Titivating my Mercedes 124
Discussion
Popped over there just now. Not much progress save that it has had a first polish. It looks great, really, really great. I didn't take any photos as they wouldn't look any different to yesterday's. I am kind of wishing I'd had the roof done but that would have added a lot of cost. He's going to block it and polish it for me.
I've bought a set of used door sill trims from Ebay for £26.50 including p&p. They look OK and at that price I can't really complain if they're not. I have a brand new one for the driver's door. I've also bought a new set of pedal rubbers. Amazingly these were in stock at MB Newcastle and cost about £25 for the set. These really tidy up the footwell. I can't think of anything else it is crying out for (or even whispering out for). I wouldn't mind a ribbed boot mat but I don't know where to find one.
The jacking points need doing. There is a bit of the paint job my man isn't happy with. And then it is just the re-assembly and cavity waxing. Hopefully it'll be done by the end of next week.
I've bought a set of used door sill trims from Ebay for £26.50 including p&p. They look OK and at that price I can't really complain if they're not. I have a brand new one for the driver's door. I've also bought a new set of pedal rubbers. Amazingly these were in stock at MB Newcastle and cost about £25 for the set. These really tidy up the footwell. I can't think of anything else it is crying out for (or even whispering out for). I wouldn't mind a ribbed boot mat but I don't know where to find one.
The jacking points need doing. There is a bit of the paint job my man isn't happy with. And then it is just the re-assembly and cavity waxing. Hopefully it'll be done by the end of next week.
I have been remiss in maintaining this thread lately, a mixture of heavy work commitments which have kept me out of the area and a lack of progress. However, the pressure is now off at work for a few days and things have started moving again down at the body shop.
The glass is in. Although the loadspace windows are coming back out tomorrow because the fitter mistakenly re-used the old seals instead of using the new ones. A simple matter of miscommunication and no harm done. And some re-assembly has taken place. I can't say the new tail lamps have transformed the look of the car, but the dirt that was stuck in the old ones really irritated me. I'll get them polished up in due course. And just look at that front indicator! I can't stand the clears; but all amber would not be correct; whereas this part-clear, part-amber job was factory fit in some markets and in my view looks the business. They have also fitted the new sill cover to the driver's door aperture: it looks great, much better than the tatty old thing from which the metal strips were peeling off that was there before. And, the set of four used sill covers I took a punt on on Ebay arrived. £23 including postage. And they're all good, better than what's on the car by a long chalk. So I am going to clean them up and fit them when I get the car back, along with the new pedal rubbers.
All that is required now is some careful alignment of the nearside doors, repairs to the jacking points and then to finish the re-assembly. At that stage I need to send it off for a MOT. When I get it home, I will put the mint summer wheels on it.
The glass is in. Although the loadspace windows are coming back out tomorrow because the fitter mistakenly re-used the old seals instead of using the new ones. A simple matter of miscommunication and no harm done. And some re-assembly has taken place. I can't say the new tail lamps have transformed the look of the car, but the dirt that was stuck in the old ones really irritated me. I'll get them polished up in due course. And just look at that front indicator! I can't stand the clears; but all amber would not be correct; whereas this part-clear, part-amber job was factory fit in some markets and in my view looks the business. They have also fitted the new sill cover to the driver's door aperture: it looks great, much better than the tatty old thing from which the metal strips were peeling off that was there before. And, the set of four used sill covers I took a punt on on Ebay arrived. £23 including postage. And they're all good, better than what's on the car by a long chalk. So I am going to clean them up and fit them when I get the car back, along with the new pedal rubbers.
All that is required now is some careful alignment of the nearside doors, repairs to the jacking points and then to finish the re-assembly. At that stage I need to send it off for a MOT. When I get it home, I will put the mint summer wheels on it.
Back to slow progress, I'm afraid. The end of the week has seen a little bit more re-assembly and the loadspace windows removed and fitted with the new seals ready to be re-fitted on Monday. My photos show the re-assembled front end and the cavity wax applied to the loadspace window area. We're still on for the end of next week but I feel a little doubtful, although the only big job left is the jacking points.
I ordered them through my local independent specialist. He passed them on to me without a markup. The best I could get out of MB Newcastle was £405 inc VAT. Although my man hasn't given me a VAT receipt so I would have been better off going to the dealer (I am VAT registered and the car is used for business purposes so all VAT is recoverable).
Rocksteadyeddie said:
r129sl said:
I ordered them through my local independent specialist. He passed them on to me without a markup. The best I could get out of MB Newcastle was £405 inc VAT. Although my man hasn't given me a VAT receipt so I would have been better off going to the dealer (I am VAT registered and the car is used for business purposes so all VAT is recoverable).
Ooh. That's a thought. How does the tax work on older vehicles as a BIK? Is it different to the % of new price - which presumably would give a tax liability out of line with the benefit. I am a sole trader and I am VAT registered. I use my cars for business purposes, covering about 15,000miles a year (excluding commuting). (I think) the rules mean that I recover 100% of the VAT on maintenance and repairs and can set an appropriate percentage of those costs against income tax. Based on the business mileage I drive, I think I offset only 33% of the costs against tax; many of my colleagues claim back 50%. The downside (from a tax efficiency point of view) of running a cheap old barge is that there is not much depreciation to speak of.
The SL's next. When I've earned some more money. It needs a bit of money throwing at it. The bodywork isn't bad, although there is a bit of rust around the numberplate lights. But the suspension feels less stable than it should at speed. I suspect it needs new steering linkages and a rebuilt steering box. It also needs an alternator, which I am hoping will cure this cutting out problem (it cuts out at 145-ish mph). The wheels are a mess. And the leather could be spruced up a bit. It may have to wait until next year.
I'm coming down in the 124 later this month.
I'm coming down in the 124 later this month.
E65Ross said:
Fantastic. Must be a bit scary it cutting out at that speed. Rarely go that speed but have on a few occasions, once you get past around 130 is when I start to think "OK, this is quite fast now" 
It's like banging off a rev limiter. My speedo needle wobbles. It gets worse with speed. I think this is attributable to a fault with the alternator (the speed sensors in the ABS and the transmission are all OK). And I also think it freaks the engine management/ESP in some way. We're lucky with our roads up North (among other things). We have so much space and so little population compared to the south. Sometimes you just find that even the A1 is deserted. At the risk of sounding like a spotty 17 year old who's just passed his test, I suspect I see those speeds pretty much every time the car goes out. I'm not a pushy driver but if the road is empty I can't see much point in holding back. No doubt I'll be locked up tomorrow.
marky911 said:
I see from your profile you are in the north east like myself, in which case would you mind telling me which bodyshop are doing your work?
Need the front of my 911 repainted in the future due to stone chips. Is their work top notch or more of a fair job for a fair price?
Thanks.
I have sent you a pm. Don't hesitate to ask if I can help in anyway.Need the front of my 911 repainted in the future due to stone chips. Is their work top notch or more of a fair job for a fair price?
Thanks.
Edited by r129sl on Wednesday 9th April 21:24
E65Ross said:
How often do you use the R129?
I'm down to 15,000miles a year in it now, although it's my daily driver at the moment, obviously. I've done 200k+ in it over 11years. These big-engined cars are the business. It's great to have so much in reserve. I need a limo, like yours. Anyway, we digress.Almost there...
The jacking points are being repaired as we speak. These pictures show the best one already done (offside front) and the worst one in progress (offside rear). I got down on my knees and peered inside the sills. It's very clean and corrosion-free in there, only the vicinity of the jacking points is bad. They will be filled up with Dynax-S50 cavity wax. I should get I decent spell out of this repair, at least five years.
Here is the offside front repaired and primed with the Electrox stuff:
Here are a few of the offside rear in progress.
Here is a video of the jacking point being repaired. It makes for fascinating viewing (not).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBHowPlD4fY&fe...
I am hoping maybe to collect it on Saturday morning but it may be next week.
The jacking points are being repaired as we speak. These pictures show the best one already done (offside front) and the worst one in progress (offside rear). I got down on my knees and peered inside the sills. It's very clean and corrosion-free in there, only the vicinity of the jacking points is bad. They will be filled up with Dynax-S50 cavity wax. I should get I decent spell out of this repair, at least five years.
Here is the offside front repaired and primed with the Electrox stuff:
Here are a few of the offside rear in progress.
Here is a video of the jacking point being repaired. It makes for fascinating viewing (not).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBHowPlD4fY&fe...
I am hoping maybe to collect it on Saturday morning but it may be next week.
Edited by r129sl on Thursday 10th April 14:45
I spent half an hour last night and tonight cleaning up the summer wheels and tyres, ready to be installed when the car comes back to me. This is an enormously satisfying job and I regret not taking "before" pictures because I really transformed them. The wheels have been stored all winter, having been removed from the car at the end of October. I didn't clean them when I took them off, so the insides had six months and 15,000miles of dirt and brake dust on them and the outsides had a couple of weeks' dirt and dust on them.
They're now all but brand new. I used Autoglym Wheel Cleaner (mixed strong, about 2 parts cleaner to 1 part water) on the insides and outsides, agitated with a paint brush. Then I washed them down and cleaned them off with a micro fibre towel. Then I used Tardis tar and glue solvent to remove the tar spots. Then I rinsed them down again and washed the tyre sidewalls with a solution of G101 all purpose cleaner. Next I scrubbed the tyres. Then I sealed the wheels with Meguiars No21 Synthetic Sealant before spraying the sidewalls with Meguiars No40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner. Then I buffed the wheel faces. And finally I removed the excess rubber cleaner. Tomorrow I'll give the sidewalls a buff.
This all begs the question: just what is missing from my life? I console myself with the knowledge that I neither dressed the tyre treads nor waxed the insides of the wheels.
They're now all but brand new. I used Autoglym Wheel Cleaner (mixed strong, about 2 parts cleaner to 1 part water) on the insides and outsides, agitated with a paint brush. Then I washed them down and cleaned them off with a micro fibre towel. Then I used Tardis tar and glue solvent to remove the tar spots. Then I rinsed them down again and washed the tyre sidewalls with a solution of G101 all purpose cleaner. Next I scrubbed the tyres. Then I sealed the wheels with Meguiars No21 Synthetic Sealant before spraying the sidewalls with Meguiars No40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner. Then I buffed the wheel faces. And finally I removed the excess rubber cleaner. Tomorrow I'll give the sidewalls a buff.
This all begs the question: just what is missing from my life? I console myself with the knowledge that I neither dressed the tyre treads nor waxed the insides of the wheels.
E65Ross said:
You want to put Gtechniq C5 and the EXOv2 on them.... Waxes are so 90s (and s
t in comparison)
OK, give me the skinny on Gtechniq. I've noticed them on the some of the detailing forums but have not yet tried any. Besides, I like waxing. And I am a bit 90s myself. 1890s.t in comparison) Edit: I've found this... http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.p...
Edited by r129sl on Thursday 10th April 21:49
I quite like SRP (hey, I know all the acronyms). It is easy to use and reliable. I might get some of this Gtechniq stuff, depending on how my cash holds up.
Anyway, the car will be ready for certain on Tuesday. There is mark on the rear bumper which my man is not happy with, so that is getting repainted. It would all be ready on Monday but I'm not around then.
The jacking points are all done, primed and painted. I'm really pleased with this work. Obviously the final finish is not important because it all goes under the plastic sill panels but, even so, in the metal they're better than they look in pictures. What looks like lumpy imperfection is actually the reflection of the floor.
Almost there:
Offside front:
Offside rear:
Nearside rear:
Nearside front:
While there I noticed my old wings and door lying around. It is as well to remember how bad the car was before this work was carried out. It is easy to forget this and to think only of how the job might be better (although I think the job is actually superb, doubly so when I consider the price paid). I took some pictures to remind myself.
Here is the offside front wing. Look at that hole!
And now the nearside. This was a right mess, with bubbling all round the wheel arch.
What is really interesting is how much worse they are on the inside. The nearside wing had previously been patched, too:
Anyway, the car will be ready for certain on Tuesday. There is mark on the rear bumper which my man is not happy with, so that is getting repainted. It would all be ready on Monday but I'm not around then.
The jacking points are all done, primed and painted. I'm really pleased with this work. Obviously the final finish is not important because it all goes under the plastic sill panels but, even so, in the metal they're better than they look in pictures. What looks like lumpy imperfection is actually the reflection of the floor.
Almost there:
Offside front:
Offside rear:
Nearside rear:
Nearside front:
While there I noticed my old wings and door lying around. It is as well to remember how bad the car was before this work was carried out. It is easy to forget this and to think only of how the job might be better (although I think the job is actually superb, doubly so when I consider the price paid). I took some pictures to remind myself.
Here is the offside front wing. Look at that hole!
And now the nearside. This was a right mess, with bubbling all round the wheel arch.
What is really interesting is how much worse they are on the inside. The nearside wing had previously been patched, too:
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.
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.
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