My Custom 1980 W116 300SD Project - Page 6 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

bgiovan · #76 12-19-2010, 09:19 PM

Looking good Squig. I sent the rest of the stuff last week so you should be good to go. I need to run back to the farm and look at that '79 280SE I have stashed. I can't remember if it has a manual sunroof or not. But I do have those fancy tan velour seats, the euro bumpers, manual climate control and of course crank windows. I also have a '79 450SEL with black leather interior up there. Hopefully the mice haven't attacked that interior. I got the tan out and have it in a heated warehouse but that one is still braving the elements.

andersbenz · #77 12-19-2010, 09:33 PM

What a great project--Thank you for sharing it with us.

Squiggle Dog · #78 12-19-2010, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgiovan

Looking good Squig. I sent the rest of the stuff last week so you should be good to go. I need to run back to the farm and look at that '79 280SE I have stashed. I can't remember if it has a manual sunroof or not. But I do have those fancy tan velour seats, the euro bumpers, manual climate control and of course crank windows. I also have a '79 450SEL with black leather interior up there. Hopefully the mice haven't attacked that interior. I got the tan out and have it in a heated warehouse but that one is still braving the elements.

Thanks! Those tan velour seats you have are amazing. I actually have a set of tan velour headrests I've been trying to sell if you decided you wanted to add rear headrests. I think I'm going to need to find a replacement driver door window regulator as it's really sloppy.

bgiovan · #79 12-19-2010, 09:39 PM

Now you've got me thinking of using the black inserts from the 450SEL on the parchment trim! Downside is the back doors are too long but I can always cut and paste. With the 172 Anthracite Grey it might work.

Downloaded the instructions for R&R'ing the head from the W116.org library. Fun times! Plan is to remove the one off the '80 and install it on the '79 with new gaskets, etc. Hopefully there's no block issues. If there is then it'll be a full-on transplant but thought I'd try the head route first. I need to get the climate control sorted. It is still not opening the thermostat. Kilma I and I do not get along.

Cheers mate!

bgiovan · #80 12-19-2010, 09:45 PM

How hard is it to put in rear headrests? I love that look and would pop a set in the back of the new one - just need to find Parchment! Perhaps GAHH?

MBeige · #81 12-19-2010, 10:15 PM

Looks great! Maybe I'm not seeing the full picture as I haven't owned a W116 and am not too familiar with them. How did the doors look like before?

Squiggle Dog · #82 12-19-2010, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgiovan

Now you've got me thinking of using the black inserts from the 450SEL on the parchment trim! Downside is the back doors are too long but I can always cut and paste. With the 172 Anthracite Grey it might work.

Downloaded the instructions for R&R'ing the head from the W116.org library. Fun times! Plan is to remove the one off the '80 and install it on the '79 with new gaskets, etc. Hopefully there's no block issues. If there is then it'll be a full-on transplant but thought I'd try the head route first. I need to get the climate control sorted. It is still not opening the thermostat. Kilma I and I do not get along.

Cheers mate!

How hard is it to put in rear headrests? I love that look and would pop a set in the back of the new one - just need to find Parchment! Perhaps GAHH?

Using the black door panel inserts in the parchment interior would be neat. They would match the dashboard and console. I think the rears would work if you cut them down because, if I'm not mistaken, the SEL uses the same length door handles, etc. as the SD, there is just more room from that point forward.

On my 300SDs I have always bypassed the climate control servo and then removed the buttons except for HI and OFF so it doesn't blow any fuses. It works that way and is very reliable. But having a working ACCII is a wonderful thing if you can afford to get it to that point. Having a working manual setup is even better.

Installing rear headrests is easy. It is bolt-in, but you have to carefully place and cut holes for the headrest legs and install the grommets in the holes. The hard part is finding the rear headrest components. Even the legs of the rear headrests are different from the front headrests as they tilt forward more. I used to have a complete conversion kit that I removed from a 6.9, but they went to a happy buyer in England.

I have seen people make their own before: Installing Rear Headrests / 116 w/ pics I wish I had that guy's car. It is the same Walnut Brown color my 300SD used to be. Too bad I didn't have the $6,000 he wanted. I got mine for $1,100 and by the time I have it all painted up and looking like his I will have spent about that much.

If you can't find any used parchment headrests, you can try GAHH ( http://www.gahh.com/ ), as you mentioned, or World Upholstery ( http://www.worlduph.com/ ).

Squiggle Dog · #83 12-19-2010, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

Looks great! Maybe I'm not seeing the full picture as I haven't owned a W116 and am not too familiar with them. How did the doors look like before?

This is the only picture I have of the interior before I started working on it:

Here is what the stock door panels look like (manual windows were not available for the 300SD):

Compared to:

bgiovan · #84 12-19-2010, 11:00 PM

How is the carpet? I have a full set of bamboo from that Euro 280SE. Can't recall condition but did pull it all and it's been in my warehouse (heated) for the past couple of years. Might be better than what you have. Let me know and I'll send it. Free - you just pay for shipping.

MBeige · #85 12-19-2010, 11:24 PM

Thanks for the pics. Now that I see it, that is definitely a great "upgrade" to the interior of your SD. Well done!!

Too bad the W123 door cards are one piece.

Ether · #86 12-20-2010, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squiggle Dog

I have seen people make their own before: Installing Rear Headrests / 116 w/ pics I wish I had that guy's car. It is the same Walnut Brown color my 300SD used to be. Too bad I didn't have the $6,000 he wanted. I got mine for $1,100 and by the time I have it all painted up and looking like his I will have spent about that much.

I bought that SD from TClanton and then subsequently sold it about a year later (for $500 more than I paid for it BTW). That's the one car I regret letting go. It was beautiful, new leather interior and the rear head rests were very cool.

Squiggle Dog · #87 12-20-2010, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgiovan

How is the carpet? I have a full set of bamboo from that Euro 280SE. Can't recall condition but did pull it all and it's been in my warehouse (heated) for the past couple of years. Might be better than what you have. Let me know and I'll send it. Free - you just pay for shipping.

When I got the car it didn't have a carpet set, but had some blue floor mats in it. It also had a blue back seat from a W123 that didn't fit.

I have a set of carpet that is in good condition, though it has some cracking on the vinyl piping. I'd be interested in finding a really nice set, so I might want it if it's in better shape than mine. Thanks for the offer.

I don't have the carpet in the car now because the interior leaks water and the floors get really wet. My 300SD needs every possible rubber weatherstripping piece replaced.

Squiggle Dog · #88 12-20-2010, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ether

I bought that SD from TClanton and then subsequently sold it about a year later (for $500 more than I paid for it BTW). That's the one car I regret letting go. It was beautiful, new leather interior and the rear head rests were very cool.

I wondered what happened to that car. I sent him a PM to see if he could tell me what the name of the color of the car was. Now I know it is Walnut Brown (or Moorbraun).

I searched high and low for a 300SD in Walnut Brown, with a sunroof. I scoured all of the craigslist ads and eBay for months. I found a couple of Walnut Brown cars, but none of them had sunroofs, being that Walnut Brown is a 1980-only color for the W116 and it is very rare to find a 1980 300SD with a sunroof.

Then I saw the ad for my car in the Eugene, Oregon craigslist. I am color blind, so I couldn't tell from the pictures if the car was black or dark brown. I looked up the VIN number and it showed it as being Walnut Brown, the color I was looking for, plus it had a sunroof. But, it had been repainted in black at some point. My second color choice was black as I could paint it the color I wanted and having black paint in the hidden spots would be okay.

The seller had a big, long list of parts that had been recently replaced and it sounded great (I later found out that none of the parts had been replaced and were all in need of immediate replacement). He also said that he had another eager local buyer who was ready to give him the cash, so there was no negotiating price. It was the only Walnut Brown (or used to be Walnut Brown) W116 300SD with a sunroof that I had seen for sale other than that really nice $6,000 one, so that's why I paid $1,100 for a rough piece of junk. But once I am done with it, it will be my dream car.

Some day it is going to be painted back to the original dark brown with a second beige color in two-tone.

vstech · #89 12-20-2010, 05:33 PM

... you're a tad bit of distance from me, but there is an 80SD in the PNP in charlotte... it's got saddle interior in awesome condition... I didn't notice if it had a sunroof... it was JUST dropped off today, and already the IP, and a few injector lines, and injectors are being pulled. it should be complete tomorrow, if you are looking for something from the car...

Squiggle Dog · #90 12-20-2010, 06:05 PM

Look at the original craigslist ad for my car and have a good laugh (I will post commentary in red):

1980 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo Diesel W116, 5-Cyl, 4-Spd Auto | 28 MPG

Date: 2010-03-11, 9:04AM

1980 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo Diesel
W116 D30A Chassis, 5-Cyl, 4-Spd. Automatic
28 MPG

Great running car. Starts quickly and easily in all weather (all 5 glow plugs were bad, wouldn't start in cold weather). Better pick up speed and fuel economy due to the Turbo Charger (turbo was seized and non-working) and aftermarket hi-flow air cleaner (a cheap aftermarket hot-air kit that was melted by the exhaust manifold). No rust (mostly true), good paint (paint was horrible), but clear coat is pealing up (in large sections).

Powered by the 3.0 L OM617 inline 5-cyl turbo diesel (2998 cc) engine. Power output is 120 hp (89 kW) with MPG consistent @ 28 miles per gallon of fuel. This reputed to be one of the most trust worthy builds of 5-cyl Mercedes Diesels, used in millions of sedans and light duty trucks, around the world. Current tags, expire August, 2010. No DEQ required. This classic is a reliable daily driver (not even close), with a 4 speed automatic transmission (transmission had bad internal seals and needed to warm up for 10 minutes before it would go into drive--and then the vacuum line fell off and it wouldn't shift out of second gear, had to rig it to get home). New brake master cylinder last month (Total lie, it was a rusty one with a cracked reservoir and rotten seals and it wouldn't hold brake fluid. I'm lucky it didn't run dry and kill me because the parking brake didn't even work). Front alignment done by Les Schwab last December (Another lie! The car wandered all over the road and when I took it in for an alignment the shop said it was way off.). Tires 75% (all 4 tires were mismatched, dry rotted, and threadbare--worst peeling chromed bundts I have ever seen).
Front seats are a bit worn and showing their age yet still very firm and comfortable (they were trashed; broken springs, no padding left, and ripped). Rear seat is mis matched color, as well as front floor mats (they were blue and out of a W123). The window switches for the front left, and rear right windows need to be replaced (and the regulators and all parts pertaining to the power windows were bent or broken). Sun roof is working but needs a good greasing (he was right about that). Trunk seal needs to be replaced (trunk seal was good, water was coming in from the taillights). AC is non-functioning (so was the heater).
$1195

The asking price is firm.
Showing by appointment Friday - Saturday - Sunday

ATTENTION:
Due to the high level of SPAM activity on eugene.craigslist.org; All interested buyers must include a PHONE NUMBER to receive a response. All inquiries sent without a valid phone number will be ignored and promptly deleted/blocked.