Boy that dash fire ruined my morale and I haven't touched a tool for 3 months now...anyway I'm trying to get back in the spirit. I tore the whole dash out and started to sand the car with 200 grit and I'm determined to make it better than new. Whats frustarting is that I cant find the short that set the cluster ablaze so I am literally splicing in a new dsah wiring harness with 100 solder joints, each individually shrinkwrapped and tested...its tedious methodical work and the mosguitoes and heat dont help. I drive the car without a dash, thats not against the law.....I tore out everything in the passenger compartment including the carpet and I am rebuilding the seats, this car will not have one trace of odor in it!!!

If you are trying to remove bad surface oxidation and contaminants, I would not use anything rougher that 1000 grit sand paper.

200 grit will simply remove the paint.

My dad was a car painter when I was a kid, and I did a lot of color sanding.

1000 grit is the roughest sandpaper I've ever seen used to color sand.

I helped a friend color sand his truck that was repainted, and we used 1500 grit to remove bad orange peel.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

OMG
Jeeze do I feel like a dope - I was complaining about replacing the little light in the shifter column

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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

Wow, even MB can make a naked dash look like a work of art.

That is starting to look like my project did! Once you get everything preped the hard part is over. I found putting it together is much easier as you know how everything goes together.

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

Once again things are right in the world. Carrameow is working on cars again, AND using his original forum ID
Next we need to find him another diesel Volvo to work on....

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Welcome back dude, glad to see you're back in the swing of things again.
Maybe you will be ready for the next gtg on the 30th

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Your back! I am glad you are wrenching on MB's again. Take your time and work on the car as you feel like it and have time.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Richard,

I'm really pleased to see you back in the groove. I did some oil cooler hoses today on the SD. Not easy, but, it pales in comparison to what you have undertaken there.

Congrats on the use of the old ID.