1979 Mercedes 450 SLC
Discussion
Managed to get in and out of Goodwood fine today, despite the mud which was stranding the occasional modern SUV. Placing the car on snow mats certainly helped, the result being my first weekend away in it was drama-free other than the constant blast from the ice-cold air con which became farcical as the temperature dropped.
Related to that do any fellow owners know which exact switch or knob I am missing on this fascia which controls the air con? In the hole which would be covered by said switch I can feel what seems to be a thin microswitch spindle which presses in, but I cannot turn it off by poking at it. This being a car from South Africa I cannot seem to locate an image online of a similar dash layout.
Thanks in advance.
Related to that do any fellow owners know which exact switch or knob I am missing on this fascia which controls the air con? In the hole which would be covered by said switch I can feel what seems to be a thin microswitch spindle which presses in, but I cannot turn it off by poking at it. This being a car from South Africa I cannot seem to locate an image online of a similar dash layout.
Thanks in advance.
Edited by paulyv on Sunday 18th March 23:34
The missing knob controls the air con. It is a twist knob and simply increases or decreases (presumably to zero) the ferocity of the arctic blast.
a1078201292
Out of stock here: https://www.sls-hh-shop.de/main/en/mercedes-280-50...
Apparently available here: http://www.bits4benz.com/product_p/1078201292.htm
The car looks utterly lovely. I have no doubt that these are set for greatness. They are so elegant. It must be really odd seeing CdeG behind the wheel of one!
Edit: cheap enough here https://mercedesclubs.de/teilemarkt/onlinekatalog/...
I only jest about CdeG. He is of course the epitome of the civilised gentleman.
a1078201292
Out of stock here: https://www.sls-hh-shop.de/main/en/mercedes-280-50...
Apparently available here: http://www.bits4benz.com/product_p/1078201292.htm
The car looks utterly lovely. I have no doubt that these are set for greatness. They are so elegant. It must be really odd seeing CdeG behind the wheel of one!
Edit: cheap enough here https://mercedesclubs.de/teilemarkt/onlinekatalog/...
I only jest about CdeG. He is of course the epitome of the civilised gentleman.
Edited by r129sl on Monday 19th March 09:50
paulyv said:
Arctic blast is the right word. I am still shivering today. An SL with the roof down would have been warmer.
As always, r129sl comes to the rescue, despite being a cheeky fellow. I don't envy you paulyv! My heating is poor at the best of times and I wouldn't want to be driving it now:
I love these cars, so much style and presence.
I found a stolen one in my street in Portsmouth just before Xmas. I noticed it has its window down which seemed odd as it was raining but I presumed the driver had forgotten to close it but the next morning it was still there with its window down so I called 101 and the police confirmed it was stolen and (hopefully) it got reunited with its owner.
I’m glad they are still out there
I found a stolen one in my street in Portsmouth just before Xmas. I noticed it has its window down which seemed odd as it was raining but I presumed the driver had forgotten to close it but the next morning it was still there with its window down so I called 101 and the police confirmed it was stolen and (hopefully) it got reunited with its owner.
I’m glad they are still out there
ilovequo said:
I’ve no ac but heater is squeaking badly also!
Think this could be a solution rather than purchasing entire unit?
On ebay at £128...
Thank you for that. Indeed I had considered one of those and I might well try one. I have seen the guides which explain how to replace the motor only but it seems to be quite a hassle. I see there is a full unit at the SL Shop too so I am going to consider both options. Needless to say it needs doing.Think this could be a solution rather than purchasing entire unit?
On ebay at £128...
The SL Shop also have the A/C dial I need so I hope they can provide it this week.
I fully intend to - there's going to be quite a bit of work to do on the car over this spring and summer and I will update with as much useful information as I can throughout.
Firstly thanks to R129 I now have the correct Aircon dial winging its way to me courtesy of the SL Shop who were competitively priced. It'll be a relief to hopefully get some control over the temperature in there.
All other mechanical aspects of the car are first class except for kickdown. My first investigation is going to be the kickdown switch behind the loud pedal...my recently-removed carpet (more of that momentarily) has a hole in for that and if I am lucky it was not aligned correctly. If that's not the reasons then it'll be the switch and then the solenoids on the gearbox. Fun to think there is more performance to come from this car.
Now - back to that removed carpet. I do have water coming into the cabin and it is very likely from the bulkhead as I dried it out last night, and after the showers overnight there is a little more water in the footwell, so it won't be the aircon drainage pipes leaking. This is not really a surprise to me and I got enough money off the car based on this when I pointed out several ongoing issues which were not mentioned at the time of the sale, this being one of them. So it'll be a quote from the SL Shop to get this done, and get done it will - they all seem to need it at some point and keeping the car entirely dry would prove impractical for me.
Firstly thanks to R129 I now have the correct Aircon dial winging its way to me courtesy of the SL Shop who were competitively priced. It'll be a relief to hopefully get some control over the temperature in there.
All other mechanical aspects of the car are first class except for kickdown. My first investigation is going to be the kickdown switch behind the loud pedal...my recently-removed carpet (more of that momentarily) has a hole in for that and if I am lucky it was not aligned correctly. If that's not the reasons then it'll be the switch and then the solenoids on the gearbox. Fun to think there is more performance to come from this car.
Now - back to that removed carpet. I do have water coming into the cabin and it is very likely from the bulkhead as I dried it out last night, and after the showers overnight there is a little more water in the footwell, so it won't be the aircon drainage pipes leaking. This is not really a surprise to me and I got enough money off the car based on this when I pointed out several ongoing issues which were not mentioned at the time of the sale, this being one of them. So it'll be a quote from the SL Shop to get this done, and get done it will - they all seem to need it at some point and keeping the car entirely dry would prove impractical for me.
paulyv said:
So it'll be a quote from the SL Shop to get this done, and get done it will
Before you go nap, have you seen strela's SL thread? You might choose to consider other garages too. Edward Hall is well-regarded, and Steve Griffin (Merc Tec on the MB forums) is excellent; he's based Worcester-way and did the work on mine. No naming and shaming allowed of course, but I think some well-known eponymous specialists are marketed beyond their talents. Allegedly.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
Before you go nap, have you seen strela's SL thread? You might choose to consider other garages too. Edward Hall is well-regarded, and Steve Griffin (Merc Tec on the MB forums) is excellent; he's based Worcester-way and did the work on mine.
No naming and shaming allowed of course, but I think some well-known eponymous specialists are marketed beyond their talents. Allegedly.
Well thank you for this. I will indeed investigate that thread and go from there.No naming and shaming allowed of course, but I think some well-known eponymous specialists are marketed beyond their talents. Allegedly.
ilovequo said:
I’ve no ac but heater is squeaking badly also!
Think this could be a solution rather than purchasing entire unit?
On ebay at £128...
If it sounds like a budgie trapped behind the dash, that'll cure it.Think this could be a solution rather than purchasing entire unit?
On ebay at £128...
Had the same problem with my W124.
Ordered what I was assured was the correct unit from a shop that sells SLs. My garage stripped down car (lots of stuff needs removing to access motor) only to find they had supplied the wrong unit. Car now holding up other work.
Then had to drive to said shop to get the correct part!
Bears out what other posters have said about competence.
[/quote]
If it sounds like a budgie trapped behind the dash, that'll cure it.
Had the same problem with my W124.
Ordered what I was assured was the correct unit from a shop that sells SLs. My garage stripped down car (lots of stuff needs removing to access motor) only to find they had supplied the wrong unit. Car now holding up other work.
Then had to drive to said shop to get the correct part!
Bears out what other posters have said about competence.
[/quote]
Think i’ll order one... (the replacement motor internal at £130)
Presumably the heater unit can be removed pretty easily through the panel at bulkhead?
ilovequo said:
If it sounds like a budgie trapped behind the dash, that'll cure it.
Had the same problem with my W124.
Ordered what I was assured was the correct unit from a shop that sells SLs. My garage stripped down car (lots of stuff needs removing to access motor) only to find they had supplied the wrong unit. Car now holding up other work.
Then had to drive to said shop to get the correct part!
Bears out what other posters have said about competence.
Think i’ll order one... (the replacement motor internal at £130)
Presumably the heater unit can be removed pretty easily through the panel at bulkhead?
Bonnet up, Unscrew 8 philips-head screws (use a short screwdriver), gently pull out the electrical terminal, remove lid of heater area, undo 4 bolts and the unit lifts out. 2 of those bolts are rather tricky as they lay lower inside the bulkhead and you cannot see them but that's it. I have missed out the final stage where you stare into the rotten abyss.Had the same problem with my W124.
Ordered what I was assured was the correct unit from a shop that sells SLs. My garage stripped down car (lots of stuff needs removing to access motor) only to find they had supplied the wrong unit. Car now holding up other work.
Then had to drive to said shop to get the correct part!
Bears out what other posters have said about competence.
Think i’ll order one... (the replacement motor internal at £130)
Presumably the heater unit can be removed pretty easily through the panel at bulkhead?
Edited by paulyv on Tuesday 20th March 15:09
Now I get this image up it doesn't look as dramatic as it felt when actually departing Goodwood on Sunday afternoon.
I am not one to gloat but given the weekend temperatures I could not deny the warm feeling I got when gliding past a Discovery spinning its wheels as it submerged deeper into the Sussex clay. The Duchess is now sat on the street begging me to wash the salt of numerous county gritting outfits from her underside. I'd best get onto that tomorrow or there won't be much left by the weekend.
Plenty of fancy cars there on Sunday but it was the little red Datapost Metro that made the trip worthwhile, even if it did only last one corner.
I am not one to gloat but given the weekend temperatures I could not deny the warm feeling I got when gliding past a Discovery spinning its wheels as it submerged deeper into the Sussex clay. The Duchess is now sat on the street begging me to wash the salt of numerous county gritting outfits from her underside. I'd best get onto that tomorrow or there won't be much left by the weekend.
Plenty of fancy cars there on Sunday but it was the little red Datapost Metro that made the trip worthwhile, even if it did only last one corner.
So we had a long weekend's holiday to Zaragoza planned, flying out Friday. This was, however, thoroughly scuppered by Ryan canceling our flights the day before due to the French Air Traffic controllers deciding that work wasn't for them, and that a long weekend looked far more attractive.
What to do? Rather than spend several hours on Skyscanner trying to find something suitable we hopped in the SL and left London, not knowing where we might end up. No better opportunity to stretch the car's legs at last.
A little over 350 miles and just over a tank of fuel later we are back having been all around Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Driving holidays like this never fail to remind me what a beautiful country we live in. Towns and villages such as Marlborough, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Ledbury were visited and the car never missed a beat.
First things first - this was fitted just before we left:
Much better. No worries about my eyelids freezing together should we get another cold snap. Observations about the car...I was surprised that I didn't get through more fuel and whilst the engine doesn't sip the fuel I was happy not to use more than about 80 pounds worth of fuel during the whole weekend.
Another point well worth mentioning is that after some investigation I don't think I have 'that' rusty a bulkhead. The driver's footwell had been wet under the carpet since I bought the car, but prior to departure I removed the sodden matting-type material under the carpet. Immediately this got rid of the godawful funk in the car, making the imminent journey more attractive. After thoroughly drying the area I noted whilst there was a little rust around the accelerator hinge, there's certainly none visible higher up the footwell area, something I am choosing to take as a positive sign. An even brighter note being that despite driving through rain, enduring several overnight showers, and being subject to my pouring a full bottle of water over the air intakes, the car has refused to leak at all over the weekend.
I am not naive enough to suggest I don't have any rust in the bulkhead - an inspection will reveal all no doubt, but at the moment I can say with some semi-informed hope I don't have water pouring into the footwell as is so often the case. I think some preventative measures will be needed in the spring if I am lucky. The question remains however - where did that water come from in the first place? Answers on a postcard and don't worry about bursting my hopeful bubble.
The heater is currently all over the place with a new motor in the post. I am getting warm air from the drivers side nozzle nearest the door, and cold air from the other three, regardless of what I do with the 4 mysterious vertical levers of climate change on the dash. At times more air comes through those slots into which those levers themselves sit rather than the nozzles themselves. There also seems to be air blowing around the passenger door area near the footwell - weather seals perhaps? Let's see what a new motor does, but some investigation required.
Opening the windows, even at some speed results in some fumes entering the cabin. Perished fuel lines perhaps and certainly something I need to get atop of living in a city.
More good news - I have kickdown. The carpet hadn't been aligned correctly meaning the pedal was not pushing directly against the solenoid. Easily solved and the car pulls as it should, as demonstrated to an E-type driver this afternoon on the M40.
Finally I get some wind noise around the top of the car (the sunroof being firmly closed), often at random speeds - a feature of the SLC perhaps?
Plenty of positive comments and even observed someone taking photos of it in a car park. Here we are at Cowley Manor - a superb hotel I knew nothing of until we perused Booking.com from the excellent privately-run services at jcn 11a on the M5...both the hotel and the services were outstanding.
Thanks for reading.
Pauly
What to do? Rather than spend several hours on Skyscanner trying to find something suitable we hopped in the SL and left London, not knowing where we might end up. No better opportunity to stretch the car's legs at last.
A little over 350 miles and just over a tank of fuel later we are back having been all around Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Driving holidays like this never fail to remind me what a beautiful country we live in. Towns and villages such as Marlborough, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Ledbury were visited and the car never missed a beat.
First things first - this was fitted just before we left:
Much better. No worries about my eyelids freezing together should we get another cold snap. Observations about the car...I was surprised that I didn't get through more fuel and whilst the engine doesn't sip the fuel I was happy not to use more than about 80 pounds worth of fuel during the whole weekend.
Another point well worth mentioning is that after some investigation I don't think I have 'that' rusty a bulkhead. The driver's footwell had been wet under the carpet since I bought the car, but prior to departure I removed the sodden matting-type material under the carpet. Immediately this got rid of the godawful funk in the car, making the imminent journey more attractive. After thoroughly drying the area I noted whilst there was a little rust around the accelerator hinge, there's certainly none visible higher up the footwell area, something I am choosing to take as a positive sign. An even brighter note being that despite driving through rain, enduring several overnight showers, and being subject to my pouring a full bottle of water over the air intakes, the car has refused to leak at all over the weekend.
I am not naive enough to suggest I don't have any rust in the bulkhead - an inspection will reveal all no doubt, but at the moment I can say with some semi-informed hope I don't have water pouring into the footwell as is so often the case. I think some preventative measures will be needed in the spring if I am lucky. The question remains however - where did that water come from in the first place? Answers on a postcard and don't worry about bursting my hopeful bubble.
The heater is currently all over the place with a new motor in the post. I am getting warm air from the drivers side nozzle nearest the door, and cold air from the other three, regardless of what I do with the 4 mysterious vertical levers of climate change on the dash. At times more air comes through those slots into which those levers themselves sit rather than the nozzles themselves. There also seems to be air blowing around the passenger door area near the footwell - weather seals perhaps? Let's see what a new motor does, but some investigation required.
Opening the windows, even at some speed results in some fumes entering the cabin. Perished fuel lines perhaps and certainly something I need to get atop of living in a city.
More good news - I have kickdown. The carpet hadn't been aligned correctly meaning the pedal was not pushing directly against the solenoid. Easily solved and the car pulls as it should, as demonstrated to an E-type driver this afternoon on the M40.
Finally I get some wind noise around the top of the car (the sunroof being firmly closed), often at random speeds - a feature of the SLC perhaps?
Plenty of positive comments and even observed someone taking photos of it in a car park. Here we are at Cowley Manor - a superb hotel I knew nothing of until we perused Booking.com from the excellent privately-run services at jcn 11a on the M5...both the hotel and the services were outstanding.
Thanks for reading.
Pauly
Edited by paulyv on Thursday 3rd January 16:11
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