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For the first time in several years I have had a week off for me and me alone and had a staycation. First on the agenda was my 6.9 whose aircon had gone flat about three years ago. The aircon was rebuilt with a new compressor and lines and conversion by Lyons Airconditioning in Kewdale with...

This is a previous posting reprinted with photos now posted to imgur.com - test run to see if that which was lost can be found. Since I purchased my 6.9 (2 1/2 years ago now) I have contended with a squeak at one or other fan speed which this summer has become almost continual and has often...

Here are a few photos of the new "WGB" complete with it's plates and a wash today. It has already covered 1330 km in 10 days. It is an S350 - Black with Black interior and Eucalyptus trim. The only options are the dark windows and the 20 inch wheels. Milly is the guard dog. In total the...

Took the S350 on a shakedown cruise to Donnybrook and back yesterday - approx 450 km. Here is a blurry shot taken with my iphone of the S350 dash as we were nearing home last night. It shows average fuel consumption of 6.2 L/100km. Most of the journey was spent with the cruise control on 113...

I ordered my new CLS500 5 months ago and yesterday I still had no firm date for production let alone delivery and on going into Diesel Motors yesterday I was told I could have a car in December so long as I accepted one of their pre-ordered colours and specs. Robinson last week in Wheels...

I said goodbye to two great mates this afternoon. Traded in on two new ones that will arrive in about two months time - we'll see who builds them quicker Sindelfingen or Tuscaloosa. Bill

The Grand lodge of WA is planning on entering a car for this years Variety Bash and we have secured funding to purchase a car and run in the Sydney to Perth event this year. I would dearly love to get my latest 6.9 ready but I think time and reality will preclude this. We are looking at two...

As some of you will know I succumbed and purchased Motec 6.9's car which had been left sitting under covers for several years. I looked at it and turned to walk away and my son-in-law gave him an offer neither of us could refuse so it is now sitting at my place. I have attempted to start it...

After a 4 1/2 year odyssey I have now replaced the last bits of rubber between me and the road. I have always blamed the rough low speed ride on my 16 inch wheels because my 450 was always much more pleasant to ride in over low speed bumps but last Saturday I went to take the 6.9 for a reviving...

on a fine Saturday in May 2004 I drove past one of the less salubrious pre-owned motor re-allocation consultants and staring out of the heavily used cheap specials was a green 116. I took it for a drive - decided that the lack of power, directional control and retardation along with non working...

My 450 SEL has sat gathering dust in it's primer coat for some five years and gradually plugs have fouled and power steering has stopped powering and I have twice purchased the paint but never got going on the top coat. Now that my 6.9 is as good as I will probably get it my thoughts were...

Now that my 6.9 front struts don't drop overnight and the car stays upright by itself for weeks on end without being started it occurred to me that it must lighten the load on the hydraulic pump. The pump pressure is now really only used for gradual top up and levelling functions whereas with...

With all the workon my car over the past month or so the car has been left parked with doors and windows open at times and obviously something reptilian or mammalian has crawled inside and taken up residence. I have not driven the car for two weeks and it has been left shut up and locked and...

While driving my wife's ML 320 on Saturday a picture of a thermometer in water appeared in the centre of the speedo. The car is now 4 years old and has covered 70,000km. I stopped and checked coolant level but all was well so I ran through the menus that bring up coolant temperature in the...

After posting the first overhaul of my RH strut I have now completed my LH strut as well and with the benefit of hindsight here are some tricks. 1) Gently heat the top cover to melt the loctite and the top cover comes off with almost no resistance - the heat needed is not even enough to blister...

My 6.9 has always had a weak right front strut although it never particularly leaked externally. The struts are no longer procurable new but I purchased two kits of seals off US E-bay last year. I also understand Styria sells reconditioned exchange struts and this was my next alternative - and...

When I puchased my 6.9 four years ago I was less than impressed by it's handling and an initial job was to replace a pair of stuffed rear strut ball joints. These were replaced using Styria's exchange ball joints and they have held up quite well At the time I replaced these I was more than...

I would imagine in most of the 116 range the bush on the opposite side to the driver is a reasonably easy replacement but in a 6.9 a levelling valve and assorted plumbing is in the road. One of my pet hates has always been my oil misted front levelling valve with disintegrating dust boot that...

A few before and after photos from the rear sway bush replacement performed recently. Here is the LH bush before replacement showing a little plumbers teflon tape that I used to pack the old bush last year after rebuilding the rear end. Here are the new and old bushes side by side. The...

This was of course the more difficult of the two to replace as the instruments lower knee roll and brake booster have to be removed. One point I had never noticed until afterwards but the bush is visible from the wheel well on each side - to check for condition. The replacement bushes (with...