W204 rear blind into W126 SEC

[khimani_mohiki]

Thought id do a little write up on my mini-project to install a W204 rear electric blind into my W126 SEC. I got the blind off Matt Jones advertised retro Rides for £20. Its a fairly simple and neat mechanism and doesnt require a guide pole either.

Fully extended the blind fits really well in the SEC rear window, i could only approximate its final position but it came up about 1cm from the top edge of the window.

My parcel shelf was looking pretty worse for wear, the velourish covering was faded and brittle with black marks around where the storage boxes go, so i peeled it all off.

To avoid any possible interferance with the metal structure under the parcel shelf im going to mount the blind at the same level as the flat portion of the shelf.

Im going to move the cut out bit forward of the blind and glue it back in.

Havent worked out how im going to fix the blind assembly to the shelf securly yet in a way that i can get it in and out easily.

 

[jaymanek]

Thats pretty cool! Will work more reliably than the W126 units..

Keep us updated.

 

[khimani_mohiki]

ive already run into some difficulties with the mechanism locking up. I have a blind switch from a W140 but no harness for it yet, dont even know where to get power for it yet either, i havent managed to find the 'special equipment' power socket, anyone know where it is?

 

[khimani_mohiki]

So i made a little section to go infront of the blind out of some hardboard and plastic conduit covering.

Also cut out a piece of hardboard to go over the top of the blind.

might make a little flap to go over blind so its unseen when its retracted

 

[khimani_mohiki]

Finally got this project finished, smoothed out the corners with body filler and covered it with cream vinyl.

Put in a blind switch from a W140 and jacked into the 12v window supply for the drivers side window and the switch lighting supply from the fader. So the switch will light up with all the rest and the blind will work without the key in when the doors are open, like the windows.

The blind is attached to the parcel shelf with some aluminium bar with a screw each side which is covered by the corner of the parcel shelf boxes.

Theres a small 4cm gap where the blind doesnt meet the headliner but from the front seats you cant see the gap so no sun should get through.

 

[jaymanek]

cool mod!

 

[azaman]

Good work mate, that looks very neat!

 

[retrodave111]

That does look neat and tidy, well done

 

[khimani_mohiki]

the only problem i have encountered is that the parcel shelf reflects up onto the rear screen, i guess thats why they were covered in velour in the first place as i guess it would scatter the light more

 

[khimani_mohiki]

My rear screen is now tinted to no need for the blind and Im building a new shelf with some tasteful speaker enclosures. anyone interested in taking the blind and parcel shelf off me? The whole lot would fit straight in to an SEC, ill even throw in the switch. Some of the vinyl is starting to lift on one of the edges and the whole thing could probably do with being recovered. PM me if interested