It's slowly coming together - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

funola · #16 07-23-2007, 10:01 AM

KAdams: "It will do until something better comes along........"

Jimmy L: "I think that is what my wife is thinking............."

Was Jimmy L referring to the husband rather than the car?

That's how I read it.

KAdams4458 · #17 07-23-2007, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funola

How did the bend happen? Hit a curb hard? Were the rim(s) bent also?

I have no idea how the old one was bent. I bought the car that way. As for the new one, nothing happened except for turning the wheel. With the wheels turned far enough, the steering shock bottoms out, and the bracket is what gave. It's actually welded to the drag link in the wrong place. Either that, or I was sold the wrong part to begin with. The part number on the bag correlates to the proper replacement part for the car, so I don't know what happened.

KAdams4458 · #18 07-23-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funola

KAdams: "It will do until something better comes along........"

Jimmy L: "I think that is what my wife is thinking............."

Was Jimmy L referring to the husband rather than the car?

That's how I read it.

I'm betting husband. Maybe he'll chime in. Everyone secure your bets.

KAdams4458 · #19 08-04-2007, 05:28 AM

A little update, once again...

A recent trip to a salvage yard resulted in finding a really nice '81 300D. The car was beautiful, and had clearly been cared for. So, why was it in the yard? The motor would only turn over partly before something clanked hard in the block. Ouch!

Luckily, I found the car before anyone else had a chance to pick it over for parts. I managed to take home the following items for less than $80:

-Updated N/A hardened camshaft (05) with towers, rocker assembly, and the matching valve nuts, which are in excellent condition. (Score! No more chewed-up soft camshaft for me!)

-A nice set of Zebrano dash trim, with no cracks in the finish.

-One glove box with nice, clean fuzzy lining, and a glove box door that actually latches without effort, and is was aligned with the dash.

-A nearly complete (Palomino?) carpet set which cleaned up very well. (I had to leave behind the carpet on either side of the center console, as the yard was closing for the day. I may just use black carpet for the console sides.

-Two interior door handles of very recent vintage that even still have the little black foam bits around the hinge area.

-All four interior door panels, which were not water damaged at all.

-Three door lock vacuum pods, all functional, and seemed much cleaner and newer than the rest of the door components.

-A front interior dome lamp that's not cracked or faded.

-Headlamp adjuster bits and pieces so that I can get a little more life out of my crappy federal lamps.

-Yet another 6.5" Bundt. Soon I will be able to have a different set of tires for each of the four seasons. Heh.

All in all, it was a good day at the yard. At least two other people showed up, and were bemoaning the fact that they had intended to take parts that I was in the process of removing. I felt a little sorry for them, but I've been hunting for these parts, too.

As for the suspension woes, I'm still holding out for a spring compressor. After obtaining the parts to repair the lower control arm bushings, the shop refused to use my parts to do the work. Well, that's there loss. I'd rather do it myself, anyway. I just need to get my hands on a spring compressor.

I should also add that I had a bit of good luck recently. It seems my vacuum pump has failed, and began pumping large amounts of oil in to the air cleaner. How is that good? Fortunately, no oil seems to have made it in to the rest of the vacuum system, so I caught the problem in time. I guess a vacuum pump repair kit is in order. Until then, the car won't be run at all. I don't need my vacuum system any more screwed up than it already is.

Jim B. · #20 08-04-2007, 05:35 AM

Just to remind you of something you already probably know, don't use a cheap spring compressor. (made in China or somesuch...)

Only buy or rent a really, top quality one. A cheapie can be DEADLY if things go wrong.

Good scores from the junkyard.

Good luck.

KAdams4458 · #21 08-04-2007, 05:53 AM

I'd be open to renting a good one, and I know that there are a few of them floating around out there, but it just seems like a complete PITA to do so. I'm still debating with myself over purchasing one of the varieties that can be found on eBay for $200.

ImBroke · #22 08-04-2007, 08:18 AM

Sounds like the car should have been a project car. Also sounds like you are doing a fantastic job of bringing it back, with an immense learning curve. Congrats, I look forward to reading more.

PS I guess I'm lucky too, as my wife also goes with me to the salvage yards. This is even after the engine stand fell on her foot while she was helping me put the engine in the race car.. I can't lose her.

KAdams4458 · #23 08-04-2007, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBroke

Sounds like the car should have been a project car. Also sounds like you are doing a fantastic job of bringing it back, with an immense learning curve. Congrats, I look forward to reading more.

PS I guess I'm lucky too, as my wife also goes with me to the salvage yards. This is even after the engine stand fell on her foot while she was helping me put the engine in the race car.. I can't lose her.

It definitely was something we viewed as a project car. Of course, we also figured it would be in serviceable condition by now. A long list of setbacks have prevented me from really being able to spend much time or money on the car recently. Of course, like all new projects, things go wrong that you don't see coming. In the beginning, I honestly expected to be driving the car within a month of purchasing it. I've performed quick repair jobs before, and I'm pretty confident with a wrench. At this point, we're too far in to it to just give up on it, I'm afraid.

A little over a year ago, a friend and I turned a $100 car, which happened to include a practically new motor, in to great daily driver after a total of a week of work, and $300 in parts, then sold it for $2000. That car has given its new owner no grief at all. That work and money included a lot of replacement parts, including a windshield and transaxle. I can work miracles when I have the time to work on a car, and I'm not an hour and a half away from where I can work on it.

See the attached photo, which shows the interior of that $100 car as it was when we bought it. If I can make that kind of car look, smell, and run great with hardly any cash outlay, I'm sure that I can get this 300D whipped in to shape.

Jim B. · #24 08-04-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImBroke

Sounds like the car should have been a project car. Also sounds like you are doing a fantastic job of bringing it back, with an immense learning curve. Congrats, I look forward to reading more.

PS I guess I'm lucky too, as my wife also goes with me to the salvage yards. This is even after the engine stand fell on her foot while she was helping me put the engine in the race car.. I can't lose her.[/I][/B]

Dios mio, where do you guys find women like this?

That is unbelievable! You are soooooooo lucky!

captainmonk · #25 08-04-2007, 01:07 PM

should have been a project car?
what makes you think it isnt one
and a couple of wives ago i had one that went fishing with me day after we were married worked on deck all day

bgkast · #26 08-04-2007, 01:49 PM

It looks like you are doing a great job of bringing it back.

Bio300TDTdriver · #27 08-04-2007, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainmonk

should have been a project car?
what makes you think it isnt one
and a couple of wives ago i had one that went fishing with me day after we were married worked on deck all day

"A couple of wives ago", that's funny. It reminds me of a guy I know that refers to his wife as "my current wife".

KAdams4458 · #28 08-04-2007, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainmonk

should have been a project car?
what makes you think it isnt one...

By should have been, I mean to say that it should have never had a scheduled date on which it would become a daily driver. At this point, I'm trying not to think of it as a project car, per say. It's more like having a number of small projects. It's much nicer to say I've tackled and completed the oil cooler line project, the wheel project, the turn signal project, and the power window project than it is to say, I've done all that stuff, but there's still a ton of things to do, and I've blown $1500 bucks, and essentially only have a pretty hood star with a bucket of rusty bolts attached to it to show for my efforts and money.

I'm really only trying to get it road-worthy. Leave me to my delusions. I beg you!

KAdams4458 · #29 08-04-2007, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgkast

It looks like you are doing a great job of bringing it back.

Thanks! I'd like to think that.

I suppose I better provide more photos soon.

KAdams4458 · #30 08-05-2007, 04:41 AM

Apparently the faces I make while working on the Mercedes amuse my wife.

For those of you that have discovered that your vacuum pump is spewing oil in to your air filter housing, you probably know this look. Actually, I bet everyone here that has spent any time under the hood of their car has made this face. It's the, "Now what the *#@! is wrong with this thing?" look.

You all know this look, don't you?