Took the plunge and bought a 1965 Mercedes 220SEB Coup
Discussion
Me too!
Got mine Feb 2014 and been fettling ever since:
The first time ever I saw her face. Silverarrows in South London. Price: £21k..ish
Then it began:
I admired one of these in this blue as a kid and white just didn't do it for me.
I got a set of ropey 'Mexican Hat' alloys from E-Bay and had them refurb'd then added new rubber. Chrome is generally good apart from rear bumper.
New front screen just in as is her new stablemate, a lovely grey metallic E-Type.
Didn't realize just how big the coupe is (or how small the E-Type is) Offending rear bumper went off to be re-chromed...something of a mistake that, came back looking like a sieve and any attempt at brazing made things worse so after months of trying to make do I bit the bullet and ordered a set of repro's in stainless steel from Vietnam... I know! You wouldn't think it, but for £700 the five piece bumper arrived in two weeks complete with stainless nuts and bolts all looking like highly polished chrome.
Like the OP, you can't help but buff these things, plenty of wax and Autosol, very rewarding.
Got mine Feb 2014 and been fettling ever since:
The first time ever I saw her face. Silverarrows in South London. Price: £21k..ish
Then it began:
I admired one of these in this blue as a kid and white just didn't do it for me.
I got a set of ropey 'Mexican Hat' alloys from E-Bay and had them refurb'd then added new rubber. Chrome is generally good apart from rear bumper.
New front screen just in as is her new stablemate, a lovely grey metallic E-Type.
Didn't realize just how big the coupe is (or how small the E-Type is) Offending rear bumper went off to be re-chromed...something of a mistake that, came back looking like a sieve and any attempt at brazing made things worse so after months of trying to make do I bit the bullet and ordered a set of repro's in stainless steel from Vietnam... I know! You wouldn't think it, but for £700 the five piece bumper arrived in two weeks complete with stainless nuts and bolts all looking like highly polished chrome.
Like the OP, you can't help but buff these things, plenty of wax and Autosol, very rewarding.
Great to see one so beautifully finished. Are you able to advise with regards to where you sourced some other parts. At the moment Im after weather strips / rubber seals for both doors and rear windows. Iv managed to get everything else but these see difficult as Im not wanting to pay £1k for a strip of rubber !
Also - Who refurbished your wood work for you, Thats next on the list. Thanks
Also - Who refurbished your wood work for you, Thats next on the list. Thanks
If you know what the seals are like woollies are a great resource http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/default.aspx
Bagpuss,
Would like to help where I can. The seals on mine weren't too bad, so I've been trying to bring them back from the brink with a rubber seal conditioner:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wurth-Rubber-Seal-Conditio...
Weather strips are also a bit ropey on mine, so I've got a small section I took off and I'm taking it to the NEC in November to see if there's a chance of picking up a generic section there, a good possibility, I'll let you know.
The woodwork....For my sins I'm a museum cabinetmaker, so I had a bash myself:
All the veneer had cracked, some had shaled off completely and the passenger side capping had broken in two. The sun had bleached every surface.
The dash stripped out, clock didn't work either, so removed the backplate, cleaned and oiled the mechanism, keeps good time now.
Dash caps, windscreen surrounds and speaker cover, stripped back to veneer and broken components re-glued. It was at this point it was apparent that someone had attempted to sand back and stain these items before and had gone through to the substrate plywood. What to do? It's tempting to re-veneer and virtually replace all old for new, but I don't mind a little wear and patina on a 50 year old car, so I decided to work with it.
Note how the veneer is gone completely from part of the binnacle. A dark stain to give a uniform colour will help how it looks.
A couple or three coats of chestnut stain and two coats of lacquer had it looking acceptable. A couple of small processes to go before refitting.
Did the same with the other bits, then 0000 grade wire wool with Briwax and a buffing wheel to finish off. It gives a uniform satin finish, not to everyone's taste, but it's more sympathetic with the odd tarnish on the chrome and the wear on the leather.
The centre console required a little more work...
..but ended up looking ok.
Would like to help where I can. The seals on mine weren't too bad, so I've been trying to bring them back from the brink with a rubber seal conditioner:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wurth-Rubber-Seal-Conditio...
Weather strips are also a bit ropey on mine, so I've got a small section I took off and I'm taking it to the NEC in November to see if there's a chance of picking up a generic section there, a good possibility, I'll let you know.
The woodwork....For my sins I'm a museum cabinetmaker, so I had a bash myself:
All the veneer had cracked, some had shaled off completely and the passenger side capping had broken in two. The sun had bleached every surface.
The dash stripped out, clock didn't work either, so removed the backplate, cleaned and oiled the mechanism, keeps good time now.
Dash caps, windscreen surrounds and speaker cover, stripped back to veneer and broken components re-glued. It was at this point it was apparent that someone had attempted to sand back and stain these items before and had gone through to the substrate plywood. What to do? It's tempting to re-veneer and virtually replace all old for new, but I don't mind a little wear and patina on a 50 year old car, so I decided to work with it.
Note how the veneer is gone completely from part of the binnacle. A dark stain to give a uniform colour will help how it looks.
A couple or three coats of chestnut stain and two coats of lacquer had it looking acceptable. A couple of small processes to go before refitting.
Did the same with the other bits, then 0000 grade wire wool with Briwax and a buffing wheel to finish off. It gives a uniform satin finish, not to everyone's taste, but it's more sympathetic with the odd tarnish on the chrome and the wear on the leather.
The centre console required a little more work...
..but ended up looking ok.
Wow, your skilled professional background is evident in your work here. What a great job.
My seals are shot and beyond refurbishment. I was out the other day and the heavens opened, water was pouring in on both doors. I have contacted John Haynes info@johnhaynesmercedes.co.uk Merc Indi specialist to see what they recommend...... Will let you know.
Best wishes
My seals are shot and beyond refurbishment. I was out the other day and the heavens opened, water was pouring in on both doors. I have contacted John Haynes info@johnhaynesmercedes.co.uk Merc Indi specialist to see what they recommend...... Will let you know.
Best wishes
Nice comments, gratefully received.
One thing I did learn that's worth passing on...When getting the bodywork done I had the front and back windscreens out and bought seals for both screens from E-Bay. I'd got them in anticipation of the work being done, about two months beforehand, but neither were remotely close, the screen fitter said he recognized them from a truck! I had to re-order them at twice the price I paid from Mercedes Leicester for £80 each. I'm still wrangling with the guy who supplied them wrongly now, in spite of a very specific make/model/year drop down list on his E-Bay site that is, at best, horses
t.
One thing I did learn that's worth passing on...When getting the bodywork done I had the front and back windscreens out and bought seals for both screens from E-Bay. I'd got them in anticipation of the work being done, about two months beforehand, but neither were remotely close, the screen fitter said he recognized them from a truck! I had to re-order them at twice the price I paid from Mercedes Leicester for £80 each. I'm still wrangling with the guy who supplied them wrongly now, in spite of a very specific make/model/year drop down list on his E-Bay site that is, at best, horses
t.
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