Mercedes 129 titivation
Discussion
CharlesdeGaulle said:
I saw the car at Silverstone yesterday, and can confirm that it looks as good in the metal as it does in the photos. A real labour of love, and an absolutely worthwhile one. Fantastic job.
It was good to see you yesterday, although quite hard not to call you "Charles" when face to face. We're off to Sunderland Airshow just now, should be more fun in the same vein. My preferred option would be snoozing on the couch, but it's not on the cards.
I have finally gotten round to having the hardtop sorted. Minor bubbling in various places. It is aluminium so ought to be easier to sort than rusty steel. I think reassembling the trim and seals will be a struggle but I'm hoping the Man is up to it because the main front seal is £450. Ouch.
More significantly, we were over-optimistic about "curing" the corrosion on the bootlid and rear end. It has indeed started to come back, albeit was fairly microscopic. I have sourced a replacement bootlid and we are going to cut out and replace the affected part of the rear end. The latter is a fairly tricky task to accomplish. If it isn't right, we'll replace the entire rear end. Whoever it was that commented on this first time round, you were right!
More significantly, we were over-optimistic about "curing" the corrosion on the bootlid and rear end. It has indeed started to come back, albeit was fairly microscopic. I have sourced a replacement bootlid and we are going to cut out and replace the affected part of the rear end. The latter is a fairly tricky task to accomplish. If it isn't right, we'll replace the entire rear end. Whoever it was that commented on this first time round, you were right!
No turning back now!
It had been treated with Hydrate 80 and Electrox and slathered with Dynax UB inside but the corrosion was well into the metal. I live about 150 yards from the north sea coast, so it spends a lot of its life parked in a salt chamber. I noticed a couple of weeks ago pin prick-sized blistering under the paint so it was coming back already. The old metal will be used as a template or guide for new. The new patch will be prepared in weld-through primer, welded in, painted and undersealed behind. If it doesn't work out, I'll have to spring for a new rear panel. It's not the cost so much as the difficulty of getting the four joins just so.
It had been treated with Hydrate 80 and Electrox and slathered with Dynax UB inside but the corrosion was well into the metal. I live about 150 yards from the north sea coast, so it spends a lot of its life parked in a salt chamber. I noticed a couple of weeks ago pin prick-sized blistering under the paint so it was coming back already. The old metal will be used as a template or guide for new. The new patch will be prepared in weld-through primer, welded in, painted and undersealed behind. If it doesn't work out, I'll have to spring for a new rear panel. It's not the cost so much as the difficulty of getting the four joins just so.
Edited by r129sl on Tuesday 16th February 18:37
New section welded in and dressed.
And painted.
The backside of the new metal was primed with a weld through primer before being installed, then liberally coated with Dynax S50. The hardtop is finished and re-assembled and the car comes back to me this evening. Now we just need a weekend polishing and detailing and the arrival of the spring. Oh, and £400-worth of new tyres.
And painted.
The backside of the new metal was primed with a weld through primer before being installed, then liberally coated with Dynax S50. The hardtop is finished and re-assembled and the car comes back to me this evening. Now we just need a weekend polishing and detailing and the arrival of the spring. Oh, and £400-worth of new tyres.
Lowtimer said:
I'm also coming up for tyres
You're on bigger wheels than me so have access to a larger range of makes of tyre - perhaps the only disadvantage of staying on 16" in my view, as I've never felt the need for bigger brakes on any of my 16" wheeled cars. I'm coming to the view that the best currently available bet for a 129 on 225/55 16 looks like the Michelin Primacy 3 (the Primacy HP replacement) in its 99 load rated XL incarnation. But if you or any other 129 / 124 drivers have recommendations for W-rated tyres currently available in that size, this would be a handy time...
There is not a bad range here: https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres-225-55-16-0...You're on bigger wheels than me so have access to a larger range of makes of tyre - perhaps the only disadvantage of staying on 16" in my view, as I've never felt the need for bigger brakes on any of my 16" wheeled cars. I'm coming to the view that the best currently available bet for a 129 on 225/55 16 looks like the Michelin Primacy 3 (the Primacy HP replacement) in its 99 load rated XL incarnation. But if you or any other 129 / 124 drivers have recommendations for W-rated tyres currently available in that size, this would be a handy time...
I didn't like the Primacy HPs I had on my 129 a while back. I loved the PS2s but they are no longer available. At the moment I have the PS3s, also only available in the 99 XL fitment. I can't say I notice any difference between them and the usual 95s in terms of stiffness. I like the Continental Premium Contact 5, which I have on my estate car, but I don't know how it would handle a much faster car. I think I'd probably go for the Michelin Primacy 3 but I'd get the 95W.
95 is the factory spec, at least on my 1999 car. But I don't suppose there is any discernible difference between 95 and 99.
I really recommend www.tyreleader.co.uk. I have not found anywhere cheaper and they deliver pretty quickly.
I really recommend www.tyreleader.co.uk. I have not found anywhere cheaper and they deliver pretty quickly.
Thanks all. It's a wonderful car. I ran it down to Grimsby and back yesterday for lunch. A roundtrip of 360-odd miles (we came back over the Humber Bridge just for fun). Approximately two and a half hours each way, maybe slightly less. Anyway, despite starting with about ¾ of a tank and despite consistently running between 90 and 110mph with the odd foray up to more sensible speeds, it gave me 435miles on the tank and 28.2mpg. And more to the point was blissfully easy to use.
Damned air conditioning doesn't work: absolutely no gas. Could be a pipe was disturbed during the recent works but it seems to me infinitely more likely that something is broken, like the condensor. It hasn't had one for 8 years and 125k miles, and that is about how long the original lasted.
Anyway, a picture illegally parked out front of the sunglasses shop I just visited, the local HQ of my nemesis in the background:
Anyway, a picture illegally parked out front of the sunglasses shop I just visited, the local HQ of my nemesis in the background:
A short update.
This week I have fitted four new Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres. I can't say I notice any big difference between them and the Michelin PS3s which were on previously. They do seem very smooth but then they are brand new tyres manufactured about four weeks ago.
I also had the car serviced by MB Newcastle. After a bit of a debacle with my 190, they were on best behaviour. A 'B' service and MOT came to £272 with me supplying my own oil (Shell Helix Ultra 5W 40 for 8 litres of which they wanted £100 and 10 litres of which cost me £32). It needs an air con condensor, front brake pads, a prop shaft carrier bearing and new anti-roll bar bushes, most of which I expected. I booked it in for next Monday but this morning I was greeted by an email asking to move the booking to Thursday due to the unavailability of the condensor other than from Germany. This prompted be to shop around: I found a Behr Hella condensor (guess who makes them for Merc) for £248 a mere two miles away from me. Mercedes wanted £470 for the same part. Their loss: as a result of pathetic parts support and over-pricing, the latter on both the oil and the condensor, they lose the sale. By seeking a big profit rather than a modest profit, they make no profit. There is a lesson for them here but I don't suppose they will learn it.
This week I have fitted four new Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres. I can't say I notice any big difference between them and the Michelin PS3s which were on previously. They do seem very smooth but then they are brand new tyres manufactured about four weeks ago.
I also had the car serviced by MB Newcastle. After a bit of a debacle with my 190, they were on best behaviour. A 'B' service and MOT came to £272 with me supplying my own oil (Shell Helix Ultra 5W 40 for 8 litres of which they wanted £100 and 10 litres of which cost me £32). It needs an air con condensor, front brake pads, a prop shaft carrier bearing and new anti-roll bar bushes, most of which I expected. I booked it in for next Monday but this morning I was greeted by an email asking to move the booking to Thursday due to the unavailability of the condensor other than from Germany. This prompted be to shop around: I found a Behr Hella condensor (guess who makes them for Merc) for £248 a mere two miles away from me. Mercedes wanted £470 for the same part. Their loss: as a result of pathetic parts support and over-pricing, the latter on both the oil and the condensor, they lose the sale. By seeking a big profit rather than a modest profit, they make no profit. There is a lesson for them here but I don't suppose they will learn it.
Edited by r129sl on Friday 22 April 10:18
Lowtimer said:
r129sl said:
A short update.
This week I have fitted four new Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres.
By coincidence after considerable debate I have this very morning had five squeaky-new (week 14) Conti Premium Contact 5 for my own SL, Sport Contacts not being available in the requisite 16" size and speed rating. Those too are notably quiet and smooth on the 70 miles I've put on them so far. Interestingly I had no on-centre steering feel at all for the first 10 miles until they scrubbed in a bit, which was disconcerting, but it's fine now.This week I have fitted four new Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres.
Had them put on at Tam Tyres in Gateshead who have the only Hunter road force balancer in the North and were the only people able to get the wheel balance spot on with my Porsche last time I put new tyres on it. So all my stuff gets that treatment now. It costs a few quid more but doing anything else with old cars which one wishes to keep indefinitely seems a false economy.
The 129 has been much in use in the fine weather.
Last night my wife and I had a run up to Glasgow to see the Boss. This morning we ran back down the M74 as far as Moffat (what a stunning road, I can see how people get busted at high speed along there), then back up the A701 as far as Tweedsmuir, past Megget Reservoir and on to Hawick where we had a quick lunch before bombing back down the A68 and A696. The car was in its element on all those roads, running fast but never much more than 100mph, with great reserves of strength and handling. We also had the happy opportunity to help two ladies struggling to change a flat tyre on their Volvo, in the absolute middle of nowhere, to boot. A fine start to my fifth decade.
Last night my wife and I had a run up to Glasgow to see the Boss. This morning we ran back down the M74 as far as Moffat (what a stunning road, I can see how people get busted at high speed along there), then back up the A701 as far as Tweedsmuir, past Megget Reservoir and on to Hawick where we had a quick lunch before bombing back down the A68 and A696. The car was in its element on all those roads, running fast but never much more than 100mph, with great reserves of strength and handling. We also had the happy opportunity to help two ladies struggling to change a flat tyre on their Volvo, in the absolute middle of nowhere, to boot. A fine start to my fifth decade.
It is a year since I started monitoring costs and usage using the Road Trip App.
8,826miles
22.43mpg
Fuel £2,008.44 (22.5p per mile, £5.67 per day)
Service/maintenance.expenses £2,946.35
Total £4,954.79 (57p per mile, £14 per day)
Fairly horrifying given the mileage, but it includes £1,000 on bodywork, four new tyres and a bug service at the main dealer, as well as road tax and insurance.
8,826miles
22.43mpg
Fuel £2,008.44 (22.5p per mile, £5.67 per day)
Service/maintenance.expenses £2,946.35
Total £4,954.79 (57p per mile, £14 per day)
Fairly horrifying given the mileage, but it includes £1,000 on bodywork, four new tyres and a bug service at the main dealer, as well as road tax and insurance.
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