1979 Mercedes 450 SLC
Discussion
alabbasi said:
R134a does not function worth a damn in Texas in a W107 body car, but it might be good enough for England.
You were right, R134a.
If you're going down the road, it will work fine as there's going to be decent heat transfer at the condenser. If in traffic, you'll be okay to about 90 degrees. If the shop knows what they're doing, The should consider switching the condenser out to a parallel flow condenser which will be much more efficient and using a more modern fan. It will work like a champ then
Thank you - that's really useful and I will keep it in mind.
The fan/blower system of the 107 seems to me to be the weak spot in an otherwise well-designed car, although to be fair the design work dates to the late-sixties. There never seems to be much power behind the blower and the routing of the air behind the dash seems to sap any energy it has, and this in a car with a brand new blower. God knows how it all would have coped in the 'long hot summer of 1976'.
Still - the car is working, and working well. A pleasure to drive today, although choosing the very day of climate protests to drive a 4.5 litre car with the number plate BRX 541T into central London seemed as if I should be smoking a cigar and throwing fifty-quid notes out of the window to the commoners. Still, next year it is exempt from road tax, MOT's, congestion charge and the new ULZ charge. I 'think' I am being green by not buying a new car and keeping this on the road.
The fan/blower system of the 107 seems to me to be the weak spot in an otherwise well-designed car, although to be fair the design work dates to the late-sixties. There never seems to be much power behind the blower and the routing of the air behind the dash seems to sap any energy it has, and this in a car with a brand new blower. God knows how it all would have coped in the 'long hot summer of 1976'.
Still - the car is working, and working well. A pleasure to drive today, although choosing the very day of climate protests to drive a 4.5 litre car with the number plate BRX 541T into central London seemed as if I should be smoking a cigar and throwing fifty-quid notes out of the window to the commoners. Still, next year it is exempt from road tax, MOT's, congestion charge and the new ULZ charge. I 'think' I am being green by not buying a new car and keeping this on the road.
If you ever get the dash removed, you'll be able to seal up the HVAC box which can develop leaks over time and cause wear air at the vent due to air escaping at the box inside the dash. It's also critical to check all the vacuum lines and pods under the bonnet to make sure that they function properly, otherwise they will partially leave flaps partially closed and you'll again have weak air flow.
alabbasi said:
If you ever get the dash removed, you'll be able to seal up the HVAC box which can develop leaks over time and cause wear air at the vent due to air escaping at the box inside the dash. It's also critical to check all the vacuum lines and pods under the bonnet to make sure that they function properly, otherwise they will partially leave flaps partially closed and you'll again have weak air flow.
The vacuum system is exactly what the car was in for, so it is entirely sorted now - can even adjust the headlamp level. Not had the whole dash out yet though so will keep that in mind.TR4man said:
Don't forget that we appreciate photos...
It's going to be a big weekend for photos but I will take this opportunity to take a couple from SS Motors in Addlestone. Can't speak highly enough about these people who really know their stuff and have any number of classic Mercs in their garage at any point in time. Was greeted by these two bruisers when I arrived...
Lovely condition. Just look at them. Was enjoying peering into their windows when I heard a familiar rumble and reacquainted myself with my own SLC, now in far finer fettle than it has been for 15 years I reckon. Joe at SS thinks that despite it having not been loved so much for the past few years, with a few heath robinson fixes here and there which his team have put right, it's a very solid car underneath with little to be concerned about. Finally, we got there!
Next items on the list are: Air-con pipe and regas as mentioned in my previous post. Replace a single missing cable to make the cruise control work. 4 new shock absorbers. New insulation and carpet set (in the post). 5 new tyres. Partial respray to sort that vandalism. Replacement windscreen (current one is a little chipped). A few bits of trim here and there which are missing. The list of 'to do' is now far shorter than the list of 'done'.
I still can't believe I own it. This weekend it's a long jaunt to Lincolnshire where I grew up, to take my girlfriends parents out for a treat or two. Time to fill the tank and to really bond with it. Have a good weekend everyone.
jamesson said:
Just read the whole thread from start to date. What a beautiful car and well done for lavishing some love and attention on it. I wish you many, many happy miles in it.
That's very kind of you, thank you. Love, attention and money have been lavished on it, the latter being the more effective. That said at this point in time I would very confidently hop in it and drive down to the far tip of Italy without a care in the world. Only one outstanding annoyance revealed in my road trip this weekend of which details are to follow.3 days on the road and not one concerning mechanical issue, which is how it ought to be.
The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa really is a terrific place. Having grown up in Lincolnshire it took many years of being away from it to truly appreciate some of the area's finer points, this being one of them. Set in some beautiful grounds the hotel was the wartime base of 617 squadron and is full of memorabilia and stories, as well as more than one splendid bar, a fine restaurant, and a full-size snooker table. I'd really recommend a visit if you are vaguely in the area. There's always a few interesting vehicles in the car park. This time it was a beautiful Sunbeam and a Ferrari 430 convertible (California's are they called?). Last year our trip coincided with a visit from several classic Bentley owners. Woodhall Spa is also the home of the charming 'Kinema in the Woods', which still has a bloke pop out and play tunes on his Compton organ before some showings. Going inside there is like falling into a time warp although I see it still has it's tin roof, which makes a brilliant racket if you are watching a film during a rainstorm.
My drive up from London to the hotel via Peterborough wasn't quite up there with the Dambusters more grueling missions, thanks to the cars enormously comfortable seats, but given this was its first run out of the year I did have my fingers crossed. No need in the end - a full tank of fuel was all I needed to ensure we got where we were headed, then a little further on to Louth, and most of the way back to London Bridge.
Getting to know the car now - it's strength being the ability to push on and accelerate quite relentlessly above 30 mph up to and way beyond anything vaguely legal. The very straight roads of Lincolnshire resulted in my finding out the car stayed vibration-free at high speed and at no point did it inspire anything other than confidence, even in the twisty bits outside of Cadwell Park who had a big motorbike meeting on today. Only fair to point out the one thing that is going to need a return trip to SS Motors in a week or two. The blower fan still has something of a mind of its own, jumping up to full speed occasionally even when not engaged. I think it electrical as it doesn't seem to have anything to do with engine temperature and on more than one occasion it cancelled it's shenanigans when I used the indicator. Your guesses are welcome, be they informed (you reading this R129SL???) or otherwise. VERY thankfully, as my 'heater flaps of mystery' now work, it didn't blast me with roasting hot air when it did engage.
Some pictures below and if I find out anything about the electrical issue I will be sure to update.
The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa really is a terrific place. Having grown up in Lincolnshire it took many years of being away from it to truly appreciate some of the area's finer points, this being one of them. Set in some beautiful grounds the hotel was the wartime base of 617 squadron and is full of memorabilia and stories, as well as more than one splendid bar, a fine restaurant, and a full-size snooker table. I'd really recommend a visit if you are vaguely in the area. There's always a few interesting vehicles in the car park. This time it was a beautiful Sunbeam and a Ferrari 430 convertible (California's are they called?). Last year our trip coincided with a visit from several classic Bentley owners. Woodhall Spa is also the home of the charming 'Kinema in the Woods', which still has a bloke pop out and play tunes on his Compton organ before some showings. Going inside there is like falling into a time warp although I see it still has it's tin roof, which makes a brilliant racket if you are watching a film during a rainstorm.
My drive up from London to the hotel via Peterborough wasn't quite up there with the Dambusters more grueling missions, thanks to the cars enormously comfortable seats, but given this was its first run out of the year I did have my fingers crossed. No need in the end - a full tank of fuel was all I needed to ensure we got where we were headed, then a little further on to Louth, and most of the way back to London Bridge.
Getting to know the car now - it's strength being the ability to push on and accelerate quite relentlessly above 30 mph up to and way beyond anything vaguely legal. The very straight roads of Lincolnshire resulted in my finding out the car stayed vibration-free at high speed and at no point did it inspire anything other than confidence, even in the twisty bits outside of Cadwell Park who had a big motorbike meeting on today. Only fair to point out the one thing that is going to need a return trip to SS Motors in a week or two. The blower fan still has something of a mind of its own, jumping up to full speed occasionally even when not engaged. I think it electrical as it doesn't seem to have anything to do with engine temperature and on more than one occasion it cancelled it's shenanigans when I used the indicator. Your guesses are welcome, be they informed (you reading this R129SL???) or otherwise. VERY thankfully, as my 'heater flaps of mystery' now work, it didn't blast me with roasting hot air when it did engage.
Some pictures below and if I find out anything about the electrical issue I will be sure to update.
Edited by paulyv on Wednesday 5th August 00:17
paulyv said:
The blower fan still has something of a mind of its own, jumping up to full speed occasionally even when not engaged. I think it electrical as it doesn't seem to have anything to do with engine temperature and on more than one occasion it cancelled it's shenanigans when I used the indicator. Your guesses are welcome, the them informed (you reading this R129SL???) or otherwise. VERY thankfully, as my 'heater flaps of mystery' now work, it didn't blast me with roasting hot air when it did engage.
Nice write-up old boy. Glad that it's running well, and it looks terrific in the pictures. Can't really help with the detail, but I have working flaps(!) and a working blower but the combo produces no heat which is mildly tedious and, I suspect, likely to be potentially expensive to rectify. In the meantime I overcome this deficiency by only taking the car out when it's warm and by briefing my 'lucky' female passengers to bring an additional layer or two. I'd be interested in hearing about anything you can do to make the ventilation system at least moderately less-s
t. CharlesdeGaulle said:
Nice write-up old boy. Glad that it's running well, and it looks terrific in the pictures.
Can't really help with the detail, but I have working flaps(!) and a working blower but the combo produces no heat which is mildly tedious and, I suspect, likely to be potentially expensive to rectify. In the meantime I overcome this deficiency by only taking the car out when it's warm and by briefing my 'lucky' female passengers to bring an additional layer or two. I'd be interested in hearing about anything you can do to make the ventilation system at least moderately less-st.
If you're getting no heat CdG, I suspect that the valve which feeds hot water into the heating system may well be jammed. To be honest I have not yet dared to engage the hot setting since the car returned, for fear of it getting stuck on, but as I have had 'experts' look at it I really should not be so cowardly and need to give it a go to make sure I got what I asked for.Can't really help with the detail, but I have working flaps(!) and a working blower but the combo produces no heat which is mildly tedious and, I suspect, likely to be potentially expensive to rectify. In the meantime I overcome this deficiency by only taking the car out when it's warm and by briefing my 'lucky' female passengers to bring an additional layer or two. I'd be interested in hearing about anything you can do to make the ventilation system at least moderately less-s
t. I would be genuinely surprised if the resolution to your particular issue would be that expensive. These vehicles are awash with hot liquids hence if you are not getting any increase in temperature at all something stubborn is stopping it, and I can only think a stuck valve would do that. Prior to this dashboard work my car was producing plenty of heat into the cabin, albeit often at unwanted times. The alternative is the pneumatic system is not working as it should and that valve is not getting the control it needs. Does your central locking work okay, including the boot? They are not linked to the heater but any issues there might suggest there could be issues elsewhere.
paulyv said:
The blower fan still has something of a mind of its own, jumping up to full speed occasionally even when not engaged. I think it electrical as it doesn't seem to have anything to do with engine temperature and on more than one occasion it cancelled it's shenanigans when I used the indicator. Your guesses are welcome, be they informed (you reading this R129SL???) or otherwise. VERY thankfully, as my 'heater flaps of mystery' now work, it didn't blast me with roasting hot air when it did engage.
Do you have the automatic climate control like the one picture here or the slider control?
If the automatic climate control, you could have a faulty amplifier or servo, When this happens, only defrost will work properly. You'll also run into issues with the a/c not working because the valve will let hot water into the heater core while the a/c is on. The system was originally developed for Chrysler back in the 60's but they did away with it by the time Mercedes Benz started using it. It's a very problematic system. My old 6.9 had it, as does my 450SLC 5.0. I have the Mercedes Benz factory climate control manual somewhere.
This is very odd Paul. I've been reading this thread since it started but have only just cottoned on to your name. It was the trip to Lincolnshire and Louth that forced the penny to drop. This is Greg, we worked together in London about 18 years ago at HMG (try not to hurl).
I've only been back to Louth twice since birth but we now have friends living in the area so will hopefully be making more trips from Devon (next in September, I think).
The car is fab and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Cheers.
I've only been back to Louth twice since birth but we now have friends living in the area so will hopefully be making more trips from Devon (next in September, I think).
The car is fab and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Cheers.
alabbasi said:
Do you have the automatic climate control like the one picture here or the slider control?
Morning Alabbasi, thanks for replying.I have the unit with the sliders. In fact I might be wrong but I have never seen the automatic version in a UK-based car. Perhaps in one or two imports. I do know that the work SS Motors did included repairs to the speed sensor, which they also cleaned. Perhaps a short is the issue there...
gforceg said:
This is very odd Paul. This is Greg, we worked together in London about 18 years ago
No Greg - the odd thing would be if only last night I was thinking for the first time if anyone I had ever met might be reading this thread.Hope you are well - drop me a PM some time should you wish to. I recall your interest in cars which appears unabated.
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