Mercedes 129 titivation

Mercedes 129 titivation

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r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Friday 26th June 2015
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Rear arch not so hot: the Man says it needs TLC and lead solder. Not sure what these holes are. I'll ask all about it next week. I suspect it is evidence of an old repair. The o/s/r wheel arch was crunched while the car was parked years ago and I'm guessing they pulled the repair out and this is what's left.





Edited by r129sl on Friday 26th June 11:55

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Friday 26th June 2015
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They look like puncture holes don't they, rather than stress fractures.


r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Monday 29th June 2015
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I don't know what they are but, I agree, they don't look like they resulted from the parking crunch. Perhaps something done in the course of the repair to give the wheel arch its shape? I will find out when I visit later today. In the meantime, here is a quick squizz at the newly powder coasted exhaust trims. The top one was the brand new one in stainless steel. The bottom one was the rusty old one. I am amazed by the finish, especially on the rusty old one. Well worth £36.


r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Monday 29th June 2015
quotequote all
Plenty of progress today. Paintwork is about to commence.

The verdict on the perforated arch is that it was a bodge during the previous repair I mentioned. It's funny how the "good" arch turned out to be the worst. Anyway, here you can see it being built back up with some new steel, lead solder and then dressed.





Unfortunately, there is more woe in that o/s/r wheel arch. See here how there is a bit of rot where the inner wheel arch meets the sill. Not the end of the world but it has to be tackled. There is plenty of good metal and no holes, so it will all be ground back, treated, primed and painted and then re-sealed with Bilt Hamber Dynax UB.



There is a tiny hole in the n/s/f bumper mounting point which will need to be cut out and welded up. Again, nothing earth-shattering. That wing doesn't look bad for 250,000 north east miles, does it?



The "bad" side, which has turned out not so bad after all, is prepped and ready for primer. Any corrosion has been ground out and any pitting treated with Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80.



The plastic parts, the Saccos, bumpers, mirror and so on, have all been removed, broken down and prepped for painting. Finally they are in the booth.







These sill brackets will be replaced.



So slowly but surely we are getting there. This is always the bit that I hate: week three. It seems to be taking forever right now, but all of a sudden the progress will be quick. Paint by the end of the week? Maybe the start of the next. There is a little bit of stripping still to do: the 'A' pillar covers and then the tonneau seal, this latter being quite tricky. Then re-assembly. I have yet to draw up a list of necessary replacement clips and trim items, I expect it will be long and much of it may be NLA. What is the point?

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Monday 29th June 2015
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I just came across this evocative driving photo and another parked up (also on the Shielding to Applecross road) from our honeymoon five years ago.





And also this one from even further in the dim and distant past, our first French trip.



Finally, long, long ago my r129 took us to Torridon in the snow. Here climbing the Pass of the Cattle on wholly inappropriate summer tyres.



I can't wait to get this car back! I've done so much in it, I'm really missing it.

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
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They are wonderful looking cars, that still look fresh.


harrykul

2,770 posts

225 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
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Some great pics. Would you consider painting the calipers while you're in there?

QuantumTokoloshi

4,161 posts

216 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
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A quick question, does yours have heated seats ?

I would like to get an idea how difficult it is to get to the heating element on the bottom bolster ?

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
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Heated seats. The seat base had three elements, a sprung frame, a foam pad and a leather cover. The seat heating element is in the pad. It is very easy to remove the base, but very difficult to separate the three components: when my base heating element failed, I went to an upholsterer and had him install a new pad. The new pad is about £180.

Anyway, looks like I was pessimist about time: the plastics were done this morning.


QuantumTokoloshi

4,161 posts

216 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
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r129sl said:
Heated seats. The seat base had three elements, a sprung frame, a foam pad and a leather cover. The seat heating element is in the pad. It is very easy to remove the base, but very difficult to separate the three components: when my base heating element failed, I went to an upholsterer and had him install a new pad. The new pad is about £180.
Thanks. I have the element, will look at doing the same.

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
I suspect this will be another wonky picture. It shows the inside of the o/s/r wheel arch prepped and primed.


r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Lots of r129 action today.

First off, when I visited the bodyshop, the car was being masked for spot priming. You can see how it is all prepared and ready. Apparently you don't prime the whole car in order to reduce the risk of the paint cracking later.









Just now the Man has texted me some pictures of car with the spot priming done. All fairly unremarkable but it is progress and rapid progress at that. My scepticism was unwarranted.







In the meantime I had a run up to the Furniture Clinic at Burnopfield to collect the seats, which you will remember I was having restored. I haven't had much chance to inspect them, but they look pretty good to me. Excuse the photos: on the hottest day of the year, it is pissing down in Newcastle so I didn't want to take them out of the boot. They still got a bit of rain on them. Anyway, I think I'm pleased with the Furniture Clinic.







Finally for today, the Man has again emailed to tell me the bumpers will be painted tonight. He did the other plastics last night.


EJH

932 posts

208 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Those seats look superb! Once you have the car back on the road (and accumulating proper miles), I would be interested to hear how they wear (wondering who to use next time my seats are re-coloured).

This thread isn't helping a long-held and thus far unrequited desire to have an R129. The only issues are it would have to be a 500 (or 600 with brave pills) and, like yours, have the panoramic roof and xenons. This, to my mind, is as good looking as they get...and also v rarely come for sale as most people with a car in that spec seem to hold on to them!

2Btoo

3,410 posts

202 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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r129sl said:
I really can't see the point of supercars. I can't even see the point of today's super saloons, the likes of the M3/4 and the C63 AMG. I write as one who loves to drive fast and tries to drive well and also as one who is aware that he is starting to sound like an old fogey. But how can you use one of these supercars for driving on the public road? The performance is extraordinary, and far in excess of my abilities, the abilities of most drivers, and the capacity of the public road to take it. I drove a Ferrari 599 GTB once and it was an utterly disappointing experience because the spurts of power had to be so brief and because it felt totally out of my control. They are also too big—the supercars especially. The super saloons are crushingly vulgar: the silly, manufactured parping noise, the hyper-aggressive styling, the colour palette of white, metallic white or matt white with black wheels. Tell me, drivers of such cars, do you have total contempt for your neighbours and their wish to sleep? And what about behind the wheel? Is all that aggression a good thing on the public road? Would you walk down the street in the same mindset? They have tiny fuel tanks, rubber band tyres and rock hard suspension. They're not driving machines: they are status machines.

I can see the value of the repmobiles more, although I think it a shame that they try to ape the premium brands so much. One day I would like to own a Ford: it is such an honest marque, an everyman car. But almost all cars these days are not about engineering excellence, driving pleasure or even about travelling: they are about the projection of image and status. That's why so-called luxury cars have poxy diesel engines. The modern diesel may be good but it is nothing in refinement when compared to the modern petrol engine. But people want to project a 7 series image on a diseasel budget. £500 a month, 8,000miles a year. That last figure tells you what you need to know: these cars don't go anywhere: they are adornments for the driveway, the car park at the office, the golf club, like expensive garden gnomes. And, yes, I would have to concede that even opting out of moderns and running three old Mercs involves making a statement of sorts.
An excellent, excellent post. I heartily agree.

I share similar sentiments to yours about my Porsche 944. And will be needing to do some not-dissimilar body work on it soon as well.

Keep this thread updated, it looks superb thus far.

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Bumpers done. The car itself is being painted tonight. Unfortunately, I've been laid low with the lurgy. Dodgy pastie.


Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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It's coming together nicely.



gregs656

10,818 posts

180 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Lovely stuff. The shape has aged gracefully.

Did you request photo updates by the way? It's a nice thing to have for your records and peace of mind, good service I think.

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

202 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
gregs656 said:
Lovely stuff. The shape has aged gracefully.

Did you request photo updates by the way? It's a nice thing to have for your records and peace of mind, good service I think.
The Man knows I'm nuts about it so sends updates if I can't go round there. He's just across the river (Tyne) from me, so most days I can stick my head around the door and take my own pictures. But not today due to aforementioned sickness. These threads are a good way of documenting the work, plus people seem to like them. i'm grateful for all the positives, it makes me feel much better about keeping these cars going and using them rather than succumbing to a lease on a 320d. In other news, my 124 is just a few miles shy of 500,000km...

QuantumTokoloshi

4,161 posts

216 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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I am enjoying watching and reading the updates, as I am tempted to undertake something similar in the near future on mine. I cannot wait to see the finished result.

schuey

705 posts

209 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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r129sl said:
The Man knows I'm nuts about it so sends updates if I can't go round there. He's just across the river (Tyne) from me, so most days I can stick my head around the door and take my own pictures. But not today due to aforementioned sickness. These threads are a good way of documenting the work, plus people seem to like them. i'm grateful for all the positives, it makes me feel much better about keeping these cars going and using them rather than succumbing to a lease on a 320d. In other news, my 124 is just a few miles shy of 500,000km...
I saw you in the 124 heading north on the Tyne bridge yesterday,car looked brilliant in the flesh!