W124 Donor strip

[BillyW124]

Hello Chaps,

Decided to get busy today....

Get ready to see the carnage!

For anyone interested in what a 124 coupe looks like when the interior is ripped out, ive taken some pics.

Crazy the way these are built, there is a purpose for each nut, screw, clip.... u name it. To get one thing out you have to get through 10 other things to get to it!! That said its very smartly put together once you unravel the puzzle.

 

[neilz]

Please tell me it had terminal rust or some major fault!

 

[BillyW124]

nope just plenty of good parts!

 

[neilz]

So that was a perfectly good car?

<puts gun to head>

 

[WDB124066]

What are you doing Billy, is this the interior colour change refit with electric seats......???

How hard is it to get that console out?

 

[neilz]

It's a sad sight - he's stripping a good condition C124 for parts for another car. This one'll be a shell soon.

I would have bought that had it been for sale when I got my as-many-holes-as-a-sieve C124

 

[BillyW124]

So that was a perfectly good car?

..you should have kept your 124 mate, loads of bits off this one to have put it back to shape.

<puts gun to head>

What are you doing Billy, is this the interior colour change refit......???

How hard is it to get that console out?

quite easy, untill you get to two BI*%$ nuts at the top of the console which is in such an hard-to-reach/fiddly position.

 

[BillyW124]

It's a sad sight - he's stripping a good condition C124 for parts for another car. This one'll be a shell soon.

I would have bought that had it been for sale when I got my as-many-holes-as-a-sieve C124

So what???


Its for my heated electric seat conversion project + a bit more i plan to retrofit

 

[neilz]

So what???


Its for my heated electric seat conversion project + a bit more i plan to retrofit

I know, it was more about it being rust-free (I couldn't find any rust-free examples).

I'm not saying what you're doing is bad, and I hope it all goes well - I just wish I was able to find a rust-free one when I got mine!

 

[Henry D]

Please tell me it had terminal rust or some major fault!

I was thinking that as well,looks way to good to break

 

[neilz]

The reason I think it's a bit of a waste is that it wouldn't have had to be completely stripped. Parts could have been swapped - would have left this good condition coupe on the road, for someone who was looking for one that wasn't full of holes like mine was. Still, what's done is done and I hope everything works out well.

 

[ss201]

It's am interesting experience stripping a Mercedes of that era. It's the only true way to find out that these cars are built like no other. I've stripped a couple of W201s for bits - sadly one had been savaged with every external panel damaged, the seats worn and the cylinder head gone - the other had stood for years in a damp garage and rotted very badly underneath - so both were well beyond economic repair. When you do strip one, the level of detail and quality of overall construction is quite incredible.

 

[AdamG]

Thanks for the photos of the strip down.

It's alway interesting to see the quality of old mercs.

I noticed it looks to have sound deadening mat (like dynamat) applied to the floor.

I assume they stopped fitting this due to cost but I applied some to my w220 and it does make a difference.

Cheers

Adam

 

[BillyW124]

The reason I think it's a bit of a waste is that it wouldn't have had to be completely stripped. Parts could have been swapped - would have left this good condition coupe on the road, for someone who was looking for one that wasn't full of holes like mine was. Still, what's done is done and I hope everything works out well.

Firstly its not a waste... why?

Because for me ive hand picked a car (waiting a long while) worthy of my expectations of what i consider to be perfect in my eyes for my project and one for which will overall compliment my car once fitted - thats it.

Secondly, Bits are being moved on to members who can make good use of them.

Bottom line is, i paid money for it. I didnt Pay the price of what you would get a scrapper for, but a scrapper wasnt what i was after now was i?

What i do with it ultimately after ive handed over my hard earned shouldnt be questioned.

It's am interesting experience stripping a Mercedes of that era. It's the only true way to find out that these cars are built like no other. I've stripped a couple of W201s for bits - sadly one had been savaged with every external panel damaged, the seats worn and the cylinder head gone - the other had stood for years in a damp garage and rotted very badly underneath - so both were well beyond economic repair. When you do strip one, the level of detail and quality of overall construction is quite incredible.

Totaly argree, two days its taken to fully strip down the car, interior wise that is.

You get to understand the workmanship and quality!

For instance i set about ripping off the IR lock set loom today. An overly complicated system i think for what it is, but the thought behind it makes sense once you see how its all connected.

This together with everything else is top draw in the way its put together. Its almost like bits are supposed to come apart - serviced and then put back exactly how it was. Stripping it was a doddle if i think about it.

Thanks for the photos of the strip down.

It's alway interesting to see the quality of old mercs.

I noticed it looks to have sound deadening mat (like dynamat) applied to the floor.

I assume they stopped fitting this due to cost but I applied some to my w220 and it does make a difference.

Cheers

Adam

Not really Adam,

the only 'sound deadening' material used is quater of the gear box tunnel and the driver an passenger firewall.

Everything else is just bare chassis.

I'm going to overcome this in my car covering this entire floorpan with firstly dynamat, then on top of it a thing called dynapad which looks like the heavey duty stuff in the pics above on the gear box tunnel and what you find in the firewalls.

As you mentioned, i posted pics so ppl can see the quality of how they are built, call me mad but it looks real nice in a funny sort of way once bare!

 

[AdamG]

Originally there is was no damping mat applied to the floor.



There was some on the wheel arches and under the rear seats.

I used stp butyl deadening on the floor of the cabin.



In theory only some of the panel needs to be covered to add mass but this requires placing it in the right position but I couldn't be bothered to work this out



I also put some barrier mat with foam backing (5kg/m2) behind and under the rear seat. I put some even heavier stuff (10kg/m2) in the boot that acts as a boot liner.

It is surprising how much noise comes from the rear.

Adam

 

[trapperjohn]

May I ask where you got your sound barrier mat from Adam. The only stuff that comes up on ebay is very expensive.

 

[AdamG]

I bought mine from fasterthansound

STP GOLD Bulk Solution

He had a tatty box at slight discount.

This mat is very similar to dynamat. All the top end damping sheets are expensive because they have a butyl backing that sticks well with no smell. The cheaper ones are bitumen based.

All the soundproofing helped reduce the noise but I'm sure sticking it to the bulkhead behind the rear seats made the most difference.

One thing I would add is that decent tyres make more difference than anything. Switching from kumhos to Michelins has made a vast improvement. On smooth sections of motorway the car is eerily quiet.

Adam

 

[trapperjohn]

Thanks very much Adam. The tyre tip too. I have Bridgestones on the back of my 124 Saloon.
On a whim I had it decatted ((rear)(this my 124 24V 300D)) and seeing as the middle box was getting tatty that was removed at the same time. Perhaps a mistake when looking for quiet cruising but boy does it sound "rorty" when pushed. The back box does rasp a bit as it tries to handle the straight through stuff when moving on. That can be attended to in time.

CHEERS

 

[AdamG]

Sorry if you were asking about the barrier mat with foam backing. I bought this from TAP Acoustic - Muftilag - Wall Panels

Really nice guy and good prices but you really have to pick up as it weighs a lot and postage would be very expensive.

Just to finish off I attatched some photos of the rest of the soundproofing.

 

[BillyW124]

Thats exactly the result im after, good job you have done there Adam.

The rear deck having inspected it together with where the rear seat bench and backrests go are quite bare. The metal chassis is quite thin i feel.

I do think that by proofing it would make a considerable difference.

Im tempted on doing the roof, but im chicken as im worried the lining wont fit back nice and tight!

Are you pleased with the results sound wise? Do you think its made a considerable difference doing the sound proofing in your opinion?