'And not a boom box on wheels either! Those days are over... I only want to run the door speakers, front speakers, rear deck speakers, and maybe a 8 or 10 inch sub'

um...ain't that a boom box setup? s'cuse me but I think it is...8 speakers=overkill. good luck.

ghetto yo. ghetto.

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

The second alternator and total electrical system must be utterly isolated from the car.
If they share ground at any point, one system will go up in smoke.

You will need A/C and power signal filter for the computer.

Ah, Well last I checked, those speaker locations are all stock, so if it is overkill then MB must have thought not. If you would like to see overkill please see my "picture of the beast" post. That is overkill defined.

of the gutted interior, and pictures of the new goDo not worry though, I will have multiple pictures soon ing in.

Hmmmm, I will just have them, seems I can't explain how they work to photograph the charging systems when I build in words....YES two COMPLETELY seperate systems! But I do not think the grounds must be isolated completely? how would that give more power to one system or another? As long as the positive never crosses systems, there is no way to spike voltage. (ever see a industrial setup? neutral is shared and unswitched, the breakers/fuses are only on the hot side, and that is with AC!) Let me here your thoughts on this one

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1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

and yes Breckenridge is a great place to live!

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1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

I have consulted five automotive electrical engineers today, just to be sure of the facts.
If you choose to proceed, they said to warn you, the alternator, starter and preamp will fry, along with much of your electrical system.
The common answer from them; Replace the 80 AMP alternator with a 300 AMP.
Your choice.
It is your car and money.
I have given warning; a fact of science does not change for anyone.

Ah, I think I will listen to the advice of the older and wiser! After all I am still Y.D.&F.o.C.!
I will add everything up to see how many amps I will really need and see about getting a HO alt. (if the 120 will not cover that is).
I do not want to fry anything, that would be a bad thing wouldn't it?

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1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

Very bad.
You don't want to know the cost of a vehicle wire harness, dash, starter, alternator, electronic relays and modules.

Here are some pics of the gutted interior....
Yes it is quite a mess at this point, but I will post some more as she progresses.

Attached Thumbnails

   

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1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

If you don't mind me asking what does new carpet seats and other stuff run?

Adsitco sells carpet I thought carpet kits were like $1,200 for a W126, not to bad considering the foam backing and the high quality.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

That picture of the beheaded dash makes me think of those encyclopedia pictures of the "visable man", where you can see through his guts, eyes, lungs and other body parts!

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

The carpet and headliner came to about 800 from gahh.com. Didn't have the foam backing ect, but the finish and quality is there. I picked up a complete interior from a 91 for about $150 - perfect. A few bits and pieces to buy, I am refinishing the wood as we speek, and the pod rebuild kits should be here shortly. So far I am pleased at how easy it is to do all of this on the Mercedes. I will never restore a American car again after this!

__________________
1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

some pics of the wire channel

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__________________
1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

Back at it - Now every night after work I spend about four hours pecking away at her. All the pods are rebuilt and ready for another 20 years, have run about 350 ft of new wire, pulled all of the old audio system wiring out including the stock speaker harnesses, pulled all of the cell phone wiring from the late 80's, and laid down a bunch of dynamat xtreme after giving the interior the cleaning of its life! Good ole simple green eats right through 20 years of spilled coffee ect.
The only real trouble I ran into was where the genius cell phone installation crew drove a screw into the floor for a ground wire and caused a bit of surface RUST. Ended up neutralizing the area and covered it in a layer of silicone.


I still have 500 FT of SXL coming for this work to be done (sure hope I don't need it all):
+ wire from HL sw to rear L fog
rewire glow plug loom
bumper fogs to orig fog 1 sw wire
IN-light (yellow)fogs to be switched by relay along with R fog (second sw pull)
city light circut from respective side marker W/diode for no interfere w/street side parking (r or L)
electric cut off switch from IGN to SL - 0005 + and Gnd to chs
still need to do one front dash speaker
rear deck speakers
Electric fan thermo sw circut
Electric fan relay from thermo sw - and from AC circut with diode
Electric fan tap
R fog to brake w/diode to L fog (with switch L fog only on, brakes both on)

Need to redo the ground strap to the engine
need to redo the - bat term and wire
need to run 0 gauge wire to rear and install circut breakers (one 160 up front, four 40 in the back for the individual devices) when arrives

Need 2 vac lines one supply and one to headlamps from adjustment sw - I am putting the headlamp adjustment sw in the slot where the fader was

Not to mention 2 more boxes of dynamat coming for the roof, trunk, rear deck, and behind the dash

After this is done the interior goes in (the easy part )

Once I get the interior done.....
A set of TOM J injectors
new springs all around
rear subframe bushings and whatever else is dried up under there..
a right front tie rod (fell off ramp )
that vac switch on the valve cover - nothing there but a disconnected tranny line
adjust tranny
adjust valves
filters
R+R calipers
..... I think that’s about it
The list is more for me than you, but it is not as bad as I thought!

Here are some pictures of the freshly laid dynamat on the center and rear floor

Two Qs.... Where can I find a new ground strap wire?
Where can I get the rubber pieces that protect the wires in the door jamb? All of them have been deteriorated by AZ dryness.....

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__________________
1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

Silicone + Painted (or non-painted) metal = RUST

Look for a good polyurethane black goo...I think that is what it is...stuff works MAGIC for VW floor pans

Well I didn't know that - Thank you I will remove that immediately and replace it with something more appropriate.

__________________
1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4