W124 500E - put a deposit down.

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I've realised there are hardly any interior pictures on here. Car is normally pretty dirty but have it clean at the moment and thought it'd be rude not to take some snaps. I am having the centre console wood trim cut for two extra switches (as the piece is NLA from Mercedes), one will be for the ASR defeat which is due to be fitted and the other not sure, maybe twin tone horn or switchable first gear start.

For the interior, I have now managed to track down a brand new set of LHD original OEM MB mats which will be fitted for show off purposes once they arrive from Germany. I also have the OEM fire extinguisher to mount and the MB Club sports pedals. I will be removing the headliner and pillars and having them retrimmed in black alcantara and that should really sharpen up the interior. To be honest I don't really have any other plans for the interior and I think it'll then be fine as-is :thumb: I may have the wood on the upper and lower console polished and the steering wheel retrimmed for a thicker rim (miss my M3 steering) but that'll be down the line. Hope you like the photos - any ideas for the interior are welcome.


















Cheers

B

Very nice , but don't you need mph scale on the speedo to get it through the MOT ?

My Ponton used to escape with a km/h only speedo , but I think that was because its age predated the requirement , which a W124 won't .
 
Hey all. So after a 600 mile round trip the 500E is back home with me :D:D:D

The car is very very good (probably one of the better 500E's) but not perfect as it developed a rough idle once I drove it pretty hard on the test drive. The interior lights also don't work (so no instrument cluster or console switch lights - I had a pitch black journey home). Suppose I was quite excited and knew this was the one I wanted so we negotiated on the price and I drove home. To say i'm delighted is an understatment! The 500E is everything I wanted and more :D

So I will be giving it a full service, probably next weekend. It drove 300 miles straight down without fault (with a few naughty brushes of the throttle this thing builds speed, fast) but as soon as you get to standstill there is a misfire/rough idle. My first port of call will be the distributor caps and rotor arms and go from there. Probably good idea to get it plugged in, it's not been serviced/touched since Japan and who knows how long it's been left without a service.

The wiring harness looks to have been changed, the cables at the top look nice and fresh. There is a minor oil leak which I could see from underneath so this will be checked.

The interior is in mint condition and to my surprise everything works, all the seats, blower motor, heated seats, sunroof, sunshade, everything is super smooth :)

The exterior is very good, some of the panels have some crazing as if it's been through a million car washes but i'm not too fussed as it's a project car and will be stunning by the summer with some paintwork.

All in all i'm happy and looking forward to getting stuck it!

Few things:

1. anyone have any ideas about the interior lights? Instrument cluster and all functions work (heated seats etc light up when pressed) but no back lights for the buttons and no backlight for the cluster - i've checked fuses to no avil.
2. anyone know a good MB specialist in the London area? I don't mind travelling but things like gearbox oil / fuel filters etc I probably wouldn't tackle at home due to lack of resources
3. how do I get access to the MB projects section to start a journal?

Quick photo before I started the long drive home:



Cheers,

Bill

I haven't read all of this thread , but backlighting for the console switches , and some others , is by fibre optic from one central bulb located within the console , probably this has failed - not such a big deal .
 
Derek - sorted it. It was a dodgy dimmer switch, not actually replaced it, just twisted it a few times and it came alive. The fuel gauge also works perfectly now after a few fill ups (was flakey when I picked it up).

So I got fed up with the vibration from the rear of the car at 120-140km so decided to get the 8 holes back on. Viola! Car now runs perfectly and handles much better. Loved the look too so decided to sell off the Lorinser alloys and get the 8 holes back on, fitted them with new tyres today, all balanced up and it handles like a dream. Very happy :thumb:

I do love the look of wide alloys on the 500E though but prefer running alloys without spacers etc (had been running 22mm's all around up until now) so may look out for a nice set of staggered AMG's or Evo 500E Ltd alloys.




Missing a set of centre caps but will pick a set up from MB during the week.
 
You cant beat the original wheels for a smooth ride!
 
I see you a got a set . Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

Agree with Jay, 16" are after all original fitment . Next best are EVOs with the added good look.

For a steering Wheel look at Victor style here :Lenkrad VOGELAUGENAHORN Leder Mercedes w124 w202 VICTOR STYLE | eBay

Check with the seller if has a sportline Burlwood which is what you really want. Seller usually has good stock .
 
I see you a got a set . Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

Agree with Jay, 16" are after all original fitment . Next best are EVOs with the added good look.

For a steering Wheel look at Victor style here :Lenkrad VOGELAUGENAHORN Leder Mercedes w124 w202 VICTOR STYLE | eBay

Check with the seller if has a sportline Burlwood which is what you really want. Seller usually has good stock .
No probs fella. That Victor wheel is nice and I've seen them on quite a few E500E's - thanks for the link.

Brand new OEM LHD mats arrived - very lucky to get hold of these as there are probably not many sets left. Came in from Germany. Feel like they're too new for the car (!) so might just use them for shows, meets etc.




Cheers

B
 
Those ribbed mats are very hard wearing and will still look virtually new after 100k miles if you keep your car clean and tidy.
 
Derek - sorted it. It was a dodgy dimmer switch, not actually replaced it, just twisted it a few times and it came alive. The fuel gauge also works perfectly now after a few fill ups (was flakey when I picked it up).

So I got fed up with the vibration from the rear of the car at 120-140km so decided to get the 8 holes back on. Viola! Car now runs perfectly and handles much better. Loved the look too so decided to sell off the Lorinser alloys and get the 8 holes back on, fitted them with new tyres today, all balanced up and it handles like a dream. Very happy :thumb:

I do love the look of wide alloys on the 500E though but prefer running alloys without spacers etc (had been running 22mm's all around up until now) so may look out for a nice set of staggered AMG's or Evo 500E Ltd alloys.

http://s551.photobucket.com/user/bilzabba/media/W124 500E Lorinser/IMAG1276_zps9rhjyj2p.jpg.html
http://s551.photobucket.com/user/bilzabba/media/W124 500E Lorinser/IMAG1278_zpsvfib4ugs.jpg.html

Missing a set of centre caps but will pick a set up from MB during the week.

Glad those rims are out of the shed and reunited with a v8!
 
Yes I have those ribbed mats in the S-Class which has done 124,000 miles and look new.
 
Cheers Peter. I've always been a fan of OEM mats (and had them in all my bimmers) - they just look so right. I couldn't help it so got them into the 500E over the weekend and they look great! Deffo keeping them - they lift the entire interior imo.
 
MB centre caps on to complete the look - couple more shots with the 8 holes on - I quite like the look - what does everyone think? I will be keeping it this way until I find a set of Cegnius / EVOII alloys :thumb:






 
If ever you would like to sell....
 
Hello all - not much has happened with the car. I am in the process of buying a set of AMG/OZ 17" staggered alloys for it which should really set it off. I am off to Dubai in a few days but already thinking about my plans for 2016...

Cosmetic


- Split and refurbish the AMG's with polished lips
- Full repaint (inc insides of door shuts, all panels off car) along with new rear screen, mirror boots, sunroof seal, boot seal, fog light lenses, aerial grommets, window trims, door chromes, roof trims and a repaint of the grill, door handles, windscreen wiper arm and headlight wipers in satin black to make them "pop".
- HID kit fitted for the headlamps and fog lights (4300k? - not sure what to go with at the moment) - lights are like candlelight compared to my M3 xenons.

Mechanical


- H&R springs fitted all around (suspension way too soft and high atm)
- Front and rear shocks replaced (probably Bilstein or Koni - thoughts?)
- ITG airbox filters fitted (£120 for the pair)
- Fuel pumps replaced (Bosch - about £180 for the pair)
- ASR defeat kit wired and fitted
- Replace flex disc (I have one already, may buy another and replace the pair but they look healthy from looking underneath tbh)
- Entire front and rear suspension bushes and arms replaced (£££!)
- Idler arm bushing replaced (about £100 for the kit)
- Brake fluid flush and full bleed, hoses adjusted (£150 if done properly)
- Prop boot bearing replaced
- Laser wheel alignment once all the suspension work is done

This year has also been quite focused on the mechanical side of things to be honest to get her running properly so it's time to get cracking with the cosmetic side of things so I can actually bring the car to shows and enjoy the cleaning and maintenance side of things. I've poured tonnes into her so far and she looks no where as good as she should.

I think the year after I could see myself moving onto the interior, with the following planned.

- Recaro black leather seats fitted with MB fridge (due to lack of armrest)
- Auto dimming mirror wired in
- Dual electric mirrors (my drivers side is currently manual)
- Replace all 4 door entry sills (£200 from MB)
- Replace steering wheel with Victor/similar - thicker rim for better driving experience
- MB sport pedals fitted (always wanted these)
- Headliner and both A pillars retrimmed in black alcantera (£750 ish)
- Replace speaker wiring throughout and finally fit the rear speakers
- Fire extinguisher fitted to drivers seat

I would also be on the lookout for a big brake kit or silver arrow brake calipers. The 500E braking system is far from adequate, especially apparent driving at high speeds. I feel I need a big brake kit as the silver arrow kit probably wouldn't "feel" as good at the lower speeds. I have seen a few solutions online but they're silly money so hoping for a used set to come up or if that fails, get a set off another car which I can adapt for the 500E (AP racing, K sport, something like that, serious stopping power).

Lastly I will move onto the exhaust. My plan is to retain the Lorinser backbox as it is in keeping with the Lorinser theme but replace the cats with dual sport cats and then two pipes straight through to the backbox. Should sound pretty mean after that :D I will need to have it setup by a specialist though and Acid at MSL suggested Imran at TorqueFlow.

I have collected a few bits for this project along the way but always on the lookout for parts to hold onto. If you have anything outlined above feel free to give me a shout :thumb:

Cheers

Bill
 
Hello all. Back from Dubai for a week or so and I managed to get the fuel pumps replaced, fuel filter changed, backbox bolts, backbox gasket and exhaust hangers replaced. Thanks to Terry and Jay at Wayne Gates for getting the car in at such short notice.

My blower motor has unfortunatly died while the car has been parked up and I broke the fuse strip by mistake - bought a new part from MB and replaced it today. I think a new blower motor and regulator is in order (regulator sits below the blower motor so makes sense to replace both). Probably £250ish in parts.

Officially now driven 10,000km on the car now! Love it so far and only look forward to enjoying many more miles with her :D









To-do list at the moment stands as follows:

Cosmetic

Full repaint - 744 brilliant silver
17' AMG 3 piece split alloys
Fog light lenses x2
Replace upper ariel grommet
Replace lower ariel grommet
Passenger door chrome trim x1
Rubber door window trims x4
Wing mirror boots x2
HID kits x2 (main lights and fog lights)
Front entrance door sills
Rear entrance door sills
Rear windscreen replaced
Sunroof rubber seal
Steering wheel retrim (thicker rim - may source Victor wheel)
Recaro black leather seats fitted with MB fridge (due to lack of armrest)
Auto dimming mirror wired in
Dual electric mirrors (my drivers side is currently manual)
MB sport pedals fitted (always wanted these)
Headliner and both A pillars retrimmed in black alcantera (£750 ish)
Replace speaker wiring throughout and finally fit the rear speakers
Fire extinguisher fitted to drivers seat

Mechanical

ITG performance air filters
ASR defeat kit and switch mount
Brake fluid flush and full bleed
Replace flex discs
Propshaft boot bearing
Replace rocket cover gaskets x2
Blower motor regulator & cable
Blower motor - Hella
First gear start
Straight through exhaust and sports cats

Suspension & steering

H&R lowering springs
Bilstein Sport Shocks B6
Nib 1 spring pads x4
ARB front bush - inner
ARB front bush - outer
ARB rear axle repair kit (inc bush)
ARB rod - rear
Front shock mounting kit
Rear suspension mounting kit
Idler arm bushing kit
Drag link
Front tie rod - left
Front tie rod - right
Rear axle bush mounting kit
Rear subframe rubber mounts
Rear suspension shock repair kit
Rear tie rod end kit

I hope to achieve this lot over the next 24 months. I think I want to get the repaint and alloys done early next year along with the cosmetic bits so the car is looking good. Quite a few mechnical bits done already as you see throughout this thread so the car is running and driving well now.

Any suggestions also welcome.

Cheers

Bill
 
I think the B6's and H&R's will transform the car without being too harsh. I have both of them on the front of my 190, they replaced new'ish B4's and M-B springs the difference was night and day. Might be worthwhile considering Koni adjustables too?

Anyway, you're doing a top notch refurb and it's a real credit to you.
 
The car is a credit to you Bill.
 
I would also be on the lookout for a big brake kit or silver arrow brake calipers. The 500E braking system is far from adequate, especially apparent driving at high speeds. I feel I need a big brake kit as the silver arrow kit probably wouldn't "feel" as good at the lower speeds. I have seen a few solutions online but they're silly money so hoping for a used set to come up or if that fails, get a set off another car which I can adapt for the 500E (AP racing, K sport, something like that, serious stopping power).

As it's the earlier car I presume you have the smaller discs? Could try the 320x30mm discs from the later car, they're thick and left/right handed. I have the same discs on the SL, they're fine but the standard MB pads aren't much cop and give out far too easily - Pagid RS or similar should fix that.

Otherwise you're into AP or Brembo kits, which are big money. I wouldn't touch K-Sports, witnessed too many problems in the past with them.
 

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