This is going to be an abbreviated version of my build. If you're interested in the nitty-gritty and all the details, check out the more detailed version on Stanceworks.

In May of last year, I set out to find a new project. I had my heart set on a '95 W124 with the OM606. I also wanted black paint and a leather interior, which made finding one that met my criteria a little difficult. I did eventually find one, flew down to San Francisco, and limped it back home, with the heater jammed on full blast and the kickdown switch nonoperational. It was an entertaining 11 hour drive



Aside from the aforementioned issues, the car drove great, and a new duo-valve and a kickdown switch fixed what ailed it. It appeared to have been well cared-for for most of its life, but had gone through a rough patch. The last owner or owners (it changed hands three or four times in the year before I owned it) did not take much care of it at all, and it was absolutely disgusting inside and out:




Clearly some serious detailing was in order. The interior was so gross that I actually had to resort to scraping the coating of sludge off the interior surfaces with a screwdriver. On the exterior, the chrome fender trim immediately went into the scrap pile. The paint was in various states of disrepair. Most of the car got wetsanded, followed by Meguiars 105/205 and Griot's Best in Show wax. The right front fender was in bad shape, so I resprayed it. It now looked like a car again: