Progress on my 280CE

[Des]

Well have been busy getting my 280CE up to scratch lately,
had my mechanic yesterday fix a few things, some noises in the steering caused by something in the steering hitting the fan shroud, also was a loose belt and had to replace a hose.

Have removed the stone guards from the front of the car, these seem fairly pointless to me, I also intend to fit some period chrome Hella driving lamps in the near future.









I received a large box of parts yesterday in from Germany, among the many goodies is a new pair of tail lights,



These are the correct tail lights for an early, pre 1973 W114, the later ones which are currently incorrectly fitted to my car look like this



So that will sort out one issue, the old ones are quite faded anyway.


Among my pile of parts I now have brand new headlight glass, new seals for the headlights, new reflectors, new indicator lenses for the front,

I also have a new combination, indicator, wiper stalk for the steering column



Also have a new grille insert, grille badge, grille bars, clips etc.. to fit



Just waiting for a new toolkit to arrive for the car from Germany, and some pieces to fix the horn ring from rattling around.

Also have a new set of locks for the car,

Going to have a go and some of the easy jobs myself, fit the lights and lenses.

 

[oscar]

Awsome Des

Plus those tail lights look so much better. Besides the extra chrome they suit the car IMO.

 

[Des]

Maybe it is an obvious statement but it is amazing how good brand new parts look. I mean sometimes you look at a car and think "that is a nice car", but when you see what brand new grille inserts, chrome pieces, switches look etc...it is like night and day.

The console hazzard switch on a W116 or the electric window switches are good examples of how most of them have the white triangle faded away completely, or the chrome work is all faded and cracked, the new switches look so nice.

Just a shame some of the parts are so expensive to buy new.

 

[oscar]

So true Des. When I've added a new shiny part under the bonnet and admired it I ponder what the rest of the engine bay would look like if new. Then it hits home how difficult or time consuming and costly it would be to return one of these classics to showroom condition.

 

[Michel]

It is most impressive Des,

I just hope you won't get bored with it soon and decide to 'give it away'..

 

[Des]

It is most impressive Des,

I just hope you won't get bored with it soon and decide to 'give it away'..

I really don't know what the secret is to not getting bored with things,

maybe driving them more often?

Maybe as my father would say "be content with what you have"

 

[BenzBoy]

Des, if you are easily bored with it then it is not the car of your dreams...get your body into a 170 and be done with it!!!
OK!!! Got it!!!
Or go get a 6.9 and pimp it to the max.
Regards,
BenzBoy

 

[Michel]

I really don't know what the secret is to not getting bored with things,

maybe driving them more often?

Maybe as my father would say "be content with what you have"

I think if you drive them too often, you will get bored (I do...), but you need to drive them often, but not too often....

 

[Des]

I think if you drive them too often, you will get bored (I do...), but you need to drive them often, but not too often....

Interesting point, I know if I drive our Volvo for a few weeks, then drive a Benz, any Benz it feels special,

I have no real complaints with the Volvo's, they are great cars, except they don't corner very well, I guess they feel soulless to me. They come across as being very uninteresting, but serve their purpose very well. I admire their comittment to safety,

They are like a sensible, utilitarian device, you can respect them, but you cannot love them.


I guess Volvo's are like a brown suit, they are sensible, traditional, but lacking any real characte and charm

 

[Des]

Awsome Des

Plus those tail lights look so much better. Besides the extra chrome they suit the car IMO.

Fitted the new tail lights today, they really look good, have to get a picture. Took a bit of work as the person who has fitted the old ones in the past was nice enough not to use the same size nuts, some of the nuts were 8mm, one was 7mm, and another was an imperial size nut.

Got them in there with finger tight nuts, but need to get some new ones as they are all rusty and some are missing washes.

As trivial as fitting new tail lights is it feels good to actually do something yourself, like you have achieved some small milestone, plus saved a few dollars from having to get someone else to do.


Going to tackle the headlights next, I have new reflectors, indicator lenses, seals etc.. to fit.

 

[Michel]

I guess Volvo's are like a brown suit, they are sensible, traditional, but lacking any real characte and charm

Exactly my thoughts about Milan Brown.....

 

[JoeB]

I really don't know what the secret is to not getting bored with things,

maybe driving them more often?

Maybe as my father would say "be content with what you have"

I think if you drive them too often, you will get bored (I do...), but you need to drive them often, but not too often....

There's one thing that is far worse Des:
Knowing that the car you poured a heart and soul into and a truckload of folding. and that is having it taken from you, rather than selling it.

It's not so much about the value, it's about the connection and the mechanical sympathy you develop with the car, after knowing it so intimately from working on it, and from looking after it well.

What losing Schultz has taught me about owning Mercedes-Benz vehicles is simple.

Appreciate what you have, and don't treat the car like 'just another car' because as soon as you do, it will let you know in its' own idiosyncratic way, just what it will not tolerate from it's owner.

Stella is a classic example of a previous owners neglect, and is holding herself together for me because I treat her right

At the same time schultz went down, I was thinking to myself, I should put a little more effort into Stella. Now, that may have been a 'timely' thing, but Schultz is easing the loss, by donating his vital organs to Stella who really needs some TLC.

There is always boredom - the way to fix boredom is to spend more time making things perfect on what you have, and the payout is appreciating the hard work you did to make the car better.

For example: removing the Blower motor, A/C ducting and vents and cleaning them out with soapy water. Sure nobody will notice that, right? yes you will - because the air is so much more fresh and clean, and you know it has been done.

It's an example of one of those tedious thankless tasks which helps you appreciate the superb engineering in a Mercedes-Benz.

Maybe thats not your 'thing' but I think you might understand the philosophy behind the example, and why there really is no reason to 'get bored'

 

[BenzBoy]

"For example: removing the Blower motor, A/C ducting and vents and cleaning them out with soapy water. Sure nobody will notice that, right? yes you will - because the air is so much more fresh and clean, and you know it has been done."
Oh boy - I thought I was the only one who did things like that in the middle of the night.... I just wish I could fit bigger bits in the dishwasher...
I must investigate sonic cleaning.
Regards,
BenzBoy

 

[Michel]

I just wish I could fit bigger bits in the dishwasher...
BenzBoy

You might need a bigger dishwasher...

 

[Lukas]

Dishwashers are fantastic. Great way to clean out the steel filters in your range hood too. Combine them and pressure cleaners and cleaning is easy. I pressure cleaned all the tiled bits in the house a few years ago - came up great.

I've spent a few nights over the past week sitting in front of the TV cleaning the chrome bits on the ends of the grab handles, first of the 350 and then the 6.9 - they come up really good, although the rust flecks on the 6.9 ones could not be shifted.

Am already contemplating re-furbishing the entire doors on the 6.9 - they are grotty and a little rusty on the inside - no-one will see the changes, but I'll be happy knowing that they're tidy inside and out.

Lukas

 

[Des]

Well got another pair of lights in the post today, so I now have 4 identical Hella lights to mount up.

Going to look into what I can do to beef up my alternator now, and get a new Bosch or Mercedes Benz branded battery.

 

[Michel]

You're planning to fit the FOUR lights on?

 

[Des]

You're planning to fit the FOUR lights on?

 

[Michel]

HOLY SH.....

 

[Des]

HOLY SH.....

hahaha!

next on the "to do" list is BIG wheels!