P-A-P 300TD Finds - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vwnate1 · #1 10-03-2010, 11:18 PM

I've been needing an aircleaner 'T' bracket for my '84 300CD so to-day Tom and I headed out to Pick-A-Part for a look .

As it turns out , I found one brandy new one plus one nice original one , $3.95 each =8-) .

As I was tinkering on a W-126 , Tom came over and said ' I think you'll be wanting to stop here for a moment and look over there ' (pointing) he'd found a gray market 1985 300TD in simply _marvelous_
shape , shiny Cobalt Blue paint , no dents etc. , etc. it had been heavily stripped but still had _TWO_ rear seat headrests in the correct Palomino color ! I grabbed them and then did some tinkering and discovered the front seat headrests will indeed fit the back seat of a W-123 Wagon ! wow . only difference is , they are taller in the chrome rails by 4" or so .

So , I grabbed a third , perfect Sedan Palomino headrest , $3.95 each ~ I LOVE PICK-A-PART !!!!!!! .

This car was missing the entire dashboard so I was fiddling with the vents and noticed the central fresh air vent's vacuum actuator was brandy new ~ that was a whopping $2.95 .

I also grabbed a *perfect* rear seatbelt with hardware and trim cover and receiver , that was expen$ive @ $ 9.95 .

Of course , some miscallaneous hardware and cassette player buttons "fell" into my pockets and toolbox so all in all ,I got good dollar value for my total cost of $38.60 including entrance fee for two .

On the way out , I spotted a straight as an arrow NA 300CE , it had been ruined for some Movie or TV shoot by spraying it pink then adding cartoon graphice all down one side , the ENTIRE *perfect* interior had been hastily spray painted white , _everything_ ~ dashboard , gauges , doors , carpets , seatbelts ~ they RUINED a perfectly good parts car

.

So , remember kiddies & CWC Members : if your rear headrests are gone missing , just find a same year Sedan and take the front headrests and stick 'em in until you can find some ' Just So ' ones....

No one but YOU will ever know the difference .

-Nate

charmalu · #2 10-04-2010, 02:52 AM

Looks like you did good. you ought to pull the front TD sway bar, it is a few mm thicker than the 300D, and fits right in. Is a little work to remove, but not too bad with 2 people.

Charlie

vstech · #3 10-04-2010, 06:17 AM

the rear seatbelt retractor will not work in a sedan. it's mounted thus balanced upside down...

vwnate1 · #4 10-04-2010, 08:35 AM

I need it for the back of my TD , somehow they managed to ruin the original one...

Most of the Wagon specific parts had been yanked and none too carefully ~ most of the *perfect* Palomino interior was ripped to shreds .

babymog · #5 10-04-2010, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

<>Of course , some miscallaneous hardware and cassette player buttons "fell" into my pockets and toolbox so all in all ,I got good dollar value for my total cost of $38.60 including entrance fee for two.
-Nate

Nothing personal nate, but that isn't right.

The yard probably would have given or charged nearly nothing if you had shown them a hand-full of hardware, and you made the cassette player useless to the next guy, theft is theft.

vstech · #6 10-04-2010, 08:48 AM

BAST@#$!~~~
there should be some type of nazi punishment for jerks that damage parts during their search!!!!

too bad you are on opposite coast from me. I've got a nice palomino wagon interior...

vwnate1 · #7 10-04-2010, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

Nothing personal nate, but that isn't right.

The yard probably would have given or charged nearly nothing if you had shown them a hand-full of hardware, and you made the cassette player useless to the next guy, theft is theft.

You're wrong Jeff .

yes , I'm personal freinds with the guys who own & run this particular yard (they give me all the books & manuals I want) but hardware isn't sold .

When I remove anything , I always take all the pertinent nuts , bolts & washers .

Sadly , they toss the Becker radios in the trash .

I can buy a whole one for $10 and yes , I have , I have a box full (orr two) of them and I'm slowly but surely replacing the damaged or gone missing little parts like buttons and brackets etc.

They sell CD players for $25 and I saw one of those fancy new ones with the 6 CD cassette , I left it alone , unlike 90 % of the usual P-A-P customers , I don't mindlessly smash European headlights or plastic taillight lenses just to get a .99 CENT used bulb...

vwnate1 · #8 10-04-2010, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

BAST@#$!~~~
there should be some type of nazi punishment for jerks that damage parts during their search!!!!

too bad you are on opposite coast from me. I've got a nice palomino wagon interior...

Were I retired , I'd hop in and drive Down East to fetch it , I only need a few small things .

I love driving more than wrenching .

I'm hoping to make a whirlwind visit to Maine for my middle brother's 60 BD party & housewarming .

babymog · #9 10-04-2010, 09:21 AM

Then I apologize Nate. The way you worded the ""fell" into my pocket ..." made me think that you did this covertly and without permission.

When I buy things at the yard, I too throw all useful brackets, fasteners, hardware into the wheelbarrow with my purchase. I know the guys well, and they have never charged for the small stuff, which I take is their policy when I'm there buying bigger stuff, the hardware otherwise ends up on the ground in most cases.

It is always a shame to see how much damage some people do. A couple of local yards let me go through the car before it is processed, knowing that I remove things, and don't cut my way in, they have even made that comment.

I will be sad if environmental or litigious factors ever close the U-pick yards as it is sure nice to be able to walk in and out with the part you need, even notice and buy adjaecent parts and hardware to buy "while I'm in there", helps to restore and maintain my older rolling stock. Seems every time I get a big UPS delivery of new parts, there's something else I need to go and find, and with no dealer nearby (plus they don't stock the vintage stuff) the U-pick yards are a great resource.

JB3 · #10 10-04-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

I will be sad if environmental or litigious factors ever close the U-pick yards as it is sure nice to be able to walk in and out with the part you need, even notice and buy adjaecent parts and hardware to buy "while I'm in there", helps to restore and maintain my older rolling stock..

why would this ever happen, have you heard something that would indicate a movement to close PNP yards? I doubt that such a thing would ever take place.

vwnate1 · #11 10-04-2010, 09:46 AM

Of course ~ all the new vehicle manufacturers hate junkyards of _any_ typ and especially self - service ones .

They have the ignorant mindset that if you cannot fix your old vehicle , you'll buy a new one....

This is why congress , back in....(?? I forget) made a law that all cars must have a 20 year parts supply .

of course the manufacturers hade this massaged so they can supply only sparkplugs for 20 year old cars...

Then there's the ' holier than thou's ' who think they know what's good for you and they hate all manner of things they don't understand , junkyards are always high on thier list and they mis use environmental laws and concerns to close down junkyards and hassle folks who have parts cars @ home too .

As with most things , if you follow the money trail , you'll soon find the truth of the matter and see who's doing what .

I buy most of my vehicles from scrap yards or , when I'm lucky , the tow truck just before they go in as I like to retain the original license plates whenever possible .

Junkyards get mostly wrecks and old , unmolested long dormant vehicles that have not been DIY'd or DPO'd , DPM'd to junk .

All I needs to do is rebuild them to my liking .

Yes , I'm one of those nit picky hardware freaks , as I drive a lot , I find the keeping it mostly original , makes for more reliable transport and easier fixing on those rare occasions when there's a road side issue .