The 'new' 83 240D 'save this car' restore thread

[benhogan]

Originally Posted by Smoker

The good Pastor was selling for a friend and knew nothing about history (or really anything else).

I doubt the engine was rebuilt 3k miles ago, more likely a used one was tossed in. Has what appears to be 2 new glows and two older. Air cleaner was new but wrong size, one air cleaner mount was replaced with a straight bolt.

Has some oddities....the hazard triangle is still in trunk, 175sr14 spare looks to have never touched ground. First aid kit intact. It'll be a good driver while the 300CD gets lots of proper restoration. I'm just going to repair the rust and 'broken' items on this 240, bring the preventive maintenance up to date and put it on the road. Wish it didn't need tires....everything I get always needs tires...

Go to JT Tire in Durham and pay $25 per tire balanced and installed. It is on Guess Rd.

[Smoker]

Used or just inexpensive new? If that's new it's super deal....best I've found on new is $60 each mounted and balanced.

On the import thing, yeh, it was imported in 2000. Car hasn't been on the road since 2011 according to Carfax.

Originally Posted by benhogan

Go to JT Tire in Durham and pay $25 per tire balanced and installed. It is on Guess Rd.

[benhogan]

used. JT gets them from junkyards. i take all my cars there. call ahead to make sure they have your size.

[Smoker]

Well, first job, removing the old 'mount point' from the bad hinge is a bust. Rusted into one solid piece, pin an mount. Soaking overnight in atf/acetone didn't help....heat didn't help. Easy to see how the previous owner ripped it off the body in the first place.

Popping out tomorrow to get a suitable size bit of pipe and will weld it to a square of sheetmetal stock to make a mount.

[Smoker]

hood mount hinge point welded in. All the front rust (under battery, both front firewalls) cleaned, patched, and POR15d. Manual sunroof that wouldn't shut is shut (parts to shut the air deflector missing, and they were trying to shut it over nuts and berries as well).

Tomorrow is new front pads, diesel purge, and then oil change, fuel filters.

[vstech]

that's a euro engine, (at least the IP is euro) in USA they never put on the M pump... so it's unlikely they swapped in a used engine.

lemme know if you need a manual heater control valve, I've got a few of them.
I also think I have the hinge hardware you need, just take a pic of the spring pocket, and I'll verify mine will fit.
lemme know if you want a set of euro interior too... I've got a blue and a red set of euro cloth interiors... (although Greazzer is wanting the red set I've got.)

[Smoker]

Another update:

New pads, brake hoses, one caliper (yes matched ATE to ATE). New return lines (pelican parts not those 'other' ones that fall apart). New hand pump. Valves adjusted (they were all REALLY loose, I thought they were supposed to fail tight?)

Front half body work is done, battery tray back in.

Rear rust treated, some new metal welded in, some glass, lots of POR15. Waiting a few days until doing the finish putty work.

Waiting on piles of used parts and some new. Includes new tie rods, both sets were shot.

Needs new CV boots, not torn yet but showing cracks. Next on the order list once another pay day comes around (or not, something about military retiree and VA disability checks not coming? ).

[Smoker]

As I reply to myself .

Front end is done. Rear bodywork is done. Just did a spot repaint on lower rear quarters so it's a nice 10 footer.

Hood insulator in, finally fully sorted the replacement hood hinge job (bit of work aligning and rewelding the pivot in the pocket that had been pulled out by PO).

Put in a cheap stereo. Cleaned and treated the fusebox with (product name withheld to put off flame wars on what product to use ).

H4 replacement lights in.

Sunroof back in and working well. Made a fix for the missing arm roller rubber. Still need a couple of pieces to be perfect, have a deal working with a lister for all the sunroof bits.

Took it out for a run around the farm, no license tags yet so can't go on real roads. Everything works great except no speedo and gear shift is a little sloppy.

Put the car up (yet again), speedo cable was broken. One of the shift levers had a broken end (the eye) and it was held on with a bit of light metal tiewrapped to the lever. So, now I'm waiting on the lever repair end and a speedo cable, and 240D will finally be on the road.

[charmalu]

You should have a good running 240 when you are through, though I don`t think we ever get them to perfection. Always something else to do.

Amazing how people Micky Mouse things together, ie your shift rod end. I have seen some that the bushings have been gone so long they are oval shaped. why can`t people keep up the maintenance of their cars? usually doesn`t take much to keep them up and running.

Charlie

[Smoker]

This is a Euro car that was brought over by the German owner. I did some internet sleuthing and found a person by the same name pops up on internet boards over in EU so I suspect he sold the car when he went back over. OTOH, fairly common German name and there may be more than one or two Mercedes enthusiasts in Germany

The second owner seems to have been the one into 'do whatever it takes to flip it quick'

I've still gotta get to Vstech's and grab some suitable wheels and hubcaps. Currently has 4 nasty looking bundt's. I want to replace the perfect yet wrong US interior that was put in as well. Waiting for a weekend with decent weather and no other engagements to visit Charlotte area.

[cooljjay]

Let me know when you get to the interior swap, I would love to see if we could work something out for a few seat skins....

[ROLLGUY]

Originally Posted by Smoker

So how do I tell if it was a 'Euro' market car or not??

Even though you have already figured out it is in fact a Euro, having NO A/C is another clue.

[Smoker]

It is now inspected. The ehefrau, in a fit of uncommon generosity, volunteered to take the 240 on it's first road excursion.

30 mile round trip for inspection, I was a bit nervous as the car hadn't traveled more than 2 miles under it's own power for many years.

She returned happily saying it was very well behaved, and was without doubt the slowest car she had ever driven. Having had a '62 bug, that was saying something.

Passed inspection. I of course left the old rotted wiper blades on so that the inspection place could sell new ones. Unwritten rule in North Carolina, leave them something to make a quick profit on and everyone stays friends.


-e

[Smoker]

Originally Posted by cooljjay

Let me know when you get to the interior swap, I would love to see if we could work something out for a few seat skins....

If I can get hold of Vstech to arrange buyin the euro set he has you can have these. Easy to remove, the folks that xferred 'em never even clipped them to the frames .

Got the linkage rod ends done today. One was broken and tiewrapped on, other two had no bushings and elongated eyes. Put three new ends on.

New speedo cable is on. Front end alignment was done yesterday. Only thing left is the bilstiens that I'm waiting on from PP.

CD goes in the garage Saturday and not coming out until it's running correctly.

[cooljjay]

Oh sweet....well when you get to that phase....let me know....crazy they didn't even fasten them to the frames....just cram it all in a box and I will get to the corner to beg for change

Oh that will be sweet, wasn't his a red euro interior? Boy I can't wait to see photos of that....