Titivating my Mercedes 124
Discussion
I'd very much like to say "thank you" to all of you who have expressed such positive support during this project. Apart from anything else, it has enthused my wife and convinced her I am not insane. I haven't pointed out that merely because there are other insane people in this world it does not follow that I am OK.
I am really thrilled with how it has turned out. It does look almost like a brand new car. Driving home I felt that every other car on the road was a potential missile. I can't bear to take it to work tomorrow.
There are a few of snagging points. The rear wiper doesn't quite line up. I'll sort that tonight. I need to put the summer wheels on. The numberplate screws front and rear are a bit old and corroded. There is a bit of trim missing from the nearside rear wheel arch. I still need to change three of the door sill trims. And the interior needs a proper clean, not a valeter's clean. That is for the weekend, when I will also take some decent pictures. Rather more irritatingly, there are two very shallow dings in the offside rear door and one in the nearside front. I'll have a dent man see to those for £50. And I think the vacuum element in the nearside rear door is not hooked up right.
It really does look the business, though. Mercedes-Benz World are going to display it in their amazing building for the weekend of the Pistonheads Sunday Service (27 April). Sad though it may be, that makes me very happy and excited.
Thanks again. Better pics to follow.
I am really thrilled with how it has turned out. It does look almost like a brand new car. Driving home I felt that every other car on the road was a potential missile. I can't bear to take it to work tomorrow.
There are a few of snagging points. The rear wiper doesn't quite line up. I'll sort that tonight. I need to put the summer wheels on. The numberplate screws front and rear are a bit old and corroded. There is a bit of trim missing from the nearside rear wheel arch. I still need to change three of the door sill trims. And the interior needs a proper clean, not a valeter's clean. That is for the weekend, when I will also take some decent pictures. Rather more irritatingly, there are two very shallow dings in the offside rear door and one in the nearside front. I'll have a dent man see to those for £50. And I think the vacuum element in the nearside rear door is not hooked up right.
It really does look the business, though. Mercedes-Benz World are going to display it in their amazing building for the weekend of the Pistonheads Sunday Service (27 April). Sad though it may be, that makes me very happy and excited.
Thanks again. Better pics to follow.
Congratulations on a fantastic result - a great advert for the body shop but even more so as testament to your determination and commitment to show just what a great car an S124 can be, even today. I cannot imagine anyone doing the same for an S210 or S211 when they are a similar age!
Car looks fantastic Jonathan, well done. I particularly like the new headlights, they make the car look almost new. I agree with you on the number plate screws, its those little details that are important.
r129sl said:
Mercedes-Benz World are going to display it in their amazing building for the weekend of the Pistonheads Sunday Service (27 April). Sad though it may be, that makes me very happy and excited.
Wow! How have you wangled that? Very impressive! Fantastic car - great to know it will pass moon miles with ease (and maybe get back from there too?) 
A W124 estate is the only car I can really 'go older' than my 405 with now - nothing else would be practical or sensible. Sadly, they are rising in value (or tatty and in-need of too-much-work)
I'm not entirely sure about the perfectionism shown here - I see these as workhorses to be treat as-such but I had a good look around a same-age example last week and it was a LOT worse. I'm guessing it had never been repaired since new - you could get your HAND inside the front wings - and it had 'chrome wheelarches' which we all know are just rust covers ;0
A W124 estate is the only car I can really 'go older' than my 405 with now - nothing else would be practical or sensible. Sadly, they are rising in value (or tatty and in-need of too-much-work)
I'm not entirely sure about the perfectionism shown here - I see these as workhorses to be treat as-such but I had a good look around a same-age example last week and it was a LOT worse. I'm guessing it had never been repaired since new - you could get your HAND inside the front wings - and it had 'chrome wheelarches' which we all know are just rust covers ;0
Numberplate screws changed and wonky rear wiper straightened already. Somewhat oddly I had a set of pukka Merc front and rear numberplate screws in my big cardboard box of unused parts which takes up space in my garage. I'll put the summer wheels on tomorrow as my boy wants to "help". Then I must press it back into service. Thanks again, all.
Very good job, sir.
I have a W124 300D myself. It belonged to grandad who had it from new and covered 180k miles in it, before gifting it to me after buying a new merc. I have been wafting around in it for the last few years. Its very slow, smells bad, its tatty, rusty, squeaks like an old mattress and, well, I love it!
The tax and MOT run out soon and she wont pass this time without some major work. It would be so easy to just give up and scrap the old girl but I just cant bring myself to do it. This thread has inspired me to press on and restore her.
I have a W124 300D myself. It belonged to grandad who had it from new and covered 180k miles in it, before gifting it to me after buying a new merc. I have been wafting around in it for the last few years. Its very slow, smells bad, its tatty, rusty, squeaks like an old mattress and, well, I love it!
The tax and MOT run out soon and she wont pass this time without some major work. It would be so easy to just give up and scrap the old girl but I just cant bring myself to do it. This thread has inspired me to press on and restore her.
I said at the start of this thread how much I like this car, and now it's finished it's just amazing.
It's definitely one of those cars for which mileage and age is less important than the maintenance and care that has been lavished upon it during its life. My car had a full MB service history up to 160k miles and it's tight as a drum. The only squeak is from the rear seat hinge, which can be adjusted out.
Is it madness to spend so much? Probably but you end up with a great car. I've spent nearly 4 grand on bringing mine up to scratch mechanically, and now I've made that sort of financial commitment it's quite difficult to stop spending money on improvements. I've just bought a new set of alloys and your car is making me think about getting a new pair of wings. Where will it stop?
It's definitely one of those cars for which mileage and age is less important than the maintenance and care that has been lavished upon it during its life. My car had a full MB service history up to 160k miles and it's tight as a drum. The only squeak is from the rear seat hinge, which can be adjusted out.
Is it madness to spend so much? Probably but you end up with a great car. I've spent nearly 4 grand on bringing mine up to scratch mechanically, and now I've made that sort of financial commitment it's quite difficult to stop spending money on improvements. I've just bought a new set of alloys and your car is making me think about getting a new pair of wings. Where will it stop?
Absolutely superb result and a real credit to both r129 and everyone who has worked on the car with such attention to detail. It's great to see an older car being given a new lease of life rather than taking the easier option of scrapping/moving on and replacing with something newer.
The car looks great and I hope she continues to give you many more years of faithful service and enjoyment.
The car looks great and I hope she continues to give you many more years of faithful service and enjoyment.
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