1991 and doing £100-120 a day and done by 3pm.

Yep, it was exactly £90/week. Those were very tough days. I don't think there's anyone on the planet who's more grateful for a British university education than me.

 

[Darrell]

Yep, it was exactly £90/week. Those were very tough days. I don't think there's anyone on the planet who's more grateful for a British university education than me.

Shame the wages in the construction game haven’t gone up accordingly.

 

[Screwdriver]

I've always measured fuel economy (US mpg) in all my vehicles as I believe it is an indicator to good vehicle health. It's been really rewarding to see the improvements over the past year - perhaps strong evidence that preventative maintenance combined with the right parts, additives and modern fluids can really make a difference.

 

[Doodle]

Assuming no other factors have changed, of course.

 

[Screwdriver]

Driving style and routes (city/ highway) have been consistent with minor variations. Nothing that would pull the graph to where you see it.

 

[219]

I've always measured fuel economy (US mpg) in all my vehicles as I believe it is an indicator to good vehicle health. It's been really rewarding to see the improvements over the past year - perhaps strong evidence that preventative maintenance combined with the right parts, additives and modern fluids can really make a difference.

I always used to get high 20's/low30s imperial mpg with my 220/8 , but then it was 7 years old when my dad passed it on to me ( he bought it new ) , and my 280E was more like 20mpg , often less - if I drove it gently - I once and only once saw 44mpg when I competed in an economy run with the tank brimmed at both ends by stewards .

 

[Doodle]

Driving style and routes (city/ highway) have been consistent with minor variations. Nothing that would pull the graph to where you see it.

Does that include allowance for the vastly reduced traffic volumes during the Covid restrictions? That would seem to coincide chronologically with the 2nd rise.

 

[Screwdriver]

I always used to get high 20's/low30s imperial mpg with my 220/8 , but then it was 7 years old when my dad passed it on to me ( he bought it new ) , and my 280E was more like 20mpg , often less - if I drove it gently - I once and only once saw 44mpg when I competed in an economy run with the tank brimmed at both ends by stewards .

The above is in US mpg. In imperial, that's just over 37mpg. Definitely no economy runs in the past year.

Does that include allowance for the vastly reduced traffic volumes during the Covid restrictions? That would seem to coincide chronologically with the 2nd rise.

Are you implying that I drove during the lockdown?

All driving was post lockdown and in Central London, there is nothing vastly reduced about the traffic.

 

[Doodle]

Are you implying that I drove during the lockdown?

I asked a straight question, and got a straight answer with your second sentence. You chose to insinuate implication with the first.

 

[Screwdriver]

I was only joking.

The 2nd rise appears to have come after the car's first oil / filter change (original oil had the Auto RX additive in it so needed to run 2000 miles before draining as per the instructions), new synthetic differential fluid, new transmission fluid and tracking.

 

[Screwdriver]

Car is back from the body shop...
..and boy am I pleased. My brief was spare no expense to protect the car from future corrosion. All welds/ bolts/ joints must be treated with the best chemicals available

I was expecting resistance but instead I got a very warm response back. As it turns out, the guys disproportionately admire the W115 and W123 models because of the workhorse nature of the models and not too many owners want to spend the money to sort them entirely.

They even had a picture of Paul Weller's W114 right behind the main desk. I could see the look of admiration in their eyes when they talked about the car, as 20+ year ex- Mercedes techs they trained on the W123 back when they started their careers and the W115 was a recently discontinued yet hallowed model in the 80s.

The result should speak for itself. Even the dealer installed Hollandia sunroof was deleted and the new roof was treated with Mercedes's "liquid metal", which costs £200 a tube. The car got attention before but now it's gone absolutely bonkers in London!

 

[Screwdriver]

And the end result. Hopefully, we didn't miss anything too obvious!

 

[alabbasi]

Looking good, Now keep it in a garage from November to March and it should stay that way.

 

[ChipChop]

And the end result. Hopefully, we didn't miss anything too obvious!View attachment 102722View attachment 102723

Wow that is stunning. Money well spent on a car that will last a lifetime.

From the diligent use of seam sealer on the doubled skinned edges of the front wings looks like your bodyshop knew what they were doing.

 

[Screwdriver]

Now keep it in a garage from November to March and it should stay that way.

It's been sealed everywhere and will never be driven in the rain. But it is our daily driver and has been restored to be enjoyed - it'll never be a garage queen

 

[Screwdriver]

 

[ChipChop]

Your car could just be the perfect spec. Is that a tex interior as well?

 

[Screwdriver]

Your car could just be the perfect spec. Is that a tex interior as well?

Good spot!!

 

[ChipChop]

Good spot!!

All part of my ideal Mercedes classic saloon. Clap hands wipers, stacked headlights, diesel engine of course, tex interior (pref. black) and original Mercedes rubber mats.

Well done Screwdriver your car is a stunner.